Eat in, eat out Maison François

Recreate these sublime plates from this French brasserie and bar in St James’s, London

- MATTHEW RYLE

A welcome slice of France near Piccadilly Circus, all-day brasserie Maison François is the brainchild of François O’Neill, with MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Matthew Ryle in the kitchen. The latter turns out Gallic dishes, from pâté en croûte and celeriac remoulade to entrecôte of beef. There’s a vast wine list and a lavishly stocked dessert trolley – the rum baba is stellar. Then head downstairs to slinky, softly lit basement bar Frank’s for a night cap. See a full review of Frank’s on Omagazine.com. maisonfrancois.london

menu decoder

• Comté

A French alpine cow’s milk cheese made from unpasteurised milk. It has a creamy texture and a deep, nutty flavour, and is often aged from four to 36 months to mature the flavour.

• Anchoïade

This is an anchovy- and garlic-based condiment often made with oil and vinegar, and, in this case, with milk, too. It is often eaten at the beginning of a meal with crusty bread.

• Gougères

These are effectively savoury choux buns, or profiteroles. Cheese is incorporated into the choux pastry mixture to create light, savoury shells and they are filled with a cheese custard.

Cabbage, anchoïade and breadcrumbs

2 HOURS | SERVES 4 | EASY

pointed cabbages 2 small ANCHOVY OIL

anchovies 15g

olive oil 60ml

ANCHOVY CROUTONS

sourdough

breadcrumbs 150g

anchovy oil 50ml ANCHOÏADE

garlic cloves 350g (about 8-10 bulbs)

whole milk 650ml

anchovies 60g

chardonnay or white wine vinegar 1 tsp