Tom Hayes: These three dishes helped shaped my career

Guest chef Tom Hayes shares some of his most impactful recipes

Braised Rabbit and Borotti, Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler, and Garden Vegetables with Champagne Sauce

There was an extra treat this week for the 12-Week Certificate Course students: guest chef Tom Hayes of Almost Anywhere, enchanted the group by passing on a variety of the techniques and dishes that have shaped his career.

It was all the more interesting for them because Tom is an alumnus who sat in those exact chairs in the demonstration room in 2021. it’s always fascinating to hear how the alumni use the skills they learn here to earn their living, could be as a chef, restaurateur, cookery writer, caterer, product developer, TV cook, etc.

Tom shared his story. After the course he went on to work at the famous River Café in London, then onto Copenhagen where he spent several months at Surt and Øens Have, who also have an urban farm in the city. In 2024, he returned to Ireland to found Mowgli, now Almost Anywhere, which alludes to the fact that he will pop up almost anywhere around the globe to create unique food experiences centred on seasonal ingredients, local products and thoughtful hospitality: from Liguria to Burgundy in the French countryside and Utah in the US. Cooking over fire on the cliffs at Ballyandreen or in the woods at Inish Beg in West Cork. He’s off to north Wales next.

Menu

• Garden Vegetables with Champagne Sauce
• Flatbreads with Boyne Valley Bán and Mint
• Cavatelli with Courgettes and Parmesan
• Braised Rabbit and Borlotti on Toast
• Bouillabaisse
• Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler with Crème Anglaise.

He served young artichokes from the garden with a Champagne sauce, followed by flatbreads with Boyne Valley Bán cheese and fresh mint.

There was also a feisty bouillabaisse made from fresh fish and shellfish from the boats in Ballycotton. He whipped up a fresh pasta dough in minutes and showed the students how to make curly cavatelli on a cavatelli board or a ridged butter bat. These were served with chilli and basil courgettes and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

The main course was braised rabbit and borlotti beans on toast followed by a dessert of a strawberry and rhubarb cobbler with crème anglaise — divine.

Tom, originally from Cavan who played football for his county, eventually chose professional cooking after he had completed a commerce degree and a masters in food business from UCD‘s Smurfit School of Economics. After a few years on the stove in top kitchens, he decided to become a roaming chef. He hosted all manner of exciting culinary events from intimate pop-up dinners, farm to table suppers, feasts in castles, to long table dinners in barns and greenhouses.

Some are private events, others are open to the public, always collaborating with local producers, all fun, seasonal and delicious.

Follow his escapades on @almostanywhere_ on Instagram. Meanwhile, here’s a taste of some of Tom’s delicious dishes which he kindly shared.

Tom Hayes’s Garden Vegetables with Champagne Sauce

Tom would serve young artichokes from the garden with a Champagne sauce, followed by flatbreads with Boyne Valley Bán cheese and fresh mint.

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic, broken into unpeeled cloves

• 250ml Champagne or dry sparkling wine

• 100g anchovies

• 250g cubed butter

• Maldon sea salt

• 1 lemon

• 750g garden vegetables (whatever is in season at the time, courgettes, asparagus, chard, broad beans etc)

Method

1. Add the garlic cloves to a saucepan with your champagne. Reduce the wine to around 100ml.

2. Pass this through a sieve to remove the garlic. Add the anchovies to the champagne and dissolve them into the liquid on a low heat. Use a hand blender to assist you, ensuring the anchovies are completely broken down. Next, on a low heat, whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Season with salt and lemon juice to taste.

3. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil.

4. Next, blanch the vegetables in the salted water for 1 minute until it holds a slight resistance to touch. Drain and season immediately.

5. To serve, place the vegetables unceremoniously on top of a pool of champagne sauce.

Tom Hayes’s Braised Rabbit and Borlotti on Toast

Guest chef Tom Hayes shares his recipe for Braised Rabbit and Borlotti on Toast

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 whole rabbit

• 50ml olive oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 100g pancetta lardons

• 1 head of fennel, cut into wedges

• 500ml dry white wine

• 1 whole chilli

• 1 head of garlic

• 2 lemons, zested

• 1 small bunch bay leaves

• 1 bunch thyme

• 1 bunch of rosemary

• 1 bunch sage

• 500g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight in cold water and then drained (or fresh if it is the season!)

• To serve

• 1 loaf of sourdough

• 100g lardo thinly sliced

Method

1. Begin by jointing the rabbit.

2. Add the olive oil to your pan. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. On a high heat, colour each piece of the rabbit, remove these and place them in a casserole dish. Next, add the pancetta lardons and fennel. Colour the vegetables and add them to the casserole dish. Deglaze the pan with the wine and add all of this along with the chilli, garlic, lemon zest, herbs and borlotti to the casserole dish.

3. You can top this up with a bit of water to ensure the beans are well covered. Cover the dish with a cartouche and a lid. Place in a pre-heated 180°C/Gas Mark 4 oven for 2 hours, until the rabbit easily comes from the bone and the beans retain no bite. Season to taste.

4. Keep the shoulders and legs of the rabbit on the bone. You can pick the meat from the rest of the carcass and toss through the beans.

5. To serve

6. Warm two slices of sourdough under the grill of your oven. Pour over the beans with some of the liquor. Place a rabbit leg on top along with two slices of lardo.

Tom Hayes’s Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler with Crème Anglaise

The basic Crème Anglaise is usually flavoured with vanilla but can be made with any number of other ingredients

Servings

6

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the cobbler topping

• 500g plain flour

• 350g cubed cold butter

• 100g caster sugar

• 250g buttermilk

• 1kg strawberries

• 500g rhubarb

• 200g sugar

• egg wash and Demerara sugar for coating

• For the Crème Anglaise

• 600ml milk

• vanilla pod or other alternative flavouring

• 6 egg yolks

• 50g sugar

Method

1. First make the cobbler topping.

2. Combine the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs. At this stage add the sugar and mix through. Add the buttermilk and mix until it combines to become a dough. Place in the fridge to keep chilled.

3. Chop the rhubarb into pieces 2.5-5cm in size and toss through the sugar. Place in a baking tray or lasagne dish 31cm x 23cm wide. Using a spoon or an ice-cream scoop, shape chunks of the buttermilk dough into semi-spherical structures to rest on top of the filling. Cover the entire tray like this.

4. Egg wash the crust and sprinkle some Demerara sugar over the top.

5. Bake at 170°C/Gas Mark 3 degrees for 30 minutes until golden. Check that the rhubarb is tender and fully cooked.

6. Serve the entire tray to your guests with a dollop of crème anglaise in the centre.

7. For the Crème Anglaise

8. Bring the milk almost to the boil with the vanilla pod. In a Pyrex bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and light. Whisk in the hot milk in a slow and steady stream. Replace in a clean saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly. Your finger should leave a clear trail when drawn across the back of the spoon – the temperature should achieve 82°C on a thermometer.

9. Remove from the heat at once and strain. Cool, cover tightly and chill. The custard can be kept for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

10. Note: The mixture is replaced in a clean saucepan to avoid the mixture catching on the bottom of the pan).

Seasonal Journal

Wells Food Fest, Co Wexford, July 2

Authentic street food and Victorian elegance might sound like an odd pairing, but the Wells Food Fest makes it work. Take in the pristine grounds of Wells House and Gardens while you do a lap of the food market, which includes over 200 Irish producers showcasing everything from local charcuterie to Wexford-made cider. There will be several live cooking demos throughout the day, as well as live music.

• wellshouse.ie

Book of the Week

I’m loving Donna Henry’s Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt. Donna is such a beautiful cook, packed from cover to cover with gorgeous fresh tasting dishes, and lots designed to inspire effortless entertaining – sailing into lunch, summer in bloom, there’s no party like a taco party, coasting grazing…published by 4th Estate.

Eat Your Garden by Harry Holding

Another gem for those of you who want to grow some of your own food.

This book comes from a different angle: Harry explores global food production, the challenges, solutions and soil conditions and several very interesting case students. Winner of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘People’s Choice Award’. Published by Chelsea Green.