The head chef of the Stag at Offchurch rates beef Wellington and mom’s Sunday roasts as his food heaven. But Dani Adams will pass on the wild boar testicles…
Tell us about your cooking
I try to stick to the classics with a few twists and modern interpretations. I’m particularly excited by bold flavour combinations and local seasonality is very important to me
How did you become a chef?
I’ve always wanted to be a cook from an early age but my mother was a hugely influential factor in my choice to embark on cheffing as a career. We moved around a fair bit when I was young and got to see food from different cultures so it made my mum really experimental and an excellent home cook. I was lucky to train under former Dorchester and Savoy chefs at North West Kent College of Technology who really inspired me.
What do you eat when at home?
On my own, something quick and simple, however when with my family I generally tend to cook a belting curry – thankfully I spent time with an excellent Punjabi chef and learned authentic Indian cuisine
Who’s the best chef in the world and why? And who’s the best in Brum?
From a celebrity point of view, I think Gordon Ramsay’s legacy speaks for itself and I’ve always been a huge admirer. However I believe it’s the unsung heroes of the catering world who are the biggest influence on me, so my friends and mentors Mark Kember and Matthew Reynolds would be my choice. As for in Birmingham, the dining scene has really evolved over the last decade, with huge leaps to becoming one of the most exciting scenes for dining at the moment, producing several great chefs.
Is the customer always right?
Most definitely not, but we all have to adapt to try to please…
Share a cooking tip
Never compromise quality by rushing
What was your favourite food as a kid?
There was nothing better than looking forward to my mom’s Sunday roasts, especially her roast lamb
Food heaven and food hell?
I absolutely love beef Wellington but hell would be a creamy risotto
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
A very fresh, wild boar testicle.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
After 23 years, I honestly can’t think of anything else that I would want to be. I guess if I’d chosen a different path then I’d probably be a bit more ‘normal’!
What do you recommend from this evening’s menu?
To start, our pomegranate molasses cured salmon followed by the duck Wellington and then to finish our amazing double layer chocolate cheesecake
RECIPE:
Dan’s sloe gin cured sea trout, burnt apple puree, watercress & radish salad
Serves 4
To cure the trout, use equal quantities of table salt, sea salt and sugar, mixed with sloe gin, lemon and juniper berries. The process takes 3 to 4 days, dependent on the size of the trout.
Ingredients
- 4 portions cured sea trout
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 25g butter
- 30g caster sugar
- 1 radish, finely sliced
- ½ bunch watercress
- 8 apple blossom flowers
- 1 Pink Lady apple (half dried into fine crisps, the other half cut into Julienne)
Method
To make the burnt apple puree, quarter the Granny Smith, remove core, sprinkle over sugar. Place the butter on top and roast in a hot oven (190⁰C) until the caramel just starts to burn. Remove from the oven and blitz everything together until smooth, set aside to cool.
To present the dish, arrange four or five pieces of thinly sliced sea trout across the plate. Carefully arrange the watercress and radish around. Place the Julienne apple around, as well as the puree. Finish with the apple crisps & blossom flowers.