Latest news with #cheapfoodhacks
Sky News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
'It's invading menus': Top chef on overrated trend he doesn't get - and world's best food city
Every Thursday, our Money blog team interviews chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks and more. This week, we chat to Mike Reid, renowned TV chef and "Aussie Beef Mate". Good food doesn't have to be expensive... tasty food is simply tasty food. Obviously, better ingredients and produce (which would usually mean higher costs) would lend to a better flavour. However, some of the best food I eat is street food, from local markets or vendors. When I was in Singapore last year, I tried one of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, with a pork noodle dish at about the equivalent of £5 for a one star dish. It proves that good food doesn't have to be expensive. Michelin-starred food isn't always the tastiest, but... it is definitely a marker of consistency and talent. We are blessed in the UK with a thriving food scene, with so many great chefs, and not all of them are cooking within Michelin restaurants. What I would say with Michelin restaurants is that it is a very good marker for a place to eat where you should be getting great service and great food. It is a guide to help you. I love dining out at Michelin restaurants and have cooked at this level too, but I'm just as happy dining across the great spectrum of restaurants that we are blessed to have. The best chefs I've worked with are... legends such as Michel Roux Jr and Gordon Ramsay. I also had the pleasure of making "Five Star Chef" with Michel for Netflix, and that was such an incredible experience of working with him again. His professionalism and talent stand out every day, and I learned so much from him about being on set and the energy and expertise he brings with him. I handle a TV chef cooking me a bad meal by... styling it out - I would never want to publicly embarrass anyone. Food is so subjective, even though it may not be to my taste, the next person who tries it might love it. So I would try my best not to pass comment. Or my other tactic is to focus on a redeeming element, so for example: "Oh wow, the flavour of that beef is beautiful, or the colour of that sauce is so vibrant." What annoys me the most about the industry is... how we have an expectation now of being able to eat most foods all year round - then we actually complain about how it doesn't taste as good. We need to get back to respecting our produce more and understanding the seasons. To enjoy strawberries in summer and not look for them in winter. To get back to eating tomatoes that have been grown and ripened on the vine in the sun, as opposed to in a greenhouse, grown and picked early. It will be so much better for the planet and better for us to enjoy things as nature intended. The biggest mistake I see chefs make is… overcomplicating their dishes. We have such a desire when we are younger and starting out to showcase our skills, to show on each plate what we can do, and this often leads to dishes being overly complicated and too much going on. Sometimes you see 10 elements on a plate when only five are needed to make it really outstanding. Restraint is the mark of confidence and a true belief in the food that they are cooking. I remember so clearly when the penny dropped for me and my food went to another level after this. My chefs were happier, too. The most overrated single food item is… Dubai chocolate. I do not understand why this has swept the world and taken over. It's invading menus in every area, breakfast is now littered with it, inspiring dishes, and dessert menus are overloaded with it too. I think it's overly rich and way too sweet. But that's just my humble opinion! What I think about food influencers is... that love them or hate them, they drive covers to your restaurants, so you need to embrace them. I have worked with and met many - most are lovely people and big foodies who feel fortunate to do what they do. The minority can be a little "needy", let's say, but I think when you have a genuine influencer that you know will drive business to your restaurant, you are happy to work with them. I think it's about being selective and choosing the right ones for your audience. My controversial food/restaurant opinion is… your meal should be paid for in advance. We are one of the few, if not the only, "entertainment" services where you pay after receiving your goods. Think if you go to the movies, theatre or a concert, you pay in advance. Paying after your meal gives some guests the impression that if it wasn't exactly as you wanted, you don't have to pay for anything. You don't get a refund if you don't like a movie? We have already paid for everything, the staff, the ingredients, the building and our costs have been laid out in advance, so I don't see why the experience is different to other industries. It shouldn't be a choice. Of course, if we don't meet your expectations, there needs to be a level of compensation, but at the moment, all the power lies with the guest. The best city in the world to eat is... San Sebastian. From the Michelin-starred restaurants to the incredible pinchos bars - the quality of food is incredible. My go-to cheap eat at home is... wagyu skirt sandwich 150g Wagyu Thick Skirt 1 Hens Egg ½ Tomato, Sliced Sprigs of fresh Watercress ½ Onion, Sliced & Sautéed ½ Tbsp Dijon Mustard 1 Tbsp Kewpie 3 Shallots 1 Tbsp Corn flour Oil for frying 2 Slices of White Sourdough For the gravy: 500ml Beef stock 2 Tsp Corn Flour Method Coat your shallots in the corn flour and then fry off in your oil at 160C; Grill the wagyu from room temperature, seasoning generously with salt on your BBQ for about eight minutes, making sure your coals are not too hot, you want a nice medium heat. Then rest for at least six minutes in a warm place; Start reducing your stock by half. Prepare your corn flour slurry by adding a touch of water to your corn flour and mix well; Over a low heat, fry your eggs till the white is cooked but ensuring you have a beautiful runny yolk; Once finished resting, take the roasting tray juices and add to your stock. Bring to the boil and then thicken with the cornflour slurry and season to taste; Assemble your sandwich, basting the bread with your mustard, then adding the chutney, the beef cut in half and all your other bits, finishing with the watercress and the chips on the side.
Sky News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Sirloin? No. Top chef says you should be buying this cheaper cut instead
Every Thursday, our Money blog team interviews chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks and more. This week, we chat to Brian Hennessy, head chef at the acclaimed Winter Garden Restaurant in London. My favourite cheap substitute is... using bavette, also known as flank, as the cut of meat for steak and chips. It is often overlooked but the flavour is beautiful. You are also getting a range of different textures in one single cut. I'll take it over a sirloin any day of the week. My secret crispy chilli oil, no longer to be a secret, makes any meal better... I batch-make it and store it. Added to almost anything, it can make a meal. From a little bit in scrambled egg in the morning (my personal favourite) to popping it in a stir-fry or pasta. There's no need for any expensive products - just add a few tablespoons and it will add the perfect amount of umami to any dish at home. 100g whole dried chilli (seeds removed) 40g caster sugar 75g garlic 500g grapeseed oil 5g black pepper 6g cumin 12g dried porcini 200g crispy shallot 20g salt Blitz the chillies (or chop) until flakes. Thinly slice your garlic and gently fry in the grapeseed oil. Mix the salt, spices and porcini powder. Combine with the dried chilli. Once garlic is golden brown and crispy, pour over chilli mix. Mix in crispy shallots. Young chefs shouldn't worry about money... your position or the hours when choosing where to work early on in your career. Work for the best possible chef you can learn from. Having worked under chefs like John Williams, Spencer Metzger and Gareth Byrne, their investment in young chefs and ability to pass on their knowledge has been invaluable to me. Money and everything else will follow suit down the line. One restaurant that's worth spending big on... Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona. Worth it, including the plane journey. Went on a whim last year and it was simply mind-blowing. You go into almost a lab-type restaurant, but the friendly service makes you instantly at ease. They proceed to serve you food and ingredients you recognise but in the most innovative way. We had a pea and ham dish, sounds simple - easily the best dish I have ever eaten. The worst type of customer is… those who are late without calling and then demanding upon arrival. It's both a lack of respect for the staff and their fellow diners. It has the potential to ruin multiple dining experiences, not just their own. It's not exactly a secret ingredient, but the sheer amount of salted butter used certainly is... a secret kept from the guy writing the cookbooks. It's not just great for taste but also texture! French cuisine is often associated with pricey, fancy ingredients... but classical French cooking is deep-rooted in maximising the use of every part of the animal and veg. We have become too used to over-prepared products in the supermarket, but with some basic knowledge and skills, you can really stretch the ingredients in your weekly shop. My chef hero is… Daniel Calvert, the only British chef to hold three Michelin stars outside the UK, in Tokyo. The level of precision in his work is awe-inspiring. He went from sous chef at 23 at Per Se in New York, then back to being a commis chef at Epicure in Paris to learn traditional techniques, which shows his passion and desire to improve and learn. I believe his journey should be an inspiration for any young chef. A tip non-chefs might not know is... add acid. Don't be afraid to add that touch of acid, whether it be vinegar or lemon juice, to a sauce, soups, broths or a piece of fish. It can make the world of a difference to any product and make a dish go from good to great. My favourite cookbook is... The French Laundry by Thomas Keller. It is just a timeless classic. It's a book you can always go back to for inspiration and proves that trends will come and go, but true class is permanent. My go-to cheap eat out... is Oki in Wimbledon, south London. £8 buffet-style Japanese, I often go for the katsu curry. Why I love it is not just the convenience, but it being so, so good. Perfect to pick up on the way home after a long day at work. They are far from shy on portions also!
