Constant reinvention — Q&A with Jack Lury

What is the first dish you remember truly loving?

My mum’s rice and curry - which in reality was rice and then 5 or 6 curries and sambols. It is also probably fair to say that it was the leaping off point for everything that eventually became Lury.

What ingredient do you think deserves more attention?

Kind of random, but unexpectedly we have ended up using a huge amount of cashew nuts in the restaurant, whether that be as a textural element, making a ‘milk’ to use when cooking, or as a thickener. So perhaps nuts in general for their versatility.

What is the most overrated idea in restaurants right now?

I think it varies country to country, but in the UK at the moment, I think preserved and fermented products are starting to reach what must be their peak. I understand the appeal, and they certainly have a place on menus and in using up surplus products when they’re in season, but I think sometimes it’s worth asking whether a currently available fresh ingredient might be tastier than something you fermented a year ago, however clever the latter may seem….

Is there a dish you keep returning to because it still feels unfinished?

I’m not sure unfinished is necessarily how I think of it, but we have a dish that involves egg, lime and seeni sambol (a sri lankan onion based condiment) that has been on the menu since we opened. Every few months I have ended up reinventing it using the same ingredients but in a different format because I’m always convinced I’ve thought of a better way to showcase the combination of flavours. So it’s more a case of constant reinvention.

What do you cook when you are tired and off duty?

I have two young children, so speed is usually the main requirement. I think the truthful answer is probably one that is very common amongst chefs - a simple pasta dish. Spaghetti, anchovies, chillies, garlic and some olive oil. Filling, tasty and can be thrown together in 10 minutes.

Which chef, book, place or memory changed the way you think about food?

A trip to Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir when I was about 20. It was my first experience in a michelin star restaurant and the entire experience blew me away. I think the main thing that has always stayed with me was how light the food was - it’s something I always try to keep in the forefront of my mind when I’m constructing a new dish whether that’s by something like utilising acid or reducing fat.

Photos: Georgina Cook