Tom Aikens is one of the UK's most formidable chefs. He was the youngest chef to ever get a Michelin star at the age of 26, and now his mini-chain of Tom's Kitchen restaurants is expanding as far afield as Turkey and Asia. We quizzed Tom on the difficulties of opening a restaurant abroad, and got his recipe for hot cross buns, available at Tom's Kitchen Deli during Easter.
Which is the most popular dish at Tom's Kitchen?
It has to be our seven hour lamb, or truffle macaroni cheese. These two dishes have been on our menu since opening in Chelsea and are always popular in all our restaurant locations.
What do you think is causing the current chef shortage?
Being a chef is not an easy job, it takes a lot of hard work and determination. Ultimately, it can be a very rewarding profession, however with the long, unsociable hours, it’s not the most desirable job for some. Also with the amount of restaurants popping up everywhere, it’s very hard to compete and find the best. Luckily at Tom’s Kitchen we all work as a team and tend to not have too many issues recruiting talented individuals.
You have restaurants in Istanbul, Hong Kong and Dubai. How do you adapt your style of cooking to cities overseas?
I love to experiment with a variation of interesting and exciting flavours, for example when visiting Istanbul I head to the Istanbul Spice Bazaar and buy lots of wonderful spices to experiment with. You can transform any dish with just a hint of spice and having such a vast amount to choose from makes visiting the spice market one of the most enjoyable parts of my trips.
Is opening a restaurant abroad very different to opening one in London?
They are pretty much the same, there is as everywhere else a shortage of trained chefs, as there are more and more restaurants opening all the time in Dubai as well as Asia. The only main difference is that in Asia there are a lot more female chefs in the kitchen. It also helps to make a business with a local partner who understands the set up and regulations that are very different in each country. That way it's more effective in getting things right the first time round
Do you do cook anything special for Easter?
I like to spend Easter at home, cooking a big Sunday roast for the whole family to enjoy. At Tom’s Kitchen Deli we always have a selection of Easter treats available, such as hot cross buns and Easter eggs.
Hot cross buns recipe
Ingredients (makes 4)
270g strong white bread flour
1tbsp allspice
100g strong white bread flour
70g caster sugar
9g mixed spice
1tbsp ground cinnamon
20ml vegetable oil
25ml whole milk
7g milk powder
2tsp ground nutmeg
50ml water
25ml water
30g caster sugar
2tsp ground mace
A large pinch fine sea salt
1tsp ground cloves
10g fresh yeast
1tsp ground coriander
110ml water
1tsp ground ginger
2 whole eggs
23g unsalted butter, softened
30g raisins
20g mixed citrus peel
Method
Prepare the mixed spice by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.
To make the dough, in a mixing bowl mix together the mixed spice and all the bun ingredients, except the raisins and mixed peel. Work the dough until it comes loose at the sides and becomes smooth and elastic. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge overnight.
The next day pour the dough back into a big mixer bowl and work in the raisins and mixed peel. Roll into small balls and store in the fridge until ready to use, you can also freeze the mixture.
To make the cross mixture, whisk together all the ingredients. Use straight away or store in the fridge, it will keep for two days.
To bake, take out of the fridge, or if frozen defrost in the fridge over-night. Spray/dampen with a little water, cover with a lid and place on top of the oven until double the original size. Space the buns out on a lined tray, brush with egg wash and pipe the cross mixture on top. Bake at 170°C for 15 minutes and turn half way through baking.
Once baked, brush with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven. Eat warm, cold or toasted. Delicious served with homemade fruit jam and butter.
Tom’s Kitchen restaurants are located in Chelsea, St Katharine Docks, Canary Wharf and Somerset House, with adjoining delis in St Katharine Docks, Canary Wharf and Somerset House www.tomskitchen.co.uk
AIL Meets Tom Aikens
We talk politely to Tom Aikens, only to allow enough time to steal his famous hot cross bun recipe ;-)
This article is connected to Tom's Kitchen
Published Mar 3, 2016