Claude Bosi is known for his Michelin-starred cooking at Bibendum and Brooklands at the Peninsula, but it is his love of the more rustic food he knew as a child in France that informs his cooking. “The question we ask at all our restaurants is, ‘Is it delicious?’ ” the 52-year-old chef says. It’s an approach exemplified by Josephine bistro in Fulham, which he launched last year with his wife, Lucy, where gratin dauphinois, onion soup and cheese soufflé are never off the menu. “There’s something deeply satisfying in watching people enjoying a simple dish such as steak au poivre, and we’ve sold nearly 10,000 soufflés since we opened,” Bosi says.
Being born in Lyons, a city synonymous with rich, meaty food, it was obvious that his first bistro should highlight the dishes that he grew up with, but with a second Josephine, which the couple opened this month in Marylebone, looks to the brasseries of Paris for inspiration.
“We wanted to keep much of what people say they like about Josephine — the look and feel, the £16.50 plat du jour, the ruler that allows you to measure how much house wine you have drunk — but also to showcase the great seafood you will find in Paris.”
Josephine, 6-8 Blandford Street, London W1 (josephinebistro.com)
ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE
1. Moules marinière
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1.5kg fresh mussels
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 80g unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small mild chilli, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 200ml good quality white wine
• 1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
1. Scrub the mussels under cold running water, removing any beards. Discard any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, shallots, garlic and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Add the fresh thyme and bay leaves, and pour in the white wine. Bring to a boil, allowing the wine to reduce for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the mussels to the pot, cover with a lid, and cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pot continuously until they begin to open. Add the parsley, season and serve hot.
ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE
2. Trout beurre rouge
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 50g finely chopped banana shallots
• 500ml full-bodied red wine
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 4 nice portions of fresh trout
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 200g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped, to garnish
Method
1. Add the chopped shallot, red wine and thyme to a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce by half, then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 170C fan/gas 5. Season the trout fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the trout fillets, skin-side down, and cook for a couple of minutes, then place the pan in the oven for a further 4-5 minutes depending on the size of the fish. The skin should be golden brown and the fish just cooked, still pink in the middle. Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside.
3. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Whisk in the cold butter, one cube at a time, until the sauce becomes smooth and glossy. Don’t add the butter too fast and don’t make it simmer too high. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavour and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper before serving with the trout.
ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE
3. Dover sole meunière
Serves 2
Ingredients
• 500g Dover sole (whole, cleaned and skinned — ask your fishmonger to prep it for you)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 70g salted butter
• Squeeze of half a lemon
• 20g capers
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Method
1. Pat the Dover sole dry with kitchen roll. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Lightly dust with flour, ensuring an even coating, and shake off any excess flour.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once hot, place the fish in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside to rest.
3. In the same pan add the lemon juice, capers and parsley. Stir gently to combine, creating a smooth sauce.
4. Transfer the fish to a serving plate. Drizzle with the meunière sauce and sprinkle with extra freshly chopped parsley to serve.
ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE
4. Fish soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 150g butter
• 4 whole red mullets, gutted, scaled and cut into chunks
• 3 banana shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• 20g fresh thyme sprigs
• 300ml white wine
• 100ml Pernod
• 1 litre fish stock
• Salt and black pepper
• 20ml white wine vinegar
• 1 quantity rouille (see below)
• 12 toasted slices of baguette
• 50g grated gruyère
Method
1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the red mullet chunks and cook for a few minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown. Remove the fish and set aside. Add the shallots, garlic, fennel, tomato puree, bay leaves and thyme. Stir well and cook for about 10 minutes, ensuring the ingredients caramelise well.
2. Return the mullet to the saucepan and add the white wine and Pernod. Reduce the liquid until it becomes syrupy, then add the fish stock and let it simmer gently for 1.5-2 hours. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
3. Pass the soup through a mouli or fine sieve to remove the bones, ensuring a smooth yet rich texture. Adjust the seasoning, stir in the vinegar, and serve hot with the rouille, toasts and cheese.
For the rouille
• 2 medium egg yolks
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pinch of salt
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 60ml olive oil
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 1 pinch saffron, infused in 2 tsp warm water
1. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the minced garlic, salt and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and vegetable oil while continuously whisking to emulsify.
2. Add the saffron-infused water and whisk until smooth and well combined.
ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE
5. Crab salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 50g brown crab meat
• 150g vegetable oil
• Half a lemon, juiced and zested
• 320g white crab meat
• 1 pinch of chopped chives
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Baby Gem leaves, to serve
Method
1. Add the egg yolk, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown crab meat to a bowl and use a hand blender to combine well. Slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil while continuously blending to emulsify and create a smooth, thick mayonnaise. Add the lemon zest and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Combine the white crab meat with the chives and season with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
3. To serve, place a spoonful of the white crab mix on each plate, with a lettuce leaf and a spoonful of crab mayonnaise to the side.