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Burton Race feels the heat

7:09am Saturday 28th June 2008

Chef John Burton Race - who has come through troubled times in his personal life - is now devoting himself to his real passion, food. He talks about getting the best out of local, seasonal produce and his new book, Flavour First.

By Gabrielle Fagan

Chef John Burton Race is a man who seems permanently set on simmer.

You can practically feel the steam rising from him as he vents his feelings on the decline of the British farming industry and the lack of home-produced, local food featuring in supermarkets.

There's any number of other dislikes, such as "farmed salmon... yuk, full of disease. Frankly, I'd rather eat a rat."

He rattles off his forthright views at breakneck speed and with considerable force but is unapologetic because he says: "I'm passionate about food. It's a subject you never stop learning about and I just want people to realise that 50% of good food is about the raw ingredients. The rest is down to the recipe and the skill of the person cooking."

He appears close to boiling point as he emphasises: "We are so apathetic about our food in the UK.

"We just seem to accept what we are given, but that's so wrong. It's so important that we source and buy locally and seasonally because that's how we get the great taste and flavours and yet what's happening? Our farming industry is in decline, and there won't be one at all in five years unless it's given support."

Burton Race, 50, is not content to simply sound off but has produced a new cook book, Flavour First - a practical guide to seasonal ingredients, that gives imaginative ways to cook them.

He's chatting about the book as well as the controversial ups and downs of his life in a rare break from his hectic filming schedule for a new ITV series, Britain's Best Dish which is due to start in August.

Television brought him to prominence as a devoted family man and respected chef in the TV series French Leave and the sequel Return Of The Chef, which also featured his wife Kim and six of the eight children they had between them.

But that high profile also ensured him the full glare of the spotlight when last year he controversially left Kim for his lover, Suzi Ward, by whom it was revealed he had a three-year-old son, unbeknown to his wife.

A costly divorce followed. After a battle - his ex-wife shut the restaurant they were running while he was in the Australian jungle competing in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here - he's once again running the business he loves, The New Angel restaurant in Dartmouth, Devon.

His temperature cools as he reflects on the past tempestuous year and he says slowly: "I am more or less out of that mess. I have a lot of rebuilding to do - both emotionally and financially.

"The restaurant's opened again and is going well despite the recession and I know I've been lucky to get back into that position. I'm probably working too hard at the moment - which means I can't see my children as much as I'd like - but I have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of money to recoup."

Wisely perhaps, he's reluctant to predict the future for himself and his current relationship.

"I'm happy with my partner at the moment and long may that continue. Of course, I hope it will last but obviously there are no guarantees. I can't speak for her, she's a very independent soul, but I hope it will last forever - whatever forever is!"

And sounding rueful he says: "What I have learned is never to say never - otherwise you look a bit stupid if it all goes pear-shaped."

But he does confess that in part his problems were caused by his failure to mature. He says: "Everything that's happened has changed me completely. While a lot of life is about being lucky and unlucky - I've had a bit of both in my life - the other factor was about growing up.

"I just haven't grown up - but I am putting on an impression that I have these days. Of course, I can't - at my age - change, but now I have to make sure that I have enough people around me who can cope with me being me!"

Introspection over, he turns the heat up again and blasts off at the Government: "It's virtually annihilated our farming industry. Do you know most of our milk comes from France and Poland? How crazy is that?

"And all that 'Buy British Beef' stuff they put out is just nonsense because in fact much of the meat labelled as British in supermarkets isn't. They get away with it by butchering the meat in this country which apparently makes it British."

He hopes his book will arm people with the skills and knowledge to know what seasonal foods to look for and encourage them to fight back.

It gives a variety of recipes from basic to a more demanding level, as well as practical, step-by-step techniques for preparing dishes such as fresh crab, best end of lamb and filleting fish.

He describes the book as "a compilation of around 100 of my favourite ingredients and my contribution to encouraging people to buy seasonally and preferably regionally and locally, too. The basis of seasonal food is that it's readily available, cheaper and full of natural flavour. It's win-win."

The recipes include imaginative delights such as Beetroot and Potato Salad with Smoked Mackerel, Fillet Steaks with Anchoide, Capers And Mustard, Guinness-Glazed Ham With Broad Beans and Parsley Sauce as well as desserts such as Tarte Normande and Raspberry Souffle.

One of his favourite dishes is Steamed Sea Bass Fillets With Warm Basil Butter Sauce. He enthuses: "This is such an enticing dish. A vibrant spinach and basil butter sauce is the perfect foil for beautiful sea bass fillets and I like to serve it on a bed of cannellini beans, flavoured with diced peppers and courgettes." For a sweet finish he loves Raspberry Bavarois.

Just before he leaves Burton Race beams and says: "I like to try to be optimistic even when things are rubbish, and although I have had very, very low times I'm not a depressive type of soul.

"From now on I just want to try to enjoy myself and do the best I can."

STEAMED SEA BASS FILLETS WITH BASIL BUTTER SAUCE

(Serves four)

First prepare the basil butter. Blanch the basil and spinach leaves briefly by immersing them in boiling water for a few seconds, then drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip the leaves into a blender and whiz to chop finely, then add the butter and blend until completely smooth and velvety. The butter will turn bright green. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until later.

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Cut the sea bass into four equal portions, check for pin bones and season with salt and pepper. Pour two-thirds of the stock into a shallow ovenproof saute pan, add the garlic and tarragon and bring to the boil.

Lay the fish fillets in the pan and lower the heat. Place a piece of buttered greaseproof paper over the fish and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

Transfer the pan to the oven to steam the fish for five to seven minutes until just cooked.

Lift the fish fillets onto a warmed plate and keep warm. Return the saute pan to the hob over a medium heat and reduce the stock by half, then lower the heat. Slowly add the basil butter, a piece at a time, whisking constantly - the sauce will thicken as you do so.

Don't let it boil, or the sauce will split. Once all the butter is incorporated, strain the sauce through a sieve into a warm jug and season with salt and pepper.

Ideally, serve each portion of sea bass, skin side up, on a bed of cannellini beans with peppers and courgettes. Pour the basil butter sauce around and garnish with deep-fried (or fresh) basil leaves. Serve immediately.

FISH STOCK

(Makes about 1.2 litres)

Rinse the fish bones in plenty of cold water. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan, add the onions and garlic and fry for five minutes without colouring.

Add the herbs, fennel seeds and white wine. Turn up the heat and reduce the wine by half. Add the fish bones to the pan, then add about 1.5 litres water to cover. Bring to the boil and skim off the scum from the surface. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes, then strain. For a clear stock, strain once more through a muslin-lined sieve. Allow to cool. Refrigerate and use within two days or freeze for up to three months. Season the stock just before using.

RASPBERRY BAVAROIS

(Serves six)

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. Pour the milk into a heavy-based saucepan and slowly bring almost to the boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Pour on the hot milk, whisking constantly, then return to the pan.

Stir over a low heat with a wooden spoon until the custard slightly thickens (don't let it boil). Immediately remove from the heat and pour through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Squeeze the gelatine leaves to remove excess water, then add them to the hot custard and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool.

Set aside a third of the raspberries. Puree the rest in a blender, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Measure 250g of the puree for the bavarois; keep the rest aside.

When almost set, pass the custard through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Fold in the 250g raspberry puree. Softly whip the cream and fold into the raspberry custard, then whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and carefully fold in.

Pour the mixture into six ring moulds, 8cm in diameter and 4cm deep, set on a tray. Chill for about two hours to set.

Sweeten the reserved raspberry puree with icing sugar to taste. Unmould the bavarois on to plates and top with the reserved berries. Spoon on the raspberry puree to serve.

Flavour First by John Burton Race, is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Available now.

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