Lamb Kidney Omelette

Makes a one person omelette

-1 lamb kidney
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 2 eggs, beaten
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- finely chopped parsley, optional

Clean lamb kidney by removing fat and interior sinew, cut into 1 inch pieces.  Season flour with salt and pepper and toss kidneys in seasoned flour.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium high heat, once foam has subsided add kidneys and cook tossing often until all sides have browned, about 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove from pan and reserve.

Wipe out pan, return to heat and add remaining butter.  When foam subsides add eggs.  Once eggs have begun to set add kidneys (and parsley if you're using it) to one side of the omelette.  When eggs are set to your liking fold omelette in half and serve immediately with tea and toast.

Once we were settled I investigated the minibar.  It was without a doubt the most amazing minibar I have ever come across.  Far beyond the expected Coke and peanuts, there was a wide array of digestifs (Fernet Branca and Poire William being my two favorites)  as well as what looked like some very good scotches and half bottles of both vodka and gin.  There was also Champagne, cider from Normandy and Italian beer.  The half bottles of gin and vodka were the most thoughtful addition. Honestly, who finds one evening cocktail satisfying?  Especially when traveling.

After dinner at the hotel restaurant we took a stroll around Leicester square and headed to bed for the night.  A few hours later I was feeling a twinge of hunger, so after taking a look at the room service menu anchovy toast was on its way.

Simplicity is the essence of what St John is about.  There are no decorations on the wall and there are no garnishes on the plates; simple, clean, minimal.  There were a few experiences where this simplicity was almost aggressive.  The feeling was of butting up against a wall, the wall being a firm aesthetic choice.  The anchovy toast is a good example.

Full disclosure, there is one slice missing.  The smell was hard to resist.

A large piece of toast, what I'm assuming was one slice from the full length of a sandwich loaf, toasted on a grill with some sort of fat and spread with what the staff calls 'gunge'. 

It's brown.  Gunge on toasted bread.  There's nowhere to hide any sort of flaw - this dish must deliver on every level.  And, happily, it does.  The texture of the toast is given something extra from the fried texture it gets on the griddle, and the gunge itself tastes of more than anchovy (garlic for sure, maybe another spice or two) and has an appealing emulsified consistency.

Salty, savory and crisp.  This anchovy toast is exactly what I wanted at 2:30 in the morning. The room, minibar and room service were all truly memorable and lovely experience.s  Everyone who can make the trip please go spend a night or two at this unique, aesthetically thrilling boutique hotel.

Deviled Kidney's on Toast

Curried Lamb Shanks

Roast Fish with Lemon and Herbs

Steak and Kidney Pie

Fried Sweetbreads and Carrot Salad

Red Wine and Tomato Braised Oxtail

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween, filled with many delicious, scary meals.

The house smelled terrific.  Once my slow cooker was done I strained the liquid and picked through the leftovers removing all the large bits of vegetables and bones.  Then I tore the large bits of skin, tender cartilage and meat into small pieces and placed it back in the rich liquid.

After it set in the fridge overnight I really got to see how thick the liquid actually was.  Gelatinous is an understatement.  Prying a chunk out to cook some 4th of July collard greens in took both a spoon and a knife.

The flavour is intense, meaty and very porky.  

Not really sure what to do withe the rest of my trotter gear, I'm open to suggestions.

Ham Bone Beans

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb dried navy beans
• 1 ham bone with plenty of meat
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Fry onions in a knob of butter until soft.  Add dry navy beans, ham bone, ketchup, water, brown sugar, maple syrup and smoked paprika.  Simmer over very low heat until beans are soft but not falling apart adding more water as needed, 3-5 hours.

Or, put everything in a slow cooker and cook on low.

Serves 4-6

Serves 2
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

• olive oil
  
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of carrots with tops, carrots chopped into 1 inch pieces, tops reserved
• 1 inch piece of ginger, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or water)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• red pepper flakes
  

Heat olive oil in bottom of stock pot over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add chopped onion and sweat until just beginning to colour, about 10 minutes.  Add carrot and sweat until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes.  Add ginger, curry powder and cumin and cook until spices being to smell toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Pick tender leaves off of carrot tops, you should have about 1/2 cup.  Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch carrot top leaves for 10 seconds, drain and cool immediately in ice bath or under cold running water.

Dry leaves well using paper towel, coarsely chop and mix with 1/3 cup vegetable oil and pinch of salt.  Using an immersion blender or standing blender puree leaves into oil.  Let sit.

Once carrots are tender season puree with either a immersion blender or standing blender.  Place pureed soup back into pot and add 1 cup coconut milk and to taste with salt and pepper.  Add some red pepper flakes too, a little spice is really nice in this soup.

Serve this soup drizzled with carrot top oil, and a few toasted almonds.

Excited to spend some time in a classroom again - and even more excited to see a bunch of eating nose to tail recipes being made at the same time.