Desert island dishes
Hannah Robinson
Head pastry chef – fine dining, hospitality and events, BaxterStorey
Warm homemade sour dough crumpets, marmite butter, sea salt
A dish I made many times during lockdown. Nothing beats eating them, served with melted Marmite butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. The best way to start the day!
Fresh seafood paella
This dish is one of my absolute favourites, it reminds me of visiting my grandparents who live in Spain. We all go out for a family meal, sit along the seafront and enjoy sharing tapas and a big dish of paella.
The best part of the dish, for me, is the freshly caught seafood, which is melt in the mouth stuff. Best enjoyed alongside a couple of glasses of sangria, of course!
Yuzu and Manjari Pavé, yuzu gel, torched citrus and hazelnut ice cream
This is one of my favourite a la carte dishes, which I developed for our fine dining restaurant. The sharp, acidic flavour of the yuzu is balanced with the smooth 64% manjari mousse with added texture of a hazelnut feuilletine base. The pavé is finished with a shiny bitter chocolate glaze.
Sunday roast
Because Sundays still happen on deserted islands! My favourite roast consists of slow-cooked rib of beef, bone marrow and red wine jus, beef dripping roast potatoes, grilled hispi cabbage and, of course, homemade Yorkshire puds. Roast dinners are such a comfort to look forward to at the end of a busy week.
An afternoon tea
Why have one nice, sweet item when you can have many? Some of my favourite afternoon tea items are traditional scones with preserve; caramelised white chocolate and blackberry bavarois cannelloni; passion fruit and mango macaroons; and layered opera slices. I would also like the idea of being able to have a lovely cup of tea.
Sushi
This is one of my favourite foods. I love trying all the different Japanese flavours, I am also in awe of the talent that goes into making it. With all the time I would have on a deserted island, I would try to perfect it myself!
The humble apple tart with a fine dining twist
A perfectly short and crumbly sweet pastry tart case, creamy crème patissiere, calvados cameral, roasted apple balls, fresh-pressed apple sorbet, picked thyme and toasted oat crumb. This is a really popular dish from my a la carte menu and one I’d never get tired of eating.
Éclairs
So light but so indulgent. The flavour combinations are endless – I know this because we literally make thousands a year for our clients! My personal favourite is blueberry and mascarpone cheesecake.
What one dish would you chouse out of the eight?
The roast. It symbolises so much, as it’s a dish we use to celebrate so many family and holiday occasions. The endless amount of meats and different sides also means that you can change up the dish as much as you want!
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