Pierre Koffmann

Amuse-bouche

The Krug Kreperie pop-up

The Krug Kreperie pop-up has opened in the East Piazza of Covent Garden from December 2 until December 8.

Pierre has devised 6 sweet and savoury flavoured crèpes to complement Krug Grand Cuvée champagne, including a crab crèpe, caramel, apple crumble crèpe or pistachio with caramelised pistachio nuts, inspired by Pierre’s pistachio soufflé.

Photographs: Marcus Dawes

A masterclass with Nathan Outlaw

Here’s a few pictures and the menu from my recent Master Class with Nathan Outlaw.

Well worth a visit if you’re in that neck of the woods.

Festive menus are now available

Our Festive and and New Year’s Eve sample menus are now available.

You can download pdfs of them here.

Festive Sample Menu

New Year’s Eve Sample Menu

To book a table please call us on 020 7107 8844 or email us at [email protected]

Adieu to the Grouse Season

As September draws to a close, so does the grouse season at Koffmann’s.

Normally available from the Glorious 12th these majestic and succulent birds arrived a little late this year due to poor weather in the spring. Shot on the Yorkshire moors, some by Pierre himself, there is much ritual in sourcing and bringing the grouse to the restaurant kitchen where they were made ready for over 600 dining enthusiasts over the course of the season.

These kings of feathered game are treated with tremendous loving care. Innards delicately removed and leg nerves pulled out to remove any possible toughness. The whole bird is lightly roasted pink to maximise flavour, carved and served in its entirety with game chips, bread sauce, jus and girolles.

The liver and heart were baked in the oven with shallots, garlic and brandy and spread over melt in the mouth toast.

A memorable feast where little is wasted.

Cuttlefish Bolognaise

Exquisite. How does Pierre Koffmann do it? Turn the most humble of ingredients into the most amazing of creations. This Calamars Façon Bolognaise is a clever twist on spaghetti bolognaise but with no meat and no pasta. Just cuttlefish and a few other simple ingredients swiftly and expertly combined to create a taste like no other.

The chunky flesh is cleaned, vacuum packed and frozen ready to be sliced very finely for its role as the pasta and the tentacles and wings finely chopped, gently fried in butter, drained and added to shallot, garlic, bouquet garni, parsley, tomato puree, brandy and white wine.

I was lucky enough to sample it while celebrating with a girl friend and it served to make our special occasion even more special. Wow and yum were the only words we could find.

I’ve been wondering how to recreate this dish at home to get similar praise. Extracting the ink sack is certainly not for the faint hearted. Apparently the Norwegian for cuttlefish is blekksprut or black squirt, which gives us some idea of what to expect.

Of course, at Koffmann’s the ink from the cuttlefish is expertly extracted and turned into a delicious companion for the hand-dived scallops. Nothing is wasted.

If you’re up for the cuttlefish challenge watch the video or follow the recipe. I’m going back to Koffmann’s where I know I can get a taste of heaven for a very reasonable price and no mess.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cuttlefish_bolognaise_88647

En vacances

Here’s a few snaps from our recent French holiday.

A lovely time with family and eating Claire’s roast pork under the trees.

Click a picture to see it full size.

Seasonal eating

Summer was an exciting and busy time at the farm where Pierre Koffman’s maternal grandparents lived at Saint Puy in the heart of Gascony, south-west France. As Pierre arrived there as a child for les grandes vacances, it meant helping with harvest and some quiet fishing by the river when all the work had been done.

Pierre remembers everything in abundance. A land bulging with everything nature had to offer, hedgerows, fields of corn and melon, trees laden with fruit and livestock reaching their prime. All nurtured and made ready for market, family meals and celebrations or preserved for less abundant months.

As we finally seem to be experiencing some summer sunshine in the UK, Carrie Bendall talks to Pierre about some of his favourite summer ingredients and meals.

Carrie Bendall: What is the first ingredient that you think of this time of year?

Pierre Koffmann: Lamb. English new season lamb is something you feel you’ve waited for all year when it arrives in May and June, but as we move into summer, its flavour develops. Keep it simple, roast it and serve it with peas, broad beans, French beans and artichoke and NOT with mint.

CB: What about another way with lamb?

PK: I have fond memories of my grandmother’s charcuterie, preserved and served to the harvest workers. ‘Jambon de Mouton’, an unusual ‘ham’ prepared from a leg of lamb a month before harvest began. Preserved with salt, sugar and pepper, wrapped in cloth and covered in wood ashes for 30 days. When it was ready, it used to hang from the ceiling wrapped in a cotton bag. We cut off slices as we wanted them.

CB: What about fish?

PK: Turbot is a very good fish, steamed and served whole. Shellfish? Extra large scallops from Scotland and langoustine, all from Scotland and great for getting your hands dirty. Not in the restaurant of course. The English don’t like to use hands. We serve the scallops with squid ink sauce and broccoli puree and the langoustine in tortellini with langoustine broth.

CB: Fruit?

PK: Strawberries. English strawberries, the fewer road miles the better. Delicious with sparkling wine and black pepper.

CB: What about when you are not thinking about cooking for others?

PK: Tinned sardines. I love tinned sardines.

CB: And that age old question, what would you choose for your last supper?

PK: Always Bouillabaisse, prepared with care and shared with friends, preferably in the heat of the South of France with a nice light Rosé.