The great fear of the first-time restaurateur is that your big opening will be a bust. A lesser concern is how you’ll react if it’s an instant, massive hit. That’s the situation Irish chef Max Rocha found himself in after opening Cafe Cecilia in August 2021, in a white-walled space next to the Regent’s Canal in east London.
“It was all too much,” he recalls of that heady first year of glowing reviews and packed tables dotted with famous faces (Nigella Lawson raved about the deep-fried bread and butter pudding). “It felt like the place everyone wanted to be, but I was putting myself through hell.”
Rocha had reasons to be anxious. He had cooked at some of London’s best restaurants – Spring, St John Bread & Wine, the River Cafe – but, at 32, he had no experience of running his own kitchen. “I wasn’t ready for it,” he admits. His family were hugely supportive but they set a high bar. His father is the designer John Rocha; his older sister, Simone, runs a cult fashion label. He felt intense pressure to match up. “My dad started out with nothing and he smashed it,” says Rocha, “and I wanted to do the same.”
He worked crazy hours, trying to do all the menu development himself. Off the clock, he was drinking “to numb myself”.
“I wasn’t like, a crazy person having loads of parties or anything [but] I couldn’t cope at work, and then after work I was isolating a bit. I wasn’t present enough for my staff. It all went to my head.”
After a year Rocha hit a wall and had to take some time off. He returned feeling like a different person, less fixated on success and determined to improve as a boss. What changed? “I stopped drinking and taking any sort of substances – two years ago,” he tells me proudly. “It was just a choice for me to make, and I don’t want to make this [interview] all about that, but I’m not nervous of people knowing that I stopped drinking to make my life better, make my staff’s lives better, and make things better for everyone around me.”
He also threw himself into exercise and is more anxious these days about upcoming half-marathons than proving himself in the kitchen.
Three years in, the restaurant is still buzzing during breakfast, lunch and dinner. On a recent visit I sat between families demolishing plates of onglet and chips and a sharply dressed couple supping on poached cod with summer vegetables – Cafe Cecilia is beloved by the London fashion world. Servers glide about serenely, dressed in navy-blue Simone Rocha shirts.
This month, Rocha is publishing a Cafe Cecilia cookbook featuring some of the restaurant’s greatest hits. The opening chapter is devoted to Guinness bread, which you can pair with mackerel pâté or crumble into tarts and ice-cream. The bread recipe comes from Rocha’s mother, Odette, who seeded his love of food growing up in Dublin and now consults on the menu.
There’s an appealing chapter on pasta, which Rocha learned to make at a trattoria in Copenhagen, and a recipe for sage and anchovy fritti, which causes uproar among regulars if it ever drops off the menu. The influence of St John can be felt in the mingling of gutsy British and French classics such as chicken and leek pie and pig’s head croquettes. It all comes together surprisingly well, aided by the simplicity of Rocha’s cooking – many of the recipes in the book contain fewer than 10 ingredients.
In person Rocha is enthusiastic and self-effacing. He laughs when he remembers how “messy” he was when he started cheffing, and how unprepared he was for the immediacy and scale of Café Cecilia’s success. Now he seems stunned that, in addition to a thriving business, he has a book on the way, one whose pared aesthetic matches the look of his restaurant. “I’m so lucky,” he keeps saying.
Not that it has inflated his ego: there are only a couple of small photos of Rocha at the back among his team and suppliers. “I didn’t want it to be the Max book,” he insists, “I wanted it to be more about the cafe.” He gives greater prominence to his Irish and Hong Kong grandmothers, both pictured in the opening pages – the latter, Cecilia, saved up money for Rocha’s dad to travel to London when he was 16. “Without her taking the punt on him, he wouldn’t be where he is today, and I wouldn’t be either.”
He ended up naming the restaurant after her. Would he consider opening more Cafe Cecilias?
“I used to be like, never. But then yesterday … ” He allows himself a brief moment to dream. “I like the idea of a fine-dining restaurant. I like the idea of a diner, with a rock’n’roll tuna melt. I like the idea of opening a restaurant in Dublin, or New York … ” Then he checks himself. “A lot of opportunities have come in but it doesn’t feel right to do anything just yet. I want to get to five years here first first and then see where we’re at.”
Crown prince, black olive and Graceburn cheese salad
Serves 2
crown prince or any other winter squash ¼ (300g)
olive oil 1 tbsp
sage leaves 8 large
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
Graceburn cheese 1 tbsp, plus 1 tbsp marinating oil from the jar
black olive dressing (see below) 2 heaped tbsp
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Remove the seeds from the squash and cut into four half-moons. Put the squash wedges into a bowl, add the olive oil, a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, the sage leaves and garlic and toss together.
Place the wedges, flat side down, on the lined sheet, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water and cover with aluminium foil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes, or until fully cooked through. (The timings may vary slightly depending on the squash variety you have used.)
Leave to cool slightly, reserving the cooked sage leaves.
To serve, lay the warm squash wedges on a plate and crumble over the cheese. Spoon over the olive dressing, dispersing it evenly. Drizzle the Graceburn marinating oil over the dish, and finish with the reserved sage leaves.
For the black olive dressing
pitted black olives 250g, finely chopped
shallot ½, diced
red chilli 1, seeded and diced
flat leaf parsley a handful, leaves picked and finely chopped
rosemary 1 sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped
marjoram leaves 1 tbsp, finely chopped
capers 50g, chopped
extra virgin olive oil 150ml
cabernet sauvignon or other red wine vinegar 45ml
salt and pepper
Put all the ingredients, except the oil and vinegar, into a bowl and mix together. Pour in the olive oil and vinegar and combine, then season to taste. Use immediately or cover and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Grilled mackerel and marinated tomatoes (pictured above)
Serves 2
winter and/or heirloom tomatoes 3, cut into 5mm slices
basil leaves a handful, coarsely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
flat leaf parsley a handful, leaves picked and coarsely chopped
capers 1 tsp, coarsely chopped
extra virgin olive oil a good glug, plus extra for the fish
red wine vinegar 1 tbsp
whole large mackerel 1, cleaned, butterflied and pin boned (ask your fish supplier to do this)
salt and pepper
horseradish creme fraiche (see below)
Put the tomatoes into a bowl and add the herbs and capers, then pour in the olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Leave to marinate while you prepare the fish.
Heat a griddle (grill) pan over medium heat until hot. Season the skin and flesh of the mackerel with salt and pepper and rub with some olive oil. Put the fish skin side down into the hot pan and cook until the skin releases easily from the pan, has nice griddle marks and the pink flesh has almost changed colour and become opaque. This should take 4–5 minutes depending on its size.
Transfer the grilled mackerel, skin side up, to a serving plate, arrange the tomatoes on another plate and garnish with basil leaves. Serve with horseradish creme fraiche if you like.
For the horseradish creme fraiche
creme fraiche 70ml
fresh horseradish 30g, finely grated
lemon grated zest of 1
red wine vinegar 1 tsp
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Use immediately or cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Smoked haddock chowder
Serves 4
smoked haddock fillet 500g boneless, skinless
butter 150g, plus a small piece for the mussels
shallots 6, finely chopped
garlic 4 cloves, thinly sliced
thyme 2 sprigs, leaves picked
floury (baking) potatoes 1kg, peeled and cubed
mussels 16, scrubbed and beards removed
dry cider 50ml
milk 600ml
salt and pepper
chopped parsley to garnish
Guinness bread 4 thick toasted slices to serve (see below)
butter for the bread
Put the haddock into a pan, cover with water and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 20 minutes, or until the flesh flakes. Remove from the pan using a spatula and leave to cool slightly, then flake the flesh. Strain the cooking liquor through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring jug. Set aside.
In a separate heavy pan, heat the butter, then add the shallots, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the shallots are soft but not coloured. Stir in the potatoes and cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until soft. Pour in 400ml of the cooking liquor and continue to cook for another 20 minutes.
Heat the butter in a deep pan over a high heat until sizzling, then add the mussels (having discarded any open mussels that don’t shut when tapped) and pour in the cider. Cover with a lid and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels from the pan and discard any that remain closed.
When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the shells.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the potatoes to a food processor and process to a puree, then return to the pan. Stir in the milk and cook for 10 minutes, then add the fish and mussels and warm through. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with toasted Guinness bread and butter.
Guinness bread
Makes 1 loaf
butter for greasing
strong wholemeal flour 400g
plain flour 100g
fine salt 16g
bicarbonate of soda 5g
pumpkin seeds 100g
buttermilk 200ml
Guinness 300ml
egg 1
jumbo oats 20g
Preheat the oven to 150C fan/gas mark 3½ and grease a 900g loaf pan, buttering well into all the corners, otherwise your bread will stick.
Put all the dry ingredients, except the oats, into a bowl and combine. Pour all the wet ingredients into a separate bowl and stir together with a whisk until totally combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix with one hand while keeping the bowl stable with the other, until all the ingredients are well combined and a wet dough forms.
Using your dough-covered hand, put the dough into the loaf pan, then wash your hands thoroughly. Sprinkle over the oats, then score a short, shallow line in the middle of the dough using a small, sharp knife.
Bake the bread in the oven for 1 hour, then remove and tip out of the pan.
Return the bread to a shelf in the oven and bake for about another 10 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool on a wire rack. This bread will keep for up to 3 days.
Ham hock, butter beans and cabbage
Serves 4
smoked ham hock 1 x 1kg
Irish dry cider 300ml
bay leaves 2
red chilli 1
black peppercorns 10
savoy cabbage ½, cut into 4 wedges
butter small piece
butter beans 400g can, drained
dijon mustard 2 tbsp
flatleaf parsley chopped, to serve
Put the ham hock into a heavy pan and cover completely with water, then bring to the boil. Once boiling, drain the ham hock and discard the water, then return the hock to the pan, cover with fresh water and add the cider, bay leaves, chilli and black peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1–2 hours until the ham is falling off the bone.
Reserving the cooking liquor in the pan, remove the hock and transfer it to a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, put the cabbage wedges into the pan of cooking liquor and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquor.
Remove the meat from the hock while it is still warm, shredding it with a fork or your fingers into bite-size pieces.
Put the butter, butter beans, cooked cabbage, shredded ham and a ladle of the warm cooking liquor into a clean pan and warm through, then spoon into serving bowls and serve with a blob of mustard garnished with parsley.
Deep-fried bread and butter pudding with cold custard
Serves 5
plain brioche buns 6, halved
eggs 4
milk 370ml
caster sugar 180g plus extra for dusting
single cream 370ml
sunflower oil for deep-frying
custard (see below) chilled to serve
Line the bottom and sides of a 900g loaf pan with baking (parchment) paper, then lay the bun halves on top of each other in the pan.
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar and cream, then pour over the bread so everything is submerged. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Remove the cling film and bake the pudding for 45 minutes, then leave to cool. When cool, cover with another piece of baking paper and cut a piece of cardboard to put on top of the pudding in the pan. Add something heavy on top, like a food can, to press the pudding and chill in the fridge overnight.
The next day, turn the pudding out onto a clean work counter and cut into 5 thick slices. Put enough sugar into a shallow bowl for coating the slices after they have been deep fried.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep, heavy pan to 180C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Carefully lower 2 slices of pudding at a time into the hot oil and deep fry for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the outside and warm on the inside. Remove with a spatula and drain on a plate lined with paper towels for a few seconds, then coat the slices in sugar on all sides.
To serve, pour the cold custard into 5 serving bowls, then top with the warm bread and butter pudding.
For the custard, makes 750ml
milk 330ml
double cream 330ml
vanilla bean, 1 split lengthways and seeds scraped
egg yolks 160g (9–10 eggs)
caster sugar 170g
Pour the milk and cream into a pan, then add the vanilla bean and seeds and heat to just before boiling. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and set another heatproof bowl or container on top.
Put the egg yolks and sugar into a heatproof bowl and whisk together until combined. Slowly pour a large ladleful of the warm mixture over the egg yolks and sugar, whisking constantly so it does not curdle, then return the mixture to the pan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring slowly with a rubber spatula, until it reaches 83C on a sugar thermometer.
Remove from the heat, then immediately pass through a chinois sieve into the bowl set over the ice bath and leave to cool. When cool, cover and place in the fridge until you need to use it. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Odette’s chocolate pots
Makes 5
dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 150g, broken into pieces
eggs 5, separated
caster sugar 30g
double cream for whipping
cookies (optional) to serve
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Once melted, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until they are a milkshake consistency. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a hand-held electric mixer until they form soft peaks.
Pour the melted chocolate into a clean bowl, then mix in the egg yolks with a rubber spatula. Add the whites, a third at a time, and gently fold in. Pour the mixture into 5 small glasses, leaving 1cm on top for the cream. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
To assemble, pour some cream into a bowl and lightly whip with a whisk until soft peaks form, then spoon on top of the chocolate and smooth the surface to make each glass look like a small Guinness. Enjoy the pots with cookies, if desired, or on their own.
