THAT OLD WHITE MAGIC

MARCO PIERRE WHITE'S CANTEEN CUISINE: PART TWO; What is the secret of Marco Pierre White's success? In this, the second of three exclusive extracts from his new book, he divulges some of the main-course recipes that have made him the youngest ever three-star chef

MARCO Pierre White became the youngest chef ever to win three Michelin stars earlier this year. At the same time he became the first Englishman to win the world-famous accolade.

To savour his cooking, you might have to give an arm and a leg to eat at The Restaurant, in the Hyde Park Hotel, Knightsbridge (though he does do a pounds 29 set lunch), or pay a more modest sum at The Canteen, which he opened with partner Michael Caine in Chelsea Harbour. Or, as a reader of the Independent on Sunday, you can follow our exclusive series based on his cooking, published here over three weeks. Here, in week two, we look at Marco's approach to main courses.

You may choose to be ambitious and try to follow the master all the way, with his sometimes elaborate steps, accompaniments, sauces and garnishes, or you can take Marco's advice and vary them to you liking. The photographs offer exciting suggestions for presentation, a level of sophistication that might be a bit much at home. Marco is first to recognise the gap between a restaurant kitchen and home: express yourself in your own way, he says. He believes you should follow the cooking techniques but vary the ingredients to suit you taste and pocket. For example, you can use chicken instead of veal stock, which can be hard to get (though some supermarkets sell it in cartons).

Here, then, are a selection of Marco's masterpieces - all well within the range of an enthusiastic amateur cook.

SKATE AU POIVRE, SAUCE LIE DE VIN

A nice twist on steak au poivre, which works very well because skate has sturdy, almost meaty flesh. Insist on only the freshest fish from the fishmonger, with no odour at all.

Serves 4

4 x 450g/1lb skate wings

100ml/312fl oz vegetable oil

25g/1oz white peppercorns, crushed

salt and freshly ground white pepper

25g/1oz unsalted butter

To serve: 24 baby leeks

25g/1oz unsalted butter

1 quantity sauce lie de vin (see basic recipes on page 57)

Trim off the knuckle of the skate, and cut around the outside with a pair of scissors to remove the skirt.

Heat a non-stick pan (or pans) containing the vegetable oil. Pass the skate wings through the peppercorns, to get a good coating on both sides. Season, and pan-fry in the oil. This will take approximately 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the wings. Halfway through cooking, add the butter, which will help the browning. Turn the skate over for the last two or three minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, trim the leeks. Cook in boiling salted water until nearly tender. Whilst hot, cut into 4cm/112in lozenges. Melt the butter in a pan, gently toss the leeks in it, and season.

Having pre-prepared the sauce lie de vin (see page 57), heat the sauce through gently.

To serve skate au poivre, place the leeks at the top of the plate and the skate wings below them. Put a small ring of sauce around them.

ROAST RUMP OF LAMB

WITH SAUCE PALOISE

A rump of lamb is the equivalent of rump steak. Here it is roasted in a very hot oven for only 15 minutes, until medium rare. If you're very ambitious, you may serve it with some or all of Marco's accompaniments: a lamb gravy, a garlic confit and a minty hollandaise sauce called paloise, a pleasing complement to lamb,

Serves 4

4 x 225g/8oz rumps of lamb

salt and freshly ground white pepper

100ml/312fl oz vegetable oil

25g/1oz unsalted butter

For the lamb sauce: 500ml/16fl oz (a scant pint) lamb stock

sprig of thyme

small knob of butter

salt and freshly ground white pepper

To serve: 8 baby fennel bulbs, trimmed

12 baby leeks, trimmed

12 fine asparagus tips

12 baby carrots, trimmed

50g/2oz unsalted butter

a pinch of caster sugar

12 cloves confit of garlic (see basic recipes on page 57)

1 quantity sauce paloise (see basic recipes on page 57)

thyme sprigs

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Season the lamb, then pan-fry in oil, adding the butter during the cooking. Cook in the preheated oven until medium rare - about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and the pan and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the fennel, leeks and asparagus separately in boiling salted water until still crisp, then refresh in iced water. Cook the baby carrots in 25g/1oz of the butter, with a pinch each of salt and sugar and a little water. Allow an emulsion to form around the carrots.

To make the lamb sauce, boil the lamb stock rapidly in a pan to reduce by half. Add the sprig of thyme and leave for 10 minutes to infuse. Check seasoning. Before serving, warm through, beating in the small knob of butter.

Crisp the confit of garlic cloves (see page 57 for pre-preparation) by frying in a dry pan.

For a sauce paloise, most of the preparation will have to be done in advance (see page 57).

To serve: reheat the green vegetables in boiling water, then pass through an emulsion of the remaining butter and a little hot water. Heat the lamb sauce gently. Add the mint leaves to the sauce paloise at the last minute.

Cut the lamb into thin slices, 10 per rump, and arrange on the plate in a semi-circle. Arrange the vegetables haphazardly over the lamb. Pour the lamb sauce around and serve the paloise separately. Garnish with thyme.

MAGRET OF DUCK WITH BLACK OLIVES

The idea behind this dish is simplicity itself - duck breast with a layer of black olive puree inserted between skin and flesh, roasted in a hot oven for no more than five minutes. The garnishes are Marco's own but, as he points out, you can vary them to your taste. The creamed cabbage would go with many a rich main course. Goose fat confers the most unctuous flavour but you can use chicken fat (saved from making stock) or butter or olive oil if you don't have it (some delicatessens sell it in tins).

Serves 4

4 x 175-200g/6-7oz magrets (duck breasts)

175g/6oz pureed black olives (keep the stones)

25g/1oz goose fat

salt and freshly ground white pepper

For the creamed cabbage: 1 Savoy cabbage

1 large carrot

50g/2oz peeled celeriac

50g/2oz smoked streaky bacon

50g/2oz goose fat

100ml/312fl oz double cream

To serve: 1 quantity red wine sauce (see basic recipes on page 57)

2 tablespoons double cream

25g/1oz hard unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Chill the duck breasts well. Remove excess fat with a sharp knife. Make a slight incision using a sharp, thin knife and form a pocket between fat and flesh. Place the pureed olives in a piping bag and lightly fill the pocket on each breast. Do not overfill, as it will begin to run out when cooked. Chill until ready to cook.

To cook the creamed cabbage, discard the outer leaves and cut the remainder of the cabbage into baton-sized strips. Peel the carrot, and cut it and the celeriac into thick julienne strips. Cut the bacon into lardons.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat a third of the goose fat and saute the lardons of bacon. When they start to colour, add the carrot and celeriac, cook for a few minutes, drain into a colander.

Place the pan back on the heat, add half the remaining goose fat, and cook the cabbage in it for a few minutes. Remove and add to the bacon, carrot and celeriac.

Pan-fry the duck in the goose fat, sealing it on both sides, then cook skin-side down for five minutes in preheated oven. Remove and allow to rest for five minutes. Meanwhile, put half the pre-prepared red wine sauce (see page 57) into a small pan, add the olive stones to it, and gently reduce by half. Add the rest of the sauce, and the cream, and whisk in the butter. Sieve.

Reheat the cabbage in the remaining goose fat and season to taste. Pour in the double cream, and reduce lightly just to coat.

To serve: place the cabbage at the top of the plate. Arrange the duck, either whole or sliced thinly into about 12 pieces, below the cabbage, and pour the sauce all around. Be very careful with the salt, as the olives will have easily enough to season the duck.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH HERBS, POMMES FONDANT, JUS ROTI

The secret of roasting poultry and game birds is to seal them and roast them hot and quick, says Marco. In the photograph (left), he has served his chicken with pommes fondant; these potatoes go well with poultry, lamb and steak.

Serves 4

2 x 1.35kg/3lb chickens

salt

freshly ground white pepper

100ml/312fl oz vegetable oil

For the herb farce: 100g/4oz unsalted butter

100g/4oz chopped parsley

40g/I12oz breadcrumbs

To serve: 24 baby leeks, trimmed

25g/1oz unsalted butter

16 small banana-shaped pommes fondant (see above)

1 quantity jus roti (see basic recipes on page 57)

12 cloves confit of garlic (see basic recipes on page 57)

20g/34oz each of coarsely chopped chervil, tarragon and chives

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the herb farce, mix all the ingredients together, and season. Place in a piping bag.

Remove legs, wings, neck and wishbones from the chickens. Pipe the farce between the skin and flesh of the breasts, and smooth out evenly. Season, and seal carefully in a hot pan in the oil. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carefully removing the breasts from the bone.

To make the pommes fondant, line a heavy pan with 100g/4oz unsalted butter, diced. Fit four medium potatoes, trimmed to your chosen shape and in as many pieces as you want. Season, and pour on 50ml/2fl oz water. Cook over a low heat, 15 minutes each side, till browned. They can be made an hour in advance to let the butter soak in.

Meanwhile blanch the leeks in boiling water, and cut into 5cm/2in pieces.

Before serving reheat leeks in an emulsion of the butter and a little water. Heat through the pommes fondant and jus roti. Crisp the confit of garlic cloves (see page 57) in a dry pan.

To serve: place a chicken breast at the bottom of the plate, and the leeks, potatoes and garlic at the top. Put the chopped herbs into the sauce and pour this around.

Chef's note: be careful with the temperature of the oven. It must not be too hot, or the stuffing will shoot out as the chicken skin shrinks.

ROAST WOOD PIGEON, PERFUME OF CEPS, WHITE TRUFFLE OIL

Marco buys French pigeons - he believes only the French know about poultry breeding. They take only 12 minutes to roast. The consomme (perfume of ceps) is made in 20 minutes using the pigeon carcasses and chicken wings for extra body. A few magical touches, and the humble pigeon becomes a dish fit for a king.

Serves 4

4 x 225g/8oz wood pigeons

salt and freshly ground white pepper

vegetable oil

For the perfume of ceps: 100g/4oz chicken wings

1 carrot, diced

peelings from celeriac, thoroughly washed and diced (see below)

1 onion, peeled and diced

1.2 litres/2 pints chicken stock

1 bay leaf

I sprig thyme

2 egg whites

25g/1oz dried ceps

To serve: 2 carrots

1 small celeriac, peeled (use washed skin in the perfume of ceps)

50g/2oz fresh green beans

1 baby leek

25ml/1fl oz truffle oil

Remove the legs, wings, wishbones and undercarriages from the pigeons. You are left with a double breast on the ribcage.

To make the perfume of ceps (a consomme) chop the chicken wings, two of the discarded pigeon carcasses and trimmings, and in a thick-bottomed pan in a little vegetable oil, saute them until golden brown. Add the diced vegetables and colour these as well. Add the chicken stock and herbs, and bring to the boil. Skim and lightly season, then simmer for 20 minutes, skimming regularly and allowing to reduce slightly. Pass the liquid through a muslin cloth and leave to cool.

Blitz the egg whites and dried ceps in a blender until the egg is frothy and the ceps are ground down. Place in a thick-bottomed pan with a little ice and slowly whisk in the cold stock. Place on the stove, bring to the boil and gently whisk regularly. As it comes to the boil, whisk well and allow to settle and form a crust. Do not boil from this point, but simmer gently.

Season lightly with salt and pepper and allow the stock to reduce to approx 600ml/1 pint. Pass through a muslin cloth. The liquid should be perfectly clear and intensely flavoured.

Now preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Season the pigeons and pan-fry in a little oil to colour nicely on both breasts, then place in the oven and roast for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for four or five minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the garnish vegetables. Cut the carrots and celeriac into batons, and top and tail the green beans. Cut baby leeks down to about 5cm/2in in length. Blanch the vegetables in boiling salted water and refresh in cold water.

To serve: heat up the perfume of ceps, then add the garnish vegetables. Spoon into a soup plate, spreading the stock and vegetables evenly. Remove the pigeon breasts from the bone and place on top of the vegetables. Drop a little truffle oil over the meat and stock.

RED MULLET, COUSCOUS, COULIS OF RED PEPPERS

Its ruby skin makes mullet one of the most appealing fish to serve, not least when set in a puddle of red pepper coulis. The moist earthiness of the mullet and the dry sweetness of the peppers are an inspired combination.

Serves 4

4 x 225g/8oz red mullet, scaled, filleted and pin-boned

salt and freshly ground white pepper

25g/1oz plain flour

100ml/312fl oz olive oil

For the red pepper coulis: 3 red peppers

50ml/2fl oz olive oil

50g/2oz unsalted butter

To serve: 1 quantity couscous (see basic recipes below); 20 basil leaves; vegetable oil for deep-frying

First make the coulis. Skin the peppers: deep-fry or roast until the skin starts to blister. Place in a bowl and cover with clingfilm. Allow to cool. Peel and remove seeds. Place most of the flesh in a processor and blend to a puree. Add the olive oil and butter, blend again, then pass through a fine strainer. Chop the remaining red pepper into tiny dice, and add to the coulis.

Start to heat through the couscous, and deep-fry the basil leaves in the hot oil. The oil temperature must be no more than 130C/266F in order to keep the leaves green; if hotter than that, the leaves will turn brown. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and keep warm.

To cook the fish, coat the fillets in seasoned flour, then pan-fry them in most of the olive oil until they are cooked - about 2 minutes or so on the skin side, 1 minute on the other.

To serve: place the couscous in a ring mould and press down on each plate. Place two mullet fillets on top, brush with olive oil, and garnish with basil leaves. Pour coulis all around.

SAUCE LIE DE VIN

This is a very good and versatile fish sauce, which is ideal for serving with salmon, turbot, John Dory, red mullet, and sea bass.

Serves 4

2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced

160g/534oz unsalted butter

650ml/22fl oz red wine

85ml/3fl oz ruby port

250ml/9fl oz fish stock (see recipe last week)

250ml/9fl oz veal stock, if available, or chicken stock

12 star anise

50ml/2fl oz double cream

salt

freshly ground white pepper

Sweat the sliced shallots in 15g/12oz of the butter until they are softened, but without colouring. Add the wine and the port, and boil to reduce by about two-thirds.

In another pan, boil the fish and veal stocks with the star anise to reduce by half. Add the stock reduction to the wine and port reduction. Boil together for about five minutes, then pass through a muslin cloth into yet another pan. Add the cream, and return to the stove. Dice the remaining butter and whisk it into the sauce. Season according to taste.

RED WINE SAUCE

This can be prepared in advance and finished with the butter at the last moment. It is good with eggs, fish, poultry, meat or game; use a stock appropriate to the main ingredient.

Serves 4

500ml/17fl oz red wine

100ml/312fl oz port

500ml/17fl oz appropriate stock

50g/2oz hard unsalted butter, diced

Pour the red wine and port into a saucepan and boil to reduce by one- third. Boil the stock down to reduce it to a good coating consistency, lightly coating the back of a wooden spoon. Add the red wine and port reduction and the butter dice, and allow to melt in.

CONFIT OF GARLIC

These garlic cloves make a good garnish for a number of dishes, both fish and meat. Make in advance, a day at the most.

Serves 4

12-16 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

goose fat to cover

2 bay leaves

2 small sprigs thyme

Half fill a small saucepan with the goose fat, and then place on the stove until the temperature reaches about 90C/194F.

Add the bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Bring the fat back to about 80C/176F. Cook at this temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

After 20 minutes, check to see if the garlic is tender to the touch. If it is, remove from the heat and allow to cool in the fat. Store in the goose fat in the fridge. To serve, remove from the fat, and fry in a dry pan to crisp it up.

SAUCE PALOISE

Like a bearnaise, a paloise sauce is a variation on an hollandaise and wonderful with meat.

Serves 4

100ml/312fl oz white wine vinegar

10 white peppercorns, lightly crushed

a few parsley stalks

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

50ml/2fl oz water

1 tablespoon white wine

2 egg yolks

juice of 12 lemon

salt and cayenne pepper

250g/9oz clarified butter, at blood temperature

25 mint leaves and stalks

Using the same techniques as for an hollandaise, put the vinegar, peppercorns, parsley stalks and shallot in a pan and boil to reduce by about half. To turn it into a paloise add several fresh mint stalks. Ideally, leave for 24 hours to infuse, then add the water and wine and strain.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl with the lemon juice, salt and cayenne to taste. Whisk together, then gradually whisk in the strained vinegar reduction until you have a sabayon. The liquid must be added slowly; as it deflates the egg yolks it actually strengthens them.

After 10 minutes or so of whipping, put the bowl over a bain-marie, and add the melted butter gradually. Whip until all the butter has been added and you have a good emulsion. The sauce should be thick and to the ribbon (when the lifted whisk leaves a ribbon-like trail on the surface of the sauce). The sauce can stand for up to two hours if kept in the bowl in a bain-marie, with the water not exceeding 50C/122F. Finally, for a paloise, add 25 very finely chopped mint leaves before serving.

JUS ROTI

Jus roti is a restaurant recipe, easy for a kitchen brigade but an effort for a home cook. Substitute your own meat gravy if you want, but for the record Marco makes it as follows: roast a shoulder of lamb (or six chicken legs) at 275F/140C/ Gas 1 for 112-2 hours. Bring to the boil in 400ml of stock (half chicken, half veal) and 200ml of water. Turn off heat, remove meat and wrap in clingfilm. Squeeze out the juices into the liquid. Skim fat off the liquid, reduce by boiling to a syrupy consistency.

COUSCOUS

This can be served as above or cold as a salad.

Serves 4

300g/11oz quick couscous

150ml/5fl oz chicken stock

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

14 cucumber, diced

4 shallots, peeled and diced

100ml/312fl oz olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 teaspoon each of chopped mint and coriander

Place the couscous in a bowl and pour over the boiling chicken stock. Mix so the couscous is moistened and swells. Mix in the pepper, cucumber and shallot dice, olive oil and lemon juice, and season. Mix in the herbs.

NEXT WEEK: THE ART OF DESSERTS