Charlie Crick Collins, head chef at Eddington’s newly opened KOTA, tells us about his cooking philosophy and shares some sensational seasonal recipes
Delicious things are happening at Eddington, the newly-minted neighbourhood in the north west of the city. As well as regular street food markets and a brilliant bakery (Dulcedo), it’s recently welcomed two further additions to its food scene with cocktail bar Dutch – run by the team behind Mill Road’s 196 – and KOTA, a restaurant from the makers of NOVI. Promising a taste of Finnish-style charcoal cooking, this sleek eatery sits at the heart of the new Turing Locke/Hyatt Centric complex, with a menu that runs from breakfast to dinner.
“KOTA is really based on a social dining concept – building on what we’re already doing at NOVI,” explains head chef Charlie Crick Collins, who was one of the original chefs at NOVI when it opened back in 2015. “It’s all about getting people together to enjoy some nice food in a great atmosphere – and in the middle of it all is our lovely charcoal grill!”
The beloved grill (a top-of-the-range Josper) cooks up prime cuts of meat from Cambridge butchery Malloy’s, while other local suppliers on the roster include Rennet & Rind for cheese, Allotment Bakery for sourdough and Anglia Produce for fresh fruit and veg.
Charlie’s approach is all about letting these fantastic ingredients shine, without too many airs and graces. As he explains: “I’d much rather do an amazing dish with four elements, than a dish with 14. We’re not fine dining at KOTA – we’re approachable and accessible. That doesn’t mean we’re not still going to use the best ingredients or techniques – but we keep it simple. It’s just quality food, cooked in a really nice way!”
The menu is packed with smoky, charred flavours, with dishes including blow-torched mackerel, coal-baked camembert and burnt apple tarte tatin. There are classic crowd-pleasers, too, like rib-eye steaks and parmesan truffle fries. For this month’s recipes, overleaf, Charlie has given a seasonal twist to two KOTA favourites.
“I’ve gone for a roast chicken supreme with potato terrine and roast brussels sprouts, and a ham hock terrine, because I thought they could both work really well over Christmas – they’re nice and seasonal,” he comments.
“I love a ham hock terrine – it’s a great way to start a meal, and we’ve got a recipe for mulled cranberry ketchup to go with it, which cuts through the fattiness of the smoked chicken and the pork beautifully. It all goes really well together.”
As for the chicken dish, Charlie recommends trying a water bath: “It’s a really easy way of getting the texture absolutely perfect. And then with that recipe, you’ve got a bit of a play on a hunter’s chicken – cheese, bacon and chicken: a pub classic – but elevated. For the bacon, we used guanciale, which is cured pig’s jowl, and really gooey, delicious gruyère cheese with the crisp potato – all served with some sprouts to give it a Christmassy feel!”
Keep reading for the step-by-step guide to these two recipes, plus a delectable Christmas cocktail idea.
Ham Hock Terrine
A perfect starter for a Christmas feast, this meaty treat packs a porky punch with fresh veg, smoky chicken and hint of spice
Ingredients
- 2 smoked on-the-bone ham hocks approx 1kg each
- ½ smoked chicken
- 250g shiitake mushroom
- 2 large carrots
- Bunch of curly parsley
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 leek
- 1 garlic bulb
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 peppercorns
- 4 green cardamom pods
- Pinch of cumin
- ½ tsp Moroccan lemon paste
Step-by-Step Guide
1. In a large pot, add everything except the parsley and the chicken. Top up with cold water until the hocks are covered. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. It will take two to four hours for the hocks to cook, depending on size. When the meat falls from the bone, it’s ready.
2. While you wait, chop the parsley. Pick the chicken off the bone and pull into pieces. Add the parsley stalks to the hock pot.
3. Once the hocks are cooked, carefully lift out and allow to cool. You want to pick off all the meat while it’s still hot, but don’t burn yourself. Discard the bone, cartilage, skin and fat.
4. Strain off the remaining stock and pass through a sieve, keeping the liquid. Retain the carrots and shiitake mushrooms to roughly chop.
5. Put about a third of the stock back onto a rolling boil and reduce by two thirds. The leftover smoked ham stock can be used for all sorts of goodness – use for a soup, or freeze for another day.
6. In a large bowl, mix the pulled smoked chicken, chopped parsley, pulled ham hock, chopped carrot and shiitake. Add the wholegrain mustard, cumin, a dash of truffle oil and Moroccan lemon paste.
7. Add enough of the reduced ham stock to make it moist, but not wet.
8. Line your favourite terrine tin, fill with your mix and cover with cling film. Put a weight on top to press it down. Just a piece of cardboard and a few tins of beans will do the trick!
9. Chill overnight and enjoy.
Mulled Cranberry Ketchup
What you need:
- 1kg frozen or fresh cranberries
- 2 apples
- 1 orange – zest and juice
- Sprig of thyme
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 cloves
- 5 pink peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250ml apple juice
- 250ml red wine vinegar
- 250g caster sugar
- 100ml honey
- Splash of brandy
How to make it:
To make, simply add all the ingredients to a pan and reduce until thick. Remove all the hard stuff and blend until smooth!
Roast chicken supreme with potato terrine & brussels sprouts
Give those classic Christmas flavours a shake-up with this oven-crisped indulgence
Ingredients
- 8 chicken supremes
For the potato terrine
- 2kg potato, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 250g clarified butter or chicken fat, melted
- 150g guanciale, sliced
- 250g grated gruyère
- Salt
- 2 tbsp of fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the roast sprouts
- 650g brussels sprouts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Half a bunch of parsley
or chives
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Combine the sliced potato, thyme, pepper and half the butter (or chicken fat). Season with salt.
2. To assemble, choose a good-sized roasting dish and line with baking paper. Start placing the first layer of sliced potato nice and flat – use about a quarter of your total amount. Once you have the bottom layer, pour over some butter or fat. Alternate layers between gruyère and guanciale and potato, a quarter at a time, until everything is used.
3. Squish down. Make sure you’ve used all the melted fat.
4. Cover with baking paper and tinfoil. Bake at 160°C for two hours.
5. Once cooked, cool down with a weight on top and leave in the fridge overnight.
6. Slice to desired thickness and pan fry until crispy.
For the roast sprouts
Prepare sprouts by removing outer leaves and scoring across bottom. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes, remove and place in iced water. When ready to cook, coat in oil, salt and pepper. Place under a hot grill until browned, turning regularly. Coat in herbs to serve.
Roast chicken supreme
1. We use Malloy’s Craft Butchery and ask for their best supremes. This includes the breast and drumsticks of the wing, and can be French trimmed to look extra fancy!
2. Roast chicken under a grill, skin side up until crispy. Once browned, place in a hot oven at 200°C for 12-15 mins – or until the insides reach 75°C.
And to drink? Cinnamon Spiced Espresso Martini
What you need
- 35ml vodka
- 25ml Kahlúa
- 25ml espresso coffee
- 15ml cinnamon spiced sugar syrup
How to make it
Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake super hard for that extra foam. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with powdered cinnamon and three coffee beans.
Now you’ve got the food sorted, time for the gifts! Check out these book recommendations for your foodie friends.
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