Beef And Guinness Stew / Celery Root / Yukon Potato Mash

Chicken And Vegetable Pot Pie

English Bangers, Potato And Root Vegetable Mash, Onion Gravy.

One of my favorite easy to make dishes. you make some mash out of what ever you have in the fridge in the way of root vegetables and potatoes. Keep them warm. saute off a few onion slices with some garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Dash in a little white wine and then some water. Correct the seasoning and reduce. Thicken with a little arrowroot. Keep warm. Cook the sausages in some kind of deepish pan. When they are almost cooked pour in the sauce and finish on the stove. For the tomatoes: slice them in half , season, drizzle olive oil over them, bake them in a slow oven for about 45 mins. MMMMMMM......... Delish. Perfect Pub Grub.

Lettin' On Coddle.

This is not the real thing I know but it is as close as I can get here with the products. A little mustard, a little creamed hot horsradish and a cold beer. Out of this world and so easy to make. 

Russell Hotel London Chef Raymond Zarb 1962

This is an homage and a thank you to one of my early mentors, Raymond Zarb. He was the Chef De Cuisine at the Russell hotel in London when I worked there around 1965 or so. He was an imposing figure with an electric personality and a very demanding and precise idea of how things should be done. He was a big man who made the air move as if to make room for him when he entered the kitchen. There was no mistaking his presence even if you didn't see him right away. He was there! He was a walking encyclopedia of cuisine, he seemed to know everything and we young lads would watch him whenever he made something in the hope that some pearls of knowledge would somehow make their way into our brains.


We as youngsters were all in awe of him and when he came into the kitchen everyone stood up a little straighter and were just that much more careful not to make a mistake. Even the seasoned chefs who were in charge of us were on their guard.

He also had the eye of an eagle. Nothing escaped him, he could spot a mistake in the kitchen while sitting in his office. He was amazing. His attention to the smallest detail , from the size of a trimmed vegetable to the preparation of any dish was always exact.

This is what we all wanted to be.

He wore his chef's toque in Napoleonic fashion with the flat side facing outward. This gave him an air of authority that could not be challenged. I can still see him entering the kitchen in the Russell Hotel glancing left and right as he moved his great stocky frame forward as a ship would in high seas, making sure that all was in order. He was indeed a presence.

He was extremely demanding and only wanted the best. Anything less would not do. He was an inspiration to us all.

He also did not suffer fools very well. I remember one day a little waitress, she must have been in her sixties, came down to the kitchen while Monsieur Zarb was working. He had his back to the waitress and a ten bob note in her hand. The waitress said " Chef, one of the guests sent you this as a tip" There was a great intake of breath from the cooks around him as they knew that this was a gross breach of protocol. Without missing a beat the chef said " Tell him to stick it up his ar#*%. The waitress smiled, said " Yes chef! " and put the ten bob note into her purse.

He had very little patience with politics and what would now be called PC. If he thought you were doing something wrong he didn’t hesitate to tell you so in no uncertain terms. He was a force unto himself.

He had a very warm heart and really cared about us. If he thought he had been too harsh he would come back a little later and put his arm around your shoulder and tell you that it was for your own good. I was given personal proof of this as one day I cooked a roast too much and he threatened to throw me out---- headfirst ! On another occasion I had the temerity , being a young lad who already knew everything, to question one of his directions. That was a mistake. After each of these incidents he put his arm on my shoulder in a fatherly way and told me it was for my own good. Many years later I realized that he was right. I have used his example and told tales of his legend to my own employees in all corners of the world and they are always fascinated by the stories.

He was really the first super chef in London. He had huge articles in The Observer newspaper long before these things became commonplace and he was the first Maitre Cuisinier to come to London.

Raymond Zarb definitely left his mark on me and on many other 20 year olds who thought they knew everything. I am sure that there are many chefs in London now and like myself, around the world, who owe him their careers. Hopefully some of them will see this.
I have not seen a Chef since with the amount of notoriety and reverence  that Raymond Zarb had at that time.

I remember him with great fondness and gratitude.

I still have his menus from the Russell Hotel. As soon as I can find them in my files I will post them.

Deli Reuben With Paprika Fries.

Fried Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries And Homemade Ranch

Poulet Chasseur

I spent a long time on this dish and it was wonderful .

Breakfast Burrito

Simply delicious

Lentil And Sausage Stew

Braised Pork Belly / Black Beans

 

Sausage, Bean And Tomato Stew

Great on these winter nights with some fresh bread and a glass of wine.

8 oz. Navy Beans
Bacon I slice
Sausages: your choice of smoked sausage
Carrot One
Celery one stick
Onion one half
Garlic to taste
Vinegar I teaspoon
Olive Oil to cook.
Tomato paste 1 teaspoon.
I teaspoon tomato paste
Half a can of whole peeled tomatoes chopped up.
Bay leaf
Thyme

Soak the beans overnight. Chop up all the vegetables into medium sized pieces. Cut the bacon into strips.

Heat the olive oil in a pot and add the bacon. When the bacon is cooked but not crispy add the vegetables and cook until half way done. Add the vinegar and allow to evaporate completely then add the beans. Cook the beans for a few minutes or until all the flavors come together. Add the tomato paste and chopped garlic , bay leaf and thyme. Cook for another few minutes then add the flour and mix well. Add the canned tomatoes with the juice, water or stock and then add the sausages. Allow to cook for a good hour or so on a medium heat. Correct seasoning and serve with fresh bread.

You can also add some potatoes and jalapenos to this.

Braised Oxtail / Steamed Zucchini / Mashed Yukons

Cold Winters Night Dinner

Savoy cabbage, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, small onions, etc with bockwurst and pork belly. Served with mustard and horseradish. Great for a winters day or evening.

Korean Fried Chicken / Sweet Potato Fries

This is a nice little variation on the southern fried chicken. The chicken itself is prepared as for regular fried chicken. I marinated this for about half an hour in a little lime juice and garlic along with some salt and pepper. I then added a coating of half cornstarch and half flour. Then I tossed the chicken in this mix and fried it on a fast heat to begin and them on a lower heat to finish it off.

In a separate bowl I mixed half ketchup and half Chinese chili paste. To that i added the same amount of sugar and a generous helping of chopped garlic as well as fresh lemon juice , salt and pepper. Then I fried my sweet potatoes.

Then I refried the chicken in a hot fat to make it nice and crispy. Then toss the chicken into the bowl with the sauce and mix well. Served sprinkled with sesame seeds and the sweet fries.

Chicken Breast In Lemon Grass And Paprika Cream / Basmati Rice / Sauteed Spinach

Hungarian Goulash / Smashed Yukons