This week’s recipes are all about practicality and comfort, while adding a touch of artistry to the table. During my first kitchen job, the head chef had a saying that has always stuck with me: “It’s the small things that make great food.” This still plays a major role in all my recipes, particularly the accessible ones you’ll find in these pages, on television or in a cookbook. But what exactly are the small things that make good food great? Take this week as a case study. Beef hotpot and fish pie, two dishes known the world over and hundreds of recipes for each. But it’s the detail in the recipes that elevates our enjoyment of them.
Take the beef hotpot. If we break it down, it’s essentially just a beef and potato stew. The magic is in sourcing the diced beef shin, a robust, gelatinous cut that holds up beautifully when slow cooked. It’s fat content also enhances the beefiness of the sauce. Paying attention to evenly caramelising this meat along with the onions, carrots and mushrooms will help us balance the sugar content of the sauce. Tomato paste and red wine play the role of adding depth to each bite. The bone may look offensive or unnecessary to some, but as it roasts in the oven, the marrow within melts down and leaks into the filling below, bringing another wave of meaty goodness. A few added minutes blanching the potatoes and melting butter will result in a perfectly caramelised potato topping. Taking 20 seconds to add some fresh thyme leaves before serving adds another layer of complexity.
With the fish pie, the ethos remains the same. Salting the fish lightly will not only add to the seasoning of the dish, but will remove excess water, this will prevent the sauce thinning out as the pie cooks, creating a meatier texture in each bite. Similarly, making a “flavour reduction” of white wine and stock will power up the taste of the sauce without losing its texture. Mustard, lemon juice and zest along with some soft green herbs turn a good sauce into a great one. On top, we have all fallen victim to a fish pie overrun with sloppy mashed potato, the ratio should always be around 70 per cent fish and filling to 30 per cent potato. Duchess is a very classical potato preparation that involves adding some egg yolk and cheese to the mash to promote caramelisation and thickness, allowing it to hold up and go crispy on top. Baking the potato on some salt beforehand also removes excess water which tastes of nothing. A piping nozzle creates the waves texture on top which obviously is a nod to the former home of the inhabitants below, but has the added bonus of creating edges that the oven heat can turn golden brown.
So there you have it, simple beef and fish pies, brought to another level using small techniques that combine to make good food great.
