San Pellegrino and Theo Randall
Here at Dapper Chapper we are a little biased in our opinion that London is one of the greatest cities on the planet: steeped in history, surrounded by stunning landmarks and some of the finest cuisine in the world.
Well last weekend we experienced all of the above on a balmy summer’s evening at the San Pellegrino pop-up restaurant right by Tower Bridge. The venue was light and airy, situated on the banks of the Thames overlooking the iconic bridge – a site the eyes never get tired of seeing, no matter how many times you’ve had the pleasure. As the day progressed from sunny evening to summer night, was saw the bridge illuminated in stunning blue and purple jewel tones.
The evening commenced with a glass of refreshing Balan Prosecco Doc Frizzante outside the temporary restaurant before heading in to meet the star of the show – Michelin starred chef Theo Randall of The Intercontinental. Personable and friendly, it was an absolute pleasure to meet the man who would be preparing such a fine meal shortly afterwards.
Stepping into the pop-up we were presented with a spacious, finely dressed venue with a long table in the shape of an L. The atmosphere was intimate without being stuffy – a fine balance. Delicate bouquets bursting with cerise, purple and white blooms decorated the tables, and fresh lavender buds were tucked neatly into the hand-addressed menus. It was these little touches that really elevated the experience, you were made to feel very welcome.
Chef Randall had planned the below menu which we and his 40 or so other guests would enjoy, but this was more than a simple meal. No, not only would we enjoy the fine cuisine hand prepared by the chef and his team, he was going to give away some trade secrets and cook it before our very eyes.
The first dish was Ravioli Di Erbette, a delicious fresh pasta stuffed with borage nettles and wild rocket with sheep ricotta, butter and sage. Fully seasonal and bursting with light flavours in a delicious buttery sage sauce. Seeing the delicate parcels prepared, we noted that Randall used sparkling Pellegrino to seal them closed.
For the mains, the lesser-used guinea fowl was prepared and stuffed with prosciutto Di parma, thyme, lemon and mascarpone before being roasted and served on pagnotta brushetta with new seasons English peas and mint. The delicious Arrosto di Faraona was perfectly accented by the guinea liver pâté on the toasty bruschetta slices.
We finished with a fabulous Amalfi lemon tart, crumbly sweet pastry and just the right amount of sweetness rounded off the meal perfectly. Complementing each course was a wine carefully selected by the sommelier to ensure the taste in both food and wine were fully exposed. Of course, a variety of San Pellegrino’s finest still and sparkling waters to assist in the flavour experience.
The food really was exquisite and it was a one-off experience having a well-known and highly regarded Michelin starred chef cook for us – but it wasn’t just the food that was excellent, Chef Randall imparted some useful advice on cooking the perfect pasta:
1. Always cook pasta al dente, anything more is overcooked
2. If your packaging says cook for 10 minutes, don’t – cook it for seven
3. Once cooked, don’t pour your pasta and remaining water into a colander, as the steam this creates can be hotter than boiling water and can accidentally overcook your pasta
4. Instead, use a kitchen utensil that allows you to drain the pasta in mid-air, then either plate up or put into your already boiling pasta sauce
5. Keep back some of the now-starchy pasta water and use it to thicken your pasta sauce, emulsifying it and coating the pasta better than simply pouring over
DC will certainly be taking these tips home, thanks Chef Randall.