In the circumstances the lightly spiced pumpkin purée and the thyme dressing feel like the gorgeous velvet box in which a diamond ring is presented.
#Cornerstone restaurant skin
A pristine piece of hake, all pearly flesh and golden skin and utter delight, is perfectly cooked. What underpins the cooking is a clear understanding of the essentials. Pickled oysters are not so much pickled as dressed, as in haute couture, in a bright, fresh, crisp, cooling herb liquor
But only almost: the yolk runs, the mushrooms meet the brandade and all is right in the world. It is a dish so handsome it almost feels like vandalism to slip in the knife. In the middle, sitting pert and golden, just waiting to run, is an egg yolk, its surface dusted with salt and pepper. It is piled with wild mushrooms sautéed in butter.
Photograph: Sophia Evans/The ObserverĪ little closer to the nursery is a ripe, foamy pillow of cod brandade, speckled with fresh green herbs. It’s what high tea would look like if it was served in a bordello. There is a dice of gherkins to help you pretend this isn’t a total heart-stopper and, on the top, a tangle of kohlrabi in ribbons. A big fat homemade crumpet, sitting proud on the plate, comes stacked with a generous pile of nutty potted shrimps, dripping with spiced molten butter. These two dishes make it all sound like a delicate pinkie-raised affair, but it really isn’t. How much is enough and how much is too much? Brown understands the word “enough”. It’s one of those dishes which is all about judgment. Raw gurnard is sliced thinly, laid out across a plate and dressed with sherry vinegar and the crunch of almonds and a little cream. Give one of those a go and you know you are in safe hands. But the truly astonishing thing is that it does not overwhelm the oyster, which still speaks for itself. There is an astonishing amount going on inside such a small half shell. But there is also a horseradish cream and the tiniest dice of celery, and finally a frond or two of dill. Yes, there is a bright, fresh and crisp, cooling herby liquor. The inverted commas are mine, for while there is a lot of brisk acidity here, it is not so much pickled as dressed. Then again, if you know what you’re doing, how much better is it to take the good stuff and make it shine through wit, technique and good taste? A ripe, foamy pillow of cod brandade is piled high with wild mushrooms and in the middle, an egg yolk waiting to run Seafood is delicate best leave well alone and all that. There are hordes of people who worship at the altar of the raw ingredients who argue that the less you do to them the better. Now I have been and it’s all very simple: blimey, Cornerstone is good. And now, since you can’t go out and visit your favourite London restaurants, he’ll be guiding you through a very simple monkfish recipe that is worthy of his very own London restaurant.‘A dish so handsome it almost feels like vandalism to slip in the knife’: cod brandade with mushrooms. This was all before opening his debut restaurant, Cornerstone in Hackney Wick two years ago. Tom has worked in a number of restaurants throughout his career - from Rick Stein’s to the Restaurant at the Capital in Knightsbridge, where he helped to retain their Michelin star.
#Cornerstone restaurant how to
Hijacking Secret London’s Instagram live feed at 6pm on Thursday, April 16, Tom Brown will be teaching you how to make the most of your kitchen during quarantine. Next up is acclaimed Chef Tom Brown from Hackney restaurant Cornerstone, and he’ll be cooking up a storm. Since going out to eat is all but a distant memory, we’re bringing you the next best thing.Īs part of our new ‘Lockdown Live’ series, curated in partnership with Martell, we’re spotlighting some of the UK’s most exciting local artists and chefs.
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