Just One Dish: Merlin Labron-Johnson
Merlin Labron-Johnson is living proof that it's not the end of the world if school isn't your forte. It's hard to imagine that this highly respected chef was once a very naughty schoolboy. But it was for this reason that he discovered a love for cooking. After bouncing from school to school, he eventually found his feet in a small alternative school in his home county of Devon. When his family couldn't afford the school meals, Merlin offered up his services. 'I used to help our school cook prepare lunches in exchange for being able to eat for free,' he says. He started off peeling potatoes and washing pots but by the end of his school career he was being trusted to cook for all the children.
After this, his first job was as an assistant chef at a nearby cooking school. It was when his grandfather suggested a cooking job at a ski resort in Switzerland that his globe-trotting career began. France followed. Then Belgium. Then an array of Michelin Star restaurants around Europe.
In 2015, he returned to the UK to open his first restaurant, Portland, in London. Within nine months, he had gained his first Michelin star — at the age of 24. After a few years of opening various successful restaurants around the capital, he headed back to Devon. It was there that Osip was born. The name was an ode to his former first name — Merlin was Osip for a good few weeks of infancy before it was demoted to the rank of middle name.
Based in a village outside Bruton, Osip is the epitome of farm-to-fork food. While guests eat their Michelin-starred meals, they can look out over the restaurant-owned farms that grow 90 per cent of their vegetables. '[I wanted] to teach myself and my team to cultivate vegetables, herbs and fruit,' Labron-Johnson explains. 'So that we could explore a cuisine that was guided by landscapes and nature and by the farm.'
One of this talented chef's favourite dishes is ricotta dumplings. 'I love this dish because it is classic Italian cooking but we make it using Somerset ingredients,' he says. Watch the video to learn how to make it yourself.
• 500g chard leaves, tough stem removed, washed and dried• 250g ricotta• 1 egg• 150g parmesan, finely grated• salt, pepper and nutmeg• 3 tbsp plain flour• 250g semolina (preferably not too fine)• 150g butter
1. Boil the chard in salted water for 4 minutes then drain and leave to cool. Squeeze out all the water and chop finely. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan and chard. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the egg and plain flour. Season with salt and pepper.3. Find a large tray and sprinkle half the semolina flour on the bottom. Put a little flour on your hands and roll the ricotta mixture into balls roughly the size of ping pong balls.4. Place them on the tray so that they are sitting happily side by side but not touching each other. Cover with the remainder of the semolina flour.5. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or ideally overnight.6. Bring a pan of water to a boil that is large enough to accommodate all the dumplings. Place the dumplings in the water and cook until they start to rise to the surface (about 3-4 minutes).7. While the dumplings are cooking, heat the butter in another large pan. Once it is foaming, add a few spoonfuls of the cooking water and grate in some fresh nutmeg. Turn off the heat.8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings directly from the boiling water into the butter and toss well. Serve immediately.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Simon Cowell flashes a huge smile despite getting 'lost' during sun-soaked outing on his £8K e-bike - five years after breaking his back in horror cycle crash
Simon Cowell flashed a huge smile despite getting lost amid a sun-soaked outing on his £8K e-bike in Central London on Sunday. The music mogul, 65, was spotted by a surprised fan as he cycled through the busy streets, before stopping to chat with them outside a pub. Simon, who broke his back after falling from a similar model in 2020, wore a black puffer jacket and shorts while shielding his eyes behind shades. In a clip shared to TikTok fans in a passing car were stunned to see the Britain's Got Talent judge and pulled over to ask if he was 'scared' cycling amongst the traffic. Cool as a cucumber Simon quipped: 'I got lost, but it's quicker' before promising them he would be safe as he carried on his journey. Earlier this month, the TV star revealed fearing he would never walk again following the near-fatal crash five years ago. Simon was thrown off an electric bike when he was testing the vehicle at his home in Malibu, California. He underwent extensive surgery after the shock accident including having a metal rod put in his back to stabilise it and he has overhauled his lifestyle in the years since. Now, Simon has spoken more about the devastating impact of the crash, revealing his surgeon didn't know if he'd be able to ' fix' his back due to the severity of the injury. Speaking to Elizabeth Day on the How To Fail podcast, Simon revealed he 'could have died' in the accident and his surgeon warned him he might never walk again. He shared: 'He showed me the X-ray and he said ''look, I'm not going to lie Simon, I don't know if I can fix this, which means you probably won't walk and secondly, the operation could take 11 hours''. 'They said the obvious - it could go wrong - and all I could think about was my family and everything. In that moment you kind of realise the most important thing is your health and don't do stupid things.' The former X Factor judge said the horror accident was a major 'wake-up call' about his 'crazy' lifestyle and taught him to stop taking risks in life. 'It was a wake-up moment, which is I'm crazy,' he explained. 'It kind of happened for a reason because I thought I was fit but then when I had to do all the physio after, just walking, they make you walk very quickly, I pretty much couldn't move and then I started to walk a lot and thought ''oh God, I was in a really bad place''.' Reflecting on the accident itself, Simon revealed he was thrown from his e-bike after it did a massive 'wheelie' due to the power of the throttle, and said he immediately knew he had broken his back. 'I shipped it in from England, couldn't wait to drive it. I was in the driveway and my son was there and I pulled the throttle, it did the biggest wheelie and it threw me like 7-8ft in the air,' he said. 'I landed on my back and the second I landed I thought ''s**t, I know I've broken my back'' because I could feel it. 'The first thing I did was ''can I move my hands?'', yes, ''can I move my feet?'', yes, OK, that's not too bad.' Though his surgeon initially feared he would be paralysed from the accident, Simon has made a full recovery and says he is now fitter than he was before the crash. He has since shed three stone and has gradually ditched smoking, which saw him have 80 cigarettes a day at the height of his habit. In 2023, he told The Sun: 'I was so close to living the rest of my life in a wheelchair, it gives you a completely different outlook on life. In a positive way. 'It hurt - trust me - when it happened, but good things happened off the back of it.' Simon said it led him to realise his health was 'more important' than anything else and he completely overhauled his lifestyle to find a better work-life balance. The accident also made him focus on his family life with his partner Lauren Silverman and their son Eric, 11, and he also cut down on his work amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Simon previously smoked up to 80 cigarettes per day before reducing his use to just two each day in 2017 after falling down the stairs of his London home. He used to work through the entire night, but he now refuses to work past 6pm or on his days off.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Samantha Barks welcomes her second child with husband Alex Stoll as she shares a sweet photo of her daughter
Samantha Barks has welcomed her second child with her husband Alex Stoll. The actress, 34, took to her Instagram on Sunday to announce that she has welcomed a daughter, who the couple have named Felicity. She already shares son Raphael, 18 months, with her husband Alex, who she married in June 2022. Samantha shared a sweet black-and-white snap of her in hospital lying with her newborn baby on her chest. Alongside her adorable post, she penned: 'Hello Felicity'. Her friends and family flocked to her comment box to share their congratulations as Amanda Holden penned: 'Congratulations'. Another penned: 'Congratulations sweet girl! Welcome little miss, your mumma is a real life Queen' 'CONGRATULATIONS‼️‼️‼️ Felicity is SOOO PRECIOUS I cannot WAIT to meet her'; 'Congratulations! So beautiful'; 'Oh my goodness!! Huge congratulations ❤️❤️' Samantha first announced her pregnancy in May when she shared the surprise news, as she prepared to take to the stage for the BBC 's VE Day 80th Anniversary concert. She shared the news as she chatted to host Sophie Raworth ahead of her performance, revealing she was 'nearly nine months pregnant.' During the chat, Samantha appeared to let slip the gender of her new arrival, telling Sophie that 'this would be her first adventure' in reference to her unborn baby joining her on stage. Hiding her bump under a black padded coat, Samantha revealed: 'The dress is being steamed, the hair and makeup is ready.' As Sophie noted her bump which was hidden under her coat, the Frozen star added: '[I'm] nearly nine months pregnant so it's going to be me and baby performing for royalty tonight so it's her first adventure.' Her friends and family flocked to her comment box to share their congratulations as Amanda Holden penned: 'Congratulations' Samantha first announced her pregnancy in May when she shared the surprise news, as she prepared to take to the stage for the BBC 's VE Day 80th Anniversary concert The star had taken to Instagram earlier in the month to share a snap of her bump for the first time, as she and Alex enjoyed a beachside babymoon with their son. In January, Samantha was crowned as the winner of The Masked Singer, as she was unveiled as the voice behind the character Pufferfish. Addressing everyone after her unveiling, Samantha said: 'I've had the best time. Underneath the mask, I've been smiling so hard - it's hurting my cheeks! It's been amazing.' Samantha added that after years playing the role of Elsa in the West End production of Frozen, she loved taking on 'new styles' each week and noted she had 'lived a double life' during the 'crazy experience'. Speaking in an interview after being crowned champion, Samantha said of the experience: 'You know what this has been the most fun experience. I've loved this whole secret spy life and I can't believe it's over and I can't believe I won?
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Elizabeth Hurley and son Damien join Billy Ray Cyrus on night out as he supports daughter Miley in London
MODEL Elizabeth Hurley and son Damien join music star Billy Ray Cyrus on a night out. The trio were in London's West End to support Billy 's pop star daughter Miley for the launch of her new album and film Something Beautiful. 3 Liz, 60, is dating Billy, 63, and all four were in Covent Garden at the Lost City immersive event. Singer Miley previously said of her father's new relationship: 'I'm being an adult about it. 'At first it's hard, because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy'. "My child self has caught up.' The former Disney Channel star said she puts her now-resolved issues down to her closeness to her mother Trish — who had been Billy Ray's second wife after he divorced Cindy Smith in 1991. She told the New York Times podcast: 'My mum really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard. 'I think I took on some of my mom's hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain.' Earlier this month Billy Ray paid tribute to Liz on her birthday writing: "Happy birthday to the love of my life." Elizabeth Hurley shares loved-up new video with Billy Ray Cyrus hinting at MARRIAGE after revealing secret romance 3
