An interview with ......top Suffolk head chef - Patrick Neal of the White Lion in Aldeburgh

Posted by Stephanie | Filed under:

Jan 8 2010

ORIGINALLY from Harwich, Patrick Neal stepped from foot solider to chef in one swift movement. He was part of the Dessert Storm campaign in Iraq and when he left the armed forces he walked into the local job centre. ‘I was asked, What can you do? I told them honestly – I’m a trained killer!’ Despite his lack of experience he landed a job with a local restaurant in Colchester, later he moved to work in West Sussex with a 3 AA rosette restaurant. Next move was to work as a Chef in a restaurant in Polstead where he gained them their first AA rosette. From there he moved to the Black Lion in Long Melford where he met, English Fashion designer Jasper Conran OBE ‘He asked me to cater for his private diner party, 15 guests at his home in London, I was thrilled’. The designer also noticed the kilner jars Patrick had decorating the hotel, all filled with pears and cinnamon sticks in brandy. ‘He liked them so much he bought 25 of them!’ Although this Essex lad is very happy working over the border in Suffolk he sees his future in teaching. ‘One day in the future I’d perhaps like to become an NVQ Assessor.’ He’s already successfully trained the Essex Chef of the Future – Tommy Crick who won the title in 2003. Here Patrick shares his recipe for a wonderful winter warmer:-

     Bluebell Woods Venison with Redcurrant Wine Sauce


Ingredients:

4         venison steaks
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of oil
8 juniper berries
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, roughly chopped
120ml beef stock
120ml red wine
1 tablespoon tomato puree
60ml crème fraiche
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
25g butter
8 tablespoons of mash potato
1 tablespoon of horseradish sauce
8 tablespoons of braised red cabbage

To prepare:

Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper and put in a shallow dish.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the crushed juniper berries and oil then rub the mixture into the steaks.
Heat a heavy frying pan until hot then cook the steaks for 5-8 mins on both sides.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.
Once the meat is cooked, add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and cook over a high heat.
Turn the steaks to coat on both sides then remove from the pan and keep warm.
Return the pan to the heat and add grated shallot, tomato puree, stock and wine.
Mix well and simmer gently until reduced by about a third.
Add the redcurrant jelly and the crème fraiche, mix well and simmer gently until hot.
Heat the mash potato up in another pan, add a spoon of horseradish sauce taste and season.
In another pan warm up the red cabbage and keep warm.
To plate up, quenelle the mash, spoon on the red cabbage and place the redcurrant sauce around, place the venison steak on top.