London's hottest dishes - Recipes

1/3

10 April 2012

London is home to some of the world's most fabulous restaurants - and here are the signature dishes and recipes from the chefs at 12 of them.

AUBERGINE

Set Vanilla Cream
Serves 6 to 8

1 litre double cream
3 vanilla pods, split with seeds scraped out
150g sugar
3 leaves gelatine, soaked until soft

Bring cream to boil with vanilla seeds. Add sugar and soaked gelatine leaves. When sugar and gelatine are dissolved, pass cream through sieve. Pour into individual moulds or glasses. Leave to set. Aubergine serves this with prunes in armagnac but you can also use poached or fresh fruits. Aubergine, 11 Park Walk, SW10, 020 7352 3449, auberginerestaurant.co.uk

VAMA

Baby Lamb Masala in a Tomato and Ginger sauce
Serves 2 to 3

3-4 tsp oil
1/2 cup sliced onions
500g diced English lamb
25g ginger paste
20g garlic paste
salt and white pepper to taste
Pinch red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
500g plum tomatoes
1tsp tomato paste
40ml yoghurt
Ginger julienne to garnish

In a heavy based pan heat the oil, add onions and cook until brown. Addlamb and cook for 10 minutes until onions are soft. Add ginger andgarlic pastes and cook for about five minutes. Add spices, tomato pasteand yoghurt with one cup of water and cook in a slow oven until lamb istender. Remove excess oil and serve garnished with ginger julienne. Vama, 438 King's Road, SW10, 020 7351 4118, vama.co.uk

THEO RANDALL

Pan Fried Scallops with Chilli, Parsley and Lemon
Serves 4

1 kg cima di rape or Swiss chard
Olive oil
1 1/2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch dried chilli
100g lentil de Castellucio
Sprig sage
12 cleaned scallops
1 red chilli
2 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Cook the cima di rape in salted boiling water until the leaves aretender. Drain. In some warm olive oil, gently fry 1/2 clove sliced garlic with fennel seeds and a pinch of dried chilli. Add the cima andstir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Boil the lentils untilcooked through with other garlic clove and sage. Drain, season and add agood slug of olive oil. Heat a heavy based frying pan. Toss the scallops in a bowl with salt, pepper and olive oil. When the pan is very hot place each scallop in thepan carefully and cook for one minute each side until golden brown. Add chilli, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Serve on a plate with the lentils and braised cima di rape. Theo Randall at the InterContinental hotel, 1 Hamilton Place, W1, 0207318 8747, theorandall.com

IMLI

South Indian Fish
Serves 4- 5

60ml oil
10g mustard seeds
30g chopped garlic
750g chopped onions
600g plum tomatoes
30g ginger julienne
good pinch salt
6g red chilli powder
4g turmeric powder
10g coriander powder
20g chopped chilli
10 curry leaves
30ml tamarind pulp
650g tilapia fish, cubed

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, taking care not to burn. When they crackle, add garlic and sauté it till it starts changing colour.Add onion and sauté slowly till it starts turning brown. Add tomatoesand all the spices and cook till sauce is done. Add a little water if the masala becomes too dry - it's all about lowering and increasing the flame when necessary. Add fish, cook for 5 minutes and serve with plain,steamed rice - not pilau - it has its own flavour and can clash with the slightly sour taste of the tamarind fruit. Tilapia is quite a neutral fish, it doesn't have a strong flavour so even people who don't like fish enjoy it. If you prefer a stronger fish, you can substitute salmon. You can even use mackerel, but you'll need to add more tamarind too, so the flavour of the fish doesn't drown the spices. Imli, 167- 169 Wardour St W1, 020 7287 4243, imli.co.uk

BLUE ELEPHANT

Fresh Black Pepper Tiger Prawns
Serves 1 - 2

2 tbsp olive oil
4 tiger prawns shelled and deveined with head on
1 tbsp coriander root
1 clove garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
2 tsp finely chopped lemon grass
1 teaspoon whisky
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chicken stock
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander root

Heat oil in wok and stir fry prawns until cooked. Set aside. In a mortar pound together coriander root, garlic and black pepper into paste. Heat butter in wok and add the paste, black pepper and lemon grass. Then add whisky, oyster sauce, light soya sauce and sugar, plus chicken stock. Add coriander leaves and prawns. Blue Elephant, 3-6 Fulham Broadway, SW6, 020 7385 6595, blueelephant.com

THE DEVONSHIRE

Potted Shrimp
Serves 4

500g Morecambe bay shrimps
2 large shallots finely chopped
60ml Manzanilla sherry
2g cayenne pepper
2g grated nutmeg
2g ground mace
300g unsalted butter
lemon juice to taste
salt and pepper

Place the shallots, sherry and spices in a saucepan and reduce to one third. Add the butter and cook for 5 mins to infuse all of the flavours. Do not burn! Allow to cool and pass the butter mixture through a drum sieve. Add the lemon juice and season. Place the shrimps in the ramekins and line the tops with a thin layer of melted butter. Freshly grate nutmeg on top and bake in the oven for two minutes at 200C. Cool and chill for three hours. Take out of fridge 20-30 mins before serving. The Devonshire, 126 Devonshire Road, Chiswick, W4, 020 7592 7962, gordonramsay.com/thedevonshire

ANGELA HARTNETT

Tiramisu
Serves 6 to 8

4 eggs separated
75g caster sugar
100g mascarpone
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out
200ml espresso coffee
25-50ml brandy (depending how boozy you like it)12 sponge fingers
cocoa powder to dust

Using an electric mixer, cream the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and vanilla seeds and whisk together to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then fold them into the mascarpone mixture. Mix the coffee and brandy in a shallow dish. Dip the sponge fingers into the liquid and use them to line the base of a serving dish or individual glasses. Spoon the mascarpone mixture over the sponge, then dust the top with cocoa powder to finish. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours (ideally overnight) to chill thoroughly before serving. This allows the flavours to develop. Restaurant to be announced in the new year.

THE NARROW

Apple and blackberry crumble
Serves 4

250g blackberries
3 large Braeburn apple
100g vanilla sugar

Topping: 100g plain flour
50g butter chilled and cut into small cubes
50g light muscovado sugar
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
40g porridge oats

Preheat oven to 190C. Core and peel apple, cut into chunks. Heat heavy based sauté pan until very hot. Toss blackberries and apple in vanilla sugar then tip into pan and spread out to a single layer. The fruit will caramelise almost immediately. Leave for a couple of minutes then turn with a spoon so fruit stays intact, not mushy. Continue cooking for around three minutes until pieces feel just tender. Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly. Put the flour and butter in a processor and process briefly until mixture resembles breadcrumbs - leave some lumps. Add muscovado sugar and whizz for a few seconds more. Grate nutmeg straight into the mixture and blend again briefly. Mix through the porridge oats Scatter topping over fruit – don't pat it down or level it. Bake pudding for 20 minutes until topping is nicely browned. Leave to stand 10 minutes before serving. 44 Narrow Street, E14, 020 7592 7950, gordonramsay.com/thenarrow

BOXWOOD CAFÉ

Ceviche of Irish Organic Salmon with Chilli, Lime and Coriander

450g very fresh Irish organic salmon fillet
Maldon sea salt
3 limes, zest and juice
1 grapefruit, segmented, juice reserved
1 red chilli, finely diced sugar to taste
coriander to finish

Slice the Irish organic salmon thinly and lay on a plate. Sprinkle very lightly with salt. Mix all marinade ingredients and pour over salmon in shallow dish. Leave in fridge for 3-4 hours. Finish with fresh coriander leaves. The Berkeley, Wilton Place, SW1, 020 7235 1010, gordonramsay.com/boxwoodcafe

MEMORIES OF CHINA

3 Precious Flavours
Serves 4 to 6

3 tbsp chilli oil
100g prawns, shelled
4 scallops cut in half
100g squid or chicken
1 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp sautéed black beans
1 teaspoon of ginger, finely chopped
2 spring onions cut into 2cm strips
1/2 red pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbs water
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sherry
Pinch white pepper and salt to season

Heat half chilli oil in pan or wok. When very hot add seafood and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove fish from pan, add rest of chilli oil, sugar, garlic and black beans. Stir fry for few seconds then add spring onions, red pepper, stock and soya sauce. Bring to boil for 2 minutes. Then return seafood to wok. Pour in cornflour mixture, sesame oil and sherry. When thickened it's ready to serve. Memories of China, 65-69 Ebury Street, SW1, 020 7730 7734, memories-of-china.co.uk

SMITHS OF SMITHFIELD

Belly Pork with Salsa Verde
Serves 6 to 8

1 piece of belly pork marinaded for 24 hours

For the marinade: 3 tablespoons of sea salt
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
150 ml of olive oil
1 lemon
Couple of sprigs of thyme and sage

Marinate for 24 hours. Roast in a low oven (Gas Mark 4/180) for three hours then serve with salsa verde and a creamy mash.

Salsa Verde
50g white breadcrumbs
1 ½ tablespoons of red wine vinegar
small bunch of parsley
small bunch of basil
small bunch of mint
small bunch of tarragon
3 cloves of garlic chopped finely
salt and pepper
120ml olive oil
6 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon capers

Put all salsa verde ingredients in a processor and pulse until desired texture – can be either coarse or smooth. Serve at room temperature with pork. 67-77 Charterhouse Street, EC1, 020 7251 7950, smithsofsmithfield.co.uk

ZAFFERANO

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

2kg pumpkin (or butternut squash), seeds removed, sliced into 2cm/1inthick slices
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic
2 litres freshly made chicken or vegetable stock

For the sage butter:
Bunch fresh sage stalk removed (retain some to chop and deep fry)
pinch salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
300 g unsalted butter

For the parmesan croutons:
freshly grated parmesan in slices

Spread the pumpkin slices out on baking trays. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and torn sprigs of thyme. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, then set aside. Blend the butter, lemon juice and two thirds of the sage leaves to a smooth puree. Add the roasted pumpkin and blend thoroughly. Add a little stock to achieve a smooth consistency. Strain the remaining stock into the purée and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep the soup warm but do not allow to boil. For the parmesan croutons, sprinkle a thin layer of parmesan slices onto a non stick tray lined with silicon paper, bake in a hot oven till golden brown, cool down and snap in pieces as required. To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Sprinkle the crispy parmesan into each bowl of soup. Garnish with chopped sage and a few deep fried sage leaves.

MORE ABOUT

Black Pepper

London's hottest dishes - Recipes

Read More