Some food memories with Michel Roux - Part 1
I had asked Michel Roux to write the forward to my book and I was in London when Sarah rang me and asked if had I seen an email from Michel? “ Have you read the introduction?” I remember exactly where I was, I stopped and read it. “Bloody hell!” I said, this book better be good to live up to the billing given to it by my chef!
The book meant I spent a lot of time thinking about Michel and my time at the Waterside Inn. He was a true gastronome but loved food from many countries and cultures. Some of his favourite more simple dishes would include Steak and Kidney Pie - I cooked one for his 50th Birthday dinner and I have a picture somewhere of me presenting the pie to the room!
Turkey escalopes and chips was a Sunday staff lunch favourite, and he did like a plate of chips every now and then!
And on his way to us in Devon one morning for an interview with the Caterer magazine for an article, he rang up on leaving the M5 asking to get the bacon sandwiches going! In fact this would be his preferred choice on any early morning visit to a market.
Game was another favourite particularly Grouse, it marked the end of the hectic summer period and autumn was on its way. We always did the classic dish with jus, bread sauce and foaming bread crumbs, and of course Brussels sprouts.
An example of his culinary brilliance is on returning from the Far East once, it was a case of “get me carrots, leeks, ginger and a lobster”. He put this dish together in one hit, and managed to create the classic Tronconettes de Homard, still a permanent fixture on the Waterside Inn menu. He must have had those flavour combinations whilst away - that is genius! (and a favourite of mine each time I go back there!)
What about a caviar omelette? What indulgence! I remember him making all of the Waterside team a caviar omelette each at the end of our promotion in Sydney, a great big serving spoon of caviar in each, I guess there must have been caviar to use up!
The Italian job! Stefano Gariboldi joined us from the restaurant Marchesi, in Italy, and introduced Bray to risotto. I honestly don’t think we had made a proper one prior to him arriving. Stefano’s dish was soft but not sloppy, rich and packed with Parmesan flavour. Oh and also the Cappelettii de homard, sauce vierge, which also became a Waterside staple for a while. I can remember deep frying what was leftover on a Sunday evening, they came out like won-tons - delicious.
Michel and I had many proud moments together even after I left The Waterside Inn. Some of the best times were in Athens at The Metropolitan, we always did a full day of consultancy and kitchen work and then at about 5 o’clock he would ask “Gin & Tonics? ‘ We would jump into a taxi to the Hotel Grande Bretagne and, overlooking the Acropolis, enjoy a couple of large ones watching the sun go down. In Athens the pressure seemed to be off and we shared some lovely moments together. I still miss him and think about him every day.