Chef The Holy Palette

THE HOLY PALETTE

Chef Tom Yates serves his French Summer Menu London 2021

Hello,

I am a professional chef working at a well known French restaurant in London. We are as you all know, temporarily closed. Therefore, we're here at TakeAchef offering our fantastic French service to you in London.

We are here to offer help with your menu planning where necessary. We shop for the best ingredients for you. On the day we arrive at your home or workplace, prepare dishes in your kitchen, using your stove and oven. We then cook and serve to you and your guests. We then clean up making sure everything is ship-shape.

We offer something which is very special, high-end French cuisine in your very own environment. Our experience and professionalism ensures a smooth and stress free service and ultimately a nice meal for everyone.

About me. I am an ambitions and highly creative chef. I started restaurant service to finance life in Florence in the mid 90's working at a friend's family Trattoria in the hills just outside Florence. I moved back after three years in Tuscany to England late-90s to work at The Grape Vine, Tunbridge Wells, by Michel Sharp (classical French and modern British).

In 2012 I moved to French permanently living for the last six years in Toulouse, working at Les Filous and Auberge St Aubin. 

I started work again here in London December 2019 at Cote Brasserie working through to February 2020 when I transferred to The Delaunay, with Chris and Jeremy until that fateful day 17th March when it all had to close.

I plan to open my own restaurant in London 2022 (with a little help from my friends) in the same tradition, and conversation, as Saint John, Smithfields, The River Cafe, Hammersmith and Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch. The dishes we are working with today in our Summer Selection 2020 will be developed over the next two years for that restaurant service.

For me, cooking is one of the most absorbing and enjoyable occupations. I love cooking, and I enjoy being in the kitchen creating a nice meal with the best produce possible.

I learnt to cook at home on the AGA, at my then girlfriend's family Trattoria inTuscany, from Escoffier (as in classical cooking) in Toulouse, The Basque Country, in restaurants in Sussex and most recently London.

My role models in the kitchen are Pierre Kauffmann. Alain Passard . Joan Roca . Escoffier. Robuchon . Henderson . Bottura . My Mother . R.Olney . Anthony Demitre. etc...

My secret in the kitchen is mise en place, good shopping and as Marco says trusting (the heat of) the stove.'

CHOOSING YOU FRENCH MENU

Please view our French Selection Summer 2020 below. When putting together your menu, choose 1 starter, 2 first courses, 2 mains and 2 deserts. (charcuterie/cheese board -extra option)

Example menu:

APPETISER

Gazpacho

STARTER

Pan Fried Eel Persillade, Smoked and Pickled Eel

or

Soup of Lentil, Foi Gras

MAIN

Lobster Thermidor

or

Local Sussex Root Vegetable in salt-crust, Feta, Salads

DESERT

Illes Floutant

or

Pears 'Pierre White'

Think about the flow as the meal progresses. Introduce vegetables, fish, meat, game and desert to give a poetic balance to the journey of the whole meal without repetition.

Reading material on the subject of menu design can be sent. Otherwise, you can just say, "Tom, you chose, we just want to have a great time talking to our friends."

French Selection Summer 2020 (* seasonal)

APPETISERS

Beef Consomme

Scotch Egg

Sea Urchin

Courgette Flower*

Tea of Ceps, Crustini

Egg Soldiers

Gazpacho

Quail Egg on Serrano Ham

Oyster Rockefeller, Oysters Fitzpatrick

Pear & Parmigiano

Peas in their Pods

Saint-Jaques 'Alain Passard'

STARTERS

Warm Goat's Cheese Salad

Marinated Herring and pickled Sussex Vegetables

Mini Steak Tartar

Egg Mayo

Escabeche of Red Mullet

Foie Gras, Jelly Sauternes

Leek and Sole Terrine, 'Damian Hurst'

Local Char-Grilled Leeks in a Vinaigrette

Mediterranean Skate Wing Froid

Escargot in Parsley sauce, Garlic puree

Pan Fried Eel Persillade, Smoked and Pickled Eel*

Soup of Lentil, Foi Gras

Steamed Broccoli with a Pine-Nut vinaigrette

Today's Salads, sweet & sour dressing

MAINS

Provencal Ragu of Lamb with Artichoke

Whole Sussex Chicken in a salt-crust, roasted in Saffron and Smoked Paprika

Andouillette braised in a Mustard sauce

Bone-Marrow 'Henderson'

Cassoulet de Castelnaudary

Cod and Cep 'Bistro Paul Bert'

L'Bourade of South Coast Fish

Lobster Thermidor

Local Sussex Root Vegetable in salt-crust, Feta, Salads

London's Pie & Mash in a Nettle and Parsley liquor

Puff-Ball,* Cep sauce

Oysters and Dover Sole

Pan Fried Red Mullet with Polenta

Pig's Trotter 'Pierre Hoffmann'

Quinelle Lyonnaise

Roast Pigs-Head with Watercress 'Henderson'

Roast Sussex Qual and Cabbage

Sea-Bass en croute, sauce Chiron 'Bocuse'

DESERTS

Lockdown Sunday

a Very Naughty Person Desert

Fruit Tarte with ices

an Avocado Mousse

Baba au Rum

Bar Italia

Creme Brulee

F-you Macaron

Raspberry Flambri

Goosebury Syllabub

Illes Floutant

Pears 'Pierre White'

Raspberry Fool

Sussex Pond

Summer Pudding

Fifth Courses (extra option)

Cheeses

Charcuterie

Children's Mains (special options)

Beef Burger, Triple-Cook-Chips

Fish Finger Sandwich

Tomato Pasta

I very much look forward to service on the day.

T D Yates