Thierry Laborde Kitchen Confidential

Thierry Laborde creates Gallic food at its best at Chabrot Bistrot d’Amis, in London. He sings the praises of root veg and seafood

Thierry Laborde Photo

Cooking With

I love root vegetables – everything from Jerusalem artichokes to potatoes – so, for me, this is an excellent time of year. Sweet potatoes are one of my very favourites, especially when baked whole in the oven. Though it’s not really a traditional pairing, I find that they are a good partner for game dishes.

Of course, this is the time of year for game, so I’m cooking it all the time. When it comes to wild boar, I like serving this in a civet, which is a type of stew. We use baby wild boar and cook it in red wine. It goes really well with celeriac purée or even fresh pasta. When it comes to my favourite, wild duck, I roast it whole with seasonal vegetables for a perfect meal for two.

I’m French, from Gascony, so of course I’m excited about the arrival of truffle season, too. My favourite way to have truffles from Perigord – though it might sound strange – is shaved over some scrambled eggs. It’s a lovely classic dish from my home region. But when it comes to something more substantial, I like truffles shaved over poule au pot, which is a sort of pot au feu with chicken. You poach a whole chicken with vegetables, and afterwards you’re left with a broth that’s like a meal in itself. It was actually an invention by Henry IV so the people of France could eat for a week on one chicken!

A lot of fish and seafood are at their best in November – so we work with turbot, brill, mussels and oysters, to name just a few. I use fine de claire oysters from various parts of France – my favourites are from Arcachon – and serve them Bordeaux-style with pâté or spicy baby chorizo and bread with butter. Brill is a wonderful fish and I almost always cook it to serve two – I’ll roast it whole, and serve with baked potatoes and buttered spinach. Langoustines are plentiful in Britain, so whenever possible I source those here – in my opinion they are at their best when prepared simply, cut straight down the middle, seasoned, and grilled.

Who i'm using

Located in Smithfield Market, Jack O’Shea (osheasbutchers.com) is one of the best butchers Europe. I go there to get most of my game – including venison, grouse, partridge, hare and wild boar. My truffles are sourced from a man named Bruno – he’s very popular with a lot of top London restaurants, so I’m always asking him to let me have the first pick.

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Recipe

Thierry’s recipe for November

To make a roasted fillet of venison with roasted sweet potatoes, ask your butcher to cut a fillet that’s about 180-200g. Pan-fry the fillet with a bit of olive oil and butter to colour, then finish in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, before slicing at an angle. Meanwhile, strain the fat off the frying pan and de-glaze with white wine. Reduce, then add a little chicken stock and some cranberries. Pour over the venison, and scatter with croutons. Serve with sweet potatoes that have been seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, lots of fresh thyme, and baked in foil in the oven. Before serving, you can also finish the sweet potatoes by cutting them into chunks and frying with olive oil and butter until golden.

Thierry Laborde Photo

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