Kitchin Suppers
His restaurant in Scotland is booked out six months in advance - but Tom Kitchin is more concerned about what's going on in your kitchen right now.
Speaking from The Kitchin, in Edinburgh, as his second book Kitchin Suppers launches he revealed the inspiration behind the recipes.
'It's everything that I do at home - for people to try in their homes,' he explained.
'At home I don't have access to the wonderful stock that takes two days to cook and all my chefs just passing me ingredients. There are constraints when you are cooking at home. I've taken my repertoire but then created recipes that you can do solely at home.'
What are his favourite recipes in the book?
'I have to say my wife's smoked salmon lasagne,' he chuckled. 'But I also I think one that people really should try is the lamb and hay in the Saturday night suppers section. It sounds totally out of your comfort zone but it's so easy.'
What would he like to see more of in kitchens across the country?
'Game I'm a big ambassador for seasonality. I'm fanatical,' he states. 'Just right now we are in the height of the game season. You can probably buy a pheasant breast or a partridge cheaper than you can buy a chicken! It's cheaper, it's a unique flavour and it's very, very British too. We should be using lots of game just now.'
Tom's pet hate is lazy cooks.
'I hate laziness,' he says. 'I hate ready meals. I hate when people think there's no other option but to buy some crap - that really gets on my nerves.'
Well, with these two recipes from Kitchin Suppers, there really is no excuse for trying Tom's nerves...
Kitchin Suppers by Tom Kitchin (Quadrille, £20) Photography: Laura Edwards
This comforting pasta bake is easy to prepare and always popular. The recipe is based on a Scandinavian dish that my wife Michaela has been making for years. It’s absolutely delicious and has the added advantage that it can be prepared in advance, ready to bake and serve when required.
Serves 4–6
Béchamel sauce
Lasagne
Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Slowly stir in the milk and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. For the lasagne, melt half the butter in a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Add the leek strips, season with salt and pepper and sweat gently for 2–3 minutes.
Add the spinach leaves, a handful at a time, along with the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Drain off the excess liquid.
Use the rest of the butter to grease a large square or rectangular ovenproof dish. Cut the smoked salmon into small pieces, roughly 2cm square.
Spoon a layer of the béchamel sauce over the bottom of the dish and layer a third of the lasagne sheets on top. Spoon half of the leek and spinach mixture over the lasagne, followed by a good third of the smoked salmon, then cover with a third of the remaining béchamel and sprinkle some cheese over the surface.
Repeat the layers of lasagne, leek and spinach, smoked salmon, béchamel and cheese, then cover with a top layer of lasagne. Spoon the rest of the béchamel sauce on top and scatter over the remaining smoked salmon and grated cheese. Bake for about 45 minutes until the top is a deep golden colour.
To check that the lasagne is cooked, insert a knife in the middle; it should meet with minimal resistance. Scatter the chopped dill on top of the lasagne and serve, with a crisp green salad on the side.
I mostly cook venison in the autumn, but it can be stored in the freezer for several months to enjoy once the game season is over. I devised this dish recently when a friend came over for dinner and gave me a haunch of venison. It may be a Scottish thing, but I was over the moon! As with most game, root vegetables and fruit go well with venison. Use a good-quality red wine – not a premium one, but don’t be tempted to buy a cheap bottle.
Serves 4
Heat the oven to 160°C/Gas 2–3.
Dust the venison lightly with flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy-based ovenproof sauté pan (or flameproof casserole) over a medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil.
You will need to brown the venison in two batches. When the oil is hot, add half of the venison pieces with half of the butter. Colour the meat all over for 4–5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the second batch.
Return the pan to the heat and drizzle in a little more olive oil. Add the bacon lardons, onion, celeriac, carrots, garlic and juniper berries. Lower the heat slightly and sweat gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the bouquet garni and orange zest and sweat for another 2–3 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and let bubble to reduce by half.
Return the meat to the pan and pour in the red wine to cover. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum from the surface. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, put a lid on the pan and place in the oven.
Cook for 1. hours or until the venison is tender, checking occasionally and topping up with a little more stock if needed. Scatter the chopped parsley over the stew just before serving.
Speaking from The Kitchin, in Edinburgh, as his second book Kitchin Suppers launches he revealed the inspiration behind the recipes.
'It's everything that I do at home - for people to try in their homes,' he explained.
'At home I don't have access to the wonderful stock that takes two days to cook and all my chefs just passing me ingredients. There are constraints when you are cooking at home. I've taken my repertoire but then created recipes that you can do solely at home.'
What are his favourite recipes in the book?
'I have to say my wife's smoked salmon lasagne,' he chuckled. 'But I also I think one that people really should try is the lamb and hay in the Saturday night suppers section. It sounds totally out of your comfort zone but it's so easy.'
What would he like to see more of in kitchens across the country?
'Game I'm a big ambassador for seasonality. I'm fanatical,' he states. 'Just right now we are in the height of the game season. You can probably buy a pheasant breast or a partridge cheaper than you can buy a chicken! It's cheaper, it's a unique flavour and it's very, very British too. We should be using lots of game just now.'
Tom's pet hate is lazy cooks.
'I hate laziness,' he says. 'I hate ready meals. I hate when people think there's no other option but to buy some crap - that really gets on my nerves.'
Well, with these two recipes from Kitchin Suppers, there really is no excuse for trying Tom's nerves...
Kitchin Suppers by Tom Kitchin (Quadrille, £20) Photography: Laura Edwards
SMOKED SALMON & SPINACH LASAGNE
This comforting pasta bake is easy to prepare and always popular. The recipe is based on a Scandinavian dish that my wife Michaela has been making for years. It’s absolutely delicious and has the added advantage that it can be prepared in advance, ready to bake and serve when required.
Serves 4–6
Béchamel sauce
- 75g butter
- 75g plain flour
- 850ml milk sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lasagne
- 25g butter
- 1 leek, trimmed, washed and cut into strips
- 400g baby spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 400g smoked salmon
- 300g Cheddar, grated
- 8–10 lasagne sheets
- 4 dill sprigs, roughly chopped, to garnish
Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Slowly stir in the milk and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. For the lasagne, melt half the butter in a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Add the leek strips, season with salt and pepper and sweat gently for 2–3 minutes.
Add the spinach leaves, a handful at a time, along with the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Drain off the excess liquid.
Use the rest of the butter to grease a large square or rectangular ovenproof dish. Cut the smoked salmon into small pieces, roughly 2cm square.
Spoon a layer of the béchamel sauce over the bottom of the dish and layer a third of the lasagne sheets on top. Spoon half of the leek and spinach mixture over the lasagne, followed by a good third of the smoked salmon, then cover with a third of the remaining béchamel and sprinkle some cheese over the surface.
Repeat the layers of lasagne, leek and spinach, smoked salmon, béchamel and cheese, then cover with a top layer of lasagne. Spoon the rest of the béchamel sauce on top and scatter over the remaining smoked salmon and grated cheese. Bake for about 45 minutes until the top is a deep golden colour.
To check that the lasagne is cooked, insert a knife in the middle; it should meet with minimal resistance. Scatter the chopped dill on top of the lasagne and serve, with a crisp green salad on the side.
VENISON STEW WITH CELERIAC & ORANGE (pictured top)
I mostly cook venison in the autumn, but it can be stored in the freezer for several months to enjoy once the game season is over. I devised this dish recently when a friend came over for dinner and gave me a haunch of venison. It may be a Scottish thing, but I was over the moon! As with most game, root vegetables and fruit go well with venison. Use a good-quality red wine – not a premium one, but don’t be tempted to buy a cheap bottle.
Serves 4
- 1kg haunch of venison, cut into 2–3cm pieces
- plain flour for dusting
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil for cooking
- 25g butter
- 50g bacon lardons
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 celeriac, peeled and diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 8 juniper berries
- bouquet garni
- finely pared zest of 1 orange
- juice of 3 oranges
- 75cl bottle of full-bodied red wine
- 250ml chicken stock, or more if needed
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Heat the oven to 160°C/Gas 2–3.
Dust the venison lightly with flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy-based ovenproof sauté pan (or flameproof casserole) over a medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil.
You will need to brown the venison in two batches. When the oil is hot, add half of the venison pieces with half of the butter. Colour the meat all over for 4–5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the second batch.
Return the pan to the heat and drizzle in a little more olive oil. Add the bacon lardons, onion, celeriac, carrots, garlic and juniper berries. Lower the heat slightly and sweat gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the bouquet garni and orange zest and sweat for another 2–3 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and let bubble to reduce by half.
Return the meat to the pan and pour in the red wine to cover. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum from the surface. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, put a lid on the pan and place in the oven.
Cook for 1. hours or until the venison is tender, checking occasionally and topping up with a little more stock if needed. Scatter the chopped parsley over the stew just before serving.