WHAT BOOK would chef, author and television presenter Nadiya Hussain take to a desert island?

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 17:01 EDT, 14 September 2023 | Updated: 17:12 EDT, 14 September 2023

There’s no doubt that Yannick Alleno is one of the world’s greatest chefs – he’s dripping in Michelin stars, with 15 across 17 restaurants around the world.

Two in France each hold three Michelin stars – Alleno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and Le 1947 a Cheval Blanc in France’s Courchevel 1850 ski resort.

My review of Le 1947 declared the food to be ‘out of this world’.

Now Britons have a chance to try the chef’s stellar cuisine without the faff of a trip across France – because Monsieur Alleno has launched a restaurant set within the seductively suave Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane.

It’s called Pavyllon, and it’s a game-changer – artistry and a soupcon of flamboyance, but food that’s filling, too. And the service? A masterclass in how it should be done. The wine is top-tier, too.

And what’s more, while a heavenly meal at Le 1947 costs 415 euros (£370), the prices are more down to earth at Pavylloyn, with a five-course set lunch menu available for just £55.

Before you even sit down, you’ll be feeling that whatever you’re about to shell out will be money well spent.

The restaurant is sumptuous and smothered in calming hues by acclaimed Parisian designer Chahan Minassian, who oversaw the interior design. The piece de resistance – the magnificent 30-seat wooden counter, where I sat.

Here guests can dine and watch the impressively well-drilled kitchen brigade prepare their food, with waiters and sommeliers weaving in and out of the chefs with mesmerising efficiency, never losing their cool even in the most frantic of moments and delivering the food and drink with effortless charm.

If this scene was a TV channel – I’d tune in.

The bonus on the night I visited was that Yannick himself was present, gently guiding laser-focussed head chef Benjamin Ferra Y Castell and the rest of the team, and gamely pausing from time to time to pose for photographs for guests.

I tried a £148 tasting menu with paired wines. That’s a hefty bill, but the quality never dips below impressive.

First up was a quirky number – a trio of warm potatoes glazed with lovage mayonnaise and served with cucumber and seaweed. This was followed by a refreshing ‘modern gazpacho’, served to me by (warmly smiling) Yannick himself, with cured ham and celery sorbet in the mouthwatering mix.

A beautifully cooked slice of red mullet garnished with chorizo butter and served with a chermoula sauce was the delicious third act, followed by a succulent lamb chop accompanied by green shiso coulis and moreish anchoiade.

The primary-school-aged version of me would have been licking the sauce off the plate.

Not the done thing here, so I wiped every last molecule up with some of the fantastic homemade bread that was in seemingly endless supply.

The final two acts? A duo of delectable desserts – raspberries with a coconut and dill sorbet (an unexpectedly flavoursome combination) and then a well-executed vanilla Napoleon (aka mille-feuille) with Earl Grey caramel (I felt uneasy about this one beforehand because I’m not partial to the pungent taste of Earl Grey, but the way it was blended in here was most pleasing).

By the time I’d finished dish number five I had room for only the thinnest of wafer-thin mints.

Each of the paired wines that knowledgeable head sommelier Baptiste Beaumard picked for the meal was thoughtfully matched with the food and enthusiastically presented.

He took my tastebuds from the Alsace (a white 2021 Domaine Ostertag Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes) to Austria (a knock-out Burgenland Umathum) via Normandy – a stupendous 2022 pear cider by Eric Bordelet that coupled wonderfully with the raspberry and coconut pudding.

The hospitality competition in this quarter of the UK capital has always been hot – Yannick and his able Pavyllon team have just turned up the temperature even further.

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Updated: 04:16 EDT, 5 August 2023

Making the perfect quiche has become a hot topic since it was crowned the official dish of the King’s coronation.

There are some common mistakes to avoid when it comes to baking the dish, according to MasterChef 2021 finalist Mike Tomkins, who offers private dining and events services via The NoteCook.

Most quiche recipes involve blind baking a pastry and whipping up a delicious filling that is mixed with beaten eggs and placed into the oven to bake. 

Here Mike reveals his top tips for the perfect version, including how to nail heavenly flaky pastry, faultless seasoning and more…

Chopping

Mike says: ‘Make sure you chop the ingredients evenly. Think about the texture of the quiche when people are eating it. Every bite should taste the same.’

Ingredients

Mike says: ‘Use quality ingredients – don’t skimp on the cheese. This makes a huge difference.’

Using quality eggs is also key, according to the chef.

‘This is so important for a quiche and will make a real difference in your end result,’ he adds.

‘Typically, dark golden egg yolks are a good indicator that the chickens have eaten a nutrient-rich diet and will leave you with a vibrant-looking quiche.’

Season well

Mike says: ‘We’ve all had a slightly bland quiche before, and there’s nothing worse.

‘To avoid this classic trap, take a little of your egg mixture and fry it off in a pan until cooked through.

‘Taste this for seasoning and this will give you a good indicator to show if you’ve nailed that seasoning or it needs another pinch of salt.’ 

Time to chill 

Mike says: ‘Chill the dough before blind baking. This ensures a great evenly cooked crust.’

Blind bake your crust

Mike says: ‘We all know that the crust is one of everyone’s favourite parts when it comes to a quiche.

‘So to make sure you nail this all-important element, blind bake your crust in the tin whilst weighing it down for an even finish for a few minutes.

‘This will ensure you have a perfectly even and flaky finish.’

Brush up

Mike says: ‘After blind baking, brush with egg yolk and bake for another couple of minutes.

‘This creates a waterproof layer that will prevent the dreaded soggy bottom.’

Think about fillings

Mike says: ‘If you’ve got fillings that hold a lot of moisture, think about cooking them off first before combining with your quiche mix.

‘For example, mushrooms hold a lot of moisture, which is released through cooking, so it’s best to cook these off first. This is also a great chance to pack even more flavour in.’

Cook to temperature, not time

Mike says: ‘Regularly probe your quiche with an instant-read thermometer as you’re nearing the end of your cook – I use a Thermapen.

‘You want the centre of the quiche to read 68C before removing from the oven – importantly, allow your quiche to rest for around 45 minutes.

‘During this time, the quiche will continue cooking and firm up, leaving you with the perfect texture.’

Mike also recommends playing with classic combinations when cooking up ideas for a quiche recipe.

He says: ‘If there’s a classic dish you love, the chances are these flavours will work amazingly well in a quiche.

‘One of my favourites is stilton, mushroom, and red pepper – the perfect combo!’

Texture 

Mike tells MailOnline there are two things to avoid if you want to get ‘the best possible texture’.

He says: ‘There are two really common mistakes people make when cooking a quiche.

‘You need to make sure to avoid these so that you are left with the best possible texture.

‘Don’t bake it on the top rack of the oven. You want to bake on the bottom rack of the oven to ensure that the bottom of the quiche cooks through properly.’

The second common mistake is not allowing enough time for the quiche to cool, he explains.

‘I know you will be desperate to dive in, but you need to let the quiche cool down because it will carry on cooking. Once cool you will be left, as mentioned, with the perfect texture,’ he adds.

Pasta is one of the ultimate comfort foods – and nothing beats the fresh stuff. It’s pre-pasta-rously tasty.

And while you can enjoy it at a good Italian restaurant, here chef Luke Holder – who runs eatery Hartnett Holder & Co at Lime Wood hotel in the New Forest with Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett – reveals how to make pasta at home good enough to serve to paying guests.

He also divulges advice on making great off-the-shelf pasta dishes, including top tips for seasoning, sauces and which supermarkets to shop at for the best ingredients.

When it comes to making fresh pasta – usually a mixture of eggs and flour – Luke says that how many eggs you use depends on how decadent you are feeling.

He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘Depending on how decadent you are feeling determines the amount of egg and yolks you should use. We use a rough guide of nine egg yolks to 200g of pasta flour as a guide.

‘We use a very northern Italian style fresh pasta – the further south you go, the fewer eggs are used in pasta, with only durum wheat flour and water used in Southern Italy – which is very rich in texture and leaves you with a much more malleable pasta if you want to make a filled pasta like a ravioli or agnolotti.

‘Knowing what you want to do before you start is important, as some dishes lend themselves to being better made with dried non-egg-based pasta, such as spaghetti vongole.

‘When making fresh pasta, one key tip is to ensure that once you bring the dough together, let it rest for 45 minutes to allow it to relax, otherwise as you put it through the machine it will tend to spring back, tightening the dough.

‘If you are making a filled pasta with fresh egg-yolk-based dough, you shouldn’t need to add any water or egg wash to seal the pasta. It should be moist and rich enough to come together naturally.’

And stand by with the flour as you put the pasta through the machine.

Luke says: ‘If the dough is sticky, just give it a light dusting of flour every time before you put it through the machine. The most common mistake when making fresh pasta is allowing it to stick to the rolling blades of the machine. Dust lightly but often and make sure your pasta machine is well attached to the work surface because if it isn’t, then rolling the pasta becomes practically impossible.’

And what are the do’s and don’ts for off-the-shelf pasta cooking?

Luke says: ‘There is a lot of folk law around ensuring dried pasta doesn’t stick together.

‘I often hear the advice of adding olive oil to the water, or only season the pasta after cooking. All of that is nonsense to me.

‘The key is to make sure your pasta water is well seasoned – tasting like seawater. Seasoning is a state of being and not an action!

‘Ensure you are cooking your pasta in enough water – the larger the volume of water, the better. Think three to one, water to pasta.

‘Once you add the dried pasta to rapidly boiling water keep it moving – stirring until the water comes back to the boil. This will prevent the pasta from sticking.

‘Always remember that no matter what sauce you are going to serve with your pasta, reserving some of the pasta boiling water will always make a fantastic addition.’

And so what about the all-important sauce?

Luke says: ‘Adding tomato puree is one common mistake. Don’t – it just makes the sauce thick and heavy.

‘Do add a touch of quality red wine vinegar – and if at all possible add great quality tinned tomato, specifically San Marzano tomatoes DOP, as they are grown on volcanic soil and have an amazing flavour. Personally, I always add chilli flakes in with the onions, garlic and olive oil before adding the vinegar.’

Is there anything Luke does in his professional kitchen that an amateur doesn’t?

He says: ‘Reserve your parmesan rinds and add them to the pasta boiling water or make a parmesan stock by boiling the rinds in water for three hours and use that to add to your sauces or to cook the pasta in.

‘To finish, we add a touch of garlic oil – fresh garlic grated into olive oil – right at the end, which lifts the whole dish.’

And what are the go-to brands home cooks should be buying at the supermarket for pasta dishes?

Luke says: ‘For me, it’s always worth spending money on good quality aged parmesan, great quality tinned tomato and wonderful anchovies – all of these three items will transform your pasta dishes and take a lot of the hard work out of it.

‘They will also sit in your store cupboard until you need them.

‘Avoid cheap-quality anchovies. These are the reason why people don’t like anchovies! And never substitute parmesan for other cheeses. There is nothing to replace Parmigiano Reggiano!

‘Best-value-for-money parmesan on the market today, without doubt, is Lidl’s three-year aged. At £14.50 per kg it’s a real bargain. Aged parmesan is such a treat and will add the undeniable joy of umami paired with Ortiz anchovies and with those Rega San Marzano DOP tinned tomatoes, it would be hard to make something not taste absolutely delicious.’

Hartnett Holder & Co at Lime Wood celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. In celebration of the landmark, Angela and Luke will host a guest chef series with some of HH&Co’s oldest chef friends throughout the year. The first dinner of the series will take place on May 16 with acclaimed chefs Nathan Outlaw, Valentine Warner and Neil Borthwick. The following dinner will take place on September 13 with headline chefs of a similar calibre yet to be announced alongside Angela and Luke.

HH&Co will also be launching a partnership with DishPatch to create a limited edition HH&Co menu box, which will be available on an exclusive basis nationwide this summer.

I’m a chef… and you’ve been making mash all wrong! How to create the ultimate restaurant-level creamy mashed potato

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Published: 06:30 EDT, 9 May 2023 | Updated: 06:30 EDT, 9 May 2023