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At Home With Gil Héry

23.11.25

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4 min read

At Home with ETO: conversations over a glass of wine, relishing the small moments and personal rituals that make our spaces our own. 

There is a clarity and simplicity about Gil Héry’s cooking that draws you in straight away. A chef shaped by French-Korean heritage and a life on the Portuguese coast, he combines flavours and textures with a quiet confidence and ease that makes even simple dishes feel considered. 

For this edition, he’s created two plates just for us: a bright cured sashimi and a hand-cut beef tartare with warm chervil sabayon. Both are designed for sharing and lingering over with a glass of wine in hand. Invite some friends, put on a vinyl, and meet us in the kitchen.

Horse Mackerel Sashimi

Serves two to three

Ingredients

Fish

  • 1 horse mackerel fillet (250–300g, pin bones removed)
  • 70g sea salt
  • 30g caster sugar
  • 150ml rice vinegar
  • 2–3 tbsp olive oil (or infused oil)
  • Zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • Flaky salt, black pepper

Infused oil

  • Thai basil sprigs (leaves + stems)
  • Peels of 1–2 lemons
  • ~150ml olive oil

Method

  1. Cure the fillet in the salt–sugar mix for 40 minutes in the fridge. The cure firms the flesh and deepens the flavour.

  2. Rinse and soak in rice vinegar for 30 minutes. This lightly “cooks” the fish and balances the cure.

  3. Slice thinly against the grain, plate, and finish with the oil, lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, flaky salt, and pepper.

  4. Infused oil: combine basil, lemon peel, and olive oil in a jar and infuse for a week for a soft, aromatic lift.


Note: horse mackerel is delicious and wonderfully textured, but has a bold flavour; for something lighter, consider sea bass or sea bream.

Beef Tartare with Chervil Sabayon

Serves two

Ingredients

Tartare

  • 100g knife-cut tenderloin (or top sirloin)
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • Zest + juice of 1 lemon
  • Good quality olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • Flat leaf parsley (optional)
  • Pickled red onions (optional)

Sabayon reduction

  • 60ml white wine or cider vinegar
  • 60ml dry white wine
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • Small handful chervil, chopped
  • Cracked pepper, to taste
  • Pinch salt

Sabayon emulsion

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 120g clarified butter (warm)
  • 1 tbsp cold water (as needed)
  • Salt + lemon juice or vinegar, to taste

Method

  1. Tartare: finely chop the beef and mix with shallot, lemon, oil, salt, and pepper. Top with flat leaf parsley and pickled red onions, if desired.

  2. Make the reduction: gently simmer vinegar, wine, shallots, chervil, pepper, and salt until reduced, leaving about 1 tablespoon of liquid.

  3. Whisk the sabayon: set the warm reduction and yolks over simmering water and whisk until pale and thick (3–5 minutes).

  4. Emulsify with the warm butter, adding slowly, and a splash of water if it tightens. Season to finish.

  5. Strain for smoothness; use as-is or load into a siphon (two charges) for a light, airy texture.
    Heating to around 65°C gently pasteurises the yolks and gives a more stable, make-ahead sauce.

A Note from ETO: on wine pairings and festivities

To make things easy while you’re in hosting mode, our team has chosen a variety for each recipe that elevates the mood of any gathering.

For the horse mackerel sashimi:

We’d love pairing this dish with a wine that’s got backbone - reach for something that complements fish that’s powerful and a bit wild. 

  • Txakoli (Basque Country, Spain - pictured) - dry, bright citrus, salt spray, and clean acidity with a spritzy feel if poured from a height. Cuts straight through the richness of the sashimi.
  • Albariño (Rías Baixas, Spain) - juicy stone fruit forward wines, with a saline edge. A subtle nod to the sea without overwhelming the palate. 
  • Dry Riesling (Wachau, Austria) - the kind of acidity that enhances the salinity of the sashimi. Lovely and fresh, approachable. A great entry point for people who “don’t drink Riesling."

If you swap the mackerel for sea bass or bream, keep the acidity but defer to something a bit softer: a Chablis (Burgundy) works well with some additional texture and minerality. 

For the tartare with sabayon: 

This is a soft, rich dish and pairs well with a wine that’s got structure: think something clean, with freshness and perfume to cut through. 

  • Beaujolais Cru (Morgon or Fleurie - pictured) - bright red fruits with fine tannins, and a smooth, gentle spice that pairs well with tartare. 
  • Cabernet Franc (Loire Valley) - these are lush: perfumed with florals, a hit of graphite, and plenty of sharpness. A nice herbal note with the chervil sabayon works nicely. 
  • Syrah (Northern Rhône) - try to find one grown on Schist soil - it’s flaky and volcanic, which means extra work for the roots, with flavours that are distinct from other darker, richer styles you’ll find grown in clay. Think lifted, peppery, and more mineral.

Enjoy your hosting season. 

- Team ETO

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