Chef Fergus Henderson – Talk About Strange Cuisines!

Do you like this post?

Fergus Henderson is quite known for a lot of things. He is known for his struggles with Parkinson’s disease. He is also known for his use of strange animal bits as ingredients for his dishes. Yes, that includes pig’s ears, bones and duck’s hearts – ingredients that you probably would have difficulty printing on your menu or informing your customers about. This is actually a reminiscent of similar cuisines in Asia where frogs’ and chickens’ feet are actually acceptable food.

In truth, if you are quite squeamish when it comes to foods and ingredients, you probably will not appreciate Henderson’s cooking. In fact, you would likely think that it’s scary and disgusting even. Have you tried blood cakes for instance? Have you used a pig’s cap in any of your cooking? Have you tried salad of ox tongue with bread and green sauce? Have you ever considered cooking duck legs with carrots? If you haven’t, you probably would scoff at what Henderson creates. Indeed, he has the strangest recipes – curiously, however, that’s a compliment.

It is actually the people that wander into St. John’s, his restaurant, without knowing what to expect that usually experiences the full experience. There are some people who would actually wrinkle their nose and stomp out of the restaurant the minute they’d learned of what they are about to get. There are some people who would brave the unknown and would leave with a smile on their lips and a tale to tell. In truth, Henderson does not regard his cooking, ingredients, and recipes as a feat to overcome. It’s not a Fear Factor challenge. In fact, it is a culinary experience. You just have to open your mind to the experience. Your food perception will change and you will have a very rewarding gustatory experience.

If you’re thinking, “Why use pig’s head for goodness sakes?!” Henderson has actually a very good reason. He thinks that the flesh from this part of a pig’s anatomy is actually pretty tasty and tender. He has the perfect reason for his unusual choices, so don’t ask him why he thinks roasting a duck’s heart is perfectly fine.

If you want to experience these deliciously different dishes, you should definitely visit St. John. This restaurant stands out. The service, the room, the staff and the crowd – all these things create a unique atmosphere which defines the place’s special charm. So, the next time you find yourself in London, you should definitely consider checking out St. John. You don’t have to “have the stomach” for their food. You just have to prepare yourself to be amazed by Chef Fergus Henderson and his creations.

Fergus Henderson’s Boiled Pork Belly and Lentils

Ingredients:

For the boiled belly

2kg piece of pork belly, with skin and bones on, which has been in brine for 10 days, rinsed

2 whole carrots, peeled

2 onions, peeled and stuck with 8 cloves

2 leeks, whole and cleaned

2 sticks of celery

2 whole heads of garlic

A bunch of fresh herbs and whole black peppercorns

For the lentils

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped into thin slices

1 leek, cleaned and chopped into thin slices

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped finely

2 carrots, peeled and chopped in half, then into 5mm-thick slices

500g Puy lentils

Bundle of thyme and parsley; a big handful of chopped curly parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place the pork belly into a pan with all the other ingredients, and cover with water. Bring to the boil, skim, and reduce to a very gentle simmer, with the water barely moving, for 3.5hrs, until the flesh is soft and giving, but not collapsing. Remove from the water, slice, and serve with lentils and mustard.

For the lentils, cover the bottom of a largish pan with olive oil, and sweat your chopped vegetables. At the moment they are only just starting to soften, not colouring, add the lentils. Stir these for a couple of minutes in the oil and vegetables, then cover with water and nestle in the thyme and parsley bundle. Simmer and stir occasionally – you want the lentils soft but not squidgy. This should take 40min. You can add more water.

Now season. It is amazing what simple salt and pepper do to the flavour of lentils. Just before serving, stir in chopped parsley and a healthy splash of extra-virgin olive oil.

Portrait Credit: New York Times

Recipe via The Independent

Popularity: 8% [?]

Currently 0 comment - But what do you think?