Princi - In the name of bread

The Modern Mental Amazing Priory (Oopps) Pantry

A personal tribute to my first london home and "la mia famiglia di cuochi".

Coming soon..............

Is....the only way, Essex? - A trip to colchester Oyster Co.

It is a cool spring morning in the London metropolis. Located in the middle of Liverpool Street station, a group of people gather. Each one emanating a hidden dynamite of excitement. Centred amongst them is Rob, or should i say daddy cool. From 9.30 til quarter to 10, he herds each one of them together and gets quietly frustrated, when he finds out one or two have scattered to the loo or went for a quick little exploration of the station. 

Today, is the day that many have been waiting for. The one day of the year that everyone is off, at the same time and gathered together.  The restaurant is closed for the day and the kitchen has been turned upside down and inside out. Contractors, have spent the morning hours rearranging it and installing a few new toys for us chefs to play with. 

 

The modern pantry teletubbies, get on the train and we proceed down through Stratford and pass the gigantic building site that is soon to be the London Olympics. As you look around, you can distinguish each one of us by strong abnormal and sometimes, totally mental characteristics. Miss Singapore summer, sits at the back wearing a cheeky little black dress with matching bikini. The Italian stallion behind me, spots an article in my open paper about U2. Thus igniting another passionate rendition on how much he loves Bono.  The cobra sits to the next row of seats from me with another equally hyperactive Spaniard. Maybe they were on the skittle vodka, the night before, (recipe to follow).  Lizzy sits next to me, knees on seat, scanning the scene with long flowing hair, youthful eyes and a far to innocent smile. Rob shows his love to the camera.

The Before Shot

 Everyone is far too sober for my liking. The bubbly appears and the first of many drinking sessions begins. Soon after, cake boy, presents his hard work from the night before. Crumbs of carrot and chocolate cake fill the train floor and i get my early dose of sugar. The two fair ladies struggling to behave themselves, sit drinking champagne, out of Costa coffee cups, in true elegant Essex style.

The start of a day, soon  to be filled with drunkenness and much much debauchery........has barely begun.

We arrive at the local train station and hop into taxis. As, we all look out of the windows the car falls silent. We Londoner's haven't really seen countryside for a while and are in awe at the its majesty. Green plains of grassy fields pass by. A single pheasant trots along in a field nearby and all I can think of is a juicy roast.  The hedgerows are filled with a hidden foragers treasure chest. Houses dotted along the narrow country road, post signs, local produce for sale. Eggs, potatoes, home grown vegetables.

We finally arrive at the fishery and the strong scent of the sea air hits us carried by a chilly coastal breeze. It is located on the east of Mersea island. The fishery is a quint arrangement of buildings, almost built in such a way, that they are architecturally sensitive to the surrounding landscape. A landscape of grassy embankments, shallow sandy mud flats and a wild sea channel. Dotted by by little fishing boats and  large piles of oyster shells.

We gather upstairs to the main lunch room. Sitting outside the door is a reminder of my primary school days. A glass display box with various different shells and treasures from the sea. A jolly bearded guy greets us. Graham, an almost Santa Clause like appearance is the main manager at the fishery. One of a few other humble by passionate people, we are soon to met on our visit. Excitement and curiosity gets the better of  us and soon, like little sheep, groups of us wander off outside to explore, as we wait for Ian, the other guide for the day. Others wait inside, out of the cold, blackberries buzzing and the slight sound of  texting fingers prevail. We may of left the city  but the city hasn't left us.

Finally, Ian arrives and we are split into two groups. We proceed downstairs and into the main building. Laid out on a table is a gathering of various mollusc's and shellfish. Many of the different items Colchester also sources from different suppliers. Everybody is excited by a massive lobster. I phones, smart phones and blackberries are out, taking pictures and videos. We are taken into the filtering room.

 The quality of the oysters from sorting/grading after harvest to a 42+ hour filtering process distinguishes the quality of Colchester's oysters from any other competitors. Recent visits by the water inspectors find that the water at the fishery is of true crystal clear quality. The filtering of the oysters in tall stacked pull out shelves, results in a cleaner, purer, fresh product with no inner grit or grainy exterior shell. UV light tubes, kill of any remaining bacteria or micro-organisms in the filtering water. Each shelf allowing the water to slowly flow through and cascade onto the lower levels via perforated containers.

All this quality control measures, is true testiment to the list of high profile clients they supply to. For example, Gordon Ramsey Holding's, The Ritz, The Gavroche, Heston Blumenthal and off course, The Modern Pantry.We walk through the packing shed and benches are filled with beautifully handcrafted thin plywood like crates with the colchester fishery logo. Each one individually binded together with little metal stables. The result of years of hard work and passionate craftsmanship. Outside the front of the building, a deep long channel is laid out in front of a small water reservoir. Covered by sliding tin roofs. Like miniature little sheds. Oyster graders, work in shallow water sorting through oysters caught that day.

We regroup upstairs in the lunch area. Tables are set with bread and wine. Before us, on a long table is a true bounty of the Essex sea. A shellfish lovers dream. Platters, of langoustines, lobsters, pots of hot steaming mussels and little crab salads filled with its sweet soft juicy meat. For starters, fresh lush, oysters on the half shell. Everyone gathers round and downs one or two with a little of the shallot vinegar dressing or a squeeze of lemon juice. A few oyster virgins, try their first ever raw oyster with a slightly squemish look on their face. As, for the true hard core oyster fans, only au natural will do. They have the lightest and most purest flavour.  A slightly more refined taste to my native Irish oyster. Although, you are still guaranteed to find a Strangford in a few London oyster bars. Especially Corrigan's.

The best part of the day has commenced and we are joined by the most humbliest, passionate and kindred hearted people. Ian & Graham, our guides and another  member of the sales team. Alex, who speaks with a soft South African accent mixed with a slight Essex twang. Wine is guzzled down, bread broken and empty shells are piled up on empty plates. Flavours, alcohol and under the infleunce convsersation fills the room. The  wild kids, scatter outside, in a more drunken state of mind and attention turns to the adventure filled shore.

The sensibles, stay behind, out of the cold and continue conversing with the Colchester crew. Alex, entertains us with her stories of her South African family. The two boys, join in with finishing off the wine. We all nibble on cheese, failing to try and sober up for the journey home.

Colchester Fisheries is one of those companies, you know, just from their long history and few hard working, dedicated and passionate staff that they produce an excellent produce. There is no doubting this, from the list of high profile clients. The only way of continually remembering the experience and taste of a good product is going straight to the source. Sampling, its exquisidness, surrounding by the environment it came from. Wind swept grassy, shores, cool clean waters and naturally sustainable regrowing seabeds.

Made all the more enjoyable by friendly, generous, uniquely charismatic, and ultimately passionately motivated oyster producers. Colchester, in London, means only one thing, quality oysters.

Now all we have to get sorted with,  is getting back to london without falling out of the train, drunk.

 "Aint that right Diego".

The After Shot

Recipe: Skittle Vodka

One 3/4 full bottle of vodka

As many packets of skittles, you can get ur hands on

One obssesive sugar addicted victim

One dishwasher on hot rinse cycle

Fill bottle of vodka with loose skittles until it fills the space left from the 1/4 measure of vodka from a full bottle. Screw cap back on firmily. Place in an empty dishwasher machine. Put on full or rinse cycle. As long as its a hot one. Proceed to poach super sweet concotion until skittles fully melt and infuse into vodka.

Please note; This recipe should only be made, if you have had a few drinks in you already. Cause, no mentally insane sober person would even think of doing this. Unless your related to the Jack Ass crew.

.......... Heres one I prepared earlier

Beware, The crazy Modern Pantry Teletubbies, u have been warned.......

Have you been Tangoed ??

Please forgive the tasteless title of this post but i could help myself and i am about to share with you a passion for one of my most favourite late winter fruits. The majestic, alluring and almost jewel like blood orange.

Between, February and mid March many of us have endured a long cold winter of soothing comfort food. Mostly of the braise, roast meat and autumn stored fruit variety. Withdrawal symptoms for seasonal variety and bright coloured freshness becomes a love sick moan. Few treats come into season until late February or early march. I'm already kind of getting sick of champagne rhubarb. Most of the time, when it is in season, alot still comes from Holland and not our native Britain.  Still, we should be grateful because it is the first treat after Christmas. Blood oranges are now in full flight and they are already all over London's menus.

Skye Gyngell often will have then served simply as a dessert. Sliced like the wheels of a bicycle, the white pip lines resembling the spokes of a wheel. A good drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and a few sprigs of rosemary. DONE.

The Ottolenghi teams new restaurant NOPI just opened today, serves then with gorgeously creamy burrata cheese and coriander seeds.

The Modern Pantry in clerkenwell serves them in a salad with nigella seed roast earthy beetroot, toasted walnuts, stile ton english blue cheese and a pomegranate dressing. A certain chef had a influential hand in this creation but had a little quiet huff to himself because i didn't get my psychedelic favourite Castel Franco radicchio placed into the mix.

Then off course, there is that famous Italian aperitif of blood orange juice, Prosecco and Campari.

I absolutely love it and when I'm working in the kitchen during a long shift, i will have possibly gorged on more of the fruit than of what eventually reaches the customer. It has this amazing dark deep red and orange colour that often greatly differs from what you get in the supermarkets to what we get in the restaurant. The later the season, the darker it will get. You cannot foul a chefs well tuned palette either. Compared to original orange it has so much more depth of colour and can be extremely acidic (even more than a hard unripe orange). Its flavour to me resembles, a cross between citrussy sherbet and a slight hint of pomegranate. I guess this is why, it is so suited to that versatile product pomegranate molasses.

If you can find the best of this fruit, cherish it as much as you can. It is quite a little treasure and can be strictly seasonal, even in these times of hugely air freighted supermarket produce. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Alice B. Tolkas - The American Elizabeth Daivd

Alice B. Tolkas (pictured above on the right) as the title suggests was in the same league of food writing as Elizabeth David. She was born in San Francisco and spent many of her school years here and in Seattle. She moved to Paris in the early nineteen hundreds and met her long time lover the famous writer Gertrude Stein. Both, hosted a salon hosting many American writers. She remained much in the background of Stein and became her secretary, critic and cook. They were famous lesbian lovers until Steins death in 1945.

After the death of her partner, Toklas began to write her own literary memoir of sorts. This would soon become titled The Alice B Tolkas cookbook. It was and still is considered one of the most famous and classic titles in food writing. She would include in it, many recipes from her travels throughout Europe. Some off which included a recipe for an elaborately decorated poached salmon dish cooked for the famous artist Picasso. Many old and elaborate dishes and some which i find are quite unusually in there methods. Think wild grouse washed and marinated in milk, Singapore ice cream and the famous "hash fudge."

It is a product of her 25 years together with Gertrude and the many recipes she collected entertaining there many famous European artists and musical composers.

It is one of those books which i find quite intriguing and a true curious delight. I have always had a secret fascination for old period cookbooks. She may have only written one or two books but she really is, i think in the same league as Elizabeth David. I really do recommend any young or otherwise mature cook, chef or avid food writer to be transported to this curious period of history and food, in Europe. Seen through the eyes of Alice B. Tolkas.

Food for Plenty

When i get a day off from  a long, tiring and busy period of work I constantly enter some form of book shop, no matter were i am in the city. When I hit the cookery or food section, I enter an almost mental trance. I escape into my own little world and when i pick up the first cookbook which catches my intuitive eye, it is hard to distract me or pull me out of the shop. I like many other obsessive cooks, have a dangerous and often expensive love for cookbooks or food writer novels. There will be certain times in the year, were I will almost buy at least one book every time i get a day or two off. Although, it is the really intriguing, memorable and well written books, which i will browse over, each time i go into any book shop and often decide after a couple of times flicking through it to finally buy it. I have a couple of her books at home in Ireland that i had bought while i was training in university. The Gastro pub cook book and  Crazy water, pickled lemons. She writes in a way that you never bore of her and you always at some point pick her books off the shelf and continually browse over them. When i was training i used a few of her recipes for a Moroccan and Spanish themed gourmet night. Her influences are wide and culturally varied, which makes her an always instant hit.

I was so proud to find out that she is actually from Londonderry in Northern Ireland. A county just beside my home wilderness of Donegal. Luckily, she was influenced by a family of cooks/bakers from a very early age. Watching her mother and grandmother bake wheaten bread in the family kitchen.  She was making her own little sweets and cakes by six and organising little candlelight dinners by 16. Much to the bewilderment of her unadventurous 16 year old guests. Being influenced at a young age by pictures of jugs of flower waters and trunks, as she so describes, bursting with figs and pomegranates in Arabian Nights books. While, studying English at Oxford, she would spend rainy afternoons, scouring the city for rare and unusual middle eastern or Indian ingredients. These culturally diverse expeditions must of had a huge influence on the style and variety of cooking and recipes, she documented and wrote about in her books. A latest product of which i just bought recently is Food for Plenty.

Before i knew much about her, i kind of figured and just assumed she must be of Moroccan or middle Eastern decent but not so.

Her latest book, is quite possibly one of her most varied and extensive yet. It is literally a true reflection of the many influence's she has had or experienced over the years.

She documents not just one but eight other recipes for roast chicken, each one of a different cuisine. Think Corfu, Greece or American style buttermilk roast. Other recipes include, simple platters of seasonal and fresh vegetable crudities, sushi, Moroccan seven vegetable cous cous and Vietnamese sweet potato curry. Like many proud Irish or Northern Irish expatriates she doesn't forget her family roots either, placing a few of granny millers cherished recipes into the culinary kaleidoscope too.

Its modern day relevance is shown through, sections on which unsustainable fish to avoid. Other chapters inform the reader and keen cook on the sections of cow/beef and pig/pork you can use. Pulses, grains vegetables. The list is almost endless.

This cookbook and its author are sure to be a winner, will stick around for quite some time and i sure will be at my side for quite some time.

Melbourne. My most favourite city in the world

It is often on quite rare occassions that i get to spend two weeks off work, during christmas and new year. While working in Sydney i was thrilled to spend time with family for one week and the other in melbourne. Many antipodian city sleekers  will quarrel over the ultimate question. Which is the greater and more desirable city. Melbourne or sydney. For me, melbourne seduced me from the moment i stepped off the train. For chefs, melbourne has got to be one of the most culturely diverse cities. Two produce markets open early all week. One of which is located next to an extremely tempting Essential Ingredient store. An entire street dedicated to restaurants of all levels. A casino which holds host to many internationally recognised chefs restaurant. Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill, Gordon Ramseys Maze, Guillaume Brahimi's Bistro and one of my favourites, Robert Marchetti's Guiseppe Arnaldo and Son's iconically designed Italian trattoria. His own hand crafted and glass cabinet dry aged salamis provide an awinspiring focal point in the middle of the restaurant. Foccocia stands tilted to the spotlights in the servers area like a gallery dedicated to edible art............................