Food & Drink

Weekend recipe ideas from London's top restaurants

Stuck for inspiration? Fix up a restaurant-grade meal courtesy of London's best chefs with these perfect weekend recipes
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Haydon Perrior

Casa Do Frango’s Clams a Bulhao Pato

Haydon Perrior

Paying homage to the incredible seafood of the Algarve region, this dish is named after the 19th century poet Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato, who was so enamoured by the light and fresh seafood dish he regularly wrote about it in his work. The dish is served with a delicious chunk of grilled, crusty bread to soak up all the white wines and garlic juices.

Famed for its piri piri chicken, Casa do Frango, with branches in Shoreditch and London Bridge, brings a taste of Portugal to London, most notably its acclaimed pastel de nata (made in-house at Shoreditch, in the restaurant’s very own pastelaria). If you want to pay them a visit, the EOTHO has been extended at both restaurants throughout October (Mondays and Tuesdays). Or you could make this recipe… sautéed clams in white wine with chilli, garlic and coriander, finished with fresh lemon juice and served with grilled sourdough.
Casa do Frango, 1st floor, 32 Southwark St, London SE1. casadofrango.co.uk

Ingredients (serves 2)

200g clams
10ml olive oil
10g coriander
20ml white wine
5g sliced garlic in oil
2g maldon salt

Method

  1. Heat up the olive oil, then add the clams and salt allowing them to cook in the oil for one minute.

  2. Then add the Sliced Garlic and sautée it for a few seconds.

  3. After that, add the white wine and coriander, allowing it to boil in a covered pan for about 1-2 minutes.

  4. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, garnishing with fresh coriander, charred lemon juice and serve.

For the charred lemon

1 lemon
Olive oil

Method

Top and tail a whole lemon and then cut it diagonally. Drizzle some olive oil over it and charr it in a griddle. Once done, cut it in half and use one 1/4 of a lemon per portion.

For the sourdough toast

60g potato sourdough (any sourdough is fine)
1 clove of garlic

Method

  1. Gently oil and grill a slice of bread in a griddle marking both sides, once done rub a clove of garlic over it, cut it in half diagonally and serve on the side.

Hawksmoor's peppered bacon ribs

Paul Winch-Furness

Ingredients (makes 450g)

For the pork rub

200g Maldon sea-salt flakes 
200g light brown Muscovado sugar 
10g (1 tbsp) wild fennel pollen 
2 tsp Espelette pepper or paprika 
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
20g garlic cloves

Method

  1. Blitz all the rub ingredients in a food processor or blender and spread on a clean tray to dry. Blitz again, then store in an airtight container.

For the marinade

Unsmoked bacon belly, with ribs 
100ml maple syrup 
50ml French's mustard 
50g pork rub 

Equipment – a smoker or charcoal barbecue, and a meat thermometer

Method

  1. Prepare smoker and set to 110C. Remove skin and inner membrane from the belly and massage with a small amount of maple syrup and mustard. Coat lightly in the rub mix and shake off any excess. Lay the ribs bone-side down in the smoker.

  2. Smoke for 5 hours until the bacon ribs reach an internal temperature of 89C. Test ribs by holding with tongs to see if they "bounce". If they have a bit of resistance, similar to the touch of a medium rare steak, remove the ribs from the smoker. ** 3.** Pull alternate ribs out of the cooked bacon belly with a twist-and-pull movement. Cut into 300g portions, along the groove that has been left by the vacating rib, so each portion contains one rib. Coat with the marinade as you go.

  3. Serve dusted with crushed black pepper.

Oldroyd's whole roast stuffed squid, black pudding, farro and cauliflower

Matthew Beedle

Ingredients

1 medium squid per person, cleaned with tentacles removed and chopped roughly.

For the stuffing (fills approximately six squid) 

3 banana shallots, finely diced 
3 fat cloves of garlic, finely diced 
The leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme 
50ml olive oil 
250g black pudding, finely diced 
Half a lemon 
250g cooked farro (or spelt or pearl barley) 
1 small handful of chopped parsley 
1 small handful of roughly chopped capers

For the cauliflower purée 

1 medium cauliflower, cut into small pieces 
200ml whole milk 
80ml double cream 
80g butter 
Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.

  2. In a pan, cook the cauliflower in the milk, cream and butter until soft. Place in a food processor, blitz until smooth.

  3. In a hot pan, sweat the shallot, garlic and thyme in the olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove to a mixing bowl with a slotted spoon. Next, fry the black pudding until crisp and add the chopped tentacles to cook for a minute. Squeeze over some lemon juice. Remove to the same bowl with any pan juices or oil.

  4. Add the cooked farro, parsley, capers and lemon zest. Season to taste. Stuff the mix equally among the squid. Pinch off the ends using a cocktail stick.

  5. In a hot griddle pan brown the squid on both sides and then place in the oven for 10 minutes until hot throughout. To serve, spread warm cauliflower purée on each plate, then cut the squid into thick slices and arrange on top. Drizzle with a little oil and a squeeze of lemon.
    Oldroyd is now closed

Hoppers lamb chops 

This dish from the Sethi siblings' empire is a toast to their Sri Lankan success story.
Hoppers, 77 Wigmore Street, Marylebone, London W1. hopperslondon.com

Ingredients (serves two, three cutlets per person)

For the marinade 

1 4cm piece of ginger, peeled  
4 garlic cloves, peeled 
3 tsp cayenne chilli powder 
1 tsp turmeric powder 
½ yellow chilli, sliced 
2 tsp Kings curry powder 
6 fresh curry leaves, chopped 
3 Thai shallots, finely sliced 
10ml coconut milk 
1 lime, juiced and zested 
1 lemongrass stick, chopped 
5g pandan leaf, bashed 
Vegetable oil

For the mooli and cucumber sambol 

1 Thai shallot, sliced 
15g coconut, finely grated 
¼ green chilli, chopped 
Small handful of mint leaves, chopped 
5ml vegetable oil 
Salt and pepper to taste 
½ lime, juiced 
3g Maldive fish 
1 cucumber, deseeded, skinned and cut into 4cm batons 
½ white radish/mooli, cut into 4cm batons

Method

  1. Blend together the ginger and garlic to create a paste. Then mix with the rest of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and gently massage into your prepared lamb cutlets. Marinade for at least two hours.

  2. Turn on the grill (or griddle pan) to high and cook the cutlets until they are medium-rare and the fat is crispy (around two minutes each side). Set aside to rest.

  3. Combine the sambol dressing ingredients together in a bowl, then toss with the prepared cucumber and radish. Season to taste. Serve the cutlets with the sambol.

Indian Accent's dal moradabadi

After opening to critical acclaim in New York and New Delhi, Rohit Khattar's Indian Accent comes to London this month. Award-winning chef Manish Mehrotra will offer Indian cuisine using global ingredients and cooking techniques, such as in this dal moradabadi…
Indian Accent London is now closed.

Ingredients (serves two)

6 tbsp split moong dal 
1 tsp turmeric powder 
2 tbsp ghee 
1 tbsp cumin seeds 
1 tsp asafoetida 
2 tsp ginger, chopped 
1 tsp green chillies, chopped 
2 tbsp salted butter 
2 tsp coriander leaves, chopped 
4-6 cloves 
1 tsp black salt 
600ml water 
Salt, to taste

To serve: 

4 tsp tamarind chutney 
2 tsp green chutney 
4 tsp onions, chopped 
4 tsp tomatoes, chopped 
1 tsp lime juice 
2 tbsp fried moong dal (as garnish) 
1 tsp buknu masala (or regular chaat masala) 
A sprinkle of Bombay mix

Method 

  1. Clean and thoroughly wash the dal. Soak for at least 1 hour. Boil the soaked dal with turmeric powder in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is a paste-like consistency. Stir continuously as the dal is boiling to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  2. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Crackle some cumin seeds. Add asafoetida (also known as hing, it is a uniquely Indian spice). Add chopped ginger and green chillies. Sauté briefly and add the mixture to the dal. Cover the pan so that the tempering mixture infuses the dal. Add butter and chopped coriander.

  3. Pour the hot dal into a serving bowl. Drizzle some tamarind and green chutney over it. Sprinkle chopped onions and tomatoes on top.

  4. Add a dash of lime juice and garnish with Bombay mix. Finish with a dusting of buknu masala or regular chaat masala.

Caravan Bankside's lamb meatballs

On the opening of his third restaurant, Miles Kirby, the Kiwi chef-director and co-owner of Caravan, gives us a taste of his globally inspired menu…
Caravan Bankside, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1. caravanrestaurants.co.uk

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the salad

225g coarse bulgur wheat 
500ml water 
50ml olive oil 
½ tbsp fine sea salt 
1 red onion, finely sliced 
100g pine nuts, toasted  
40g parsley, chopped  
25g mint leaves, torn 
25g coriander leaves, roughly chopped   

For the meatballs

500g minced lamb 
1 large red onion, diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tsp toasted ground cumin 
1 tsp smoked paprika 
15g chopped parsley 
2 eggs beaten 
100g breadcrumbs 
1 tsp flakey sea salt 
1 tsp ground black pepper 
2 tbsp olive oil  

For the sauce

1 large onion, sliced 
2 cloves garlic, sliced 
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1 tsp coriander seeds 
1 tsp smoked paprika 
2 tins chopped tomatoes   

For the garnish

200g Greek yoghurt 
2 tbsp diced preserved lemon zest 
5g chopped parsley 
2 tsp sumac 
1 tsp chilli flakes

Method

  1. Place the bulgur wheat, water, olive oil and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then turn the heat off, place a lid on the pot and leave for 20 minutes so the bulgur wheat is soft and tender. If there is any remaining liquid, strain it out and allow to cool. Once cool, combine the bulgur wheat with the remaining ingredients and set aside for later use.

  2. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs, except the olive oil, in a large bowl and mix together until combined. Divide the mixture into 16 balls and set aside for 20 minutes in the fridge.

  3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan big enough to fit all the meatballs in a single layer. Pan-fry until brown all over, then remove from the pan and set aside.

  4. Fry the onions and garlic in the pan juices on a low heat until the onions are soft and just starting to brown. Now add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and the smoked paprika. Fry gently for a few minutes to cook the seeds and infuse their flavour through the onions and oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on a low heat for about half an hour until you are left with a thick, glossy sauce.

  5. Return the meatballs to the pan and stir gently to make sure the balls are completely covered in sauce. Keep the pan on the heat until the sauce and balls are hot.

  6. Remove the pan from the heat and dollop on the yoghurt, sprinkle over the preserved lemon, parsley, sumac and chilli flakes. Serve the meatballs with the bulgur wheat salad.

Carom's tandoori chicken

If you haven't been to Carom, the new modern Indian restaurant in Soho, here's all you need to know: it was established under the supervision of chef Balaji Balachander, who is an alumnus of Benares, that Michelin-starred monument to fine Indian cooking. For this new venture, however, he imported that level of expertise to a more casual, fast-paced dining room. The menu is uncomplicated but the dishes are bursting with character, such as this tandoori chicken, courtesy of his successor Vishnu Natarajan. "It is not a normal red-coloured tandoori chicken that you find most places," says Natarajan. "It should be a yellowish colour due to the saffron, with golden brown marks obtained from roasting."
Carom is now closed.

Ingredients

300g baby chicken
Butter
One lime

For the marinade

½g saffron
200g Greek yoghurt
10g cumin powder
15g garam masala
30g ginger and garlic paste
Three chopped green chilies
15g vegetable oil
Salt (to taste)

Method

  1. Cut the chicken in half and remove the skin.

  2. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.

  3. Apply the marinade to the chicken, cover with clingfilm and leave it in the fridge for an hour.

  4. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees, place the chicken in the centre and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

  5. Baste the chicken applying butter or oil regularly while cooking. Check the thickest part (towards the bone) is fully cooked before serving.

  6. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven. Add a knob of butter and finish with a generous squeeze of lime.

J Sheekey's smoked haddock with colcannon

Try making smoked haddock with colcannon, poached egg and grain mustard sauce, as served in J Sheekey.
J Sheekey, 28-32 St Martin's Court, London WC2. j-sheekey.co.uk

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 x 180g undyed smoked haddock fillets 
4 medium sized free range eggs 
A splash of white wine vinegar 
2 tbsp grain mustard

Method

  1. Always ask your fishmonger for naturally smoked and undyed haddock (or any other fish) with its delicate pearly, paler flesh and avoid the inferior fish. A perfect weekend supper dish.

  2. Steam the haddock fillets, skin side up for 6 minutes. If you do not have a steamer, the haddock can be poached in a large saucepan filled with a mixture of half milk and half water for the same amount of time.

  3. To poach the eggs, bring to the boil a saucepan of water and add a little white wine vinegar. Do not add salt, as this will make the white separate. Crack the eggs into a cup separately and gently pour into the water, poach for 3 minutes.

  4. To serve, place the colcannon onto each plate with the fillet of haddock on top, removing the skin at this stage. Top with the poached egg and finish with grain mustard sauce.

For the colcannon 

½ head hispi or Savoy cabbage, finely shredded 
75g unsalted butter 
½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced 
½ small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped 
100ml milk 
500g King Edward potatoes 
Salt and ground white pepper

Method

  1. To make the colcannon, boil the potatoes in a saucepan of salted water for 20 minutes or until soft and drain well. Add 25g butter, and mash until smooth or put through a ricer (do not use a blender!).

  2. In another saucepan, melt the rest of the butter, add the cabbage and cook slowly for 5 minutes without colour. Cover with milk, bring to the boil and add the parsley and spring onions.

  3. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the mashed potato, season and keep hot.

For the butter sauce (Yields approximately 200ml) 

Sunflower oil for frying 
2 shallots, finely sliced 
100ml white wine vinegar 
100ml white wine 
100ml fish stock 
200g unsalted butter, cold and diced 
30ml double cream 
A squeeze of lemon 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. To make the butter sauce, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the shallots. Cook for 2 minutes without colour.

  2. Add white wine vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer until almost evaporated.

  3. Add wine, bring to the boil and reduce again.

  4. Repeat the process with fish stock (a good quality cube is fine).

  5. Add double cream, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Whisk in the butter until you have a rich, glossy sauce. Sieve into a bowl and season. Add lemon juice. Keep warm.

  6. When ready to serve, re-heat the butter sauce, add in the grain mustard and stir (do not boil as the sauce may separate).

Beagle's mutton and potato pie

Mutton has become a sadly under used meat in Britain. Once a staple of the working-class home it has been almost completely ousted by lamb. If you can get Mutton for this dish then the results will be that much more flavourful.
Beagle is now closed.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

For the filling

2kg mutton neck (cut in to around 2cm pieces) 
4 medium size King Edward potatoes (2cm chunks) 
2 turnips (1cm chunks) 
2 carrots (1cm chunks) 
2 large onions (sliced thinly) 
3 peeled cloves of garlic 
3 bay leaves 
1 small bunch of thyme 
2 glasses red wine 
2l stock (preferably lamb) 
Salt and pepper

For the pastry

500g self-raising flour 
250g beef suet 
300ml very cold water 
Salt and pepper 
2 beaten eggs (for egg wash)

Method

  1. In a heavy based casserole pot colour off the mutton in batches until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  2. Add the sliced onion to the fat, which the mutton has created, and sweat on a medium heat until soft and sweet but not coloured. Add the potatoes, carrots and turnips, cook for a further five minutes. Put the mutton back in with the vegetables along with the herbs and the red wine.

  3. Reduce the wine by half and then add the stock. Bring to a simmer, season and then cover the pot. Place in an oven set on 140c for around two hours until the mutton is tender.

  4. To make the pastry, tip the self-raising flour and suet in to a large bowl and season. Steadily add the water, mixing with a wooden spoon until it starts to come together. Now pull together with your hands to form a dough (trying not to work the pastry too much in the process). Wrap with cling film and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.

  5. To make the pie, place the mutton mixture in a lipped pie dish so that the filling comes right to the top. The mixture should be quite wet as the Mutton braising liquid is an essential part of the dish. Now roll the pastry out so that it is about 2cm thick and wide enough to cover your pie with an inch to spare. Egg wash the lip of your pie dish and stick the pastry lid on top, making sure it is completely sealed all around. Egg wash the top and bake in the oven at 180c for approximately an hour until golden brown then serve.

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