From Michelin stars to jerk chicken: Top chef swaps Heston Blumenthal for Caribbean cooking

Ross Clarke has left behind the Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen and joined The Rum Kitchen. He tells Ben Norum how he is whipping up Coq au Ting, putting his mark on the menu, and opening a new ‘bad boy’ restaurant in Brixton
Michelin know-how: New-look jerk chicken at The Rum Kitchen
Ben Norum11 December 2015

A top chef has swapped Michelin stars and molecular cooking for jerk chicken, Jamaican food and rum.

Ross Clarke made his name as a member of Heston Blumenthal’s team in Bray, where he worked at the chef’s Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen.

During his time there he helped design and create dishes for the three Michelin starred restaurant, as well as Heston’s other sites including Dinner in Knightsbridge.

Bar opening a greasy spoon or a kebab shop, it would be hard to think of a new role that was further removed from the £225 a head eatery than the one he’s taken on.

He has joined popular Caribbean mini-chain The Rum Kitchen where he is developing and overseeing a new menu for its current branches in Notting Hill and Soho, as well as helping to launch a new flagship restaurant in Brixton in the new year.

The move isn't as much of a jump as it might sound. Ross previously worked with hot dog and burger restaurant Dirty Bones and he'll be embracing the Rum Kitchen's popular brand of casual cooking as well as introducing some techniques from his time at the Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen.

“The background will remain Caribbean, but there will be influences from across the globe and I’ll be applying a lot of the skills and techniques I’ve learnt from working with Heston,” he explains.

From Michelin to jerk: Ross Clarke

“There’ll be a lot of brining, smoking, slow cooking and sous vide for a start — it will be very intricate and a lot of the processes will be quite scientific.”

"we have devised a Coq au Ting and are looking into jerk ramen and a Caribbean twist on pizza"

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“There will also be a lot of playful dishes, which is something Heston was very big on. First you make sure a dish tastes amazing and then you mess around with it. The trick is to recreate a classic dish in a way that it tastes even better than the original and seems completely different.”

He adds: “At Rum Kitchen we are in the process of devising a Coq au Ting and are also looking into developing jerk ramen and a Caribbean twist on pizza.”

He has also created a burger that combines jerk chicken with sriracha Vietnamese chilli sauce and hoisin mayonnaise.

Fusion food: Jerk chicken burger with sriracha and hoisin mayonnaise

As these dishes testify, his menus won’t be traditional.

“The Rum Kitchen has never been about tradition or authenticity. Caribbean spirit runs through the whole menu, but only around two thirds will be strictly Caribbean. The key principles of Caribbean dishes being sour, hot and with big aromatics will be something that we follow, rather than specific recipes.

It's about refining, rather than changing, the offering: “The kitchens were previously run by people who didn’t have experience of more refined cooking. People loved it, but it was less consistent than it will be going forward."

He adds: “In terms of staff, I have pretty much started from scratch — working here now is perfect for people who want Michelin training without all the fuss associated with it.”

Brixton bad boy

Key to the Rum Kitchen’s overhaul is the launch of its third site, which will arrive on Brixton’s Coldharbour Lane in the new year.

“Brixton will become our big boy restaurant. It will be 2,500 sq ft — around three times the size of our other sites. The kitchen will be kitted out with some modern toys and some more traditional cooking methods, and there’ll also be a few surprises which we’re holding back.”

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Rum will continue to play a big part, and not just at the bar. “Every dish will be matched with three cocktails — one strong, one sour and one fruity, to suit all tastes.”

Despite his confidence, he admits to being nervous about the reception the new site will get, given it will be launching in an area known for its traditional Caribbean food.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of people coming down expecting traditional jerk chicken, and that’s not what they’re going to get. I hope they at least try it and hopefully accept it and enjoy it for what it is.”

The jerk chicken at The Rum Kitchen will be cooked in a water bath for six hours before being finished off over wood.

“We’re not trying to be pretentious in any way,” insists Ross. “We just want to serve the best food we can and to continue to serve the same jerk chicken that everybody loves — but even better.”

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