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Tom Brown
Cornerstone, London
Hackney‘s seafood hero needed no more than a second to respond
when quizzed about his all-time favourite holiday dish. “I went to
see my brother and his missus in Mexico
and while we were sitting on Zicatela Beach, soaking up as much sun
as two gingers can stand, a guy offered us fresh oysters from a bag
on his back.” Wearing nothing but speedos and a Batman utility
belt, he whipped out an oyster knife, shucked a handful of oysters
and drizzled them with green hot sauce and a squeeze of lime. After
eating just one, Brown knew he had to add it onto the menu at
Cornerstone – this time with a serving of seaweed hot
sauce. Oysters might not be at top of your shopping list, but you
can use this hot-sauce method to spice up any dish. Grab green or
red peppers, chillies, sugar, salt and a little raw garlic and
vinegar, blend them until smooth and drizzle over anything. When
times get hard, homemade hot sauce and tinned tuna will hit the
mark.
Brown has started Hospitality Action, an initiative to help
those hardest hit by the coronavirus in the industry. You can
donate here.