17th April 2015
Interview: Killian Fox
Photographs: Emile Dinneen
Teeling whiskey »
“Irish whiskey is very good right now. One of my new favourites is Teeling. It’s really easy drinking and their single grain is just lovely.” – Reuven
Oleum flumen de Finca olive oil »
“We were in Barcelona one year and went to a lovely restaurant called Cinq Sentis and they had this oil from Catalonia as the first course on their tasting menu. I was sceptical but I was blown away. It’s got that crisp, clean grassiness – like sitting on a freshly-cut lawn. We tracked down the supplier, Marti, and asked if we could stock it and use it. Then last year he came over and visited us with his two daughters. Amazing man, not much English, but his passion for olive oil came through. We drizzle it on our little chocolate pots, and fish as well. It is a high-end item but we love it so much that we slap it on everything.” – Jeni
Soler Romero white balsamic vinegar »
“This one I love. In the summertime, if there’s a salad moment happening, you can use a little bit of olive oil and a little bit of this and your dressing is done.” – Jeni
Fernando de Castilla brandy »
“The other evening I was home and wanted a nightcap but there wasn’t any whiskey in the house so I took a little sip of this. I’m not a big brandy fan but literally my eyes widened. It’s really incredible.” – Jeni
Newgrange Gold camelina oil »
“We did a launch for them up at their farm two or three years ago. The guy who makes it is John Rogers, who was the attorney general of Ireland at some point. We did a little spiced tomato water with the oil drizzled on top. It was a hit. Put it on tomato salad with a little bit of salt.” – Jeni
Ngon Lam fried-chilli oil (Tuong Ot Phi Dau) »
“We’re big-time chilli fans in this house. There’s dried chillies, always fresh chillies, various incarnations of oils, pastes and potions. But this one was a random purchase from the Asia Market and it was one of those where we struck gold. It’s got a very savoury South East Asian fermenty vibe. It’s great on noodles and fried eggs. It’s dangerous though, just use a tiny drop.” – Jeni
Ortiz anchovies »
“We love all the cured fish from Ortiz. You don’t even want to open the tin, it’s so beautiful.” – Reuven
Solaris lapsang souchong tea »
“Solaris is a brilliant tea maker from Galway.” – Reuven
ROK espresso coffee maker »
“This is a great little gadget that allows you to make an espresso-style coffee with just the force of your hands. We use it more than the Aeropress but probably less than the cafetière.” – Jeni
Lemon reamer »
“The one thing I can’t live without is the lemon reamer – for salad dressings and all of that.” – Jeni
Japanese Knife Company knives »
“For me, the important things are a decent knife and a pair of chopsticks. I get my knives in this place in London – in Soho, up some steps, and there’s just this dude there, that’s all he does. Chefs come by with bags to get their knives sharpened or fixed.” – Reuven
Terry O’Brien cheeseboard »
“There’s a local wood-carver guy who makes lovely boards for us – we stock them at the bakery as well.” – Jeni
The Complete Nose to Tail, Fergus Henderson »
“I really like the Fergus Henderson books. I like how he cooks, the simplicity (and the dressing we’re having today is a spin on his simple dijon dressing). Any time we go to London, we try to eat at St John Bread & Wine. It’s lovely there.” – Jeni
Eat, Nigel Slater »
“I like Nigel Slater and this fast-food book is just really handy for inspiration. I like his attitude: here’s this but if you happen to have a few other things, that’s good too.” – Jeni
How I Cook, Skye Gyngell »
Recipes for home cooking by acclaimed Australian chef, previously of Petersham Nurseries, now at Spring in central London.
Blood, Bones and Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton »
“This is one of the best books if you’re just looking for something to read. It’s by the woman who has the restaurant Prune in New York. It’s really really good.” – Jeni
Noma, Rene Redzepi »
“Like the elBulli book, it’s unlikely you’ll ever cook anything from it but it’s nice to have.” – Jeni
Inside Jess Murphy’s Kitchen – The chef-owner of Kai picks out an award-winning local beer, a pioneering plant-based cookbook and perhaps the most coveted kitchen item in Ireland
Inside Mitch Tonks’ Kitchen – The seafood master picks out his favourite anchovy brand, the "original and best" pepper mill, and the book he taught himself to cook from
Inside Louise McGuane’s Kitchen – The whiskey bonder picks out some very good local beer, an Irish whiskey-tasting glass named after a mythological race, and her favourite food website
Inside Gill Meller’s Kitchen – The chef and author picks out a good local sea salt, his parents' aluminium egg poacher and the cookbook that opened his eyes to real food and cooking