January is the month for cutting back on the excesses of Christmas and starting out as we all mean to go on. Resolutions are made to keep fit, eat less and keep off the booze. We asked five top Chester chefs to share their top tips on eating healthily and create a favourite dish to help us on our way.
Paul Wright, head chef at Chester Racecourse
Top tip
The most important tip I can give is one given to me by my nan who was also a chef. Make sure you eat breakfast, it will help kick start your metabolism. Even if you’re in a rush a banana and handful of nuts would be a good start, and drink plenty of water.
Recipe
Beef fillet and noodle soup
Serves 4 people
Ingredients:
400g Beef Fillet
1 small Red Chilli
2 shallots
1 clove of garlic
3 spring onions
1 packet of miso paste
1 Small tin of water chestnuts
4 chestnut mushrooms
400ml of good beef stock
10ml of Dark Soy Sauce
2 heads of Pok choi
400g of thick noodles
1 small bunch of Coriander
Method
Finely dice the chilli and peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic
Slice the spring onions (keeping 1/3 separate for garnish later). Slice the water chestnuts, Mushrooms and Pok Choi.
Gently heat up a pan with a little olive oil, add the Shallots, garlic and 2/3 of the spring onion and sweat off gently until the onions are soft (about 3 mins). Add the chilli, pok choi, Mushrooms and Water chestnuts.
Then add the Beef stock, Miso paste and soy sauce simmer for 15 mins.
Heat the noodles and evenly split between 4 warm bowls.
Slice the beef fillet into four steaks and slightly flatten with the back of a spoon.
Place on top of the hot noodles.
(Now the clever bit)
Ladle the hot stock directly over the beef fillet and this will cook the beef
Garnish the top with chopped coriander and the remaining spring onions.
To see the recipes from the other four chefs clink on the links below:
Daniel Beech, sous chef at The Chester Grosvenor Hotel
Dave Ashton, head chef at Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel
Ben Finchett, head chef at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at the Doubletree by Hilton hotel and spa
Joe Wright, head chef at Joseph Benjamin Restaurant and PORTA Tapas Bar