Three easy, crowd-pleasing recipes that fuel a restaurant kitchen

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The guests of our restaurant are curious people. They want to know if the wine is organic or if the vegetables were grown in a regenerative way. Where does the cheese come from? What were the welfare conditions of the lamb that became our cupcake?

What is less considered is the well-being of those who prepare dinner.

I hope the toxic culture of “character building” abuse that has sullied our industry is behind us, because every good restaurateur knows that true hospitality starts with showing it to the team. At Jikoni, we have always tried to prioritize the happiness and well-being of our work family, and meal times are an important part of that.

Our main “family meal” is eaten at our marble kitchen table at 4 p.m. before the storm of service begins. It’s a time for us to bond, refuel, show appreciation for each other, and crack a joke. We cook with leftovers to avoid food waste, but we also appreciate dishes that tell us who our team is and where they come from. You won’t find them on our menu, but they are cooks’ delights that nourish and nourish us. My only rule is that there has to be a salad!

Sausages, borlotti beans and torn sourdough anchovies

To serve six

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the torn sourdough and fry, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden. Drain on absorbent paper.
Pour in the rest of the olive oil, add the garlic, chili pepper, oregano and anchovies, and cook over very low heat, breaking up the anchovies with the back of your spoon. Once the garlic is cooked, pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Now add the drained borlotti beans and simmer over low heat.
Meanwhile, cook sausages according to package directions or until browned and cooked through.
Add the tomatoes to the beans and cook for another minute. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. To serve, top the beans with sausage and fried sourdough and sprinkle with parsley.

Taiwanese chicken in three cups

To serve six

Start by preparing your chicken wings. Using a sharp knife, cut the wings in half across the joint, then cut off the wing tips. Throw away the tips or, better yet, save them for making chicken stock.
Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with half the cornstarch, a little salt and Sichuan pepper. Toss well to coat.
In a wok, heat the oil. Once it is smoking, sauté the garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onions until fragrant. Push them to one side of the wok, add the chicken and fry. Don’t move the chicken around too much, as you want to make sure it’s nicely charred and dark brown all over.
Once the chicken is completely seared, pour in the Shaoxing wine, soy sauces, sugar and 50 ml of cold water. Reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining cornstarch with four teaspoons of cold water.
Finish by drizzling with sesame oil, then slowly pouring in the cornstarch slurry. Stir and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, add basil and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Koshari with tomato sauce

To serve six

Start by preparing the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion and fry until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, then stir in the spices. Fry for 30 seconds, then break up the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pan with 500ml of water. Add the limes and their soaking juice, season with sea salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
To make koshari, start by frying the onions. In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes until dark brown and caramelized. Remove with a spoon and drain on absorbent paper.
Heat the ghee in the casserole dish. Fry the vermicelli until golden brown. (If using macaroni, skip this step and cook separately until al dente or according to package directions.) Now add the garlic, spices, pine nuts and almonds and cook again until the pine nuts are golden. Add the drained rice, season with sea salt and coat well with ghee and spices. Stir the rice lightly until toasted and hot, then pour in 500ml boiling water. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for eight minutes, then add the lentils and macaroni if using. Cover and cook again for another minute just to heat through. Pile them on a plate, garnish with fried onions and parsley and serve with a dollop of tomato sauce.

Ravinder Bhogal is the chef-patron of In the kitchen. Follow Ravinder on Instagram @cookinboots and @cookinboots

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