NEWLY refurbished Brazz is looking slick and ready to face the year - but what goes on behind the scenes?

Head chef Liam Finnegan, 32, leads the large team that covers the Brazz and The Castle Hotel kitchen. From fine dining, patisserie, bread or breakfast, lunch and dinner - you can get it all here.

Mr Finnegan moved to Somerset five years ago to join the team at the hotel, as he said he wanted to be part of the establishment's "new chapter".

Somerset County Gazette:

Liam Finnegan.

He said: "The hotel was quite well-known, and I wanted to be part of the new chapter. The staff make it so successful and the hotel has so much history.

"Somerset is one of the best places for top produce. It is really important to support the local community, the walls of Brazz are covered with photos of local farms, taken by Clayton Jane."

He is originally from Carlingford, Ireland, and says the coastal-town sparked his love of cooking from a young age.

Living in the fishing-orientated town meant that his grandad, like many others, was a fisherman.

"I was a bit of a menace when I was younger, a bit hyperactive. So I was left at home with my mum and grandmother," he added.

"My grandad would go out and catch the fish, and then I would cook it."

The restaurant recently underwent a six-week closure while renovations took place. The full refit features include the bar where there are encaustic floor tiles, a copper-topped bar and deep-booth seating to encourage party-goers.

Annabel Chapman, daughter-in-law of Kit Chapman who first launched the restaurant in 1998, designed the innovative space with some exciting features including a four-tier chandelier carrying 33 lights, hanging from the dome over the restaurant.

Somerset County Gazette:

Chef Liam Finnegan and manager Adam Lee.

The refit also saw the appointment of new manager Adam Lee, who began his career at the world-famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

But the popular restaurant kept its love of all things local, which chef Liam is passionate about.

Other things he loves about cooking include working in the big team in the kitchen, where all the chefs work in intricate detail to produce a wide range of dishes.

Mr Finnegan said: "I like the everyday challenge of cooking, working with the local producers and working in a big team.

"There is a very good team environment, it is a high pressure environment, but it is good fun.

"It's all about the care and the passion and the love for what you're doing.

"Fish is one of my favourites to cook and eat.

"There is more skill involved in working with fish as it is more delicate. There is a lot of skill when working with fish like smoked salmon."

The team select the different menus together, constantly trying out new things. The menu changes at Brazz around six times a year, depending on the season.

He added: "Everyone gets involved and pitches ideas and has an input. The front of house team try the food, too.

"You've got to enjoy what you're cooking, it's not just about the chef."

Recipe: Lemon tart

Somerset County Gazette:

For the filling:
-    Lemon juice – 5 lemons and 2 zests
-    Castor sugar – 175 g
-    Egg Yolks – 8
-    Whole eggs - 2
-    Cream – 250 ml
For the pastry:
-    Flour plain - 600g
-    Icing Sugar - 150g
-    Butter unsalted - 250g
-    Egg yolks - 3
-    Whole Egg - 1
Method:
To make the pastry, mix the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until crumbly like bread crumbs. Mix in the egg and yolks.

Allow the Pastry to rest in the fridge for 30 mins, covered in cling film. Lightly flour your bench and roll pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Roll back on to the pin and roll out onto a 25cm tart case.

Trim it a little but leave it over lapping for shrinkage while cooking. Bake in the oven at 140c for 8 mins then remove your lined beans and cook for a further 8 mins until golden.

Whisk Cream and Sugar and bring to the boil. Pull off of the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, zest and eggs.

Pour into your pre-baked tart case and bake in the oven for 30 mins at 110c – just keep an eye on it as domestic ovens tend to be unpredictable.

Cook for 30 mins on 100c. Make sure it wobbles but is not runny. I always leave mine to cool down below the oven and never refrigerate it especially if it’s being served the same day. Relax, it will set.

Chef's tip:
This all depends on your desired effect for the pastry. For a light crumbly pastry, the less you work it the better. This rule applies to scones and various other doughs.

It’s tougher to roll and master but once you nail it, as they say “the proof will be in the pudding”.

If you want it more firm, give it a little bit of working when it’s all mixed together. All you are doing by continually working the dough is working the gluten which is a ‘no no’ for crumbly pastry.

For the above I love a crumbly soft pastry - so freeze your butter and grate it into the sifted flour.

Once the eggs are added and it feels right let it rest in the cling film. The above recipe is enough for two tart cases so split- the dough, cling film and freeze one for next time.