For one night only, on Friday 16 October, CORD’s Executive Chef Karl O’Dell will be joined by leading Chef Joshua Hunter, Head Chef at Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds in Northwood, for a special five-course dinner celebrating British game at the height of the season.
Taking place at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu on Fleet Street, in the heart of the City of London, the dinner brings together two chefs who share a genuine love of game, exceptional seasonal ingredients and cooking that is grounded in classical technique but never constrained by it.
Whether guests are already passionate about game or discovering it for the first time, the dinner is designed to offer something unexpected – a chance to explore its incredible variety, flavours and textures in new and exciting ways.
A favourite ingredient for both chefs, game will take centre stage throughout the evening. Rabbit liver parfait, game consommé, red-legged partridge, Yorkshire grouse, Highland venison and game black pudding will all make an appearance across the five courses, showcasing just how varied, distinctive and delicious British game can be. Karl and Joshua will each take the lead on different courses, bringing their own personalities and cooking styles to the table, while creating a menu that flows naturally from one chef to the other.
Karl approaches it through the lens of CORD’s contemporary, ingredient-led cooking, combining the precision and creativity that underpins his food and says how much he’s looking forward to collaborating with Josh: “He brings so much experience and expertise. The whole team is excited to learn from his skills and techniques.
“For one of my dishes, we’re featuring venison – a venison loin raviolo. The venison has been hung for two weeks to mature the flavour. It’s mixed with black pudding and spices; sage, onions, cayenne pepper and paprika and served with a sherry sauce.”
For Joshua, that passion for game extends well beyond the kitchen. Alongside his role at Holland & Holland, his experience as a deer stalker has given him a close understanding of game, its provenance and seasonality, and a particular respect for the ingredient and how it should be treated.
“For me, as a chef, it represents the pinnacle of working with wild food. You see the animal in its natural habitat, observe its life and behaviour, and help to manage the wildlife in a way that creates the best possible environment for the game, as well as ensuring the meat is in the very best condition for consumption.
“Chefs have an important role to play in preparing and presenting all game in a refined and accessible way, allowing people to experience it very differently from how they may have encountered it in the past. It does not need to be heavy, strongly flavoured or intimidating; it can be treated with delicacy and used in an enormous variety of dishes.”
It is this meeting of perspectives that sits at the heart of the dinner: two chefs with a shared respect for game and its traditions, but their own ideas about what to do with it. Together, Karl and Joshua will explore the flavours, textures and possibilities of British game, creating a menu that celebrates the season while giving these ingredients a fresh, elegant and distinctly modern perspective.