FOOD + DRINK
BRIGHTON
A MasterClass from a MasterChef at etch.
I DON’ T THINK I’ VE EVER KNOWN AS MUCH HYPE TO SPREAD THROUGH THE STREETS OF BRIGHTON & HOVE AS IT DID WHEN WORD GOT OUT THAT STEVEN EDWARDS, 2013 WINNER OF MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS, WAS OPENING A RESTAURANT. IN HOVE NO LESS; BRIGHTON’ S LESS BOISTEROUS NEIGHBOUR AND A PART OF THE CITY THAT’ S GATHERING STEADY PACE WHEN IT COMES TO GREAT PLACES TO EAT. INTERVIEWED BEFORE THE 2017 OPENING, STEVEN DIDN’ T GIVE MUCH AWAY, BUT ALLUDED TO TWO THINGS – FIRSTLY, ETCH.( LOWER CASE‘ E’, FULL STOP AFTER THE H) WAS TO BE A CELEBRATION OF THE INCREDIBLE LOCAL PRODUCE THAT SUSSEX HAS IN ABUNDANCE, AND SECONDLY, THAT DINERS SHOULD EXPECT TO BE SURPRISED. HE HAS ACHIEVED BOTH. AND A LOT MORE TOO. BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
What strikes you first walking into etch. is the welcoming lack of pretension – if there is a rulebook about fine dining’ s dos and don’ ts, Edwards and his trendy, smiley staff have( thankfully) thrown it away before reading the intro. Just because he is a chef of very high pedigree, training first with Raymond Blanc then joining Matt Gillan’ s acclaimed brigade at the five-star South Lodge Hotel in Horsham before winning MasterChef: The Professionals at the tender age of 26( one of the youngest chefs ever to do so), doesn’ t mean he has to fall into the stuffy, affected trap that many other fine dining restaurants do.
Edwards’ definition of fine dining is clearly a very updated version of the fusty stereotype of yore; there is not a crisp, white tablecloth in sight and diners are very welcome to drop their guard. The décor – a cool combination of midnight blue and burnt orange with pops of neon, industrial lighting and artwork provided by the very current likes of Pure Evil and Magnus Djoen – encourages fun, which is surely what a night spent eating exceptional food paired with an expertly curated wine flight should be.
Setting this relaxed scene however is all part of a bigger, cleverly conceived picture; one that lures you into a lovely, laid back frame of mind before wowing you with course after course of food that has been planned, prepared and delivered with the precision and care that you would expect from a chef of such calibre; etch. might be pretty hip, but don’ t be fooled – Edwards takes food very seriously.
The first thing I taste after starting proceedings with an appetite-whetting glass of sparkling Nyetimber from the eponymous West Sussex vineyard, is a miniature mushroom doughnut, which looks as though it should be heavy but is of course as light as air and smacks of truffle, so instantly I’ m sold. Truffle is an incredible ingredient when used by knowing hands, something that becomes even more apparent when I taste the celeriac / truffle dish that’ s delivered next; I can think of little more comforting than a warm bowl of aerated celeriac soup concealing a thicker puree and seared celeriac cubes, all laced with the rich earthiness of truffle; there was never any doubt that the chefs at etch. have style and technique, but this dish alone proves that food here has a lot of substance too.
Another dish that delighted in equal measure was broccoli / egg. I remember reading somewhere that Edwards didn’ t like broccoli as a child, so I was intrigued to see how it would take centre stage. One of his main aims with etch. is to celebrate the diversity of vegetables as much as meat and fish and this dish does just that; a glossy, slow-cooked duck egg yolk next to a charred broccoli floret sat on top of what looks like a simple croute, but is of course elevated by shards of raw stem, delicate shavings of salty parmesan and a hint of foamy hollandaise; it tasted phenomenal.
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