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New cooking: Dominic South at Visitor boat

October 20, 2010 8 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

Grating truffles

‘Visitor boat’ is the sparsely named location, although it’s glorious, wedged into a community of houseboats, Tower Bridge, the iconic London landmark looming overhead. Young Dominic South is cooking in his friend’s boat, a converted coal barge. The gangway is so narrow his friends, set builders and ‘makers’ had to build the tables inside.
The pine and plywood tables and walls are plain and seaworthy but the service is sumptuous, begloved waiters and waitresses grating fresh truffles and serving exquisite sauces from tiny copper pans at your tableside. The floor tilts as the tide lowers; the food is light, pretty, almost feminine and resolutely modern.

Dominic has earnt his chops at Michelin star restaurants, Hibiscus, Nobu and Tom Aikens. Supper clubs have enabled talented young chefs to take a bow, present their own food, rather than inch their way up their hierarchy, crossing their fingers for angelic investors.

Menu
Greenbean and lemongrass soup with almond foam
Salad of pickled baby artichokes, confit melon, pink grapefruit, raw button mushroom and herbs from the garden.
The Garden being upstairs, on the deck of the boat. If you go, do have a look, it’s lush and exotic. This boat community takes turns to maintain the ‘common’ spaces. The posh converted warehouse flats overlooking complain of an ‘eyesore’. Just goes to show, you can know the price of everything but the value of nothing.
Stuffed sea bream, carrot and orange puree, young carrots and gingerbread sauce. Perfectly cooked fish. 
Slow cooked lamb, summer vegetables, lemon and garlic puree, cumin sauce. Real skill and pretty plating.
The Egg.
Now here’s the showstopper. ‘Chips’ made from fried white bread and an egg made from a delicate cream and mango puree. Stunning. We needed a box each really.
 And finally, Marshmallows. I’ve made these, but they weren’t as soft as Dominic’s elderflower, hibiscus and lemon version. 

Visitor boat has other chefs taking a turn, one from Nobu soon while Dominic will return from Antigua where he is presently cooking, in December.

Garden on the deck

6 course tasting menu: £40 BYO no corkage.
http://www.visitorstudio.co.uk/

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Comments

  1. Dean

    October 31, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    A marvellous, delicious and expertly crafted meal, aided by a brilliant setting. The Visitor experience is one not to be missed! Highly recommended.

    Reply
  2. chumbles

    November 1, 2010 at 9:17 am

    What a great review; excellent and lovely photography!

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    November 1, 2010 at 3:46 pm

    Sorry, but it looks pathetic and pretentious.

    Reply
  4. Lucy

    November 3, 2010 at 12:02 am

    Where in Antigua ? I was sent this & I live in Antigua & would love to find him in December

    Reply
  5. dominic

    November 5, 2010 at 1:52 am

    im working in carlisle bay, please email me for more info. dsdominicsouth@gmail.com

    Reply
  6. The Curious Cat

    November 10, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    wow! I love the sound of this…may have to try it out asap! xxx

    Reply
  7. Anonymous

    November 11, 2010 at 4:07 pm

    Earnt his chops at Hibiscus and Aikens more liked couldnt handle the pace and walked out on us..Left Hibiscus mid Christmas..bravo chef bravo…..

    Reply
  8. Anonymous

    December 26, 2010 at 11:27 pm

    This man cant cook at all! His food is crap!

    Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
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The taste of the tonka bean is linked strongly to its scent. "Scents," I should say, as the tonka bean has many at once. I register the aromas of vanilla, cherry, almond, and something spicy—a bit like cinnamon. When served cold—say, in tonka bean ice cream—the taste is like a vanilla caramel with dark honey. When warm, perhaps shaved over scallops, it moves toward spiced vanilla. Additionally, the aroma of the tonka bean shavings (it's almost always shaved) is so affecting that it seems like an actual taste in the way that opium, which has no taste in the traditional sense, "tastes" like its rich, flowery smoke.  Here is the recipe: 

Tonka bean galette des rois

Serves 8
Ingredients
* 140 g caster sugar
* 125 g salted butter, softened
* 100 g ground almonds
* 2 eggs, medium
* 1 tonka bean, grated
* 2 packs ready made butter puff pastry on a roll
* 1 yolk for brushing the pastry
Instructions
* Preheat your oven to 200c.

* Blend the butter with the sugar then add the almonds. Make sure it’s well mixed. Add in the 2 eggs one at a time, then add the tonka bean.

* If using a block: divide the puff pastry into two and roll out to 5mm thick. 
* Make two circles about 15 cm’s each in diameter. Lay one circle on a silicone mat/parchment paper on a baking tray and fill with the almond cream leaving a 3 cm border around the edge. 
* Paint the border with the egg yolk. Then lay the other circle on top, sealing the edges with a fork. 
* You could then carve designs into the top. Make a little slit in the middle to let steam escape then brush the top with the egg yolk
Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. T Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. This is a vegan version. ***

Ingredients:
- 400 g box of soft tofu not silken
- 5 soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, diced, keep water
- 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 400 g fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsps groundnut or vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp fermented bean paste
- 1 or 2 small red chillies, minced or a spoonful of Chinese chilli paste
- 1 tsp heaped sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
- 2 tbsps soy or tamari sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour in 3 tbsps water, mixed into a slurry
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- large pinch fresh coriander leaves

Prepare the tofu by cutting it into one inch cubes and soaking it in hot but not boiling salted water. Drain after 15 minutes.
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, covering them in boiling water. Leave until soft, then dice the mushrooms. Retain the mushroom soaking water and add to the vegetable stock water.
Prepare the other ingredients so they are ready to stir-fry: red bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, ginger, garlic.

Using a wok or deep frying pan, add the oil and heat to frying temperature. Add the bell peppers,fry for a couple of minutes, then add fermented bean paste, chilli paste or chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sichuan pepper.
Add the mushroom/vegetable broth and simmer on high for a couple of minutes.
Carefully add the cubes of tofu, taking care not to break them too much.
Add the cornflour slurry, stirring for a couple of minutes.
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