never let your guard down

24 hours cooked laverstock farm lamb shoulder, spiced lamb patty, spinach gnocchi, chlorophyll oil, lavender yoghurt

this dish stayed from the very first menu till the last due to very simple reason that it was hard to find anything like that. it was so soft that it was difficult to eat with just knife and fork. the recipe was quite simple but methodical., miss one step and it was easy to ruin the final dish.

it was beautiful British sunday morning. i entered kitchen by 8 as i had lot in hand. we had 42 diners booked for lunch and 22 for hi tea. i started off mise-en-place and after an hour or so Danny the restaurant manager came to kitchen for some work. i asked any extra booking, he said we are house full, no more booking will be entertained. i had so much to do so thought lets prep only for 42 diners. finally just before first guest walked in i got over with mise-en-place.

orders started pouring in and i didn't realise when service was over. it was time for mise-en-place for hi tea. i was due to start at that very moment Danny came to kitchen and told chef Mr. Mackenzie has just arrived with three other guests and asking for table, what shall i do? Mr. Mackenzie was a very regular to Vatika. he was seated on terrace and he ordered four 5 course menu, i cursed British Summer. i dishes out 3rd course and that time i realised sauce for lamb course was almost finished and the remaining would not be sufficient for 4 portions. i ran to walk in and got lamb drippings and started reducing it while i was doing that chef called for lamb. i cooked lamb and finished the sauce but i forgot to taste it.

lamb went out and within 30 seconds all four came back. Danny informed chef that guests have complained that amount of salt in sauce is too much. chef tasted sauce and i saw frown on his forehead. almost instantly i realised something heavy got stuck in my throat. chef called me asked to taste sauce, i did and stood there to be butchered.

chef almost murdered me. i did another fresh 4 portions of lamb with carefully tasted ( almost 5 times) lamb sauce. chef was so pissed with me that he left pass out of sheer disgust and i had sent it out.

in the evening when chef was wee bit in good mood he asked me to come and meet me him with coffee and cigarette at outdoor office ( outdoor office was just a bench and table at the one corner of beautiful vineyard where restaurant was part of it). he spoke to me over coffee and narrated his own story somewhat similar to me. at the end of it i got the message NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. 

beautiful bright sunny summer day overlooking vineyard