MARCUS Wareing's latest restaurant is slap bang in the middle of London's Theatreland, but his kitchen is a drama-free zone.
A former protege of the famously fiery Gordon Ramsay, the top chef has exacting standards and hasn't been afraid to speak his mind in the past – in fact, he once left one MasterChef semi-finalist in tears, during a 2013 guest stint on the show.
But the spotless kitchen of Tredwell's, the West End restaurant Wareing opened last September, is an oasis of calm: all sparkling silver worktops, carefully filed away ingredients, and chefs quietly preparing for the busy evening ahead.
Wareing admits he has mellowed in recent years – something the father-of-three puts down to professional happiness, mastering the work-life balance, and replacing Michel Roux Jr. as a permanent fixture on the MasterChef judging panel last year.
"The MasterChef directors direct you, all the film crew, all the sound men and all the contestants in a very different way to how chefs direct a kitchen," he notes.
"They do it in such a calm manner. I've used and absorbed some of their expertise and calm direction to be able to create my own way of approaching my team."
As for his earlier appearances on the contest, the Southport-born chef smiles and confesses: "You're asked to come on to a show, you're dragged out of the kitchen and put in a taxi, you're still in service mode, you go into the studio and get a load of mediocre food put in front of you, you tell them what you think of it and you get in the car and go again. It happens so fast..."
Here are two recipes from Tredwell's by Marcus Wareing:
:: HARISSA-GLAZED AUBERGINE, COCONUT, PEANUT AND CORIANDER
(Serves 2)
1 small aubergine, cut into 6 pieces lengthways
2tbsp rapeseed oil
1/2tsp sea salt
For the Harissa Glaze:
50g rose harissa paste
30g agave syrup
20ml water
1tsp lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
For the dressing:
75g coconut yoghurt (try Co Yo Natural Coconut Milk Yoghurt, £3.49, Waitrose)
1/2 lime, zest and juice
Pinch table salt
To serve:
50g roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Coriander cress (or fresh coriander)
1/4-1/2 red chilli, finely sliced
Preheat the oven to 180C. Heat a char grill, char grill pan or griddle pan until hot. Brush the aubergine with the oil and season with the salt. Grill well on each side then place on a foil-lined tray and into the oven to finish cooking for 15 minutes.
Mix the harissa paste, agave, water, lemon juice and salt together and set aside. Mix the yoghurt with the lime juice, zest and salt, set aside. Remove the aubergine from the oven and brush liberally with the harissa mix, then place back in the oven for five minutes.
To serve, place the aubergine on a large plate and dot the yoghurt around, sprinkle with peanuts and chilli and garnish with the coriander.
:: PULLED PORK SLIDERS
(Makes 8 buns)
2kg pork belly
For the mirepoix (flavouring):
25ml vegetable oil
1/2 onion, peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery, halved
1/2 leek, white only, halved
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, bashed
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1/2 orange, halved
1 red chilli, halved
1/4 bunch coriander stalks
40g fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
For the cooking liquor:
125ml Madeira wine
1L chicken or vegetable stock
1tbsp soy sauce
2tbsp hoisin sauce
1tbsp honey
To serve:
8 brioche buns
25g stem ginger in syrup, finely sliced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, finely sliced
Heat a large pan with the vegetable oil. Add the mirepoix ingredients and brown well. Add the cooking liquor and the pork belly and bring to a very gentle simmer. Cover and allow to cook slowly for three hours.
Remove the belly and set aside to cool slightly. Strain off the stock and place the liquid in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until reduced by half. Gently pull the pork belly apart using two forks and mix with enough of the reduced sauce to bind together. Heat up enough for eight buns.
For the buns, cut in half and toast the inside. Add the pork belly then the sliced ginger and finely sliced apple. Serve.
