Ikoyi: A Journey Through Bold Heat with Recipes

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Divide the rice between two sharing bowls and glaze with the custard so it evenly coats the top layer of rice. Chan does a fine job of outlining how he and his Nigerian-born front of house counterpart Iré Hassan-Odukale came to launch Ikoyi (the bit about the pair’s early interactions with developers and property agents is particularly illuminating) and the story of the restaurant so far. With “IKOYI”, Chef/Author Jeremy Chan illuminates the journey to creating, sustaining, and evolving the two-Michelin starred IKOYI in London. I commend him on presenting “the recipes in this book exactly as they are written in the kitchen folder at IKOYI. I talk about outer space and death and these morbid, disturbing images in my head, which are part of the inspiration for the restaurant.

This debut cookbook tells the compelling story and journey of Chan and Ikoyi, with 80 recipes that Chan has carefully developed to encapsulate bold his signature style. Britain is so small in comparison to America; I can get line-caught fish from the coast, and it just takes four hours for it to get to my door. As chef and cofounder of the two-Michelin-starred London restaurant Ikoyi, Chan is certainly familiar with resisting easy labels. Along with the other recent triumph of “BAO” that I loved, I look forward to this new focus on chef-centric storytelling and artful presentations of the worlds greatest restaurants and cuisines.My intention was never to attempt to elevate any preexisting concept but instead to elaborate on an original recipe centered around the core ingredients of the dish: tomatoes, onions, peppers, chiles, spices, and a variety of meat, fish, or vegetables. This coupled with Ikoyi’s focus on often obscure spices means that most will have their work cut out obtaining the ingredients necessary to replicate his recipes. Since opening in 2017, it has become a culinary destination: impressing diners and critics alike with its bold West African-inspired flavors, innovative combinations of spices with the freshest British ingredients, and striking, textured, minimalist-leaning aesthetics. Of all the dishes we have created for Ikoyi, our jollof rice is probably one of the most complex technique-wise but also one of the most personal in terms of storytelling. If you never have the great privilege to experience the extraordinary Ikoyi, then this book gives you an insight into the sheer brilliance and remarkable intelligence of Jeremy Chan.

Each recipe in this fascinating book features a story about how the dish was developed, plus the influences of seasonality and produce from local producers. With two Michelin stars, Ikoyi is a London restaurant known for building its menu on the flavors of sub-Saharan West Africa. Add them to the pot with the reduced tomatoes, along with all the spices and the crayfish powder, Tabasco, tamari, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black garlic, sugar, and smoked salt.Standout dishes: Smoked Jollof rice and crab custard; fried Landes chicken and chicken offal hot sauce. In the essay on the plantain dish, I talk about Ridley Scott’s Alien, Mark Rothko, and how colors influence my sense of flavor and intensity. If the pan is silent, or has been sitting just 30 seconds too long, I know the grains will have an oily, bland consistency and will require re-cooking. He discussed the cookbooks that inspired him, why he considers Ikoyi a British restaurant, and how one of his signature dishes has roots in both Ridley Scott’s Alien and Mark Rothko.

Ikoyi, named as one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022, is one of the most original, flavor-driven restaurants of its time.In our recipe, we burn and smoke the vegetables over the grill until blackened and blistered, before blending them into a broth of roasted chicken, dried mushrooms, spices, condiments, seaweed, and caramelized tomatoes. Elsewhere, he charts Ikoyi’s struggle to stay open the first year, despite glowing reviews, and how a passion for exceptional seasonal produce has continued to drive everything on the menu. Crispy, chewy, creamy, crunchy, smoky, spicy, sweet, salty, it’s the kind of food you want to eat when you’re hungover or sitting in front of the TV with a beer.