A Chef’s Guide To Food, Music & The Perfect Kitchen Soundtrack
How did you get into cooking, Jack?
I started working as a KP in secondary school for a bit of cash. I was a few weeks into Year 8, so I must have been 12. It went from there, really. I never necessarily planned on being a chef at that point; kitchens were just a space where I felt comfortable and confident. Even then, I was mildly aware that kitchens were places that whisked up people who struggled to sit still and gave them space to be themselves.
Sum up your life and cooking journey in three songs…
Sam Cooke’s ‘Bring It On Home To Me’ reminds me of my mum cleaning on a Sunday and dancing in the kitchen. My parents have eclectic taste, but my mum really loves soul music, and my love of it comes from her. My next track would be Jay-Z’s ‘Politics As Usual’, which is my favourite tune from his debut album. It has a real flow to it that you need when cooking in a controlled sense. There’s also a controlled chaos to cooking, though, and a tune that sums that up for me is Skepta’s ‘I Spy’. I’ve always listened to a lot of UK music, and specifically grime. There’s nothing that can hype me up through the chaotic bit of cooking in the same way.
So you cook with music on?
I have lots of different playlists for cooking at home. If I’m cooking dinner and doing a longer bit of cooking, then we get on the Chili Peppers and some old Rinse FM grime sets. If it’s a quick dinner I’m putting together later, then it's something slower, like Michael Kiwanuka. Later in the evening, it might be Aretha Franklin or Bon Iver. On Sundays, I always prefer an early dinner, so I’ll cook in the afternoon with some Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Otis Redding or just Radio 6 all day, listening to some new and usually pretty odd music.
Music and food: the perfect combination?
It’s interesting because they both come from a place of love that you want to share with other people. You have to love both things, music and food, to be able to ‘do’ them well because they require so much time and sacrifice. It’s a show, a presentation – something you’ve created that takes a long time to make but is consumed so quickly. There’s a certain amount of vulnerability in both of them too.
Is there a song that captures cooking at Goodbye Horses?
In service, we love ‘Like A Virgin’. It really gets us going. It’s an injection of energy towards the end of service, or just before service when you’re waiting for a second wind. We also like The Streets’ ‘Turn The Page’. You start hearing the strings coming in at the start and it’s a mood-lifter. The FOH team select the records at the start of service that they’re going to play. It’s a delicate act, but they’re really good at reading the room and reacting. We definitely have some staples for service, and it’s always a balance between being a little bit sick of a record and being aware that it may be someone’s first time experiencing it – much like food on the menu.
Name an ingredient you couldn’t cook without…
Anchovies. I like Olasagasti anchovies. They’re just so big and delicious. We have them throughout so much of our menu, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it. They make up the bases of seasonings and more. If we can put them in something or somewhere, we probably will. They’re hand-prepared in the Basque region, but you can buy them everywhere.
If you could cook for one musician, who would it be and what would you serve?
Michael Kiwanuka. I’d cook him a roast chicken. My favourite food ever is chicken and rice, but I mean in any form. I love katsu curry and rice, chicken fried rice, kebab and rice, jerk chicken and rice. All of it. I sometimes do a deboned chicken stuffed with rice. I reckon I’d cook that. It’s homely but also a bit of fun.
What’s the classic track for a perfect Saturday?
I don’t always feel like celebrating loudly after a busy Saturday because, for me, it’s a bit about winding down. Theo, who works front of house at Horses, is also a brilliant DJ and plays The Art of Noise’s ‘Moments In Love (Beaten)’ on a Saturday night to wind service down. It’s a brilliant end to an evening.
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What dish deserves its own signature song?
The cheese toastie. It’s not the thing I love the most on the menu, or the most delicious, but every time I come in and eat, it’s the thing I always get. If it had a song, it would be ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ by Etta James. That’s a great tune. I’ve heard it so many times that I sometimes think about skipping it when it comes on, but never do. It’s brilliant.
If you had to put a food trend on mute, what would it be?
I think it sounds mad to say, but it’s true: food trends are trends for a reason. Plus, anything that gets someone up and cooking, I can’t fault. TikTok comes up with genius ways of doing things. It’s not really a trend, but something I see that I can’t really get behind is influencers who use a recipe but don’t credit the source.
If your kitchen crew had an anthem, what would it be?
I think it would be Biggie’s ‘Hypnotize’. We listen to Biggie a lot. Douglas, our coffee maestro, just listens to that album over and over, which means we hear that song a lot. Despite the fact we listen to it so much, I still love it. It comes on halfway through the day and it’s always a head-bopper.
Feeling inspired? Jack’s also shared two great recipes…
Summer Vegetables, Straciatella And Walnut Vinaigrette
Bring a pan of (pasta-level) salty water to a boil, add the bobby beans for 30 seconds, then add the peas and broad beans for a further 30 seconds, and shock all in a bowl of ice water.
For the stracciatella, shred the mozzarella thoroughly by hand and mix with double cream in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt to taste and lemon zest as needed.
For the dressing, combine the garlic, elderflower cordial, chardonnay vinegar, salt and black pepper in a jug, give it a thorough mix.
Slowly trickle both oils through the mixture while blending with a stick blender (you can also do this with a whisk in a bowl if you mix vigorously) until emulsified.
To plate, generously spoon the curd onto a plate. Dress the beans and peas in the dressing, stirring thoroughly to coat everything. Add a 10ml splash of warm water to help with this and give the dressing body.
Garnish with crushed toasted walnuts and some fresh herbs. I like a mix of oxalis and nasturtium, but mint or large bits of oregano also work well.
Clams, Preserved Lemon And Miso
This is one of those dishes that feels a bit more impressive than the effort involved. The clams are steamed in apple juice with miso, preserved lemon, chilli and courgette, creating a rich, savoury sauce with plenty of acidity and a gentle kick. It’s ideal for sharing, especially with plenty of crusty bread or chips for mopping up the sauce. I’d serve it as the centrepiece of a relaxed dinner with a few simple sides.
Purge the clams. Submerge the clams in cold water with a pinch of salt and gently mix them around. Leave them to sit for 20 minutes, then drain and repeat the process with fresh salted water.
Blend the shallots, garlic and chilli into a fine paste.
Finely chop the preserved lemons and set aside.
To prepare the base, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat.
Add the shallot, garlic and chilli paste, along with a small pinch of salt. Cook gently until the mixture is soft and translucent, being careful not to colour it.
Add the courgette, miso & preserved lemon.
Coarsely grate the courgette into a colander using a box grater.
Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then add the courgette to the pan along with the miso and chopped preserved lemon.
Cook over a low-to-medium heat until the mixture begins to stick slightly to the bottom of the pan.
Add the drained clams to steam and pour in the apple juice.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until all the clams have opened.
Discard any clams that remain closed.
Finish and serve by spooning the clams into bowls or onto a large sharing plate.
Add the single cream to the sauce, and adjust the seasoning with salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Spoon the sauce over the clams and serve with crusty bread or chips.
Follow @GoodbyeHorsesLdn | @JackCoggins_
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