Nostalgia can lead a man to do many things. Such as sipping on a classic cocktail, indulging in a decadent meal, or even opening a restaurant paying homage to one of London’s 20th century iconic establishments. Recreating what was once London’s most expensive and beautiful restaurant was no simple task, but one Joel Kissin undertook after sourcing the original cookery books from X. Marcel Boulestin, the world’s first TV chef. Joel found the perfect location (St. James), sourced art that would bring Boulestin’s books to life and began developing a menu with French classics at the helm.
Four years later, Boulestin remains an institution for those with discerned palates. At just 25 years of age, Elliot Spurdle is in his third year as Head Chef, developing the menu much like the man for which the restaurant honours. While the classics were and are important, Marcel dabbled with curries, Basque and Irish dishes in a similar fashion to Elliot, whose current inspiration stems from Japan. When asked how French flavours gel with Japanese, Elliot shrugs and smirks. We know he won’t be letting us in on that secret… His restlessness mimics that of Marcel’s career path before taking off as a restaurateur. Having started his cooking career around the age of 16 when he couldn’t keep still, it can take Elliot just a matter of hours or up to three weeks to curate a new dish.
Today, Elliot has created Brockmans Cured Salmon with dill buttermilk broth, pickled fennel and samphire. Just a sip of Brockmans G&T at 8am this morning sparked the idea. In fact if you ever need him to create something bespoke, he’ll do it for you. Full most breakfast and lunch hours, Boulestin has a beautiful summer terrace for warmer months and a cosy private dining room for any special celebrations.
The bar serves up the classics, and that’s exactly what we’ve come for today. The Brockmans Perfect Serve (twist of pink grapefruit and blueberries) with cured salmon. So if you’re feeling nostalgic for old London establishments, and fine dining in an unpretentious atmosphere, Boulestin is just the place for you…
Brockmans Cured Salmon
Per 1kg of salmon
Ingredients
- 57g Maldon
- 85g White Sugar
- 5g Black Pepper
- 5g Juniper Berries
- 75ml Brockmans Gin
- ¼ Bunch of dill
Method
- Smash the peppercorn & juniper berries
- Mix salt, sugar, Brockmans Gin and dill together
- Rub marinade into salmon and wrap in cling film with any leftover marinade on the skin side.
- Store for 24 hours, rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with kitchen roll.
