H&C News talks to RIBA’s new Head Chef Maxine Brady on her inspiration, her new spring dishes and her life.
H&C News paid a visit to the iconic Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) in central London to meet the venue’s new Executive Head Chef, Maxine Brady and try out her new menu for spring and summer events.
Maxine was appointed by H+J, RIBA’s contracted caterer, from her own business called Disappearing Dining Club, an independent catering company specialising in pop-up restaurants. She strongly believes in bringing her personality and family values to the dishes she creates as well as focusing on what nature does best… including emphasising the natural colours in food.
Having spent much of her childhood in mainland Europe including Belgium where her father worked as an architect, Maxine concentrates on cooking great British food with a continental twist, while in true H+J style staying ahead of the curve when it comes to food trends.
After training as a professional chef at the City of Westminster University, she honed her skills at a number of high end establishments including the award-winning Fishworks in Chiswick and Oxo Tower Brasserie in central London. However, it is from her architect father who had a great interest in food and did most of the cooking in her family, that she draws much inspiration.
“My father was always experimenting with new flavours and foods and is a very accomplished cook. I still call him now to run ideas by him, he is my rock,” she admits. The H&C News team was lucky enough to sample the spring menu delights that Maxine prepared for an exclusive tasting at RIBA.
“For events and weddings at RIBA, this is exactly how we help organisers decide what to serve to their guests – through very bespoke and intense tastings,” explains Maxine. A beautifully laid table was set up in RIBA’s large and magnificent Florence Hall, where all kinds of events are held from grand wedding receptions to product launches and awards dinners.
RIBA’s Florence Hall set up for a formal receptionThe first dish we sampled was seared scallops with a sweetcorn and shallot puree and a lentil and hazelnut vinaigrette. The scallops melted in the mouth with a warm and buttery texture while the sweetcorn puree gave the dish warmth, complementing the sweetness of the scallops and giving a hint of seaside sand. The lentil and hazelnut vinaigrette gave a subtly sharp contrast to the gentleness of the dish.
Seared scallopsComments Maxine: “Scallops are a popular choice at the moment for spring and summer events – the secret is not to overcook them and to bring out the flavour and sweetness.”
Next up was a venison carpaccio with beetroot mascarpone, golden beetroot and beetroot diced with chive oil. The venison had none of the cloying richness sometimes associated with game and was instead light as air. The earthy beetroot puree deepened the flavour and added a nice texture. The deep red and golden hues of this dish looked incredible on the plate and demonstrated Maxine’s preference for using vibrant shades which come straight from nature.
Venison carpaccioMaxine comments: “Simplicity is key with this dish and lots of colour make it a vibrant choice for spring. Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables to work with, not just for its colour but for its deep earthy taste. Just don’t get it on your clothes!”
The third dish on the tasting menu was duck and pistachio terrine with gooseberry compote, served with a pomegranate and molasses dressing.
Duck and pistachio terrineThis was a very clever marriage of flavours from Maxine with the gooseberry compote cutting through the richness of the very tender, rich and moist duck. The pomegranate added a hint of the exotic with a slight crunch in the texture.
Maxine comments: “Green is a key colour I wanted to bring into the spring and summer menu and in this dish, I decided to play with the different shades of green that gooseberry and pistachio bring. They are also the ideal accompaniment to duck which can be quite rich but goes so well with fruit and nuts.”
We knew spring lamb would have to come in somewhere or it would be a crime, so we were delighted to see Maxine’s next menu creation. Braised lamb shoulder with a sticky jus arrived in spectacular style on the plate topped with a crumbed bone marrow and set off with a wild garlic and pea puree. As an added twist, a section of the lamb had been smoked in Lapsang Souchon tea.
This dish felt like spring on a plate and sang colour and vibrancy. The lamb was beautifully tender and the smoky, punchy flavour was a nice surprise.
Braised lamb shoulderMaxine comments: “Lamb just says spring and people do like to go for this when choosing a meat dish. I wanted to make it a little bit different by smoking part of the lamb, which I do myself using my own special smoking tray. I love the exotic taste of Lapsang Souchon and it adds that extra kick to the smoked taste. The wild garlic and vivid pea puree bring to mind spring hedgerows which are bursting with colour at this time of year.”
The final dish to taste was Maxine’s take on surf and turf. Rich, dark ox cheek with salt cod, courgette, Jerusalem artichoke puree with kale and red pepper puree provided a fitting finale to our tasting. The ox cheek was so tender that to say it melted in the mouth doesn’t do it justice and it fitted beautifully with the fish. It was finished off nicely with a hint of aniseed in the Jerusalem artichoke.
Ox cheek with salt codComments Maxine: “I love mixing flavours with surf and turf concepts but you have to make sure the meat doesn’t overpower the fish. Bringing in a hearty vegetable like Jerusalem artichoke gives the dish another layer of flavour. People are more willing these days to try different cuts such as ox cheek which gives us chefs a lot more leeway.”
As well as the ability to experiment with flavours, Maxine believes in the importance of seasonality and keeping the food miles as low as possible. With traditional seasons changing, this is a challenge sometimes, so keeping in touch with suppliers is vital.
“Nowadays, food comes into season much earlier in the year so communication with my suppliers is key,” she says.
After enjoying the cornucopia of flavours in Maxine’s spring-summer menu, we had little room for dessert – but that only gives us an excuse to come back another time and see what sweet treats she has up her sleeve.
RIBA Head Chef Maxine BradyThank you Maxine and RIBA for setting up this highly enjoyable tasting session – we will be back.