In an idle moment the other day, I was watching (well, in the same room as the TV while it was on) "Celebrity Masterchef".
My attention was caught by a description of a dish from a well-known (though not to me, thank goodness) London restaurant, as follows:
"Smoked eel on fondant potatoes; with courgette purée, blackcurrant marmalade and pain perdu*" (*eggy bread to you and me)
This is the cheffy equivalent of marketingspeak. It is also a complete bastardization of the principle of good food simply prepared.
I concede that it just might taste wonderful (one should hope so at £22 a pop). But it sounds like a haut cuisine version of the nightmare meal prepared from all the Friday leftovers in the fridge after you you went to the pub and had ten pints, coming home ravenous.
My leftovers never include eel or blackcurrants - but I can knock up a jolly fine bubble and squeak!
Related recipés: Eggy bread (a superior version), and bubble and squeak (from fresh ingredients: but much more satisfying using leftovers from your Christmas dinner or Sunday roast)
Related link: http://www.sketch.uk.com (what an arsy web site. Why am I not surprised?)
12/10/06 @ 10:27