Nigel Haworth, The Three Fishes Mitton 

What is your current role and what does it involve?

As chef proprietor at The Three Fishes Mitton, I’m involved with every aspect of the business and everything that comes along with that. I’m not into fancy terminology like executive chef. Everyone just calls me chef, which I like. I see myself as chief cook and bottle washer! It’s a little different to when I was at Northcote, but it’s a different challenge and every day presents something new to keep me on my toes. 

How long have you been a chef? 

I have been a chef for 50 years now, which makes me feel really old.

 How did you first get into cooking?

I wish I had one of those interesting, deeply meaningful stories to tell, but to be honest I haven’t. I don’t remember when exactly, but one day I just woke up and thought ‘cooking would be an interesting career path’, then I worked my way up from the bottom, kept my head down and managed to land some great jobs over the years. 

Where did you learn your craft?

I started off with a local college course at Accrington and Rossendale College and waited tables at Sparth Manor at Clayton-le-Moors at weekends and on one night during the week, while at college. After graduating I travelled down to London to pursue the next step in my career, then moved to Switzerland temporarily and then back to Lancashire to work at Northcote, where I spent most of my life cooking.

What was your first job in hospitality?

After leaving Accrington and Rossendale College, my first cooking job was at the five-star Royal Berkshire Hotel in Ascot as one of two commis chefs. We would work breakfast, lunch and dinner service six days a week, you just couldn’t do that now. Every day was between 14 and 18 hours, starting at 6.30am. Unlike today, there weren’t that many staff in the kitchen but the good thing was that it meant we had to do the lot which was great experience and really helped propel my career and teach me a multitude of valuable skills.  I then went to continue my culinary journey in Gleneagles, London at The Ritz and Switzerland, before taking on a lecturing role. It was 30 years ago in 1984, I was offered the head chef position at Northcote. 

What is your signature dish? 

Following the Great British Menu, a lot of people remember my Lancashire Hotpot, but I’d definitely say my black pudding and trout dish. It’s a sophisticated starter which pairs black pudding with butter-poached rainbow trout with crispy skin, joined by a creamy mustard and watercress sauce, plus crispy fried onion rings. The trout and black pudding work really well together, and I feel the dish has great depth of both flavour and contrasting textures.

What’s been your worst cooking disaster?

There have been a few, but I’m still haunted by Christmas in 1987. During a busy Saturday night service I was preparing pork and stilton wellingtons for a party of 24 people. The ovens weren’t working properly and the pastry completely melted in the oven. Fortunately Craig Bancroft, managing director of Northcote, was on hand and used his charm to buy me some time to re-wrap the dish and cook it properly, so the crisis was averted, but the whole thing was an absolute nightmare.

What are your culinary ambitions?

Over the past 50 years I’ve been fortunate enough to reach most of my goals. We are already listed in the Michelin guide, but a Michelin Star for The Three Fishes would be nice. And perhaps a Catey Award.

What do you like to eat?

I like to eat many things, but one of my favourite dishes is my wife’s excellent piri piri chicken. It’s hard to cook chicken well, but it’s just great every time – perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned and the level of spicing is absolutely spot-on. For me it’s the ultimate comfort food.

How do you achieve a work/life balance?

A work/life balance is something I’ve never managed to achieve successfully, and after 50 years I very much doubt it’ll happen anytime soon. I had already retired, but that never happened and I am still working.

The Three Fishes

Mitton Road,

Mitton,

Clitheroe BB7 9PQ

Tel: 01254 826666

Surrounded by some of Lancashire’s most beautiful countryside, The Three Fishes is a pub and restaurant committed to sustainability; fulfilling the long-held dream of chef patron Nigel Haworth to grow and showcase Lancashire’s exceptional ingredients for the creation of exceptional dishes, with zero waste a top priority.  

Nigel is a Taste Lancashire Ambassador, supporting the work of Marketing Lancashire to raise awareness of local food and drink producers through their Taste Lancashire campaigns and activities. www.visitlancashire.com/Taste

Cauliflower black rice recipe

Ingredients

4 small cauliflowers (golf ball size) remove the outer leaves.

100gm Black rice (see recipe)

Puffed Black Rice (cooked rice dehydrated and the deep fried)

200ml Nutritional yeast sauce.

50ml ex virgin rape seed oil.

Mixed edible flowers, borage, nasturtium, violas, cornflowers, garlic. (pick the petals)

A few fennel Fronds

Crispy Black rice.

Method

1. In seasoned buttered boiling water cook off the cauliflowers for 3- 4 minutes, refresh in iced water and reserve. (keep the water to reheat)

2. Place a good spoonful of the black rice in the middle of a large bowl.

3. Reheat the cauliflowers and place each one in the middle of the black rice. Foam the sauce the spoon over the cauliflower with the yeast sauce.

4. Sprinkle the flowers and herbs over, then the puffed black rice, drizzle with a little Ex virgin Rape seed oil and serve.

Sub recipes - Black Rice

100gm black rice

200gm water

Pinch salt

Squeeze of lemon

Few drops Rape seed oil.

Cook until tender in a rice cooker, season with a little salt, RS oil and lemon juice, reserve.

Nutitional Yeast sauce

Ingredients

200ml soy milk

200ml coconut Milk

Potato starch to thicken

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1table spoon Miso.

Pinch of salt.

Method

Bring the milk to the boil add yeast and miso, thicken with potato starch and season with a little salt.