The great thing about having the fillet steak minced for the tartare is that when you

[WES]

I never cook chips. But I'd like to try it.

In Montpellier this Jan, for my mate's daughter's birthday, we went out and had a tartare that was cooked. Mi-cuit, they called it. With a slab of goat's cheese on top. It was nice, but is it still a tartare?

I mix tomato sauce, Worcester and tobasco. Stir in the beef, then the chopped parsley so the mix sticks the parsley to the cow.

Then add onions, shallots and capers. Mix. Raw egg yolk on top.

But I would like to try with these chips of yours. What do you cook them in?

Oh my chips are rubbish, never really got the hang of them at home as Mrs WES moans about the smell of my deep fat fryer.

There's a truly wonderful bistro in Reims that does all sort of tartare and serves them with chips cooked in goose/duck fat.

Quite wonderful. I'm off to Lille on Saturday. I'm thinking of tartare with chips post Saturday market now.

[Sir C]

I never cook chips. But I'd like to try it.

In Montpellier this Jan, for my mate's daughter's birthday, we went out and had a tartare that was cooked. Mi-cuit, they called it. With a slab of goat's cheese on top. It was nice, but is it still a tartare?

I mix tomato sauce, Worcester and tobasco. Stir in the beef, then the chopped parsley so the mix sticks the parsley to the cow.

Then add onions, shallots and capers. Mix. Raw egg yolk on top.

But I would like to try with these chips of yours. What do you cook them in?

You’re not making a vinaigrette for the tartare? I feel slightly faint here.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Chap’s lived in India. He’s probably had more dystentry than you’ve had got dinners. He probably considers E-Coli no more than a slightly dicky tummy.

You're actually bang on with that one, B. More than you could know.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Oh my chips are rubbish, never really got the hang of them at home as Mrs WES moans about the smell of my deep fat fryer.

There's a truly wonderful bistro in Reims that does all sort of tartare and serves them with chips cooked in goose/duck fat.

Quite wonderful. I'm off to Lille on Saturday. I'm thinking of tartare with chips post Saturday market now.

Ooohh. Bon voyage. And keep us updated on tartare and chips.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

You’re not making a vinaigrette for the tartare? I feel slightly faint here.

No. There was this restaurant in Hackney, on Mare St, around the corner from my first squat, called Bouchon Forchette. Did the best tartare ever and that's their recipe.

Unfortunately, they closed down after a year or two. It was only a few years ago, but I doubt they could make enough profit when they were flogging a main course tartare and chips for £11 using Charal moo-moos shipped over from France.

But perhaps you should try this recipe one time, C? As I say, they were proper froggies so know about this stuff.

The côte du boeuf (again, Charal, obv) for 2 to share for £35 was top drawer, too.

Came with two types of chips and some hollandaise for dipping them into.

Nowadays, when in Hackney and wanting a cheap munch, we go to this crêperie on Lower Clapton Road. Something like £6-9 for a galette, less for the savouries. The guy who runs it is a Breton, so he knows his crêpes and has Breton cider if that's your thing.

But try this tartare recipe when you have a chance. The tomato sauce makes it slightly bloody Mary like. But you put in so much Wooster and Tobasco, you just taste that. But it sticks little bits of parsley to each side of each cube of beef. (And yes, hand carved is better for this bit.)

Their little restaurant would have gone down a treat in West London, but in Hackney there weren't enough people like us to patronise it. That and people not prepared to buy the more expensive wines to make it more profitable.

They did a bone marrow starter initially, which was nice. But stopped after a while. Here's a later menu before they closed, when the tartare had gone up in price:

https://www.zomato.com/london/boucho...e-hackney/menu


They could only make a profit at those prices if they were heaving with customers, but Hackney was too poor for that.

Pity. Glad they brought my favourite cuisine to my fave part of the city. I hope they've succeeded with whatever they did next.