Alternative festive recipes from our Soho Chance finalists
Soho Chance is a new annual award that gives people the opportunity to launch a business, creative concept, product or interior design project. Here, we spotlight finalists Talia Prince and Eni Timi-Biu as they share their non-traditional yuletide recipes
By Gisselle Babaran Photography by Bryony Watson
For most, the fundamentals of eating during the festive period comes down to two things: tradition and indulgence. While upholding these pillars can be extremely gratifying, it can also feel restrictive, predictable, and non-inclusive of those with dietary restrictions. With this in mind, Soho House invited Talia Prince, the founder of upcoming open-fire restaurant concept, FȲR, and Eni Timi-Biu, who is launching a coastal-inspired condiment brand called New Wave, to our Brixton Studio in London to prepare dishes that go beyond the norm.
Inspired by her South African upbringing and subsequent love for cooking over fire, Prince’s Miso Marinated Trout is a serious pescatarian contender for any festive feast’s centrepiece. ‘Growing up in South Africa, Christmas is in the middle of our summer, so we tend to opt for more season-appropriate dishes, and cooking on the barbecue is better than being in a hot kitchen making roasts,’ says Prince. ‘I think salmon is a very traditional option for Christmas feasts, but I opted to use steelhead trout, which is sustainably farmed in the lochs of Scotland.’
Sourcing sustainably is integral to Prince’s food philosophy, and something that can also be said of Eni Timi-Biu and her brand, New Wave, launching soon. ‘My products celebrate heritage, international influences, ingredients local to Margate, and the diverse range of communities now calling it home,’ says Timi-Biu.
With condiment flavours inspired by the sea and coast, Timi-Biu’s choice of oysters dressed with her New Wave hot sauces comes as no surprise. Influenced by ingredients local to her hometown of Margate in England, her range includes three flavours: seaweed, apple, and smoked wood chip – available soon across our UK Houses.
Members can experience Prince’s cooking in early 2022 at White City House with the launch of FȲR. For now, to bring the flavours of fire and the coast home this Christmas, see Prince’s Miso Marinated Trout and Timi-Biu’s Dressed Oysters recipes below.
Talia Prince’s Miso Marinated Trout with a spiced glaze
Ingredients
One whole fillet of trout (steelhead or ChalkStream®), scaled and deboned
Miso marinade
200g white miso
100ml mirin
20g chilli flakes
Large knob of fresh ginger, grated
For the glaze
1 jar (227g) of honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Half a pack of fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. The day before, mix the miso marinade ingredients to a smooth paste. Spread over the fish and wrap in clingfilm. Leave in the fridge overnight. The following day, rinse gently and pat dry.
2. Prepare the glaze by bringing the honey to the boil, and adding the garlic and smoked paprika. Reduce for two minutes, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool, then stir in the mustard and dill. Season to taste.
3. Rub a little rapeseed oil over the trout and place onto a cedar plank, skin side down. Preheat the oven to 230°C/ 450°F or use a pizza oven on its highest setting, then cook the fish until it is dark brown and getting slightly charred in places.
4. Remove from the oven and check that it’s cooked to your preference (the thinner tail section will cook faster than the thicker part of the fillet near the head). Spoon on the glaze and spread over the hot trout. Serve immediately.
Eni Timi-Biu’s Dressed Oysters
Ingredients
12-15 oysters
3 lemons
New Wave hot sauce of your choice
Mignonette sauce (optional)
Method
1. Shuck the oysters and cut the lemons into wedges.
2. Add the hot sauce and eat immediately, or serve on ice.