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British Airways Taste Team
Michel Roux OBE, The Waterside Inn
Michel started his career at the age of 14 when he was apprenticed to M. Loyal in the Paris district of Belleville.
His career in France culminated with his appointment as Head Chef to Mademoiselle Cecile de Rothschild.
In 1967 he took the decision to come to England to open his own restaurant, Le Gavroche, in Sloane Street and, finally, The Waterside Inn in 1972.
Michel, in partnership with his brother Albert, also assisted their young chefs to start on their own including, Peter Chandler at Paris House and Christian Germain at Château de Montreuil in France, and founded the Roux Scholarship.
Michel concentrated his efforts in Bray and today, with his son Alain, Chef Patron, The Waterside Inn is now an established landmark on the culinary trail in England.
His signature dish is Spanish tortilla with chorizo. A flat tortilla, almost identical to its Italian cousin, the frittata, but is generally thicker and therefore more rustic.
Spanish Tortilla With Chorizo
Ingredients
- 100ml olive oil
- 400g Desiree potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 red onions, roughly chopped
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
- 200g-chorizo sausage, skinned
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped flat parsley leaves
- 6 eggs
Method
- Heat two-thirds of the olive oil in a frying pan, 20-22cm in diameter and about 4cm deep.
- When it is hot, put in the potatoes and cook over a medium heat for 10 mins. Add the onions and salt and continue to cook for another 10 mins or so. In the meantime cut the chorizo into 2cm slices add to the frying pan with the garlic and parsley, mix well without crushing the potatoes and cook for another 2 mins.
- Tip everything onto a plate and leave to cool slightly. Wipe out the frying pan with kitchen paper, ready for cooking the tortilla.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan. Using a spoon mix the eggs delicately into the cooled potato mixture, then pour into the pan. Start cooking over a medium heat, stirring gently every few mins with the side of a fork, as if making an omelette.
- As soon as the eggs are half cooked stop stirring and cook over a very low heat foe 2-3 mins, until the underside of the tortilla is almost cooked. Slide it on to a lightly oiled platter the invert it back into the pan and cook for another 2 mins until both sides are cooked the same and the middle of the tortilla is still soft.
- Slide the tortilla on to a plate and serve it whole or cut into wedges.
Michel Roux’s Tips
- It is equally good served hot, warm or at room temperature, but not chilled.
The British Airways Taste Team
