The All in One Ultimate Restaurant List: Tom Aikens' signature recipe

Tom Aikens’ eponymous restaurant in Chelsea re-opened in 2012 with a revamped menu of highly accomplished dishes and a brand new, Scandinavian-inspired look. Despite being re-awarded its Michelin star it closed at the end of January 2014, however thanks to Aikens’ talent it’s still managed to reach the upper echelons of our top 100 restaurants list this year. As an example of some of the cooking that was on offer, here is a recipe for crab, horseradish and coconut, but don’t be fooled by the simple title, it’s a testament to the chef’s skill and employs sous vide, dehydration, and a several days advance preparation.

Crab, horseradish and coconut

For the powder:
200g fresh horseradish
300ml grapeseed oil
3g salt
30g maltodextrin
Seasoning

Peel and chop the horseradish, place into a blender and blend with the oil. Season then sous vide for 2 hours tightly, then drain into a muslin cloth and leave to stand for 5 hours. Skim away any juice so you have just the oil. Add the maltodextrin, whisk well then pass the powder through a fine drum sieve.


For the crab oil:
3l olive oil
2kg crab shells
5 large bulbs of fennel thinly sliced
7 whites of leeks thinly sliced
80g coarse sea salt
14g crushed black pepper corns
10g of pink peppercorns
15 star anise
16 lime leaf bashed
12g coriander seeds
2 litres white wine
1 large root of ginger thinly sliced approx 100g
500ml Pernod
16 bashed sliced lemon grass
1 bunch tarragon
1 bunch of coriander
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
400ml champagne vinegar

Heat a bratt pan and lightly seal the crab shells in 500ml of olive oil in two lots with very little colour for approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain each time in a colander, then once all the shells have been cooked place back into the bratt pan. Add any drained oil back and then the fennel, cook for 3-4 minutes more. Add the leeks, cook for another 2-3 minutes and then add the spices, seasoning, ginger, lemon grass, lime leaf, parsley, tarragon and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and Pernod.

Reduce this all the way down, making sure that it does not stick or burn. Cook till it’s completely reduced, then add the champagne vinegar and reduce to almost nothing. Add the olive oil to cover and bring to a slow simmer. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, then turn the bratt off and leave this to marinate for 3-4 days in the fridge stirring every day. Take the oil out of the fridge in the morning and then pass through a colander after lunch, as then the oil would have warmed up a little. Pass through a fine sieve, then place this into small sous vide bags weighing 200g.

Cook 3 eggs for 9 minutes at a simmer, refresh instantly in iced cold water leaving for 15 minutes to cool. Peel and separate the egg, yolk and white then pass the egg white through a fine sieve.


For the crab:
700g crab
Place a steal through the crab first to kill it, place tin foil around the claws and pincers, then place into the steamer at 63c for 90 minutes. Remove from the bag and leave to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Place into a water bath at 20c for 20 minutes and then an iced bath for 20 minutes. Then pick the meat.


For the blanched coriander for the coriander emulsion:
(300g weight raw) 140g coriander leaves (no stalks)
30g lemon balsamic
6g Dijon mustard
220ml of coriander oil from below
3g salt

Blitz in a blender to a coarse puree.


For the coriander oil:
300g of picked coriander
200g plain oil
2l water
12g salt

Place the water on the boil, add the salt to season. Add coriander leaves and cook till just soft for approximately 1 minute, then place into iced water to chill, leave for a couple of minutes then drain. Squeeze out all of the water till very dry. Place this into the dehydrator for 3-4 hours at 70c, place in the blender and then cook at 70c for 7 minutes.


For the coconut maltose:
30g of coconut oil
80g maltosec
2g Maldon salt
6g dried coriander
15g toasted desiccated coconut

Mix together to make a powder and then pass through a fine sieve.


For the blanched coriander for the coconut maltose:
300g of picked coriander
2 litre water
12g salt
150g caster sugar

Place the water on the boil with the salt and sugar to season. Add the leaves and cook till just soft for approximately 1 minute, then place into iced water to chill, leave for a couple of minutes then drain. Squeeze out all of the water till very dry. Place the leaves in the dehydrator for 3-4 hours at 70c. This can then be crumbled into a coarse powder.


For the horseradish snow:
15g corn flour
90g milk
30g microplaned horseradish
500g buttermilk
20ml lemon juice to taste
8g sugar to taste
2g salt

Warm the milk in a saucepan and mix a little milk into the cornflour to form a smooth liquid. Add this to the warm milk, cook this out and whisk till smooth. Take off the heat and whisk in the buttermilk, add the horseradish and season to taste with the lemon, sugar and salt. Place this into a vac pac bag and sous vide for 12 hours. Then place into a paco jet and freeze to -40 if possible, then leave for a day before using. This can then be turned into snow.


To serve:
Pipe on the coriander emulsion and then the seasoned crab meat, then the 3 different powders, followed by the grated egg and coconut and then some dried coriander sprinkled over. Add a few herbs and flowers like nasturtium leaves and flowers, bronze fennel and dill, then lastly the horseradish snow.