Welcome back to What’s Cooking, Metro’s food series taking a peek inside the nation’s kitchens.
This week, we’re at home with maître d’ turned television personality, Fred Sirieix – the charming face of Channel 4’s First Dates.
Originally from Limoges in France, the 54-year-old has spent years working front of house in restaurants, helping others have delicious dining experiences, but what does he really like to eat?
The diehard foodie let us raid his fridge, cupboard, and freezer to discover everything from his most unhinged snack obsessions to the one British dish he just can’t stand.
Here’s how it went down…
First, tell us a secret… what’s the most unhinged thing you like to eat?
A lot of French dishes I eat would probably horrify British people – things like snails and frogs.
I also like sweetbreads, but they are quite pricey, so at home, my dad would get lamb’s testicles from the abattoir instead, as they’re not dissimilar in terms of texture and the way they feel in your mouth.
It takes 24 hours to prepare them as you have to marinate them, remove the membrane around the testes, and then fry them with garlic, parsley, and loads of butter.
But it’s worth the work. At 8 am, it’s the best breakfast; they taste very good.
What food instantly transports you back to your childhood?
Lapin à la moutarde with French fries, which is rabbit with a mustard sauce.
My mum makes it all the time, and hers is the best version of the dish I’ve ever had, better than in all these fancy restaurants with stars.
Name one item that’s always in your fridge…
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I love butter and always have a lot of it in my fridge, but it might surprise people that it’s not usually French butter; it’s Kerrygold.
There are lots of French butters that I love, but Kerrygold is one that I can go and buy at the supermarket easily and is always good quality.
I like it because it’s very rich, very creamy and very salty. I think it’s even saltier than the French butter you can get here.
What about in the freezer?
Frozen croissants, pain au chocolat, and pain au raisin. I buy pre-made ones, as they’re too much work to make.
Every now and then, I get up, and I feel naughty, so I put one in the oven, and then this is my breakfast.
And something that has to be in your store cupboard at all times?
I’m a brand ambassador for Knorr, so I’ve got all the stock cubes and stock pots in my cupboard. They’re something my mum used in her cooking when I was growing up. I would be behind her in the kitchen when she was making dinner, and see her add them to dishes, it’s how she taught me to cook.
They’re such a simple hack for enhancing flavour, and you can also use them to make a very easy risotto. You just need rice, onions, a white wine or red wine stock pot and some water.
Then you can add chicken or prawns and a touch of garlic, parsley, and some parmesan and Voilà, you’ve got a delicious meal that tastes like you are in a restaurant, but you’ve done it at home with just a few ingredients.
Ok, let us have it, give us your most controversial opinion about British food…
I’m not a fan of is triple-cooked chips. Why do we need to triple cook them? French fries are so much better.
Is there anything you can’t resist splurging on at the supermarket?
If I can afford it, I’m going to buy the top ingredients, because I want to put the best quality inside my body. So, whether I’m getting a steak or fish, I’m gonna go for the best possible product, always.
What do you think is the most romantic meal?
The most romantic meal is the one you put effort into making. When you cook for someone, you are sharing a part of yourself, and there is nothing more attractive than that.
That’s why Knorr’s recent #ServingSingles campaign was so clever, as it encouraged people to ditch dating apps and champion cooking to find a genuine connection. It showed that food really is the ultimate way to a person’s heart.
And what food should be avoided at all costs on a first date?
On a first date, I wouldn’t order anything difficult to eat, like spaghetti, as it can go everywhere. I think it’s best to stick with something practical.
What’s the worst thing people can do on a dinner date?
Be late to the table for dinner if someone has cooked for you.
I’m very serious about food; it’s very much at the centre of everything we do in France. There’s a ritual and discipline there that’s almost religious, and I love it.
If you’re taking too long to get to the table, I get upset because I’ve cooked and made the effort, and the food is perfect. If you wait, it’s going to cool down, and it’s not going to taste the same. It’s all about respect for the food.
Finally, what’s been cooking lately?
One of my favourite dishes is roast chicken with roast potatoes or French fries.
In the UK, people tend to have a roast on a Sunday, but the way I was brought up is that there was a full roast chicken on the table on a Monday night or even a Wednesday lunchtime, so I’ll cook this whenever I have time.
It’s not fancy, but it tastes unbelievable. The key is to keep turning the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes during cooking to keep it moist, and baste it with butter on top constantly.
Want to take part in What’s Cooking and let Metro raid your kitchen at home? Email courtney.pochin@metro.co.uk
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