Ten slow dishes in London that are worth the wait

Forget instant gratification. Anna Kibbey and Annica Wainwright find the dishes that take days, months or years to reach peak tastiness

8 hours

Pappardelle with dexter beef shin ragu, Padella

 

A photo posted by Wafa Al Qasimi (@wafa_alqasimi) on Jul 7, 2016 at 11:01am PDT

Padella's chefs know you can't cheat on ragu - the supreme stickiness of their signature recipe develops over eight hours on the stove before it's allowed anywhere near the hand-rolled pasta. 6 Southwark St, SE1 1TQ.

24 hours

Woodland Negroni, Duck & Waffle

 

A photo posted by corbey73 (@corbey73) on Jul 15, 2016 at 6:49am PDT

Forget 'shaken or stirred'. How about 'slow-dripped through layers of moss, wood, leaves and soil for 24 hours'? This limited-edition cocktail is like a warm hug from a drunk squirrel. 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY.

50 hours

Cherrywood roasted peking duck, HKK 

 

A photo posted by HKK (@hkk_london) on Aug 19, 2015 at 3:22am PDT

HKK's signature duck is stuffed with spices, showered in scalding hot water, hung in a purpose-built duck drier for 48 hours, then roasted over cherrywood. Well worth the £88 price tag. 88 Worship St, EC2A 2BE.

72 hours

Cross rib of beef, Balthazar

The star at this Covent Garden brasserie is the cross rib special. Seasoned, seared, sealed in a vacuum bag and committed to a 58C oven for three days, it's served with its cooking juices and a fermented soya bean and beef broth. 4-6 Russell St, WC2B 5HZ.

1 week

Cultured butter, &

 

A photo posted by & Grant Harrington. (@butterculture) on Jul 18, 2016 at 11:52am PDT

The intensely creamy-acidic flavour of Grant Harringtonís hand- crafted butter is the product of a marathon 160-hour ferment of his rich Jersey cream. Highly addictive. Druid St Market, 126 Druid St, SE1 2HH. Saturdays 10am-4pm. 

1 month

Kimchi grilled cheese sandwich, FAT London

 

A photo posted by Freddie Janssen (@freddielookatme) on Apr 12, 2016 at 5:59am PDT

Toasties don't get more exciting than this. Made with cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy, bread from St John Bakery and one-month-old, veggie-friendly kimchi. Druid St Market, 126 Druid St, SE1 2HH. Saturdays 10am-4pm.

2 months

Century egg, Chinese Laundry

 

A photo posted by Tania Ballantine (@taniaballantine) on Jun 26, 2016 at 5:18am PDT

Eggs preserved in sodium hydroxide are still an acquired taste. Here, the traditional Chinese delicacy is given the crowd-pleasing deep-fat fryer treatment before being served on gem leaves with spicy peanut butter sauce. Centuries better. 107 Upper St, N1 1QN

6 months

Surströmming, Scandinavian Kitchen

 

A photo posted by ELZ wine (@elz_wine) on Jun 18, 2016 at 6:26am PDT

The smell of this fermented herring is so bad that tins are only sold in summer - so they can be opened outdoors. Type 'Americans try Surströmming' into YouTube if you don't believe us. 61 Great Tichfield St,W1W 7PP.

14 years

Rubia gallega beef, Lurra

 

A photo posted by @turnerandgeorge on Oct 16, 2015 at 3:48am PDT

Typically bred for as many years as UK cattle get months, the Galician cows that eventually end up as steaks at this Basque grill spend up to 14 years grazing before theyíre slaughtered. The result? A flavour sensation. 9 Seymour Place, W1H 5BA.

121 years

1895 Madeira D'Oliveiras Malvazia, OXO Tower

At £95 per 75ml glass this Portuguese dessert wine may seem punchy at first glance, but it actually works out at just 78p per year of slow maturation. Bargain. Barge House St, SE1 9PH.

Full up? Check out these seven calming ways to really slow down in London