Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully, head chef at his acclaimed restaurant Nopi, reveal the secret of their tastiest vegetable starters, sides and main courses
Long before I was even vaguely aware of the magical world of rasam, sambal and pandan, I met Ramael Scully (or just Scully, as everybody calls him) on an ordinary trial shift on an ordinary day: a big man with a congenial smile and distinctive, shuffling gait. He had responded to what must have been the fifth online ad that Jim Webb, our head chef, had placed early in 2005, desperately looking for a senior chef de partie. His task would be to create a small menu of hot dishes. There was nothing unusual or particularly promising about this latest recruit, but Jim liked him, which was good enough for me. So Scully got the position and started training to run our evening service. After a few days, he seemed to be doing a decent job, though I still remember one fleeting chat inside a walk-in fridge, when Jim expressed concerns about Scully’s experience and efficiency. I suggested we wait and see.
A few days later, I got my first taste of Scully’s food. He made portobello mushrooms braised in white wine, hard herbs and tons of butter, topped with pearl barley, feta and preserved lemon. He also made the crispest pork belly ever to enter my mouth, with a sharp compote of plums, rhubarb, chilli, ginger and star anise. I was hooked.
Related: Yotam Ottolenghi's chocolate ganache and ice cream recipe
Continue reading...