Louis Thompson didn't set out to become a pastry chef. After studying economics and French in Melbourne, then fashion in London, he eventually found his way into professional kitchens, where his fascination with beauty, seasonality and craft found a more delicious outlet. The Australian-born, London-based chef has since honed his skills at some of the city's most respected kitchens – from Violet Bakery and Spring in London – developing a style that puts fruit and produce at the centre of the plate.
10 ingredients you always have in your fridge….
Butter, cream, sharp cheddar, Parmesan, Jersey milk, wholegrain mustard, anchovies, capers, syrup from whatever’s currently flowering, and dessert wine.
What is your most memorable dining experience?
Probably a dinner with my friends Lachie and Frankie in Bologna – the night we decided to honour the city by eating its namesake pasta dish. Beyond the Italian romance and great company, it was a perfect culinary adventure: I had a freshly blossomed interest in food, so with wide eyes I took in the full richness of such a quintessential experience.
What influenced your love of food?
My love of food is most directly traceable to my Dad – I inherited that from him. But there’s a bit more to it than that. Many people’s feelings about food are shaped by the meals cooked for them when they’re young, which is true for me as well, but what sticks with me isn’t any particular taste memory, it’s watching my Dad cook and talk about food. What made him exceptional wasn’t his ability (sorry Dad), but his enthusiasm. He was an exceptionally curious and empathetic person, and food was a particularly effective medium for him to express those qualities. For me, now, I find food and cooking so electrifying because it connects me to the world around me, whether it be through people, culture, history, chemistry, botany, art... I am constantly finding new reasons to be excited about food, whether it’s an ingredient, a technique, a shape, or a colour. In the kitchen, the world truly is my oyster.
Who is the best cook you know?
The best cook I know is Anna Higham, owner of Quince bakery in London. She has had an immense influence on me, primarily in her intuitive style of creating desserts; that is, she bakes like a savoury chef with all the attendant spontaneity and imagination. Last year I watched her casually freestyle a peach and apricot crumble pie, and it was one of the best baked goods I’d ever had. Her mastery is so natural it’s invisible, but if you’re lucky enough to taste her food it’s unmistakable.
Who is on your dream dinner party table?
As much as everyone swoons over the fantasy of a casual, effortless dinner party, I always find it such a stretch that by the time I’m seated I really want to let my hair down and blow off steam. I want fun people that can cause a scene. I would have Alex Consani, Leigh Bowery, Amy Winehouse, and Jane Goodall for a narrator’s perspective.
Share the menu of your last supper…
To start, toasted sourdough with lots of butter and a smear of Vegemite. For the main: roast chicken, boiled potatoes with salsa verde – and a beautiful leafy green salad with a simple vinaigrette. Diet Coke to pair. For dessert, freshly churned fior di latte ice cream with macerated, Malwina strawberries. And Natalie Paull’s banoffee pie.
What is your favourite vegetable?
Fennel. It has an elegant shape and works well in desserts too.
Top five favourite places to dine?
In no particular order: Leila’s shop, Ognisko, Spring, Towpath, French House.
Louis' recipe for olive oil and ricotta cake
This is a cake that features heavily in my rotation all year round. It is an indulgently rich and tender cake that also happens to be quick and easy to make. I make them as minis for Jake’s in London, topping them with whatever fruit is in season and sometimes using different ground nuts. Here it is with poached pears and mascarpone.
Ingredients
Makes 12 muffins or one 23cm cake
- 250ml olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 250g caster sugar
- 250g fresh ricotta
- 200g ground almonds
- 100g plain flour
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1tsp salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C no fan.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and lemon zest and rub together with your fingers until it is fragrant and the texture of wet sand.
- Add the ricotta and beat with a spoon or spatula until smooth and combined.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, whisking fully to get rid of any lumps.
- Stream in oil and whisk to combine.
- Finally, sift in the dry ingredients and whisk just until no lumps remain.
- Bake 15-20 minutes for muffins or 45-60 minutes for a large cake.
