Award-winning chef of U.K.’s best restaurant sees food as music.
BRING MICHELIN-STARRED DISHES OF AN ENGLISH SEASIDE PUB TO YOUR OWN KITCHEN
Chef Stephen Harris t hinks of acidity as treble, and likens finishing a sauce to mixing a track in the studio. “Some people see food in colours, which is wonderful,” he says. “I think of it in musical terms. I’m convinced that one day they’ll realize that good food has some kind of harmonic effect on the brain.”
Harris’s “pub by the sea,” The Sportsman in Kent, England, has held a Michelin star since 2008 and was crowned best restaurant in the U. K. by the National Restaurant Awards for the last two years running.
Anything but “poncy,” Harris has eschewed formality since he first opened the pub’s doors in 1999. Choosing to take orders at the bar and lay his tables with pottery seconds from the likes of Wedgwood and Royal Doulton.
“Understatement is underused. If something’s brilliant, people will recognize it,” he says.
“One of the really pleasing things is that we’re absolutely chock- a- block every day for the next six months. To me, that proves that people like what we’re doing.”
The more than 50 recipes he shares in his debut cookbook, The Sportsman ( Phaidon, 2017), showcase the remarkable seaside fare he’s become famous for.
Ranging from the elegant ( brill braised in vin jaune) to homey ( roast pork belly with apple sauce), recipes are presented in six chapters devoted to Kentish terroir: sea, salt marshes, farms, woodlands, gardens and orchards.
His path to the professional kitchen was an unusual one, Harris admits. After moving through several careers — including punk rocker with a recording contract and Stewart Copeland of The Police as producer — he taught himself the culinary arts.
Harris writes that his first Michelin- starred meal in the early 90s “set the tone” for his approach to cuisine. “I was so determined to produce food that was elevated to as high a level as I could get,” he says.
Through studying seminal cookbooks and dining at prestigious establishments, Harris honed his craft. Between the ages of 33 to 38, when he found The Sportsman, he devoted “every waking hour” to learning.
“Being older, I had a sense of perspective. I also had a feeling that, ‘I haven’t got time to waste.’ And it made it a very intense experience,” Harris says.
“I can imagine there must be people sitting in an office thinking, ‘ I’m not cut out ( for this). I wish I could do…’ I hope the book might give people a little bit of encouragement… If you have talent, then have faith in your ability.” A large tub or Tupperware container is useful for this recipe. You want it to be just larger than the pork. Once cured, the bacon will keep, refrigerated, for 2 – 3 weeks. 1 x 1.5 kg ( 3 lb 5 oz) boneless pork loin Generous 2 cups ( 500 mL) maple syrup 3 cups (750 mL) sea salt 1. Rub the pork all over with the maple syrup. Put into a plastic tub, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days. Turn several times.
2. Remove the pork from the plastic tub and wipe it out ( but don’t wipe the pork itself ). Return the pork to the tub, skinside down, and cover with half the salt. Cover again and refrigerate for 2 days.
3. Rub the salt off the pork, then return it to the tub, skin- side down, and cover with the rest of the salt. Return to the refriger- ator for another day.
4. Rinse the pork thoroughly and pat very dry. Hang in a cool place for 3 days. The pork is now ready to use, as you would bacon. Store in the refrigerator once cut. Makes: 1.2 kg ( 2 lb 8 oz) 4 x 200 g (7 oz) cod fillets 2 thick- cut slices Maple- cured Bacon (recipe above) 4 tbsp ( 60 mL) butter, plus extra for greasing 12 chestnuts, peeled Scant 1/2 cup ( 100 mL) chicken stock Sea salt Squeeze of lemon juice Parsley Purée to serve ( recipe follows)
1. Salt the cod fillets all over and leave in a colander in the sink for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Meanwhile, pan- fry the bacon until crisp and brown, then drain briefly on paper towels, cut into batons and keep warm.
3. Add a tablespoon ( 15 mL) of the butter to the same frying pan and gently sauté the chestnuts for around 10 minutes until they are tender and evenly browned. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the stock has evaporated to create a lovely glaze. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
4. Preheat broiler to high and lightly butter a medium nonstick frying pan. Arrange the fish in the buttered pan and top each with a piece of butter, reserving a tablespoon for making a sauce. Broil the fish for around
BAKED COD WITH CHESTNUTS, PARSLEY AND BACON
3 minutes, basting often with the browning butter. Once the fish is nearly cooked, remove from the broiler and leave in a warm place to finishing cooking in the residual heat. Reserve the juices, adding a squeeze of lemon juice to create a sauce.
5. To serve, make an artful swoosh of parsley purée on each plate. Dress the fish fillets with the buttery lemon sauce, adding another squeeze of lemon juice and a little seasoning to each. Place the fish on top of the parsley purée, then top with the reserved bacon and chestnuts. Drizzle on any remaining sauce and serve immediately.
Note: To peel the chestnuts, use a sharp knife to make a cross in the skin and deep-fry them for 2 minutes. They should then peel easily. Alternatively roast in a medium oven for 15 minutes, or simmer in boiling water for 15 minutes. Serves: 4 Whipping cream will produce sweet butter and crème fraîche will produce a more lactic, acidic butter. 4 cups ( 1 L) very good quality whipping cream or crème fraîche 2 - 3 tsp (10 - 15 mL) sea salt 1. Put the bowl of a stand mixer into the refrigerator to chill. Put the cream or crème fraîche into the cold bowl and beat at high speed with the paddle attachment. After about 5 minutes the cream will really stiffen up and you will hear a splashing sound as the butter separates out from the buttermilk.
2. At this stage I turn down the speed and cover the bowl loosely to prevent liquid spraying everywhere. Continue beating until the buttermilk and butterfat separate completely. Be patient as it may take another 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the machine and strain off the buttermilk. Rinse under cold running water and strain again. With the machine on its lowest setting, beat in the salt until fully incorporated.
4. Knead the butter between two pieces of wax paper to squeeze out the last of the buttermilk. Finally, shape into a cylinder or a round pat, wrap in wax paper and store in the refrigerator. Makes: about 600 g ( 1 lb 5 oz) butter
I can imagine there must be people sitting in an office thinking, ‘I’m not cut out (for this). I wish I could do …’ I hope the book might give people a little bit of encouragement … If you have talent, then have faith in your ability. — Stephen Harris, THE SPORTSMAN CHEF
PARSLEY PURÉE
1 large bunch of parsley leaves Sea salt 1. Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Snap the bottom stalks off the bunch of parsley and discard. Boil the rest of the parsley for 1 minute.
2. Transfer to a blender. Blend on low speed, addi ng the cooking water a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve a smooth, loose purée. ( Don’t add it too quickly as you don’t want the purée to be too liquid.)
3. Push through a sieve then season with sea salt to taste. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2–3 days. Cool very quickly in a bowl of ice to keep the green colour. Makes: 1 1/4 cups ( 300 mL)
MUSSEL AND BACON CHOWDER
1 kg ( 2 lb 4 oz) mussels, scrubbed and ‘ beards’ removed 4 slices Maple- Cured Bacon (recipe on B1) 2 medium potatoes, peeled 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter 4 leeks, finely chopped Sea salt 1 cup ( 250 mL) crème fraîche, plus extra to serve 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh breadcrumbs (we use leftover soda bread) 2 t bsp ( 30 mL) f i nely chopped chives
1. Start by cooking the mussels. Measure scant 1 cup ( 200 mL) of water into a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover the pan and cook for around 3 minutes, or until all the shells have opened. (Discard any that refuse to open.) Leave the mussels in the pan to cool, then strain the stock into a bowl and set aside. Remove the mussel meat from the shells and set aside.
2. Pan- fry the bacon slices until golden, then remove from the heat, allow to cool and cut into batons. Reserve with the mussel meat.
3. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft, then drain.
4. To prepare the soup, combine the butter and leeks in a large pan and add a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat until the leeks are soft, but still bright green. If the water evaporates entirely, add another splash.
5. Break the potato up roughly and add it to the pan. Pour in enough of the reserved mussel stock to cover the vegetables by around 5 cm (2 inches). Top up with water, if necessary. Cook vigorously for 2 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour into a blender. Blitz until smooth, then add the crème fraîche and blitz again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You are aiming for the smooth thickness of a good winter soup, so if too thick, adjust with a little milk.
7. To serve, divide the reserved mussel meat and bacon among warmed soup bowls. Pour on the hot soup (which will heat them sufficiently) and finish with a sprinkling of chopped chives and breadcrumbs, and a dollop of crème fraîche. Serves: 4
Adapted from The Sportsman by Stephen Harris ( Phaidon, $ 59.95, September 2017)