Tony Tobin's May Kitchen Diary
Above: Surrey Life's celebrity columnist Tony Tobin
There is an old English saying, 'Ne'er cast a clout till May be out', which has been interpreted since the Middle Ages as 'Don't do away with your winter clothing until June'. Clearly, the weather was prone to being unpredictable back in the 1500s just as it is today, but now we have climate change to add into the equation so I hope there are not too many Surrey folk earnestly donning their warm jumpers each morning 'just in case'. Country dwellers have known for years that the word 'May' in this saying refers not to the month but the May Tree (or Hawthorn), which blossoms in April. Likewise, the phrase 'here we go gathering nuts in May' refers to the ancient practice of nut-gathering in April wearing May blossom garlands.
Anyway, enough of this, before I'm accused of going nuts in May! There is a point. This is a blossoming time of year: in gardens, orchards, farms and kitchens, the next month is a time of wonderful freshness.
Chefs everywhere gain extra verve and inspiration. Not only is it light early in the morning when we arrive to prepare the ingredients for the day ahead but long into the evening when we really earn our keep. Eating great food while it is still light outside is a pleasure for everyone. Light seems to aid the digestion - perhaps because the body is not subconsciously thinking that it is going to have to try and sleep soon while digesting that steak! Our inspiration also comes from the light and fresh ingredients that pour into kitchens - tender young green veg, crisp leaves, new root vegetables and, of course, young lamb (remember I told you to hold off on young lamb until it gained it's proper flavour last month? Well, now you can go for it!).
In my restaurants in Reigate and Banstead, I have introduced a dish that is attracting lots of interest. It is a bit of a trompe l'oeil dish - an optical illusion that we call chicken 'fillet steak'. It is also one of our best selling treats at the moment. For anyone who wants to serve up a dish at home that is relatively simple to make and will attract plenty of 'oohs and aahs' when plated up, this is the one. It is essentially rolled breast of chicken wrapped in extremely fine Parma ham. When cooked properly, it emerges from the frying pan with the same proportions and looks as the best fillet steak while retaining the lightness of chicken. Absolutely yum!
Coming back to casting clouts, we have recently installed an astonishing new motorised blind at
POST. This is no bathroom window Venetian affair but a motorised wonder that we can use to shield our guests from direct sunlight in our brasserie, which features a stunning 60ft skylight. That's the problem with opening at the beginning of winter - you forget about sunshine - but now we're keen to protect the skin and comfort of our customers as well as trying to entice them with the treats that this wonderful season has to offer.
One final tip for this time of year: Asparagus Risotto. It is on my menus at both
POST and
The Dining Room. At this time of year, there is no better starter than spears of this ‘King of Vegetables’ with a pesto and goats' cheese... In fact, is it lunchtime yet?
Read Tony Tobin’s April Kitchen Diary
Discuss Tony Tobin's Kitchen Diaries and other stories on the Surrey Life Forums