This week I’m keeping everything short and sweet, with two desserts that can be made in record time and would happily sit on many a restaurant menu. As I become a more experienced chef, I’m learning that the best dishes often contain the fewest ingredients. While there is nowhere to hide with these dishes (unskilled hands will be made to look very foolish) the true mark of the top chef is identifying the best produce and showcasing it in its best form. This often needs only a few elements – in the best cases, only two or three. So not only are this week’s desserts quick to produce, they contain only a handful of ingredients. If you can, use the best quality you can find, it’ll make all the difference.
The first recipe is one of my favourite desserts. It involves some beautifully sweet and lightly warmed prunes in a simple syrup made with red wine, sugar and – in my case – Madeira, star anise and vanilla. I don’t have the actual recipe so I’m using my memory to replicate this one. As far as I’m aware, it has been on the menu at the delicious and consistent Etto Restaurant on Merrion Row in Dublin since the beginning. Through the years, this tiny diningroom has been a haven for so many, particularly worn-out chefs in search of comfort on a Monday evening (It is still one of the few dining options on a Monday in Dublin). In fact, I was brought back to life with this dish on a few occasions, reminding me why I worked so many hours a week – to give people pleasure through food. The kitchen is headed up by the talented Vish Sumputh, and is worth a visit for any discerning diner.
The second recipe might appear complicated, but follow it step by step and you’ll be handsomely rewarded. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of dining at one of London’s top restaurants, housed in the historic Ritz hotel. The chocolate soufflé was served at the end of a marathon and memorable meal. It was actually presented to the guest beside me as a dietary alternative. “I think that’s the best soufflé I’ve ever eaten,” he said. Quite the statement from an imposing French restaurateur who has run some of Ireland’s best establishments. I had a fair bit of grape juice in me at this point, so without hesitation, dived in with my own spoon unannounced. My companion wasn’t wrong; the quality of the ingredients really shone through. This, matched with the lightness in texture and laser-like intensity of the chocolate, was a taste to savour. After some research I think this recipe is pretty close and it will be easier than you’d think to create. Fifteen minutes is all you have to wait for one of the best desserts in town. Just make sure it rises nice and straight like in the photo!
