Behind the Pass: Cafe Cecilia Edition!
Recipes, rhythms, and reflections from one of London’s most beloved kitchens.
Hello!
Welcome to another edition of Marly’s Table - thank you for being here.
Before we really get into it, I wanted to share a quick update on the state of this newsletter. I’ve decided to go back to keeping Marly’s Table completely free.
The next few months are going to be hectic (more on that in a sec), and I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to write and test. While any paid contribution truly means the world to me, I don’t want the pressure of knowing people are paying me to deliver something on a schedule. I want to write when the muse strikes, when I have something real to say, when I have something totally delicious to share, not because I feel financially obligated to.
Also, let’s be honest: there are already hundreds of people (and plenty of 'professional' bakers) putting out free recipes and doing the Substack thing. I know how frustrating it can be when you click on a recipe you’re excited about and it’s locked behind a paywall. Realistically, Substack was never going to be a sustainable source of income for me — and that’s fine! At this point in my life, I’m lucky enough to be able to share good recipes and a behind-the-scene glimpse into kitchens I love, without asking you to fork over a fiver first.
So instead of trying to make this newsletter a business, I’m treating it like what it’s always been: a place to share the things I’m excited about — the recipes, the stories, this new chapter.
Over the next few months, I’m working in some of the best professional kitchens across London — throwing myself into the deep end, learning on the job, and trying to figure out whether I can turn what has only ever been a dream into reality. If all goes to plan, by next June I’ll find my feet and be working full-time in one of London’s top restaurants. So here’s to the first of this little series: Behind the Pass, where I’ll be sharing my journey — my wibbly, wobbly path into the industry.
First stop: Café Cecilia. (As I write this, I’ve just finished working at Toklas Restaurant — stay tuned for that!)
In case you didn’t know, working in professional kitchens (and bakeries) is a lot less glamorous than it may look on Instagram. Don’t get me wrong — I absolutely bloody love it. But it’s hard work. The hours are long. By the end of each night, my shins were swollen and my feet were aching. My fingers felt arthritically stiff from podding borlotti beans, cleaning girolles, and picking herbs. My face felt like it had been basted in oil and salt — I was truly ‘glowing’, but not in the way skincare ads intend.
It’s not all plating pretty desserts and folding fun pasta shapes (although there is a lot of that too!) — you’ve got to graft. There’s a lot of dirty, sweaty, monotonous work that goes on behind the scenes to keep a kitchen running like a well-oiled machine. It’s fast-paced, noisy, and unforgiving. Being behind the pass, watching the tickets pile up, and knowing you’ve got to deliver perfect plates of food to paying customers — it’s quite the adrenaline rush. You’re constantly moving, constantly watching, constantly trying not to fuck up.
But despite all that — the aching limbs, the heat, the burn marks, the bruised ego — I don’t want to be anywhere else. It exactly where I’m meant to be. Call it delusion or determination, but I’m all in (preferably with a staff meal at the end … the biggest perk of the job!).
And now, the real reason you’re here — while I can’t give you the full recipes from my time at Café Cecilia, I can pass on some tips, tricks, and techniques that’ll serve you well in your own kitchens.
Westcome ricotta & Scottish girolle agnolotti:
Roll pasta dough through the machine on the thinnest setting at least twice for stuffed shapes like agnolotti or ravioli. For non-stuffed pasta like tagliatelle, don’t go quite as thin — you want that bite.
Set yourself up before you start: a spray bottle of water (or even better, leftover pasta water) and a tray of semolina. The semolina helps seal any tiny rips or holes and keeps the pasta from sticking. The water keeps the dough tacky and stops it drying out while you work.
Fresh stuffed pasta is done when it floats to the surface — usually around 2–3 minutes.
Butter. And I mean a lot of it. That’s the reason restaurant pasta tastes so much better than homemade. For a super glossy, emulsified sauce, agitate the butter and pasta water together like you mean it. Never drain your pasta — transfer it straight into the sauce.
Too salty? Add a squeeze of lemon, a ladle of pasta water, or more cold/room temp butter.
Too bland? Start with a big pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. They fix more than you think.
Heritage Tomato, Peach & Crouton Salad:
Take your leftover sourdough (crusts removed) and toss it with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil, a couple sprigs of thyme, a big pinch of salt, and a few whole, crushed garlic cloves. Bake at 160°C for about 30 minutes — and you’ve got very good croutons.
Marinate the best tomatoes you can find in EVOO, moscatel vinegar, salt, marjoram, and thyme. Let them sit for a few hours!
For a good dressing start with a simple ratio: 1 part sweet vinegar (moscatel or sherry) to 3 parts EVOO. Season to taste from here.
Crab, Fennel, Mizuna Salad:
Use a mandolin to thinly slice fennel into a big bowl of ice-cold water — it’ll curl up and crisp beautifully.
Start with a spoon of brown crab mayo.
→ Add a tumble of mizuna and fennel, tossed through a simple lemon and EVOO dressing.
→ Top with picked white crab meat.→ A pinch of dried chilli
→ Another tumble of greens.
→ Finish with more white crab and a final drizzle of really good olive oil.
Fried Courgette Flower w/ Goats Curd & Honey:
A big pinch of salt the second something comes out of the fryer is non-negotiable. A drizzle of honey & fresh oregano is also lovely!
Crab risotto:
Risotto rice can be parcooked about 90% of the way, then cooled down quickly and stored in the fridge overnight. The next day, it can be finished with hot stock and plenty of herby butter. Not just a restaurant trick … this will save you so much stress at your next dinner party.
Fried parsley = a fun garnish!
Mussels & Datterinis on Grilled Sourdough:
For some very good roasted tomatoes: wash your tomatoes, prick each one with a knife, then roast at 160°C for 15-20 minutes with thinly sliced garlic, marjoram, extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, and a generous pinch of salt. Delicious here with mussels, but equally so tossed through pasta, risotto or through some crisp little gem lettuce.
Grilled Monkfish Tail, Marinated Peppers, Chickpeas & Preserved Lemon:
Grill Romano peppers over an open flame until blackened, then pop them in a metal bowl and cover with clingfilm — they’ll steam in their skins and become super easy to peel. Marinate with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic (it really is so much better than the jarred stuff)
Anytime you’re using dried chickpeas, make sure to soak them overnight. Beans need a lot of love and patience — and they always take longer than you think (I’m talking at least good hour-long braise). No one wants to bite into a little chickpea bullet.
Monkfish is a lot more forgiving (and harder to overcook) than other delicate white fish. It’s almost meaty and so full of flavour — if you spot it at the fishmonger, it’s absolutely worth trying. And don’t toss the bones — use them for stock!
Deep-fried Bread & Butter Pudding:
Brioche burger buns make excellent bread for bread and butter pudding!
Make the pud in a deep loaf tin, allow to cool overnight, then slice into thick slices. Deep fry if you dare — or just crisp both sides in a generously buttered pan and finish with a good dusting of icing sugar.
Chocolate Mousse, Crème fraîche, Olive Oil & Salt:
To get a lovely quenelle (that fancy oval shape), dip an oval spoon into hot water (so it's HOT and slightly wet), then use it to scoop your chocolate mousse. With one smooth motion, drag the spoon forward across the surface to pick up the mousse, then gently pull it back toward you while twisting your wrist—this rolls the mousse into an elegant football‑shaped quenelle. Each time, rinse and reheat the spoon in hot water to get the cleanest shape.
Olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt, and a dollop of crème fraîche are very good friends with chocolate.
These photos honestly only capture a tiny fraction of what I learnt and experienced during my time at Café Cecilia. And the best part — my time at Café Cecilia isn’t over either! I mean in only a few days — I learned how to cook live (yes, alive and wriggling) crab, prep live scallops (so much more work than you'd think), pick whole mackerel, make frangipane tarts from start to finish, I could go on and on. I’m heading back at the end of the month to work, and I couldn’t be more excited.
More than anything, this experience just cemented what I already knew: this is what I’m meant to do.
I’ll share more regular little live nuggets of insight into this journey over on my Instagram ‘@onmarlystable’! And as promised, alongside this Behind the Pass series, I’ll be sharing my favourite midweek dinners and bakes each month. I’ve got more than few coming your way — but if you can’t wait, I usually post them over on my Instagram too.
That’s all from me today.
With love,
Marly X
See you at the table.
Loved it <3