RECI PES
RECIPES Season’s Eatings
CHARLIE CRICK COLLINS, HEAD CHEF AT EDDINGTON’S NEWLY OPENED KOTA, TELLS US ABOUT HIS COOKING PHILOSOPHY AND SHARES SOME SENSATIONAL SEASONAL RECIPES
local suppliers on the roster include Rennet & Rind for cheese, Allotment Bakery for sourdough and Anglia Produce for fresh fruit and veg. Charlie’s approach is all about letting these fantastic ingredients shine, without too many airs and graces. As he explains: “I’d much rather do an amazing dish with four elements, than a dish with 14. We’re not fine dining at KOTA – we’re approachable and accessible. That
elicious things are happening at Eddington, the newly-minted neighbourhood in the north west of the city. As well as regular
street food markets and a brilliant bakery (Dulcedo), it’s recently welcomed two further additions to its food scene with cocktail bar Dutch – run by the team behind Mill Road’s 196 – and KOTA, a restaurant from the makers of NOVI. Promising a taste of Finnish-style charcoal cooking, this sleek eatery sits at the heart of the new Turing
well over Christmas – they’re nice and seasonal,” he comments. “I love a ham hock terrine – it’s a great way to start a meal, and we’ve got a recipe for mulled cranberry ketchup to go with it, which cuts through the fattiness of the smoked chicken and the pork beautifully. It all goes really well together.” As for the chicken dish, Charlie recommends trying a water bath: “It’s a really easy way of getting the texture absolutely perfect. And then with that recipe, you’ve got a bit of a play on a hunter’s chicken – cheese, bacon and chicken: a pub classic – but elevated. For the bacon, we used guanciale, which is cured pig’s jowl, and really gooey, delicious gruyère cheese with the crisp potato – all served with some sprouts to give it a Christmassy feel!” Turn the page for the step-by- step guide to these two recipes, plus a delectable Christmas cocktail idea. FRESH BEGINNINGS Under the guidance of Charlie, KOTA’s chargrilled menu is sure to set your appetite on fire, thaks to tasty local suppliers
doesn’t mean we’re not still going to use the best ingredients or techniques – but we keep it simple. It’s just quality food, cooked in a really nice way!” The menu is packed with smoky, charred
IT’S ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER
Locke/Hyatt Centric complex, with a menu that runs from breakfast to dinner. “KOTA is really based on a social dining
flavours, with dishes including blow- torched mackerel, coal-baked camembert and burnt apple tarte tatin. There are classic crowd-pleasers, too, like rib-eye steaks and parmesan truffle fries. For this month’s recipes, overleaf, Charlie has given a seasonal twist to two KOTA favourites. “I’ve gone for a roast chicken supreme with potato terrine and roast brussels sprouts, and a ham hock terrine, because I thought they could both work really
concept – building on what we’re already doing at NOVI,” explains head chef Charlie Crick Collins, who was one of the original chefs at NOVI when it opened back in 2015. “It’s all about getting people together to enjoy some nice food in a great atmosphere – and in the middle of it all is our lovely charcoal grill!” The beloved grill (a top-of-the-range Josper) cooks up prime cuts of meat from Cambridge butchery Malloy’s, while other
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