Some cultures add different cuts of meat, fish or vegetables, as well as seasoning salt, and herbs and spices such as thyme, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and curry leaves. There are as many variations of the dish as there are countries that claim their version tastes the best. The methods are presented exactly the way they are written in the kitchen folder at Ikoyi and recipes are designed to produce four portions. Chan admits some of the dishes may be difficult to recreate at home without the suppliers and equipment of a professional two-Michelin-starred kitchen, but the result, he writes, gives an insight into life at Ikoyi. When we were coming up with a name for the restaurant, we knew that we needed to reflect the sense of interpretation at the heart of our cooking style. Iré mentioned that his birthplace was called Ikoyi, and I replied, 'That sounds kind of Japanese.'" Jeremy Chan may draw on the culinary traditions of West Africa, but his culinary influences are as mixed and spicy as a bowl of jollof rice Iré was born and raised in Lagos in Nigeria. He initially moved to England to attend Sixth Form and University but missed the dishes and tastes from his home country. Using the bold flavours of sub-Saharan Africa as a catalyst, the pair began researching and refining their restaurant concept, and Ikoyi was born.

Rinse the rice gently, changing the water until it runs clear, then drain and allow the grains to dry.Heat the oil to 170°C in a deep pot and fry the plantain slices for four minutes until golden. Season with fine salt, then scatter 5g raspberry salt over each piece. Take out four room-temperature plates and place a plantain slice in the centre of each. To the left of the plantain, make a quenelle of the smoked Scotch bonnet emulsion, then serve. The book includes narratives throughout illustrating Ikoyi's inspiration and inception, as influenced by Chan's experiences living, cooking, and traveling in Hong Kong, Canada, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. 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.

Chan’s new book describes the careful development of the restaurant’s key dishes, look, feel and underlying philosophy, as well as his struggles within the London restaurant market, and, of course, the recipes that won Ikoyi not one, but two, Michelin stars.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. Run by childhood-friend duo Iré Hassan-Odukale and chef Jeremy Chan, the innovative culinary mind behind the unique tasting menu, its menu is inspired by the spices of Sub-Saharan West Africa and produce from local farms and artisan producers. Once softened and cooled, finely chop the chillies and shallots, then transfer into a vacuum-seal bag with the smoked paprika and rapeseed oil. Cold-infuse the oil for 48 hours in the fridge before straining through a muslin cloth. Store the oil in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 1 month. Phaidon presents Ikoyi: A Journey through Bold Heat with Recipes, the debut cookbook from the acclaimed chef of two-Michelin-starred restaurant Ikoyi in London. Are Chan and Hassan-Odukale pinning their hopes on a spot on the list (it is not guaranteed, despite the One to Watch accolade)? “It doesn’t really matter,” says Chan. “This award’s great. Just to be recognised is great.” A cookbook from Ikoyi's Jeremy Chan was always going to be a cerebral affair. Against each of the Phaidon-published tome's 40 or so recipes are mini essays that range from 300 to over 1,000 words. In the hands of a less erudite chef such an approach could easily have been tedious and self-indulgent, but Chan’s prose is as captivating as his food.