I met one today, but probably not one you recognize. Joe Cooke is the owner and head chef of F Cooke, one of the last proper cockney restaurants in the East End. His family’s business have been around since the 19th century, and he is part of a dying breed.
His menu is limited. Only three items are sold, meat pie, mash, and eels (jellied). I decided to treat myself and get all three.
Oh, you thought the eels may have been grilled? Absolutely not, these bad boys were jellied. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite way, and the jelly itself wasn’t wonderful, but the eels themselves were meaty and tasty. A second round? I’m not so sure.
The green hue on the pie and mash is liquor, and no, not the alcoholic type. It’s a parsley sauce, which is a traditional condiment, using the jellied eels as a stock base. Again, it added something new to the dish, but was it going to make it into my rotation? Perhaps not.
What made the dish memorable was meeting the man himself Joe. I had watched a short 8 minute documentary about him and his set up on YouTube a few years ago, and it was an honor to meet him. It would be safe to describe him as “a real character”.
We had a chat about business, how things were going, and how much I enjoyed the mash. He seemed pretty chuffed with it all, and told me how he’d had guests come in from everywhere, ranging from Peru, Tokyo, and even across the street.
If you’re ever in East London, be sure to check it out. At the very least, spend 8 minutes watching this video on his set up, it’s well worth it.