By Denis Sheehan MIH: Paul Askew and team busy preparing for the greatest party on the planet.
The Art School is a hive of activity as Liverpool gears up for two huge weeks of Eurovision, centre-stage Chef Patron Paul Askew and his team are prepping a trio of Ukrainian-inspired dishes.
In the run up to hosting the global event that is Eurovision Askew said: “Since the city got the nod as the host, I don’t think I’ve ever seen quite such a level of activity take over every facet of our hospitality industry, and the wonderful wider offerings of the Liverpool City Region.
“I feel now everyone realises how important this is for the city, and a time to be incredibly proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.
“At The Art School, we have three special dishes to help celebrate Eurovision – fish, pork and a pancake layered gateaux – including local ingredients foraged from the Carpathian Mountains to the Donbas region.
“These are genuine ingredients with incredible flavours brought over from Ukraine’s beautiful and isolated countryside. It’s a joy for me to cook how Ukrainian chefs do – for example, they nearly always use lardo or pork fat. Our pork dish will have a few lardons from the Mangalitza pork which I cured 4 months ago.
“The potato cakes are a version of a traditional dish served with sour cream and onions with snipped dill. But the Ukrainian stars of the show are the foraged morels and baby pinecones in honey which we use for a pork dressing to get acidity sweetness but also texture.”
The three Eurovision dishes are…
Fillet of Loch Etive trout ‘Odessa’: A pan-roast prime fish, sour cream & dill dressed crushed Jersey Royal potatoes, wild garlic, pink-tipped spinach, with a dressing of ‘rachki’ shrimp and pickled cucumbers.
Smoked loin Pork: Southport Middlewhite free-range pork, ‘Deruny’ Ukrainian potato cakes with a pine, honey and mustard dressing, buttered lardons, Peter Jones beetroot and a morel mushroom cream.
Nalesniki: A Ukrainian inspired pancake layered gateaux of hazelnut, buttercream, raspberries, baby pinecones, and pine honey.
All are available during Eurovision on the prix fixe and taster menu service at The Art School.
Askew added: “My hope for what comes after Eurovision is that it gives our city region a boost which will last for the rest of 2023 and beyond. Liverpool will be seen globally in a way it never has been before – especially as a tourist destination – so we all need this momentum to keep going as we navigate the ongoing challenges in hospitality.
“But for now, it’s a time to celebrate with old friends and new as Liverpool hosts the greatest party on the planet. And we cannot wait.”
The Art School, 1 Sugnall St, Liverpool, L7 7EB
