Light Collective

©Sanna Fisher Payne

For a recent dinner commissioned by Light Collective for the launch of a range of high-quality LEDs with amazing colour rendering, made by Xicato. We served a five course tasting menu for thirty guests held at the mighty Castle Gibson in Stoke Newington (see Bees & Honey).

The dinner, based around the spectrum of primary colours, was preceded by amazing colour-changing cocktails, made by Robin Fegen of The Robin Collective, and served from a bar within the beautiful and dilapidated house/set adjacent to Castle Gibson.

Below are a few phone pictures from the kitchen during prep and service, followed by some much better images of the plates as they were sent out to the guests, taken by
Sanna Fisher-Payne

Prep
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Red Legged Partridges awaiting their dissection.

Salt-Curing Gilthead Bream, to be served with Beet Spray and Microherbs.

Wild Blueberries, foraged by Amy in the summer. They were destined for a Blueberry Whipped Cream.

Roasting Partridge legs and thighs before slow-braising.

An attempt to make a sheet of Broccoli stem by freezing overlapping slices. In the end they were too thick to adhere to one another.

Grading Viola Flowers for the purple dessert.

The Drinks
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The Robin Collective, and their array of colour-changing drinks. The PH Values of the cocktail ingredients were manipulated to add a magical twist to Margaritas with their "Bizarregarita' and Citron Pressé.

The Courses
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Gilthead Bream cured for ten hours in Rock Salt and Sugar, garnished with Apple Blossom and Amaranth (Scarlet Cress) Leaves. At the table a sauce of Beetroot and Cider Vinegar was  misted onto the plate from an atomiser.

For those not having fish, Flash-Pickled Beetroot and Dawn Apple Slices with garnishes as above.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Saffron infused Yoghurt, Lemon Pudding, Dehydrated Squash Crisps and Freeze-dried Yoghurt Powder.

Partridge breasts cooked en sous-vide with Cavolo Nero Purée and Partridge Jus, and Braised Leg and Thigh meat with blanched Broccoli and Cavolo Nero Tempura.

7 Hr Pork Belly, cooked en sous-vide and seared, with Mashed Blue Potatoes, Alkali-dyed Radishes, Mousseron and Chestnut Mushrooms and Medlar Purée.

Bitter Chocolate and Beetroot Torte with Wild Blueberry Whipped Cream, Viola Flowers and Parma Violet Powder.

The Menu
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(Vegetarian alternative)

  Colour-changing Cocktails
'Bizarregaritas' and Citron Pressé
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  Gilthead Bream | Beetroot | Microleaves
  Dawn Apple | Beetroot | Microleaves
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  Butternut Squash | Yoghurt | Saffron
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  Red-Legged Partridge | Cavolo Nero | Broccoli
   Jerusalem Artichoke | Chervil Root | Broccoli
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  Pork Belly | Blue Potatoes | Radish | Wild Mushroom | Medlar
  Hedgehog Mushroom | Blue Potatoes | Radish | Medlar
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  Bitter Chocolate | Beetroot | Viola

 Suppliers
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Fish
  Moxon's, Dulwich

Vegetables, Fruit, Mushrooms
  Pretty Traditional, Dulwich
  Franklin's Farmshop, Dulwich
  The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, Kent

Microleaves
  Wild Harvest, New Covent Garden Market

Meat
  William Rose Butchers, Dulwich

Edible Flowers
  First Leaf, Pembrokeshire

Steve Wilson (The People's Kitchen) Josh Pollen, Mike Knowlden (Blanch & Shock)

Twitter
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  @blanchandshock
  @lightcollective
  @RobinRadio
  @castlegibson
  @sannafp