Sous Vide Recipes: Whole Beetroot with Ginger, Pumpkin Seeds & Sesame Oil

Last Friday's conversation with a colleague:

"Hey, do you want some beetroot?" There was loads of beetroot.

Me: "OK, what will I do with all of it?"

"Sous Vide it." I'll think about that, chef.

My adventures with beetroot were limited up to now. Just an addition to salad, sometimes grated to make a dip. So the suggestion to sous vide it by @itsachefslife sent my imagination sailing. I had made a quiet decision that I preferred sous vide-ing food items which don't have their own oils or fats such as fish, lean meat, vegetables and fruit. The controlled slow poaching seals in the little juices they have and concentrates them. With conventional cooking things like duck legs or pork bellies hold their own, they have enough jelly to keep self-basting. But with our beets, sous vide turns their deep fuchsia flesh into some kind of wonderful.

Fusion Dining in Goa: Part 2

Lila's Cafe

Still on my adventure to find interesting eats in Goa, we found ourselves once again fortuitously placed with Lila's Cafe near our resort. Behind Lila's is a German expat who decided that the tranquil Baga River was the perfect spot to export German breads and brunches. Bread is cooked fresh on the premises, and whilst the food isn't always strictly German, they knocked up some pretty fine brunch and lunch bits:

Its spacious and breezy area was ideal to escape the midday heat.

And being German, I expect some commendable bakes. The mango cheesecake was as light as a feather and so full of mango goodness. This had been crafted by someone who knows cake construction and how to bring out the best of the mango in one. I washed this down with a grainy and sweet chikoo smoothie. A chikoo? My parents used to have a tree in our garden in KL. Looks like a kiwi fruit, has brown flesh akin to a kiwi fruit and a sandy texture. Delish.

Oh yes. That burger tasted as good as it looks. Taking advantage of Lila's close proximity to our base, this juicy temptress was my indulgence on our second visit. Made out of mutton mince (eating beef in India just seemed wrong!), it was full on succulence on every naughty level.

Cafe Choccolatti

More lush and green courtyards at Cafe Chocolatti. And it would be wrong if a cafe like this, with a name like this, didn't have a sinful chocolate cake like this...

Rich, velvety and moist without being sickly. I had suddenly acquired a sweet tooth from being a savoury lover!

The Plantain Leaf

It may seem like I'd gone all the way to Goa to eat lots of non-Indian food, which was not the case. South Indian is one of my favourite foods and we ate it every day till even for a hungry foodie, it was overdoing a good thing. One must-mention though was the Special Thali at The Plantain Leaf in downtown Calangute. For an affordable 90 rupees (£1.28 at the time of writing!) this is a hefty feed for two included excellent curries, puris so puffy you think they would float and pile of rice.

Before I thought it would just be curry heaven in Goa, but we have colonisation to thank for this coast's culinary melange. Like most places in Asia, food is generally very cheap and the locals fall over themselves with service. Where have you been on holiday recently where you thought the food was true fusion?

North Road

North Road is the Farringdon branch of sister restaurant The Fig, which I felt never received the acclaim it deserved. Not that I wanted anyone to know, I was rather happy to keep this rare gem to myself. Located in leafy Barnsbury, it is the bistro brainchild of Scandinavian chef Christoffer Hruskova, who cooks the best British ingredients with a Nordic accent. So upon hearing there were plans for a new beefed up branched towards the City, I was certain that it was more about getting bums on seats than concentrating on superb cooking.

Very unlike the cosy, rustic 20 seater set in a neighbourly house, North Road was as chic as a whitewashed runway at London Fashion Week. Bare bulbs hung from the ceiling in minimalist fashion and the atmosphere was near starchy. For two minutes I was almost scared. Had the kiddy gloves come off to reveal newly sharpened talons?

Having been offered 50% off the menu as a “friend” (these friends come easy, simply stick yourself on the mailing list!), the five course tasting menu was the obvious place to start.

Like all restaurants coveting a Michelin star, up first is the amuse bouche. Fried pork crackling twisted into pretzel shapes, served underneath fried fish skin was a welcome opener for me considering this is very Chinese, and us Chinese love our crackling. Next to the  skins was an egg “container” which required us to open the lid to reveal two boiled quails eggs, nestled amongst hay! The creamy yolks paired nicely with the contrasting crunchies.

Onto the first course of Scottish dived scallops, which was actually quite disappointing. Aside from a perfectly respectably seared scallop, there was little taste from the accompanying grated apple and apple jelly that sat on top. I’m also increasingly wary of dishes with flavoured “snow”. What exactly are these meant to do? The miniscule granules of hazelnut beside the scallop were just that, granules.

And then those talons emerged. Along came a coral lobster that was expertly cured, and cured in the way that the lobster still had a significant bite. A wreath of strong, almost medicinal herbs laid above and contrasted with the fishy morsel, with a creamy buttermilk dressing rounding the dish off.

Next was a lively dish of Kent vegetables which consisted of creamy Jerusalem artichoke puree, surrounding pink fir potatoes and generously topped with shavings of black truffle. I’m not sure this was the most exciting dish, it really showed competency in cooking vegetables well rather than going beyond the norm which I suspect this restaurant is trying to achieve.

However, the clear high octane star was the Norfolk Deer Loin, bathed in a blood red beetroot dressing. Having being flavoured with burnt hay, it was the bonfire night of my dreams. Deer loin was marvellously tender, with a haunting smoky smell infiltrating the entire dish. Unctuous and squidgy, smoked bone marrow punctuated the meat in all the right places.

For dessert, deconstructed bread and butter pudding. Slightly reinvented, the custard and little crackers which was the “bread” exuded sensuous spices such as cardamom, star anise and cinnamon. Great texture from the sugar shard that stood upright and had flecks of pretty spices.

Some teething problems were evident in the soft opening of North Road. We felt slightly forgotten as they took their time in the beginning to find us and ask for drinks, and as pretentious as this sounds, our white wine wasn’t placed in a cooler. This is one to watch though, the simply named menu belies the sophisticated cooking, and the global influenced flavours really worked. Viajante, you may be basking in London restaurant splendour now, but I would keep an eye on this close competition. The tasting menu was £55 for 5 courses per person.

Viajante: The Tasting Menu

I would put money on the fact that Viajante has been the most blogged about, most celebrated and most photographed restaurant this year. Is there anyone out there who hasn't raved on about this Bethnal Green shrine? For those that follow Marina O'Laughlin, food giant of London's The Metro paper, you will know this is the only full 5 star review she's done all year. The verdict? It's on the supernatural gastro-stratosphere.

So what can I add that hasn't already been said? I tell you what. I give you full-on, visually seductive and lavishly produced food porn that will extend the indulgent journey already being travelled by Viajante.

Having visited previously, it was one of those "Oh when are we going back?" occasions. Viajante is the Portugese word for "traveller", and one doesn't just travel through flavours, one is catapulted through smells, textures and new cooking concepts. Make way for the 9 course tasting menu....

I'm immediately drawn to the beautiful collages on the lamps and wall. It's a haze of colour, semi-Japanese, semi-Gustav Klimt. Chefs work swiftly but so silently over plate after plate of edible art.

Where would 21st century dining be without these palate teasers? Simply named Thai explosion II, it was the finest pork mince laced with lemongrass, coriander, chilli, sandwiched between two wafer thin layers of chicken crackling.

Bread and Butter: Would you really believe it was this simple a name? These exquisite quinelles were brown butter so whipped up they were like moussy clouds. Topped with more chicken crackling, this was my bread and butter.

Scallops, butternut squash and mustard snow, with a trickling of watercress broth: I'm never one to turn down scallop sashimi, and I loved the pungent mustard snow which lifted the seafood. Funnily, those butternut slivers are a trompe l'oeil: don't they make you think of pasta shapes?! They added a rather raw crunch to this springtime dish.

Charred leeks, hazelnuts and milk skin: Gorgeous textures from the nuts, and silky milk skin. For the Chinese folk in the crowd, this makes you think of bean curd skin, and perhaps that's what it was. I loved the charred leek taste and sprinkling of black ash which contrasted with the smoothness.

Braised salmon skin and fried aubergine: If one could succintly place all of Japanese cuisine on a plate, this would be it. Immediately you recognise the miso paste, and the smoky aubergine flavours. Dip into the broth beneath at it's pure agedashi in liquid form. The salmon sashimi is delicate, soft and perfectly punctuated with the skin, spring onion and giant caviar.

Lobster, potato, confit egg yolk and saffron: Now if there was the odd dish out for me, I sheepishly say this was it. The mini egg yolk, probably from a quail's egg, was rich, thick and creamy. Lobster was springy like how seafood is meant to be and bathed in a light fish broth. There was a saffron skin that layered the dish, and could have only been placed by accomplished, and stealthy fingers, but it was as if each component was a little songstress, and not a choir singing from the same sheet. Ah well, onto the next act!

Sea bass toast, garlic kale and S. Jorge: Was that a mis-focussed picture or was that a mis-focussed picture?! Apologies folks, but imagine a splendidly cooked fillet of sea bass, it was named a "toast" as the skin was quite simply that. No oily glaze, making me think this was done by blow-torch? It lay on top of a swoosh of dark green garlic kale puree, with a sliver of semi-hard, Portugese Sao Jorge cheese. What would the Italians say about the food-rule-defying fish-cheese pairing. I think they could make an exception.

Venison and raw mushrooms with smoked yoghurt: I call this "The Forest Floor". Undoubtedly the most beautifully plated dish of the night, I could have stared at this endlessly. My tummy could have welcomed it endlessly. Tender venison slices folded amongst blackberries, wild mushrooms with crumbs of roasted nuts in between was a natural pairing of foods. The smoked yoghurt oh-so-subtlely laced the dish.

Squab (a variety of pigeon), beetroot yoghurt and pistachio praline: My favourite. This was like a spring awakening, off the back of the previous autumnal dish. I could never have enough of gamey pigeon, dribbled with its salty jus, complimented with sharp beetroot and berries and rounded off with an intense pistachio cream. I was like Maria in the opening sequence of The Sound of Music!

Sea buckthorn and burnt meringue: What is buckthorn you ask? I'm told by a reliable web source it is a wintery, ferny plant that produces little berries which I can only guess is the flavour behind the sweet, orange coloured sorbet. The reptilian tail that snaked into it was either passion-fruit or lemon flavoured. The hit of sour and sweet and in contrasting temperatures was divine.

Frozen maple and toasted oats with green maple and sweet mayonnaise: This course screamed Canadian Winter. I couldn't quite tell the flavours apart but I got vanilla, nuts and of course a honeyed maple. Oats were a great gravel to the white snowy tips.

Chocolate with hazelnut and soil: I imagine this is what Fred Flintstone would order if he was a foodie and wanted a dessert. The cracker thin chocolate casing held a chocolate ganache, creating another layer of cocoa svelteness amidst the soil. Hazelnut foam was fluffy and helped lap up the tiny granules!

Petit Fours: Crema Catalana, Cep Truffle and Shortbread. And just when I thought the journey had ended, my personal highlight of the adventure arrived in the form of a cep truffle. Again, this amazingly light chocolate shell encased a ganache, this time infused with a wondrous mushroomy flavour from the cep. Crowned with a single grain of salt, this was the chocolate truffle of my life. Wow, what a statement! Not meaning to underplay the crema catalana and the shortbread, but these did quite literally pale in comparison!

Pack your bags and go on this experimental journey. Whether this is to your tastes, I guarantee you will feel enlivened and your taste buds forced to question and comprehend new flavours. The 9 course tasting menu is £75 a head without wine, and worthy of a very special occasion. Mine was sharing it with great friends in London.

Circus

Entertainment with food isn't a new concept, but the packaging and execution can always be reworked in numerous ways. Circus is amongst many venues in London offering quirky, humorous and off-piste entertainment whilst you wine and dine.

Located on Endell Street in Covent Garden, one could easily miss the entrance, owing to the clandestine iron shutter that only opens every so often. Enter, and it's a glittery sea of pretty people all bobbing to the beat. There is a well-stocked and run bar, with sufficient cocktail shaking to convey they have that part of the place in control. 

It's a true melange of decor. Silver balls and tinsel flash from the bar, there are lounge-y pockets of space to have a drink, and each wall has a different but equally loud and attention-seeking print. Well done though, and    in the middle of the room is the main table where we were seated for our friend's J's super fun birthday dinner!  With a contemporary banquet feel, it also serves as the stage where various entertainers prance, whirl and perform in between courses...

What were we treated to? As the name suggests, there were the artistic and precise trapeze acts, and the more comical, modern "freaks". 

First act in between courses were two trapeze artists who mirrored each others movements around the hoop. Their ghostly shapes created delicate and luminous patterns with the light effects as well.

The second was a twist on the striptease - a forlorn Japanese bride walks down the "aisle", threatening suicide and self-harm, when suddenly she sees hope ahead! Off comes the hideous wedding gown to reveal a flambouyant feather cape and diamante encrusted corset. The actress had the most comical expressions, it was hard not to giggle. What is entertaining is her stripping down to reveal silver nipple tassles which she jiggled to the beat of the music!

My favourite - a man with a glass ball body-popped and moved the ball through the air as if it weighed nothing. Done to a remixed version of Sway, it's a clever balancing act.

And how about the food? Whilst I love the vibe and the upbeat atmosphere of the whole place, I find it's not so much about delivering awesome food. One has to count this as whole nocturnal entertainment venue rather than a restaurant per se. Sadly I couldn't take good photos due to the blue tinged lighting, but here's my try..

For large parties, a party menu can be organised along with the booze. The menu is Pan-American, not a phrase I've heard before, but in keeping with the eclectic theme. We started with Chicken Skewers, Chilli Squid salad, Sweetcorn fritters and a Beef salad. All were tasty and wholesome, with a more home-cooked style rather than avant-garde, which would have been more suited to the up-scale setting.

Crab Cakes with tortilla chips: Aside from the colourful chips, this dish was actually rather unexciting and lacked seasoning and zing.

Now it's all a bit of a haze here. Yes there were copious amounts of wine, and there was also dance music blasting and general socialising amongst our party. Platters of pre-ordered food kept arriving, providing a magnanimous array of choice. Here were some I remembered..

Josper Beef Fillet Steak: A good onion ring is always memorable. Crunchy batter covering a juicy onion was a nice partner to the juicy steak.

Cajun Sea Bass: Well cooked, but again lacking in seasoning. Came with a nice yoghurt dressing though.

Vegetable Roti Parcels: Reminiscent of a Morrocan pastry, it was filling and rather tasty. I couldn't really tell what vegetables went inside, but I could hazard a guess of courgettes, corn and coconut.

Sticky Pork Belly: Probably the best dish of the night. A loin of pork was chopped up and still retained alot of juiciness.

There is a lot of variety and for £70 a head, drinks and acts included, there is more than enough food and fun to keep you going through the night. It's perfect for a big group, and I did have an excellent Orange Espresso Martini which I rate the bar for. However, call me the bearded woman if you must, the food was rather more a supporting character rather than the headline act itself. That being said, I'd still recommend it for a different and enjoyable night on the town.