Alexis Gauthier takes over Lindsay House - 24/06/2010 - Caterer Search

Alexis Gauthier takes over Lindsay House - 24/06/2010 - Caterer Search

Today’s Vegetable Menu

 

GOÛT DU JOUR

 

 

Green Asparagus

Sautéed Mousserons Mushrooms

 

The asparagus are quickly pan-fried in olive oil without coloration with salt. Then we add ½ a glass of water and cover.

They cook for 4 minutes.

When the lid is removed the entire liquid has disappear back into the asparagus.

The asparagus are bright green and look shiny and tender.

In another pan, we turn the butter brown and quickly pan fry the mousserron mushrooms.

It is vital that the pan is large enough so the mushrooms concentrate their taste within the brown butter.

Otherwise, the mousserron release their water and the whole thing turns bitter.

We plate the asparagus and put the mushrooms over it.

Easy & simple but delicious.

 

*

Light Green Pea Velouté

Soya marinated Tofu

 

Peas are prepared everyday- we keep the pods.

Peas are quickly washed and pan fry with nothing more than olive oil, salt and water.

We cook them for 3 minutes- that's all.

We add some ice cube and blend very quickly.

Meanwhile we boil the pods for 10 minutes. Then we blend them and add the pod'jus to the pea.

We taste the soup and keep in fridge for at least 3 hours on ice. It must be very very cold.

We always buy the softest Japanes Tofu- we slice it and marinate it with fresh gratted ginger, lime jus and skin, sweet soya sauce, fleur de sel and olive oil.

We sometimes add a spoon of caster sugar- not always- depends of my mood. (Humm...., the Michelin inspector may not like that- maybe I should not write that!)

Then we cut the tofu in thick cubes and put it at the bottom of the soup plate.

We pour the soup over the tofu infront of our guest.

The sweet pea mixed with the soft texture of the tofu is quite special. Then comes the bite from the ginger and lime.

Perfect with peas.

 

*

Bloody Mondays-

This is how to treat an asparagus supplier on Monday.

Another Monday- another annoying day for supply.

Why can't we find anything of good qualities on Monday?

First, I went to Covent Garden Market to buy some flowers for the restaurant. I reached the market around 6am; despite the early hours, I did not see anything worth buying. The vegetation were so old- I was embarrassed to even look at them.

The fresh cut flowers were all half baked. No small tight Lillis; no bright and closed red roses; the eucalyptus branches I bought last week were all gone- the only things left were not worth adding to a compost.

So I spent a small £20 and embarrassed myself in front of the restaurant staff with some really bad cut flowers. I need to go back this week-annoying!

Then in the kitchen, I noticed that our Asparagus suppliers sent us the thinnest asparagus he could find! At our last meeting, he told me that we were VIP customers and we shall always get the fattest and tender asparagus- rubbish!!!! Only VIP when it comes to charging us!

Fish was crap; meat was just OK; fruits were just alright... not good enough for what we are trying to do here.

The problem is that we can't hide ourselves behind bad ingredients. If the ingredient is not first class, our food looks crap- really crap- and tastes old. Shall we close on Mondays?

I know that tomorrow, all of our suppliers will have plenty of great stuff- freshly picked the day before.

Food on Monday is freshly picked from Friday (if you are lucky!).Crap!

Late Spring....

It is such an exciting time of the year for me in terms of ingredients.

Spring is probably my most inspiring season.

Last week, for example, I had the sweetest beetroots of the year so far. We peel them, we quickly pan fry them in olive oil and cook them with water for almost 7 minutes.

I am always very tempted to serve them just like that- perfectly cooked with nothing more than their own taste- but you have to be very brave to do that. I am not convinced that our customers will feel excited by the view of a plate filled with beetroot.

So we "play" a bit with them= some red chard leaves tossed with an aged Balsamic dressing- maybe some deep fried tofu & artichokes to give a crunchy contrast to the dish....

I am hoping that broad beans will be better this week than last. They tend to be slightly flourish and hard to cook lately.

Radishes are perfect at the moment, so we serve them as soon as guest seat down with some basil relish, butter and salt.

Asparagus were really up and down this week- some big , some too thin. We are seeing the end of the season and I doubt that we will have some from tomorrow. It is quite sad to see the end of an ingredient- I have to wait for another 10 months for some good green asparagus now!

Strawberries were delicious this week (from Secretts farm). Carlos has created and exceptional dessert with them.

A base of very fragile chocolate biscuit Breton topped with a light sweet wine jelly.

Then he puts the strawberries (room temperature) and a light coconut cream/mousse.

To finish the dish, he adds a little translucent crust over it.

When he first told me about this dish, I told him that he was " hors sujet". I didn't want him to play around too much with the strawberries. Most of all I didn't want to see a dollop of coconut cream in my pudding.

Despite my comments, he developed the pudding and asked me to try it.

And then..... i thought to myself- what a wanker I can be.!

I was so wrong. His composition was perfect. in terms of taste nothing took over the subtle taste of the strawberries. The ingredients are just complementing the deep flavour of the red fruit.

Texture wise, it is perfect. The balance crunchy, tender, soft and crispy is very clear across the dish. Nothing is too hard or too soft. The simple weight of the spoon breaks everything without effort. I was blown away. Well done Carlos.

Also, his Campari granité with grapefruits and lime juice was out of this world!

A really crazy week end

Yesterday was Mother's Day in France.


That mean a crazy Sunday at the restaurant.


Voyageur Nissart is very well know amongst Nicois & Sunday lunch is often packed with families enjoying the restaurant' simple cooking.


Yesterday was really different- It was mother's day.


There are 2 things that you do on mother's day. First you buy flowers, then you bring your mother and family to your favourite place to eat.


The rush arrived around 12.30, when the mass was said and aperitifs had been finished.


They all wanted to eat at the same time- mega rush in kitchen and dining room.


It was hell: orders after orders- nobody wanted to wait- extra Panisses here; more polenta for this table; who took the pudding order for table 14?; did we charge the extra bottle of Badoit on 16?


When 4pm arrived, the restaurant looked like a mess and everyone had left towards the Promenade des Anglais for some fresh sea breeze.
The restaurant had to be reset; the kitchen had to start another daube and some more lemon tarts.
Last night was also crazy- restaurant filled twice between 7pm and 10.30pm
When I called at midnight, Daniel was exhausted but felt like his mission was accomplished.

42 available seats- over 130 covers during the day. Not your typical Sunday!




Tables in please- the day is over!

Well done to everyone at Voyageur Nissart.




Meanwhile in London, I was enjoying reading our upcoming review in Time Out when I saw, by accident, a tweet from Harden's guide questioning the integrity of Giles Coren review of our restaurant in Saturday Times.
I just couldn't believe my eyes. Harden's got something- but I don't know what it is?????
I thought very hard but I don't remember turning down any of the Harden brothers advances? ...or maybe I did- but that would mean that they were just really ugly and not sexy.

Ups & Downs

Voila!


This week is ending and it was a real roller coaster.

Firstly, I was told off by Antony- our very clever & young PR- for posting light jokes on my blog about very serious Food Critics. So I removed it- too dangerous.


Then, I was trashed by some bitter half baked brothers who have been spending the last 20 years CCing a very famous and respectable food guide. Their review was nausea and full of painful hits. They even managed to put words in other critics mouth- not very clever I thought; again Antony said not to be upset and to move on. So I did- well almost.

I concentrated on fine tuning the operation; trying and trying and trying recipes.
tasting food- tasting food- again and again.

Meanwhile the restaurant has been full everyday- which is a good sign.

Lunch is still a bit slow but I can feel that it is going to happen. Already repeat business- days after days.

Tuesday was photo shot at the restaurant for Jamie Magazine- I should be writing their recipes rather than writing this blog- but I can't help myself-I need to get the things out of my head.



Friday was photo shot for our web site and our own library.

Cath (the photograph) came and did some amazing pictures. It is funny how you get hook by someones pictures. 6 months ago I did not know her at all. She came to Roussillon and did the most amazing portrait I have ever seen. She took the cutest pictures of Roberto- and that is an achievement. Roberto's personality was all over her pictures.







Then I asked Cath to come and take pictures of the restaurant.







It is quite funny the way she works:


It always seem that she is just half prepared- camera in hand- and very quickly take pictures.


If you don't know her, you very quickly come to the conclusion that she is not doing her job properly; instead it is her style- she works like that! And the result is unbelievable. She is dead gifted. She has the eyes.







But where she excels is in her food photo shoot. I don't know if she realised how good she is- but she gets everything right: angle, colour, definition.... everything in perfect osmosis.

I feel very lucky to have met her.











And I was going to forget the amazing review we had from Giles Coren in the Saturday Times.
Couldn't ask for a better review.

Merci Giles.

Bangkok is reopening!

In the middle of last week I really thought that we would never reopen our restaurant in Bangkok again.
Tee had been stuck in his flat above the restaurant; he did not get out for almost 2 weeks; the area was a no go area and snipers were on top of of every building targeting whoever would dare crossing some streets. The chaos was falling onto Bangkok and the army could not find a way to stop the red shirts. It is now over (for the moment!)

After a week-end of cleaning, the area is starting to get a new life- street food vendors are back during the day and today was the first day at work for many workers in the Saladeng area.

Tee has been designing his menu and the 24hours market is starting tonight.
Fresh greens from north east are pouring into Bangkok- choice would have never be that fresh!
The huge prawns will all be really alive and the pigs and snakes are being slaughtered- as I write this blog.

Let's look forward to making La Table de Tee once again the most exciting place to eat in Bangkok!

Meanwhile in Nice, Max is breaking all the records!
May has never be that busy- 250 covers in 3 days- not a bad week end!

It is good not to have your eggs in the same basket.