Flash-grilled: Alex Claridge

By James McAllister

- Last updated on GMT

Flash-grilled with The Wilderness restaurant Alex Claridge

Related tags Birmingham Chef Restaurant

The chef owner of The Wilderness restaurant in Birmingham on childhood memories of eating Milkybars, and what he thinks the key to home cookery is.

Pet hate in the kitchen?
Ego.

Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Flavour clarity; flavour intensity.

What’s your biggest regret? 
There’s plenty I said when I was younger and finding my voice that hasn’t aged well, and given others a warped impression of who I am. But then, what are we without the stupidity of youth?

Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
It’s a toss up between Vitamix or Konro grill. The grill probably has it, but if Vitamix send me a free blender I’m very happy to reconsider this answer.

What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
I don’t think like that. Nando's? They seem to have done pretty well. I’m here for the royalties, and I bet the lad who made perinaise is living like a king.

MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu, in spite of my brief tenure. 

Most overrated food?
Professionally: fennel pollen; less esoterically: mac and cheese. It’s not filthy, it’s just a bit naff.  I’d love to be proven wrong but I’ve been lead on and let down for years…

Who would your dream dinner party guests be?​  Given the farcical lockdown we are currently in the midst of you can keep your famous chefs. I just want to eat with my work family around table 10, like we used to. I miss them all.

What’s your earliest food memory?​ 
Milkybars; it was my comfort food du jour for most of my childhood.

Tipple of choice?
Nikka Whiskey straight from the barrel; mine’s a double.

Favourite food and drink pairing (the more obscure, the better)?
Krug and pickled onion Monster Munch; not a pairing I’ve had the liberty of indulging in nearly enough.

What is the worst meal you’ve cooked at home?
I rarely cook at home, so I’ve had relatively few disasters. The key to home cookery, it seems to me, is to underpromise.

Where will be your first meal out post lockdown? 
Brat, in Shoreditch. Though as this point I get teary eyed going past a closed Pret, so I intend to eat out as much as possible.

How are you keeping busy?
Supporting local homeless charity SIFA Fireside, which I’ve always had to fit around work til now. I’m also reading; cooking for pleasure; and doing what I can to plan for my business’ return to post-Corona normality, whatever they may mean.  

Houseparty or Zoom?
What a grim choice... I’m not 13 so we will have to go with Zoom.  

What boxset are you watching?  
Breaking Bad. I think it’s going to be really big and popular one day.

What’s the one ingredient you always have in your kitchen at home?
Miso.  

What one ingredient would you stockpile?
Perinaise, so I can see what all the fuss is about.

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