Starter
English onion soup with chanterelles with thyme Chantilly, served with a small Comté toastie
Main
Runner bean stew with roasted monkfish
Dessert
Walnut and caramel tart, persimmon sorbet
English onion soup, thyme Chantilly, Comté toastie
English onion soup with chanterelles and thyme chantilly is a signature autumn dish created by Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard at his London restaurant, Elystan Street. Rather than using traditional French Gruyère croutons, this refined version pairs a deeply savory onion and cider broth with sautéed wild chanterelles, a savory thyme-infused whipped cream, and a small toasted Comté sandwich on the side.
ingredients:
- 1kg yellow or white onions
- 100g unsalted butter
- 250ml Breton cider
- 1,5L chicken or dark vegetable stock
- 200g chanterelle mushrooms
- 250ml whipping cream
- Generous bunch of thyme
- Salt, pepper
Dish Overview & Key Elements
- English Onion & Cider Base: Unlike classic French onion soup that relies on dry white wine and beef stock, Phil Howard sweats sliced onions slowly to maintain their structure and sweet flavour, deglazing with dry Breton cider (Cidre Breton) for bright acidity and depth.
- Golden Chanterelles: Wild chanterelle mushrooms are sautéed separately until golden and folded into or spooned over the soup, adding a meaty, peppery autumn earthiness.
- Thyme Chantilly: Heavy whipping cream is infused with fresh thyme leaves, chilled, and softly whipped into a savoury Chantilly that melts gently into the hot broth at the table.
- Comté Toastie: In place of a submerged cheese crouton, the dish is traditionally accompanied by a crisp, miniature toasted Comté sandwich for dipping. Recipe not provided.
Method:
1. Sweat the Onions: Slowly cook 1 kg thinly sliced brown or yellow onions in 50 g unsalted butter with a pinch of salt over low heat for 35–45 minutes until sweet, tender, and lightly golden without burning.
- Build the Broth: Deglaze the pan with 250 ml dry cider (such as Cidre Breton) and reduce by half. Pour in 1.2 liters of rich chicken, veal, or dark vegetable stock and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes. Season to taste.
- Infuse the Thyme Chantilly: Gently warm 250 ml heavy whipping cream with a generous bunch of fresh thyme sprigs, remove from the heat, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain, chill completely, season with a pinch of sea salt, and whisk to soft peaks just before serving.
- Sauté the Chanterelles: Clean 200 g fresh chanterelles and fry them quickly in foaming butter over high heat with salt and pepper until golden brown.
- Serve: Ladle the hot onion soup into warm bowls, scatter the sautéed chanterelles on top, add a quenelle or dollop of the cold thyme Chantilly, and serve immediately alongside a warm Comté cheese toastie.
Runner bean stew with roasted monkfish
This hearty and vibrant dinner is a true celebration of bean season. There are so many fresh varieties growing as we head into autumn, so here we are showcasing runner, borlotti and French beans into this sumptuous stew. Paired with herby, pancetta-wrapped monkfish, this is super special!
ingredients:
for the bean stew
- olive oil
- ½ a bunch of fresh mint (15g)
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 fresh red chilli
- 2 teaspoons baby capers
- 2 anchovy fillets in oil, from sustainable sources
- 1 leek
- 400g fresh borlotti beans (podded weight)
- 250ml rosé wine
- 1kg baby potatoes
- 2 x 400g tins of quality plum tomatoes
- 200g runner beans
- 200g yellow and green French beans
For the monkfish
- 2 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon
- 1 x 350g monkfish tail fillet, skinned, trimmed, from sustainable sources
- 12 slices of higher-welfare smoked pancetta
- 30g Parmesan cheese
method:
- Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large non-stick casserole pan over a medium heat, pick in the mint leaves and fry for 1 minute, or until crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper, then set aside.
- Peel and finely slice the garlic, trim and finely slice the chilli and add to the mint-infused oil with the capers and anchovies. Halve, wash, and finely slice the white part of the leek and stir into the pan, saving the darker tops for another day.
- Tip the borlotti beans directly into the pan, turn up the heat to medium-high, pour in the wine, then add the potatoes, cutting any larger ones into 2cm chunks. Let the wine cook away, then pour in the tomatoes, along with 1 tin’s worth of water, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Feed the runner beans through a bean cutter. If you don’t have one, run a speed-peeler down each side of the bean to get rid of the stringy bits, then cut them at an angle into 3cm pieces. Trim the stalky ends off the French beans, then add all the beans to the pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until thickened and reduced.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
- Pick the leaves from the parsley and 2 rosemary sprigs onto a board. Grate over the lemon zest, then finely chop everything together, until nice and fine. Add a pinch of black pepper, lay the monkfish on top and roll in the rub.
- Drizzle a large piece of greaseproof paper with oil. Lay the pancetta slices on top so they’re overlapping slightly, then finely grate over the Parmesan. Place the monkfish at the bottom end of the pancetta slices so it's lying horizontally across the slices, then gently roll it up, using the greaseproof paper to help you.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in an ovenproof non-stick frying pan on a high heat, then gently add the monkfish.
- As soon as the pancetta starts to sizzle, transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden, crisp and cooked through.
- Baste the monkfish with the juices from the pan, leave to rest, then slice into portions. Serve with your bean stew, topped with crispy mint leaves.
Walnut and Caramel tart
ingredients:
- 1 x 25cm/10in blind baked pastry case
- For the filling
- 115g/4oz salted butter
- 300g/10½oz maple syrup
- 200g/7oz golden syrup
- 4 free-range eggs
- 75g/2½oz demerara sugar
- 15g/½oz cornflour
- 250g/9oz walnuts, roughly chopped
- For the garnish
- 8 walnuts
- 300ml/10fl oz crème fraîche
- 5 tbsp walnut oil
method:
- To make the filling, preheat the oven to 170C/150C/Gas 3. Combine the butter, maple syrup and golden syrup in a saucepan and warm gently until the butter has melted. Whisk together and allow to cool a little, then whisk in the eggs, sugar and cornflour.
- When the mixture is well combined, fold in the walnuts and pour the filling gently into the pastry case. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the mixture has just set.
- To make the garnish, put the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5–10 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Serve a slice of the tart with a spoonful of crème fraîche. Grate some of the toasted walnut over the top, and finish with a drop of walnut oil.
1-Ingredient Frozen Persimmon Sorbet
This method uses the natural high sugar and pectin content of ripe persimmons (such as Hachiya) to create an instant, creamy dessert without adding any sugar or dairy.
- Fruit selection: Use fully ripe, jelly-soft Hachiya persimmons (avoid firm Fuyu varieties).
- Process: Freeze whole ripe persimmons solid, let them thaw slightly for about an hour until soft to the touch, peel away the skin, and scoop or blend the silky pulp directly into a smooth sorbet. Serve in a small bowl along side the tart drizzled with a little maple syrup and grated toasted walnuts.
