Posted on September 25 2013
From cool cocktails to decadent dishes, serve up your guests in style with these recipes from London's finest establishments.
Theo Randall's Taglierini
Ingredients
4 violet artichoke
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
75g unsalted butter
1 dried chilli
100g peeled brown shrimp
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsely
½ lemon
250g fresh taglierini (or dried egg taglierini)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Peel the artichoke stems, remove the outer leaves, then slice off the top 2cm and remove the choke. Cut the artichokes in half and slice thinly.
Heat olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and artichokes and fry gently for 8 minutes until softened. Put to one side.
Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the chilli, brown shrimps and chopped parsley, plus a squeeze of lemon. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes and add the artichoke.
Cook taglierini in large pan of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes until al dente (if dried pasta cook according to packet instructions). Drain, reserve a few tablespoons of cooking water and add to the sauce.
Toss together adding a little more of the reserved water to loosen if necessary. Cook gently for a couple of minutes, adjust seasoning and serve.
Theo Randall
Intercontinental Park Lane
One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, W1J 7QY
The Ivy's Griddled Squid
Ingredients
400g cleaned medium squid tubes (ask your fishmonger to clean them for you)
180g cherry vine tomatoes
1 crisp eating apple
1 bulb fennel Rock salt & thyme mixed Vegetable oil
A small handful of rocket leaves
A small handful of fresh mint
A small handful of cress
1 lemon
40ml good quality olive oil Salt & pepper
Method
Cut through the squid lengthways to open up the tubes. Score the inside of the squid being careful not to cut right through; this is to obtain a lattice texture and helps in the cooking process to stop the squid from going tough.
Thinly shave the fennel and apple with a Japanese mandolin or vegetable peeler, leave in iced water. Heat a medium sized pan. Lightly oil the tomatoes and “blister” the skin (seared very quickly to just blacken the tomato). Dip a small amount of the tomato straight into a dish that has been scattered with rock salt & chopped thyme. Place on a tray, salted side down, roast for 2 minutes in a very hot oven (220°C). The salt will stick to the tomato and create a crust. Take out and leave to cool.
Season the squid with salt & pepper. Heat a griddle pan and quickly grill the seasoned squid, placing a small metal tray over the squid, to stop it from curling up. Turn once and repeat the process.
Strain the shaved fennel and apple, pat dry and toss lightly in a lemon & olive oil dressing [40ml olive oil mixed with juice of 1 lemon), seasoned lightly with a pinch of sugar (optional). Add some rocket leaves and torn mint; mix together.
To serve
Cut the cooked squid into bite size pieces and arrange with the leaves, fennel and & apple onto the plate. Garnish with the salt roasted tomatoes and cress; drizzle some more of the lemon & olive oil dressing over the salad.
The Ivy
1-5 West Street, WC2H 9NQ
Scott's Bakewell Pudding with Almond Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Bakewell pudding
200g melted unsalted butter
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
200g caster sugar
20g ground almonds
1 tbsp flaked almonds
2 tbsp good quality raspberry jam
A packet of pre-rolled puff pastry (available in all supermarkets)
Icing sugar to dust
For the Almond Ice Cream
250ml full fat milk
1 vanilla pod
200ml double cream
10 medium sized egg yolks
200g caster sugar
60g clotted cream (optional – it produces a firmer texture for the ice cream)
A shot of Amaretto
Method
For the Bakewell pudding, cut the pre-rolled puff pastry to the size of the vessel you wish to use * and line it with the pastry, ensuring that you prick the pastry with a fork. Leave to rest for 30 minutes. Then, spoon a little raspberry jam onto the pastry base.
Place the melted butter, egg, egg yolk and caster sugar into a bowl and mix well over a pan of simmering water (bain marie) for 3-4 minutes until it reaches a honey-like consistency. Pour the mix into the puff pastry base, sprinkle the flaked almonds on the top and bake in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until it is set and has a golden hue.
To make the almond ice cream, put the milk, split vanilla pod and half of the double cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until light and fluffy (roughly double the volume).
As soon as the milk mixture has come to the boil, take off the heat and pour onto the egg and sugar mixture. Then, mix in the rest of the double cream and the clotted cream. Pass through a fine sieve and cool over ice water in another bowl underneath. Add the shot of Amaretto at this stage ie when the mixture is cool (or almond essence for those who don’t drink alcohol). It is now ready to be churned in the ice cream machine.
To Serve
Serve the Bakewell pudding warm topped with the almond ice cream and a dusting of icing sugar.
Scott's
20 Mount Street, W1K 2HE
Mayfair Hop Cocktail
Ingredients
40ml Martin Miller's Gin
10 leaves of mint
10ml gum syrup
20ml Martini Bianco
Top with Champagne
Garnish with a fresh mint sprig
Method
Muddle the mint leaves with the Gomme syrup in the base of the shaker, add the gin and Martini Bianco. Shake and double strain into a "Coupette" glass, add 3 ice cubes and top with Champagne. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
The Arch Bar
Intercontinental Park Lane
One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, W1J 7QY
The Louboutin
Ingredients
Pomegranate seeds (approx. A quarter of the fruit)
50ml gin
30ml fresh lemon juice
20ml sugar syrup
5 mint leaves
Appox.100ml Ginger Beer
Ice, mint leaves and lemon to serve
Method
Combine all the ingredients except the ginger beer together
Pour into the bottom of a tall glass and fill with crushed ice to the top
Pour ginger beer over the ice to fill the glass
Garden with mint leaves and a lemon slice
Benares
12a Berkeley Square House, W1J 6BS