Born in Mississippi, became a chef and cooked in Brooklyn, now Brad McDonald takes the helm at The Lockhart in Marylebone, London. American chef Brad will re-launch The Lockhart on Seymour Place in January 2014 with a new menu of regional ‘Deep South’ dishes that are fundamentally contemporary, innovative and well crafted.
The origin of the dishes is from the Southern States such as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Brad’s home state, Mississippi. Whilst the menu has this southern influence, the style of The Lockhart takes on the ethos of his previous culinary ventures in New York. Brad was part of the team behind Colonie and Gran Electrica restaurants in Brooklyn before opening Governor in Dumbo, which closed after Hurricane Sandy did its worst.
Some dishes on the new menu at The Lockhart will be recognisable such as Crawfish Jambalaya, Fried Green (pickled) Tomatoes, Devilled Crab and of course Shrimp & Grits, while others will be more surprising. For the iconic Shrimp & Grits dish, South Carolinian grits have been shipped from Anson Mills; these are cooked in a mixture of milk and water and finished with butter, mature cheddar cheese, and a homemade chili sauce. The shrimps are sautéed in bacon fat and served with gravy of mushrooms, garlic, lemon juice, white wine, and spring onion.
Starters might include dishes such as Smoked mallard gumbo; the foundation of which is a dark roux and the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajun cuisine – celery, onion and bell pepper – the leg meat is braised while the breast is lightly cured, hot smoked and sliced. There will also be as Braised yellow turnips in caramelised buttermilk with shaved, smoked country ham.
Brad McDonald comments, “I think the London food scene is really exciting right now. There are some awesome chefs who I’m also happy to call friends, who are cooking great food. I’m looking forward to joining the community with cooking that is truly representative of my food heritage.”
The Lockhart, 24 Seymour Place, London, W1H 7NL