I'm fairly broad minded when it comes to restaurants and cooking styles. I can appreciate good food in all it's guises, from a great sandwich to a high end blow out.
This post from January 2015 describes the top two of my five most memorable meals. One is an old boozer on the coast of England, the other a temple of high end modern gastronomy. One thing they have in common however, is that the food in both is incredibly delicious.
That, for me, will always be the benchmark by which a chef's cooking should be judged. Presentation is also important of course, and if you can dress a plate beautifully, in addition to extracting maximum flavour from every element of the dish, then you've hit on the magic formula. This is a rare occurrence however, hence the paucity of truly great chefs.
I've been banging on for a long time about how many young chefs now are all about technique, without the basics to back it up. This results in far too many ingredients being cooked in a water bath, with final presentation being uppermost in the mind of the cook. Don't get me wrong, sous vide cooking has it's place, but I feel strongly that it should not be used at the expense of classic techniques. It's role should be to enhance those techniques, rather than replace them.
Two meals I've eaten recently highlighted this point starkly to me. Both were modern cooking styles, one had a new Nordic slant, the other more classical. Both were technically flawless, but one stood head and shoulders above the other in terms of flavour. The new Nordic style meal had lots of perfectly executed dishes, and artistic presentation, but I'd forgotten what I'd eaten as soon as we walked out the door. For all the kitchen skills on show, the food simply wasn't delicious enough to remember.
In contrast, I have not stopped thinking about the beef dish I ate at Bastible two weeks ago. Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I declared my dinner there to be my best meal of 2015, despite having 8 weeks left in the year at the time!
Memorable dishes at Bastible
I'd never met Barry Fitzgerald before eating in Bastible, but have been a fan of his cooking since I first tasted it in The Harwood Arms in London a few years ago. Since then I've enjoyed many excellent meals at Etto, and will no doubt be a regular at Bastible, if I can ever get a reservation again!
The reason I tend to follow chefs like Barry, is because they understand flavour. In my opinion, eating should fundamentally be about pleasure, and only chefs who grasp this concept can produce truly delicious food. Although I like to challenge my palate occasionally, I don't think I'll ever get excited about eating bitter weeds or live ants. I think that far too many big ticket restaurants these days are more about the chef than the diner.
I mentioned the beef dish I ate in Bastible earlier, because it sums up perfectly the point I've been trying to make. The dish is modern, rich yet light, and utterly delicious. It involves the use of contemporary methods to complement classical cooking. The cut used was from the shoulder. Also known as "poor man's fillet", it's a slightly fibrous yet wonderfully flavourful piece of meat. In the wrong hands, it could make for some fairly average eating. In the right hands however, it's an absolute delight.
The beef shoulder was cooked sous vide for about ten minutes to break down some of the fibres, and then grilled over a high heat to get a nice char on the outside. This resulted in a beautifully rare centre, which was tender but had just enough resistance to make it interesting. It was served with smoked bone marrow resulting in the most incredible rich, smokey beef flavour. The plate was garnished with cabbage which had been barbecued and sprinkled with bacon crumbs. In addition there was a sublime purée of trompette and truffle and a pressed confit potato. The whole plate managed to be rich, without being heavy. Not an easy balance to strike. The combinations are tried and tested but each individual element had the flavour dialled up to 11, with the addition of the extra small touches. It was clearly devised and executed by someone who loves food. Attention to detail like this does not happen by accident.
There is a trend within the industry right now, for new restaurants with ambition to serve multi course menus which allow herbs and vegetables take centre stage, alongside very small amounts of protein. I have no difficulty with this model, ( the accountant in me thinks it's a genius idea!) once the food is delicious. My experience of these new school of restaurants in Ireland has been mixed. It's more established in London and places like The Dairy, The Manor, Clove Club and The Typing Room have earned great reputations for embracing the new style with delicious results. I feel it's still a work in progress in Ireland.
My message for chefs is always simple. Cook the food you love to eat, use the best ingredients you can afford, and above all else...make everything on the plate taste delicious.