Reducing food waste, celebrating the seasons and resurrecting fashionable dishes from the past – these are just a few of the talking points covered in our interview with Sous Chef, Dave McCarthy.
What ingredients are you looking forward to using this season?
There are a few ingredients that we’re celebrating this spring. Wild garlic is certainly one of my personal favourites – it has a beautiful, subtle flavour and is a fantastic edition to the menu. It adds a really delicate flavour to our new Sea Bass dish.
Asparagus is also another one that I always look forward to at this time of year. It is such a versatile vegetable and can hold it’s own on a main course as well as a starter. We have a beautiful vegan dish on our new a la Carte menu, where asparagus is the start of the show, perfectly complemented with Sweet Pepper Hummus and Coriander Pesto. One of our new desserts includes Yorkshire Forced rhubarb, which I am really excited about. This variation of Rhubarb is grown in the dark and because it’s exposed to less light the brix levels are higher, resulting in a sweeter and less bitter taste compared with the variation which is grown outside. We are also expecting our Rump of Lamb dish to be a firm favourite with our diners as we head into the spring season.
Do you have a favourite spring ingredient?
For me it has to be the humble Jerusalem artichoke. I love it for its versatility – we often purée it to bring out its sweetness and also roast and braise it. Our aim is to reduce food wastage, so we also use the peelings to make artichoke dust, which is used to garnish certain dishes adding a distinctive earthy flavour.
This mushroom vol-au-vent dish is a nostalgic nod to the 70's - available on o
Can you tell us about your new spring a la Carte menu?
Our new spring a la Carte menu celebrates the seasons across all the dishes. One of our new dishes is Pan Fried Miso Tofu served with Smoked Sweetcorn Puree, Leeks, Scorched Stem Broccoli and Chicory Leaf. The demand for more plant-based and vegan dishes continues to rise and as a chef, I love the challenge of sourcing and testing ingredients that have not been used as widely previously. For this dish the tofu is marinated just like a piece of meat and because of the texture, the tofu soaks up the flavours beautifully. I think this will be a popular choice.I also love looking at trends from the past, so there are two dishes on the menu that are a twist on classic 70’s dishes. We have a Leek & Wild Mushroom Vol-au-Vent with Black Garlic Ketchup and on the dessert menu, a Warm Banana Sponge with Caramel Mousse and Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream. For me, food is about evoking memories and these both do that for me.
Do you use locally sourced ingredients?
We always try to source from local suppliers. A few that we regularly use are No.2 Pound Street, Sparshotts and Clarks. No2 Pound Street make some of their own cheeses and are our go-to for a variety of specialty cheeses. Sparshotts supply much of our Fruit and Veg and are based in St Albans and Clarks supply us with some of our meat – they’re only a mile away from us in Leverstock Green, so the most local of all. One of the main reasons why we work with smaller, local suppliers is that there is greater flexibility; it’s also nice to know that we’re supporting other local businesses.
New Dish: Beef Fillet, Mini Hassleback Potatoes, Roasted Beef Fat Carrot, Horseradish Cream
Why should people dine at Centurion Club this spring?
Not only is the menu new and seasonal, the experience is a real treat. Dining out should always feel that way in my opinion - it’s a chance to try new dishes and flavours that you wouldn’t at home. Whether it’s a special celebration or occasion or just a date night when you don’t have to cook – we want to make sure that people leave the restaurant having had a new experience and one that they’ll tell everyone about! We’ve spent a lot of time planning and perfecting our new menus and for anyone who loves lamb, not only does it feature as one of our main courses, it also has a place on our list of starters - Lamb Shoulder Croquette. The lamb is slow cooked and the croquette is beautifully soft on the inside with a lovely crunch on outside. The flavours of rosemary and garlic pair incredibly well with this dish – it’s one that I would highly recommend.
Join us this spring
CLICK HERE to make a reservation for Lunch, Dinner and Afternoon Tea.
For details about our Private Dining and Meetings & Event options, CLICK HERE
What ingredients are you looking forward to using this season?
There are a few ingredients that we’re celebrating this spring. Wild garlic is certainly one of my personal favourites – it has a beautiful, subtle flavour and is a fantastic edition to the menu. It adds a really delicate flavour to our new Sea Bass dish.
Asparagus is also another one that I always look forward to at this time of year. It is such a versatile vegetable and can hold it’s own on a main course as well as a starter. We have a beautiful vegan dish on our new a la Carte menu, where asparagus is the start of the show, perfectly complemented with Sweet Pepper Hummus and Coriander Pesto. One of our new desserts includes Yorkshire Forced rhubarb, which I am really excited about. This variation of Rhubarb is grown in the dark and because it’s exposed to less light the brix levels are higher, resulting in a sweeter and less bitter taste compared with the variation which is grown outside. We are also expecting our Rump of Lamb dish to be a firm favourite with our diners as we head into the spring season.
Do you have a favourite spring ingredient?
For me it has to be the humble Jerusalem artichoke. I love it for its versatility – we often purée it to bring out its sweetness and also roast and braise it. Our aim is to reduce food wastage, so we also use the peelings to make artichoke dust, which is used to garnish certain dishes adding a distinctive earthy flavour.
This mushroom vol-au-vent dish is a nostalgic nod to the 70's - available on o
Can you tell us about your new spring a la Carte menu?
Our new spring a la Carte menu celebrates the seasons across all the dishes. One of our new dishes is Pan Fried Miso Tofu served with Smoked Sweetcorn Puree, Leeks, Scorched Stem Broccoli and Chicory Leaf. The demand for more plant-based and vegan dishes continues to rise and as a chef, I love the challenge of sourcing and testing ingredients that have not been used as widely previously. For this dish the tofu is marinated just like a piece of meat and because of the texture, the tofu soaks up the flavours beautifully. I think this will be a popular choice.I also love looking at trends from the past, so there are two dishes on the menu that are a twist on classic 70’s dishes. We have a Leek & Wild Mushroom Vol-au-Vent with Black Garlic Ketchup and on the dessert menu, a Warm Banana Sponge with Caramel Mousse and Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream. For me, food is about evoking memories and these both do that for me.
Do you use locally sourced ingredients?
We always try to source from local suppliers. A few that we regularly use are No.2 Pound Street, Sparshotts and Clarks. No2 Pound Street make some of their own cheeses and are our go-to for a variety of specialty cheeses. Sparshotts supply much of our Fruit and Veg and are based in St Albans and Clarks supply us with some of our meat – they’re only a mile away from us in Leverstock Green, so the most local of all. One of the main reasons why we work with smaller, local suppliers is that there is greater flexibility; it’s also nice to know that we’re supporting other local businesses.
New Dish: Beef Fillet, Mini Hassleback Potatoes, Roasted Beef Fat Carrot, Horseradish Cream
Why should people dine at Centurion Club this spring?
Not only is the menu new and seasonal, the experience is a real treat. Dining out should always feel that way in my opinion - it’s a chance to try new dishes and flavours that you wouldn’t at home. Whether it’s a special celebration or occasion or just a date night when you don’t have to cook – we want to make sure that people leave the restaurant having had a new experience and one that they’ll tell everyone about! We’ve spent a lot of time planning and perfecting our new menus and for anyone who loves lamb, not only does it feature as one of our main courses, it also has a place on our list of starters - Lamb Shoulder Croquette. The lamb is slow cooked and the croquette is beautifully soft on the inside with a lovely crunch on outside. The flavours of rosemary and garlic pair incredibly well with this dish – it’s one that I would highly recommend.
Join us this spring
CLICK HERE to make a reservation for Lunch, Dinner and Afternoon Tea.
For details about our Private Dining and Meetings & Event options, CLICK HERE
