Head Chef Charlotte Vincent brings her unique take on modern British dishes, which are influenced by Scandinavian and French cuisines, to the tables of Restaurant Meudon.
Words by Hannah Tapping
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Crispy Oysters with Seaweed Mayonnaise and Beef Tartare
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the oysters:
Oysters (native)
500g plain flour
30g baking powder
500ml soda water
500ml ale or beer
1ltr sunflower oil
For the mayonnaise:
Good quality mayonnaise
Seaweed salad (dried)
Dijon mustard
Cornish rock salt
1 lemon
For the beef tartare:
300g beef fillet (really fresh)
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of Tabasco
Salt and pepper
20g chopped chives
1 shallot
1 dessert spoon soy sauce
1 dessert spoon sesame oil
Method
Gently steam the oysters. Pop them open and reserve them in the deepest part of the shell. Combine all the dry goods in a bowl and then mix in the wet ingredients, whisking well. Season and allow to sit for an hour. Roll the oysters in some reserved flour and set aside. Mix the mayonnaise with the blended seaweed, mustard, rock salt and lemon and stick blend. Once the batter has rested, dip each oyster in the beer batter and gently fry. Drain on a cloth and place in the shell, top with a good dollop of seaweed mustard. For the beef tartare, finely chop the shallot and then cut the beef very small. Mix the mustard with the chives, soy sauce and sesame oil and then add seasoning to taste. Combine the beef, shallots and mustard dressing and serve alongside or under the oyster shell.
Scallops, Apples and Buttermilk
Serves 2
Ingredients:
6 Cornish scallops in shell or out of shell (king)
300g buttermilk
Juice of 1 lime
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced to the desired size
2 cucumbers
Micro herbs
Dashi powder
Flat leaf parsley
Cold-pressed rapeseed oil
Method
Remove the scallops from their shells, clean off the roe and trim before sitting them on a cloth ready for frying. Gently heat the dashi with 150ml of water, cool, heat again with 150ml of white wine, cool one more time, add the buttermilk and set aside for serving. Bring some salted water to the boil in a pan. Have a cloth at the ready. Blanch the flat leaf parsley in the hot water for a minute, remove and drain on the cloth. Once drained, blitz in a blender with the rapeseed oil until smooth and pass through a sieve. Transfer to a bottle to use when plating. Peel the cucumbers, using the peeler to make ribbons and roll each one ready for serving. Do the same with the apple but cut it into desired shapes for serving. Place a non-stick pan on the heat and add lemon juice to the buttermilk mixture, taste (it should be acidic and smooth with salty undertones). Fry the scallops, the biggest side down first until the right colour is reached (golden brown hues). Flip and fry the other side then add 100g of butter and a squeeze of lime to finish.
Assemble on the plate. Season, taste, and season again if required.
Chocolate Mascarpone Parfait
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the parfait:
330g chocolate (good quality)
150g castor sugar
90g egg yolk
290g double cream (UHT)
320g cold double cream
40g gelatine or vegetarian gelling agent
150g mascarpone
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Silicone moulds of your choice
For the mirror glaze:
330g dark chocolate
150g glucose syrup
150g gelatine
190g nappage
235g condensed milk
80g sugar
190ml water
Method
For the parfait:
First, bloom the gelatine in water. Then make a crème anglaise by gently heating the sugar, cream (UHT) and vanilla paste in a pan. Place the chocolate and bloomed gelatine in a tall jug. When the custard reaches 84°C whisk in the egg yolk, then pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Pour immediately over the chocolate and stick blend until smooth. Add the mascarpone and blend again. Whip the cold double cream to soft peaks and then fold into the chocolate mixture. Place into the desired moulds and leave to set in the freezer for 8-12 hours.
For the mirror glaze:
Bring the glucose syrup, sugar, and water to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to sit for a while. Bloom the gelatine. In a tall jug, place the chocolate, condensed milk and nappage. Pour over the chocolate and stick blend before adding the gelatine and blending again. When the glaze has cooled to 45°C pour over the frozen dessert and serve.
