Brokedinner presents : Top FIVE restaurant food trends that need to stay in 2017
Do you remember several years ago when puree swiping was the IT thing to do? When every chef worth his blender was trying to create the ultimate smudge swipe to engulf his peers and diners in a sense of awe that would blind them to the light of his chinois mastery? I’m sure you do. The problem with this is not the puree, but the wanton abuse of its application. That is what a trend is. I admit to be a trend observer and I have been known to seek some out on the cusp of their commercial exposure. New things are coo but what’s cooler about some is their impressive ability to age rapidly.
The following is a list of 5 TRENDS THAT NEED TO STAY IN 2017….in my opinion. If you are guilty of one, some, or all of the things I have mention then have no ill regards towards me. I am just a guy that types stuff and burns everything else. What do I know?
1. Grass on plates
Now by grass I do not mean marireefer. I remember when recreating the forest/ocean floor was a breathtaking concept that required innovation, technicality, development, and skill to execute without the diner experiencing an overbearing sense of novelty and/or theatre. Gone are the dried mushroom manipulated into a savoury financier and coated in cocoa and shaved truffles to mimic the bark of a fallen tree….nope. Now the tree just falls on your skilfully sous vide venison. I don’t know when it became the cool thing to just chuck heaps of LEAVES, not herbs, onto a dish. The masters of this practice are so mystic in their ways that even the right age of particular twigs can have a home nestled on top of table 12’s pigeon breast glazed in buckwheat syrup with green aged longberries.
2. Blowtorch Mackerel
Guys. Guys. I get it. This is England. Mackerel is cheap. Sustainable. Underused. Undervalued. AMAZING and ABUNDANT. Yes, yes. I am not contending ANY of that. I just need to know…. Do we have to blow-torch it Every. Single. Time. I’m speaking to the chefs on this one. I know it is convenient for many practical and prep reasons but WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE WITH IT. I was excited when making bolognese out of it almost became a masonic thing among the aspiring avant gardes of the regional craft but it dwindled into an aromatic effervescence. Logically speaking it has a profile strong enough to stand up to borage of cooking techniques and complimentary flavours. If your customers are daring enough to eat it borderline raw with a kiss of butane then that means they will pretty much eat whatever you put in front of them. Use that opportunity.
3. Ring around the puddle
Okay. So I am guilty of this one. You know the one where you get a ring mould and decorate its exterior paramater with something like….I don’t know… a brandade of cod and jerusalem artichokes or something. Then you make a full circle and then put all kind of minute details in inside perimeter with anything from purees to confit chicken wings and a myriad of textures and leaves. I dunno man… why don’t we stop right there? What am I sarcatically thinking? This dish needs an effing puddle! And a puddle of what is where a cool concept buys twenty-two train tickets to bukkake. I have seen everything make the shortlist for possibilities here but I draw the line and fermented eel milk with ropey sprays of emulsified sorrel and rapeseed.
4. The splat
I never really was a practitioner of this playground approach to saucing but I understand its appeal and I respect it’s origins too much to rip into this without tact and due respect. The best model for the professional chef is a man that precise, consistent and exact. He oversees everything that leaves the kitchen and makes sure all T’s are crossed. He expects to see 3 thyme leaves on every deep fried oyster and pearl onion mayonnaise that leaves the pass. He is not the kind of guy that would typically give you the instruction to just hit it with the back of a spoon and then put the sea bass in the middle and wild garlic gnocchi randomly around. It is too organic, uncontrollable, and inconsistent. Besides, he might risk getting his egyptian cotton white apron soiled. I am a fan of natural plating and I do not believe every plate that leaves the kitchen needs to be exact! I think young chefs reserve the right to explore new presentation ideas in their kitchen without being under the salamander of fascism some kitchens are. There just needs to be a minimum understood standard of presentation and that starts with the head chef. I just don’t see the splatter working out under those circumstances.
5. Chefs vs Dietary Requirements
It was a big shock to the industry when it was mandated for chefs to have to comply with a time consuming checklist of potential allergens for every dish that they put on a menu. I admit, that was a sad day for me as I was in my first role as a head chef at the time and revelled in the dynamism of changing dishes on the day. That is not the most effective way to cook. Trust me. These compliances are a hidden gem for chefs because they force us to be more organised. When designing a menu for an upcoming period of time there are so many types of diners that expect to have an appealing and well thought option for their experience. Whether we like it or not requirement factions are here to stay. That’s really not a bad thing. The biggest two are the Vegan and The Gluten Free diners. I admit to have underthought the meatless crown in the past and even now I still have the odd issue or two with creating substantial offers. As a part of our professional obligation we need to value every customer equally. Taking the time to research and design dishes that appeal to a broader audience is the easiest way to make the most people happy. I have a suggestion, consider it an exercise if you may. Pick an upcoming month and find a list of ingredients that are in season that month. Write a menu with no dairy or gluten based around the ingredients listed. You’re a chef, you can do it. Take all of the vegetables used on your menu and build a vegan menu of 4 starters and 5 mains. Make a note of where you use celery, garlic, NUTS, and wine. You now have 2 menus that can fit pretty much ANY dietary requirement. Add and subtract or build around it as you like with cheese, eggs, flour, etc. where necessary but when you find that you can create an exciting menu without them it opens a different approach to everything.
Personally I am guilty of a few of the points made above so rest assured I am not infallible. The thing is that none of us are and we are rightfully influenced by our peers, various outlets of information, word of mouth, and dining experiences. The thing about trends is that they breed repetition and often spawn more exploit than constructive imagination. It would be hypocritical of me to not mention that social media is the grand arena for trends and it propels the worst of them often unwelcomed into our existance. I would be daft to ignore their appeal as we have ALL seasoned SOMETHING like Salt Bae at work and while it was funny and trvial I have to draw the line when I see splatter plating with fidget spinners. In the end, the internet always wins.
~brokedinner
*pretends The Last Jedi was a good movie and adopts his padawan title of Karo G’Les*
