A New Year in Provence

My passion for eating is as intense as my passion for cooking. I believe the acts of eating and cooking are one and the same. Food is for giving and the act of cooking is among the most intimate things we can do for one another. The pleasure comes from sharing.

 

I am very fortunate; I have a job that allows me to do what I love and to enjoy the good flavours in life. I love to eat and what I love to eat informs the way I cook. Good food comes about only if you put yourself into it. It’s an ongoing process, an endless game. I alter things all the time. Don’t be afraid of mistakes or failure and remember some of the most famous dishes evolved from culinary blunders. Life is too short to eat bad food. The key is to enjoy yourself.

Philippe Sublet is executive head chef at La Rotonde restaurant in Aix en Provence, France. Formerly he was head chef at the Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Berkshire, England. He has also worked with Michel Roux and Marc Gregory.

 

I prepared this chilled soup for my friend Mary Gilliatt’s birthday party last July.

900g ripe plum tomatoes (or 800g canned Italian tomatoes in juice) 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 spring onions, finely sliced 2 slices good white bread 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar Dash of Tabasco sauce Few basil leaves Salt and freshly ground pepper 300g cooked crayfish meat

To serve: cherry tomatoes, spring onions, croutons, basil pesto, fresh herbs
Combine all ingredients except crayfish in a bowl and chill overnight.
Next day purée tomato mixture in a food processor and pass through a sieve (discard pulp). Season well.
Pour gazpacho into serving bowls and top with sliced crayfish. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, spring onion, croutons, pesto and herbs.  Serves 4

 

Chilled Pineapple Soup with Mint Granita and Berries
A light and refreshing end to a summer dinner. The soup is not overly sweet and is balanced by the minty granita.

Pineapple soup: 2 sweet pineapples, eg tropical gold variety, peeled and cored 2 litres water 400g sugar 1 vanilla pod, split Grated zest of 1 lime Granita: 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 1 bunch mint  cup sparkling water

 

To serve: mixed berries, eg blueberries, strawberries   
Soup: Cut pineapple into chunks. Place water, sugar, vanilla pod and zest in a pot and bring to the boil. Take off heat, add pineapple and infuse for 12 hours. Drain and purée until smooth, adding a little marinating juice to thin mixture. Chill.
Granita: Place water and sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Take off heat, add mint and stand for 15 minutes to allow flavour to infuse. Strain into a shallow freezer-proof container and add sparkling water. Stir and place in freezer. After 1-2 hours loosen ice crystals with a fork and then freeze until firm.
To serve, pour pineapple into glasses. Scrape a fork across granita and gently mix the icy crystals with berries. Carefully spoon over pineapple liquid. Garnish with extra berries and mint sprigs. Serve immediately.  Serves 6

 

Cherry Tomato, Bocconcini and Lime Leaf Salad
This festive red and white combination gets a double hit of lime from fresh lime juice and kaffir lime leaves.

2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, fried 2 tablespoons good-quality extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 shallot, finely sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 250g cherry tomatoes 150g tub bocconcini, drained and cut into chunks

To prepare kaffir lime, remove tough stems and cut leaves into fine slices. Cook briefly in a little olive oil over moderate heat until crisp. Cool then crumble in your fingers.
Combine the crushed leaves with oil, lime juice, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss with the tomatoes and bocconcini. Stand salad for 10 minutes or more before serving to allow flavours to meld.  Serves 4 as a side dish

 

 

Soft-centred Chocolate and Coconut Puddings
I serve this fudgy dessert with coconut sorbet and mango coulis but it’s also good simply with vanilla ice cream. Use chocolate with at least 64 per cent cocoa solids to help prevent the mixture from sticking to the baking dishes.

200g good-quality dark chocolate 200g butter 3 eggs plus 2 extra yolks 200g (1 cup) caster sugar 100g (3⁄4 cup) flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder 115g (1 cup) desiccated coconut

Thoroughly grease 8 individual ramekins (about 1-cup capacity each) and set aside on a tray.
Melt chocolate and butter gently in a microwave or in a bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
Place eggs, yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and beat to ribbon stage (mixture is very thick and forms a trail when beaters are lifted). Fold in melted chocolate.
Combine flour and baking powder with coconut and fold into chocolate mixture. Ladle mixture into ramekins to three-quarters full, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before baking. Uncooked desserts will keep up to a week in the fridge.
When ready to cook, remove plastic wrap and bake at 190°C until risen and firm but still liquid in the middle, about 15 minutes. (If using metal containers or foil, cook for slightly less time.) Stand 5 minutes before turning out on to serving plates.  Serves 8

 

 

Fish Cakes with Thai Flavours
Buy firmer-fleshed fillets for these meaty patties; anything too delicate will fall apart on cooking. I use a mixture of monkfish and cod; groper and tarakihi or moki and gurnard are other options.

700g white fish fillets, cut into 1cm dice Small handful green beans, blanched and cut into 1cm lengths 1 bunch coriander leaves and stalks, thinly sliced 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, chopped very fine 1 stalk lemon grass, tender part only, chopped very fine 2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 small thumb fresh ginger, finely grated 3 tablespoons cornflour 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 3 egg whites 1 teaspoon caster sugar  teaspoon salt Flavourless oil for frying, eg rice bran or canola

Place all ingredients except oil in a food processor and pulse briefly to just bring mixture together. Form mixture into about 10 patties and place on plastic wrap-covered plates. Cover with more plastic wrap and chill for at least 1-2 hours before cooking. Uncooked cakes will keep 1-2 days in the fridge.
Shallow-fry fish cakes in about 1cm hot oil until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
Serve the fish cakes immediately with Chinese cabbage sliced and sautéed with ginger and tamari or with a tossed green salad.  Serves 4-6