Gourmet's 50 Women Game Changers in Food: # 43, April Bloomfield

April Bloomfield was born in Birmingham, England in 1974. Her mother painted ornate candy dishes for Halcyon Days and her stepfather was an engineer. This was not a foodie family. Her mother's cooking left a lot to be desired, but April remembers some of her grandmother's dishes with fondness.

She was giving some thought to becoming a policewoman, but got sidetracked when she saw her sister in chef's whites. "Maybe I could give cooking a go, she thought. But when I walked into college, and saw the kitchens and smelt the spices, I knew I would give it 110%. I was just blown away."

Her first job was at a Holiday Inn, followed by several other restaurants while she learned her craft. At one point, she worked at Bibendum and still speaks with reverence of Simon Hopkinson, who was chef there. 

But eventually April wanted to spread her wings and her dream was a job at the River Cafe. She called a friend who worked there and:  "They told me to come in, and I loved it from the moment I tasted the food. It was this pasta… I had to peel these walnuts. I'd never seen a wet walnut. My fingers were burning, but I was so happy. We made a sauce from the walnuts, some bread, the water I'd blanched them in, some pesto and some spicy oil. Tossed it into some tagliatelle. When I tasted it, my palate moved to a higher consciousness. I actually thought: what have I been doing for the last 10 years? I was so worried I wasn't good enough to get a job there."

In the meantime, in NYC, Ken Friedman, who'd been in the music industry for 25 years began a new career. His friends suggested Mr. Friedman open a restaurant, because he had always been a foodie. Mr. Friedman ran the idea by Mario Batali, who agreed to help. So he and Mario Batali began searching for a chef. Jamie Oliver was their choice. Batali, a pal of his, and Friedman took him out for the evening. According to Batali, Oliver turned them down but suggested they meet with a young British sous chef at his old employer, the River Cafe. Her name was April Bloomfield.

Bloomfield flew out to New York, which she had never visited before, for an interview. A little to her surprise, this consisted of a 10-hour marathon during which she and Batali and Friedman ate at some of the city's best known restaurants. “Mario said, ‘Look at her arms. They’re all burnt, which means she has no fear. Plus, she has a sense of humor,’” recalled Mr. Friedman.

Bloomfield handed in her notice, and moved to the US, where she spent the summer working at Alice Waters's restaurant, Chez Panisse, to become familiar with American ingredients. Then she headed to New York where she and Friedman opened their gastropub, the Spotted Pig, in 2004. The menu was meaty, and rather British. She and Ken did not agree right away about what kind of food they would serve. "He wanted to do tofu hot dogs. I was very concerned. I sent him an email telling him what I was most passionate about, and I ended it by saying: look, I might not be the right chef for you." Ken promptly backed off, and has left her alone ever since. He deals only with front of house, leaving April, who is emphatically not a schmoozer, to get on with her work. This suits them both. 
Friedman says: New Yorkers didn’t quite know what to make of it. Was it a bar with good food? A restaurant that was fun?
In any case, it was an immediate hit.

April Bloomfield is one busy woman: not only head chef at The Spotted Pig, but at the wildly popular Breslin and the new John Dory, Vol II. The latter two eateries flank Ace Hotel New York and are an integral part of the nightlife here. The Spotted Pig and The Breslin both received coveted Michelin Stars this year.  She also has a book coming out this month.

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No problem choosing a recipe this week! I've read about this pie and those divine ingredients. What's not to love about dulce de leche and bananas? 

Banoffee Pie
Recipe by Chef April Bloomfield 

Ingredients:

2 14-oz. cans condensed milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 3 tbs. confectioner’s sugar

8 oz. unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 tsp. salt

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

8 to 10 bananas

2 cups heavy cream

Seeds of 1 vanilla bean

3 tbs. grated bittersweet chocolate

Method:

Filling
Place the unopened cans of condensed milk in a saucepan, and cover with water. Boil for 4 hours, checking the water level occasionally to ensure the cans remain submerged. Remove the cans, and allow to cool overnight.

Dough

Sift the flour into a bowl; add butter, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the egg yolks, and knead until the egg is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Form the dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Cut the dough into 2 or 3 large pieces. Grate the dough on a large-tooth box grater set over the base of an 11-inch tart pan, and press it evenly around the base, then the sides. The dough should be a little less than 1/4 inch thick on the base and 1/2 inch thick on the sides. Prick the bottom with a fork, and then freeze for 15 minutes. 

Pie

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the pie for 15 minutes or until brown all over. Allow the pie shell to cool. 

Peel and thinly slice the bananas on the bias. Arrange half of the bananas in concentric circles, starting from the outside and working your way to the center. Open the chilled cans and gently dollop the caramelized condensed milk onto the bananas, spreading it evenly. Follow with another layer of bananas. Cover the tart with a tight layer of plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

While the pie is chilling, whisk together the cream, vanilla seeds, and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks form. Remove the pie from the fridge, and spread the whipped cream on top, completely covering the bananas. Sprinkle grated chocolate over the pie, and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Join Mary from One Perfect Bite and all the other participants in this fun series.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets 
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Kathleen Van Bruinisse - Bake Away with Me 
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Martha - Lines from Linderhof
Amy - Beloved Green
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Lovely Things

Claudia - Journey of An Italian Cook
Alyce - More Time at the Table
Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades
Martha - Simple Nourished Living
Jill - Saucy Cooks
Sarah - Everything in the Kitchen Sink