Head Chef and co-owner of Michelin-starred Hide restaurant, Ollie Dabbous visited Le Cordon Bleu London to demonstrate two exciting dishes: kohlrabi parcels and barbecued squab pigeon. Ollie is recognised for his experimental and seasonal menus, which focuses on a fine balance of flavours from the freshest ingredients available, saw him redefine the face of British fine dining.

In the demonstration, Ollie was accompanied by Le Cordon Bleu Master Chef Colin Westal who he had worked with at the beginning of his career, as well as Le Cordon Bleu alumnus Marnix Tahon, who graduated with a Grand Diplôme in 2017 and is a former student of Chef Colin.

Ollie first demonstrated kohlrabi parcels with a pear filling and chickweed dressing. He prepared a pine broth for the kohlrabi by boiling water in a pan with white onions, salt and sugar for 30 minutes and then boiled perilla and baby spinach.

For the star of the show Ollie demonstrated a barbecued squab pigeon. He oven roasted in garlic oil at high heat for 3-4 minutes, before barbequing the pigeon for an additional 3 minutes to give it a smokey flavour. He brushed the pigeon with a mix of honey, juniper powder, arctic thyme and roasted caraway seeds. Ollie then made a jus to accompany the pigeon that consisted of sliced shallots, button mushrooms and salt.

As the evening wound down, guests enjoyed tasters of the two dishes demonstrated while asking the chef questions. Having imparted a real insight into his recipe concepts, techniques and experience of working in high-end kitchens, Ollie closed the evening with some final words of inspiration: “Confidence is contagious in a kitchen, but lack of confidence is even more contagious”.

To read the full review and see our upcoming guest chef events like this, visit our culinary conferences and cooking demonstrations page.