flavour london issue 11

London | Issue 11

for people who love local food

www.flavourmagazine.com

WIN!WIN!A two-night

break at Charringworth

Manor

New Year GetawaysEscape the city and give yourself a rest

Learning from the MasterMichel Roux lends us some inspired recipes from his latest book

Fancy going French?Emily Ricard picks her favourite Gallic restaurants

Follow us @Flavourlondon

> flavour xxxxxxx

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Editor Nick Gregory Email: [email protected]

Art Director Ben Lawton Email: [email protected]

Advertising Miranda Coller, Director of Sales Email: [email protected]

Maggie Fox, Account Manager Email: [email protected]

Photography Jeni Meade

Contributors Tom Bowles, Nick Harman, Duncan Shine, Megan Owen, Jack Stein, Emily Ricard, Zeren Wilson, Pete Lawrence, Charlie Lyon, Steve Drake, Mark Andrew

Flavour Magazine

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For general enquiriesPeter FrancombEmail: [email protected]

For competition entriesEmail: [email protected]

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Competition Terms & ConditionsIn addition to any specifically stated terms and conditions, the following applies to all competitions. All information forms part of the rules. All entrants are deemed to have accepted the rules and agree to be bound by them. The winner will be the first entry drawn at random from all the entries sent back after the closing date and will be notified by either post, email or telephone. The prizes are as stated; they are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered. All entrants must be at least 18 years old. Competitions are open to UK residents only. One entry per person. Proof of postage is not proof of entry. flavour accepts no responsibility for entries lost or damaged in the post. Entrants agree to take part in any publicity material relating to the competition. The name of the winner will be published in the next edition. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes do not include unspecified extras (such as travel). All prizes are subject to availability. Please state if you do not wish to receive any further correspondence from flavour or competition organisers. You may be required to collect your prize.

Welcome to flavour; full of reviews, profiles, recipes and features.

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Hopefully you will on course with your present buying, dinner preparations and family appeasements. It’s also the time of the year where food comes to the fore. Whether it be a turkey, goose or vegetarian option that you plump for, it’s sure to be scrutinised by those that have the pleasure of being cooked for…

“It’s not as good as last year, the potatoes are not as crispy or the gravy just isn’t right” are common sayings down our way. The option therefore is to either have someone else make your meal, go out for dinner or cook for one because to be honest it’s a thankless task. And mark my words, if they aren’t saying it, they are thinking it!

But the most important thing to remember is that no matter how over boiled your sprouts are or how rusty the five pence piece is in your Christmas pudding, the donkey work needs to be done and you have facilitated it. Some consolation?

I won’t be cooking this year as I’m off to my mum’s for some nuked carrots. But I’ll love it and I hope you all too have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.

Well done!

NiCk GrEGory

welcome

Nick

04 WiN! A two-night stay at

Charingworth Manor

06 in Season Tom Bowles brings us

the best of the season’s produce

19 Michel roux - The Collection

Legendary chef teases with some of his favourite recipes

33 New year Getaways Escape the city and prepare

for some pampering

42 Fancy going French? Emily Ricard picks her five

favourite Gallic restaurants

Inside...

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Please recycle this product.3

If you have any news or events that you would like to share with us here at flavour then email [email protected]

this month

Win! A two-nIght stAy for two At ChArIngworth MAnorThe perfect Cotswold manor house hotel in warm Cotswold stone, Charingworth has commanded views over idyllic rural Gloucestershire countryside for 700 years.

Enjoy suites and four-poster rooms, all with their own character and many with private terraces and views over five counties, and then dine in the intimate AA-rosette restaurant with a seasonal menu that makes the very best of fresh Cotswold produce.

Unwind in the leisure facility complete with gym, sauna, steam room and pool. Charingworth is a pet-friendly hotel and welcomes your dogs if they are well behaved!

for your chance to win two nights of dinner, bed and breakfast with a bottle of house wine at dinner, email [email protected] with Charingworth Manor in the subject header and your fULL contact details within the email. Available until the end of february (excluding Valentine’s). good Luck…

01386 593555 www.classiclodges.co.uk

Win!

Disco Bistro EC4 at the rising sun is a new culinary residency in the heart of st Paul’s, from itinerant chef and pop-up veteran Carl Clarke. found on Carter Lane, Disco Bistro EC4 is an exciting six-month long restaurant experience with a healthy dose of rebellion that hasn’t lost sight of its ‘proper boozer’ roots.

split between a first floor dining room and a downstairs pub bar, the restaurant offers two different and equally distinctive dining experiences. Upstairs the focus is simplicity, where a short, daily changing menu focuses on well-sourced, top-quality ingredients, while at the pub bar, punters

can expect edgy ‘trash food’ creations inspired by the current explosion of street food.

www.discobistro.co.uk

Congratulations go to Karen Hammond from London who

wins an overnight stay for two at Chewton Glen.

COMPETITION WINNER

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Thursday, December 6

UPstAIrswild game Co

CoBBLED ArEAMussel Men gurmetti Mama’s Jerk station Big Apple hot Dogs



CoBBLED ArEAPizza Pilgrims gurmettiMama’s Jerk stationBig Apple hot Dogs



CoBBLED ArEAwell Kneaded gurmettiMama’s Jerk stationBig Apple hot Dogs

CHRISTMAS STREET FEAST AT BOXPARK SHOREDITCHfollowing the success of his previous restaurants in Edinburgh and which saw this December, enjoy the mouthwatering selection of four favourite street food traders, Thursday evenings from 6pm - 11pm. A delightful Christmas food market including a variety of London’s best street food and music, twinkling lights and Christmas trees to evoke the holiday spirit!

www.streetfeastlondon.com/#!home/mainPage

Enjoy utterly delicious and totally un-oaked french wines from small independent winegrowers in the Loire Valley delivered direct to your doorstep in the UK by Amanda’s wines.

with passion and flair, Amanda brings the true taste of artisan, handmade french wines to the UK. these carefully selected wines are imported from small french vineyards that, until now, have mostly sold their wines locally.

to win a mixed case, simply email [email protected] with Amanda’s wines in the subject header and your fULL contact details in the email body. over 18’s only. good luck! Competition ends 16/12/2012

www.amandaswines.co.uk

rob wing, owner of wing of st Mawes and the online fresh fish shop, thecornishfishmonger.co.uk, is celebrating after winning another two awards for his luxury smoked fish at the UK’s most renowned food awards, the great taste Awards 2012.

After much competition for the coveted gold star rating, the Cornish fishmonger scooped two gold awards, two gold stars for their silky smoked haddock and one gold star for their kippers. Both are smoked in their own kiln with rob wing’s secret cure. this adds to the already five golds they won in 2010 for other fish products.

not only do they boast quality award-winning fish but they also have the best filleters in the county. Kevin Bryne, one of wing’s fish filleters, was awarded the prestigious fishmonger of the year title at this year’s newlyn fish festival.

www.thecornishfishmonger.co.uk

Great Taste Golds for fishmonger of the year

Win! A mixed case of Amanda’s Wines

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> flavour in season

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At their bestright now

Swede Swedes are a classic winter root vegetable similar to the turnip although less watery in texture. Swedes are typically two-tone with a yellowy bottom and a purple top. The flesh is very firm and sweet tasting and is usually treated in much the same way as potatoes. Swedes form the ‘neeps’ part of the famous Scottish ‘neeps and tatties’. They are generally in season from mid-October to February. When picking look for roots that are weighty and unblemished. They are usually a bit ragged in appearance due to growing in the ground but the skin should be in good condition. Swedes will keep very well for a week or so in the fridge.

QuinceQuince has become a bit more of a speciality these days, but they are not as readily available as they once were. This is hard to see why, as it is such a strong aromatic fruit with a lovely subtle, sweet flavour. The quince can often be mistaken for a Comice pear, due to its quite squat resemblance. It is not best eaten raw, as it is very sour. Due to its high levels of pectin it’s most commonly used in jams and jellies. In the latter state, it gives leftover roast lamb or your Christmas Stilton a wonderful fruity, fragrant partner. It will keep well for a week at room temperature. It can be refrigerated to last longer, but you will miss out on the natural fragrance it exudes!

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> flavour in season

right nowWe all know that eating with the seasons makes for healthier bodies and tastier dishes. Each month Tom Bowles from Hartley Farm brings you all you need to know about the best produce of the month.

Hartley Farm Shop and Café is located just outside Bath, selling a fresh and colourful selection of local, seasonal produce. Visit: www.hartley-farm.co.uk Follow Hartley Farm on Twitter: @hartleyFarm

PomegranatesThe tough, leathery skin of this fruit is the protector of hundreds of bright capsules that are bursting with a sweet but sharp, dry but refreshing aftertaste. They are native to Iran, but due to their tough skin do travel and store very well and so have become more easily available. They are also heaped with anti-oxidants (as if you need to be persuaded to eat them). When picking, look for fruits that are weighty for their size. They will keep for a few weeks but I doubt they will last for that long! They can be prepared by cutting in half and scooping out the seeds. They are delicious on their own but my favourite is sprinkling them over a salad with cured ham or a nice salty blue cheese.

ParsnipsParsnips seem to have established a bit of a ‘love them or hate them’ following . Historically, parsnips were used to sweeten dishes where sugar was not widely available and so were used a great deal more in cooking. They seemed to fade out as the potato took over in dishes and sugar became more common. It’s not hard to see why our ancestors chose this vegetable to do such a job. When roasted, parsnips can be deliciously sweet and a great complement to any Sunday roast. A little tip is to pick parsnips that have already faced a frost as this adds to their sweetness. Try to pick firm, dry parsnips that are not too big as the bigger they are the more woody the core tends to be. They can be stored well in a fridge for 2-3 weeks provided they are covered. A parsnip that is no longer at its best will tend to look withered and wrinkled and turns slightly soft. There are hundreds of different ways to cook with parsnips and be sure to try as many as you can before deciding on your favourite to offer on the table of your Christmas lunch!

> flavour drake’s

Drake’sEver wondered how difficult it is to perform Michelin-starred cooking? Well this month Steve Drake, of Drake’s in Ripley, has provided us with a couple of recipes that, although seemingly complicated, if you follow to the letter you should be able to perfect. (He says!)

Now, whether you choose to serve them up in a ‘Michelin’-approved style is your own choice. Either way, these fabulous dishes will cause a stir…

at homeVenison burger, celeriac anD chestnutServeS 4

INDREDIENTS

CeleriaC purée1 celeriac

WaterWhole milk

Salt and pepper to season

veniSon burger250g venison trim

125g pork fat25g chorizo

¼ dried orange rind¼ diced cooked onion1 clove crushed garlic30g roasted chestnuts

Salt & pepper1 slice of toasted bread

50ml milkolive oil to fry

SWiSS Chard2 bunches of Swiss chard

butterSalt and pepper

veniSon SauCe250g chopped venison bones250g venison meat trimmed

60g diced onion60g sliced carrot25g sliced celery

4 garlic cloves3 crushed black peppercorns

1 bay leaf1 spring thyme50ml ruby port

100ml red wine500ml chicken stock

Water1 tablespoon double cream

METHOD

CeleriaC purée• Peel and dice the celeriac, cover with half water and half milk, season it with salt and pepper, boil rapidly until all the liquid has evaporated, blend in the liquidiser with a little cream until silky smooth.

veniSon burger• Mince all the ingredients.

• Portion it to 30g.

• Shape into balls and press slightly flat.

• Fry in olive oil in medium hot pan for 3 minutes on both sides.

SWiSS Chard• Blanch it for 4 minutes and refresh in ice water.

• Squeeze out the water, weigh and add 1/5 weight in butter.

• Purée it in a liquidiser and season it with salt and pepper.

veniSon SauCe• Place the bones in the oven at 260°C and roast until golden.

• In a saucepan brown the meat trim in small batches and keep in a small bowl.

• In the same pan add the vegetables and garlic and lightly brown them.

• Add the alcohol and reduce to 50ml.

• Add the bones and the meat, the stock, the peppercorns and herbs. If needed add a little water to just cover the bones,

• Bring to the boil and skim it thoroughly.

• Simmer for an hour.

• Sieve it and put the liquid back to the pan and reduce to 200ml.

• Season it and check consistency.

• Add a tablespoon of double cream before serving and bring to the boil.

To Serve50g toasted chestnuts10g toasted buckwheat

Drake’s, The Clock House, High Street, Ripley GU23 6AQ

01483 224 777www.drakesrestaurant.co.uk

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> flavour drake’s

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spiceD monkfish, carrot, onion anD reD wineServeS 4

INDREDIENTS

SPICe MIx10g coriander seeds

10g green cardamom pods10g cumin seeds10g fennel seeds1 cinnamon stick8 juniper berries

MonkFISH1 monkfish filleted

2 tablespoon olive oil50g butter

CarroT and orange purée4 medium sized carrots

1 knob of butterorange juice

onion beigneT500g onions diced

olive oil to caramelize onions200g double cream

2 leaves of gelatin soaked in cold waterSalt and pepper to season

breadcrumbs to coatvegetable oil to deep fry

red Wine SauCe½ bottle red wine

¼ bottle ruby port 500ml chicken stock

½ shallot sliced1 star aniseSprig thyme

1 bay leaf1 teaspoon coriander seeds

3 black peppercorns

METHOD

SPICe MIx• Toast all the ingredients together in a dry pan and leave to cool.

• Blitz in a spice grinder and pass through a fine sieve.

• Lightly dust the fish with this mix before pan frying.

MonkFISH• Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil and all of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the spice coated monkfish for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.

• Remove the monkfish from the pan to a plate, cover with cling film and set aside to rest.

CarroT and orange purée• Peel and slice the carrots thinly and weigh.

• Foam some butter in a pan, add the carrots and 25 per cent of the weight of carrot in orange juice.

• Season with salt and pepper and cook with a lid on until soft.

• Purée it in a liquidizer and pass it through a fine sieve.

onion beigneT• Put the onions in a smoking hot pan with olive oil, cook on a high heat to caramelise.

• Turn down the heat when it is caramelized and cook until soft.

• In a separate pan bring cream to a simmer whisking constantly with the gelatin leaves, add to the pan with the onion and season it to taste.

• Pour the mixture out into a mould, and freeze.

• Cut the frozen mixture into 4 x 2cm pieces, coat with breadcrumbs, and deep fry for 2 minutes.

red Wine SauCe• Add the wine and the port to hot sauce pan reduce down to 125ml.

• Add the chicken stock to the wine and port reduction, bring to boil and skim the foam.

• Add the sliced shallot, star anise, spring thyme, bay leaf, coriander seeds and the peppercorns and reduce it down to 250ml,

• Season to taste and check if it has a sauce consistency, and reduce it more if required.

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> flavour christmas at winchester

Winchester cathedralWinchester holds on to title of ‘England’s Christmas Capital’

escape to Winchester this Christmastime as the seasonal lights are switched on midway through November and this perfectly preserved medieval citadel embraces its title,

‘England’s Christmas Capital’, for the third year running.

Visitors travel from far and wide to experience Christmas in Winchester and the surrounding district with its internationally renowned Christmas market and ice rink in Winchester Cathedral’s Inner Close, spectacular lantern parade, bustling independent shops and festive fine dining experiences offered by award-winning eateries. Winchester defies anyone to find a more festive city in England!

For more information please visit Visit winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas

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> flavour xxxxxxx

fab foodiereads

For bookworms who love nothing more than cooking up a feast for family and friends, our monthly selection of new releases is enough

to keep anyone entertained!

ANTONIO CARLUCCIOTHE COLLECTIONQuadrille, £25

Hugh’s Three Good Things… on a Plate Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Bloomsbury, £25

Eat like an Italian Recipes for the Good LifeCatherine Fulvio

Gill & Macmillan, £19.99

Who put the beef in wellington? James Winter,

Kyle Books, £17.99

The Godfather of Italian food, Antonio Carluccio has brought together over 300 of his best recipes to form this sensational bible of Italian cooking.

Capturing Antonio’s joyful and laid-back approach to cooking – minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour – this exceptional book provides a unique culinary journey covering every aspect of the Italian meal from antipasti to dolci and featuring mouthwatering dishes from each of Italy’s distinct culinary regions. It’s packed with stunning photographs and infused with Antonio’s charismatic voice and style.

“If you ever feel your cooking is stuck in a rut, your repertoire of recipes is a little tired, then this ridiculously simple cookbook is aimed at you. I hope to set you off in a fresh creative direction, not just with another collection of recipes but with a radical new perspective on cooking… resulting in little more, and little less, than three good things on a plate.” Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Looking back over nearly two decades of professional cookery, Hugh has worked out the combinations that make magic. He has used the formula of three to create 200 recipes, both well-loved classics and brand new ideas.

Eat Like An Italian, like the Mediterranean food pyramid, has an introduction and tips scattered thoughout about adapting to the healthy, leisurely Italian lifestyle.

Recipes include lasagne rolls, plum and Chianti soup, lamb stew with olives and lemon, imaginative everyday chicken dishes including chicken with prosciutto and shallots, and unique ice-cream recipes, fig, cappuccino and olive oil.

James is the producer of Saturday Kitchen and has always been fascinated by food and its history. In this, his second book, he takes 50 culinary classics and taps into their history and how those dishes came to be. The book takes the reader on a wonderfully colourful journey through the history of food. Readers will digest lots of facts along the way, from the opening descriptions of Winter’s love of the brilliant ‘food geek’ Brillat-Savarin and his book The Physiology of Taste, the book is a veritable rollercoaster through the origins of classic dishes such as peach Melba, the Reuben’s sandwich, eggs Benedict and oysters Rockefeller.

PICk Of THE MONTH!

> flavour fab foodie reads

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> flavour megan owen

With Halloween costumes put away, and sparklers fizzled out for another year, attention now turns to the highly anticipated Christmas season, and the foodie marvels it has to offer.

Christmas does not have to be all about turkey and sprouts however, with the festive period providing the perfect excuse for a good old baking session!

Ideal to offer as gifts (arranged and wrapped in festive cellophane,

tied with ribbon), or to fill up some space on your Christmas tree, Christmas biscuits in particular are quick simple, and therapeutic to make, and taste absolutely delicious too!

So don the Christmas apron and let the smell of Christmas spices fill your house as you rustle up a number of indulgent and eye-catching treats for family and friends to enjoy – the more sparkle the better!

‘Tis the season to get baking

Christmas Spice Biscuits

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and spice and mix through. Beat the egg in a small jug, and gradually add to the mixture until it comes together to form a dough.

Knead the dough gently until it is smooth, and then turn it onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough so that it is 3-4mm thick, and use Christmas-themed cutters to create festive-shaped biscuits.

Place the biscuits on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, making sure that they are not

too close together. If making tree decorations, make a small hole near the edge of each biscuit using a chopstick, or the end of a teaspoon. Ribbon can be threaded through the hole to hang the biscuits once they are cooked!

Place the biscuits in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

When cooked, remove the biscuits from the oven and allow to cool for two minutes, before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. When cool, the biscuits are ready for decorating! I tend to use a thick icing (made from icing sugar and water), with edible sparkly bits sprinkled on top.

Ingredients:

200g self-raising flour

100g butter

100g caster sugar

1 teaspoon of spice (you could use cinnamon, ginger or mixed spice, or

try a combination)

1 egg

Decorations

By Megan Owen

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I’m doing my maths, and with some difficulty. ‘180,000 legs divided by four that’s....45,000 pigs. That’s a lot isn’t it?’ I ask. ‘Actually,’ Giorgio Cerati, Quality and Production Manager at Gennari Vittorio Spa gently corrects me, ‘we only use the back legs so it’s 90,000 pigs.’ Well it’s clear that a lot of pigs have given up their porky lives to fill these curing spaces, and more are legging it in as we speak.

But then the demand for Parma ham is insatiable. Italy’s sweet answer to Spain’s all-powerful jamon, it has its own unique

characteristics and attractions and is equally made to very strict guidelines. One of which, obviously is that the pigs and production must happen in this area around Parma.

I’m watching these unique hams from pigs, whose diet includes the whey from local Parmesan cheese production, come in from the abattoir. Two men expertly use razor-sharp knives to shape the legs before they are racked up ready for the next stage in becoming Parma ham.

A machine helps press the legs to open up the fibres before carefully judged handfuls of sea salt are applied by a ‘maestro salatore’. The legs will then hang for around for a week in carefully controlled temperature and humidity. After that, the salt will be washed off, another thin layer of salt put on, and they’ll be hung in a cool, dark room for around 18 days.

In the old days hams were only made in winter because the cold would refrigerate them. These days the hams go to rest

for 70 days in a modern, specialised room before being washed and dried and readied to begin the first stage of what is to be long months of curing, the room’s windows opened regularly to let in the sweet air of the region. It is this unique process that gives them their PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status and price tag of around £150 for a whole ham.

After that they will be coated in minced pork fat and salt and go off for further curing before being tested. Giorgio shows me how, with a traditional porous needle made of horse bone, he pierces the meat in five places and sniffs the needle. He can accurately tell if the ham has reached PDO quality, only then can it have the prestigious Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma crown seal of quality branded into the skin and be eaten or cured for up to 36 months longer.

In the cosy Ombre Rosse in Parma that night, I tried a ham age trail. This little wine store does a sideline in five or six

Pigs.Salt. Air. Time. Nick Harman finds how three ingredients make Parma ham special…

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> flavour parma ham

rough-hewn tables for serving simple food and the owner emerged with a plate of such tangled Prosciutto profusion I almost fainted with lust. If that wasn’t enough he then brought out a bottle of local Malvasia, a wine that goes so well with Parma ham, thanks to its gentle sparkle, sweetness and low alcohol.

Prosciutto is best eaten by simply picking up a wafer thin slice and popping it into the mouth where it begins to melt. You barely need to chew as the fragrance of the meat wafts into your sensory organs. Prosciutto comes from the Latin word for “deprived of all liquid” but the meat is creamy, moist and barely greasy.

12-month, 24- and 36-month aged hams were tried and each was delicious and each distinctively flavoured, the redness varying with age and each always with a gorgeous border of fat, ‘The bit some people will throw away!’ said Giorgio with disbelief.

It’s a delicious treat for sure and a good Parma ham can be ordered up from plenty of online retailers. Just be sure to look for the crown of quality mark before you make a pig of yourself.

Thanks to producers Gennari Vittorio Spa and www.discovertheorigin.co.uk

> flavour on the grapevine

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On the

A food writer and wine consultant, Zeren Wilson will leave no stone unturned in his quest to find the hidden gems of London’s food scene and bring it to you on a plate. Check out Zeren’s restaurant review site for a taste of what he has to offer: www.bittenandwritten.com

BONNIE AND GULL

Remember those seaside holidays as a kid? Seagulls nicking your chips, the smell of candy floss, vinegary cockles, horizontal rain slamming your face? For most of us these are happy memories, and now you can relive them in London in this brilliantly kitsch tribute to the British seaside holiday. This tiny, cute corner site is wonderfully cosy, a raw bar at one end where you can pop sweet cockles from their shells and down a few oysters. A tight menu delivers impeccable haddock and chips; a crispy carapace made with beer batter holding succulent flakes of pearly white fish. Dedication to seasonality is fierce and admirable, menus shifting according to the day’s catch. The wine list is a little gem too, with English sparkler Coates and Seely the star. Knotted hankies at the ready.

www.bonniegull.co.uk

BONE DADDIES

Ramen, ramen, ramen. Ramen bars are bang on trend right now, with a flurry of them opening within a stone’s throw of each over the last few months. This latest offering is from Ross Shonhan, former Head Chef of Zuma in London, so you can be sure he knows his Japanese stuff. The secret is all in the effort spent getting the broth right, huge cauldrons of pork and chicken bones boiling away and extracting all that goodness. His Tonkotsu Ramen is made with a 20-hour pork bone broth, producing a rich and creamy liquor that is slurp worthy to the end. Excellent soft shell crab comes with a wicked yuzu and ginger dipping sauce, and you can ‘pimp’ up your ramen with a pipette filled with pork or chicken fat. A rock‘n’roll soundtrack completes one of the best new openings in Soho.

www.bonedaddiesramen.com

BOQUERIA TAPAS

We have enough Spanish restaurants in London, right? Never enough if they are all as good as this upstart newcomer in the quieter part of Brixton. If you want your Spanish food ‘buttons’ pressed, this place is hitting all the sweet spots. A stunning plate of seductively dark and spicy Iberico chorizo was so good, we asked where they buy it from (imported directly themselves). That would explain it. The jamon croquetas are made with the kind of oozy bechamel that makes you sigh, devour, then order another plateful – wonderful. Modern flourishes with more ‘cheffy’ touches are on hand, suckling pig crisped like a beauty and served with a lemon sorbet: it worked. We’re going back for the lobster paella.

www.boqueriatapas.com

SODO PIZZA

Tiny menu, two wines, and just a touch of ‘Brooklyn cool’ about this pleasantly surprising new opening, on an anonymous Hackney Road in the wilds of Clapton. The chaps know their dough from having worked at E5 Bakery, known for producing fantastic sourdough bread, and SODO is all about the SOurDOugh crust. Four pizzas keep decision-making blissfully simple, so you might find one with butternut squash, rosemary, feta and pine nuts, or the test of any pizza joint worth the entry fee: the Margherita. The bases are expertly made and thin enough to want to devour every last chewy mouthful – and we did. Tiramisù is homemade, as is the fiery ginger beer, and it all feels like you’ve piled round to a mate’s house who happens to have a pizza oven. Effortlessly good.

www.sodopizza.co.uk

WIGWAMBAM

Let’s all go and eat at a fire pit in a wigwam on a roof top in Shoreditch. Only in Shoreditch? Yes, welcome to Shoreditch. The Queen of Hoxton pub is the unlikely sounding setting for a concept which sounds bonkers, but somehow pulls it off with some style. A huge swinging grill laden with hunks of venison, pork, sausages and steaming meaty stews hovers above an even bigger crackling barbecue. It’s all housed within a giant wigwam, which adds a primeval and surreal touch to proceedings. Toast your own marshmallows, drink some hot spiced rums, and peer at the fairy lights. Running until March 2013, a night up here will warm your toes and make you feel like a cowboy. Blazing Saddles.

www.queenofhoxton.com

J SHEEKEY

Venerable seafood institution J Sheekey has been mixing things up with some innovative music and comedy events in the Oyster Bar on two Sundays each month. Curated and presented by comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, music and comedy takes place at the intimate horseshoe bar in-between courses of fine Sheekey seafood. It all kicks off with a Ketel One cocktail, and continues with oysters, Queenie scallops and crab rolls. We watched comedian Adam Kay with his riotous and cheeky bawdy musical comedy, downing a few glasses of wine along with our food which made for a perky Sunday evening. Monday? Monday shmonday.

www.sheekeysspeakeasies.co.uk

www.bittenandwritten.com

Follow Zeren on Twitter: @bittenwritten

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Michel Roux: The collecTion

Michel Roux, QuadRille, £25

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“This collection is a quantum leap, enabling me to select my favourite recipes and share them with you in one volume.

My cooking never stands still. i am constantly looking for ways to further develop my recipes, introduce new ingredients,

new flavour combinations, even refining the classics. These recipes represent the way i love eating today.”

> flavour Michel Roux

20

You can prepare the terrine several hours ahead and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Simply slice the terrine and steam for a few minutes to warm through.

line a rectangular mould, about 20cm x 6cm and 6cm deep, with cling film, letting it overhang the sides of the mould all round.

First make the celeriac mousse. Peel the celeriac and cut into 2cm pieces. Place in a saucepan with the cream and cook gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the celeriac is tender and the cream has reduced by half. Tip into a food processor and whiz for 3 minutes, or until smooth. leave in the processor to cool slightly, until warm. add the whole eggs, egg yolks and seasoning and whiz for 1 minute. Turn into a bowl, cover with cling film and set aside at room temperature.

To prepare the artichokes, cut off the

tips of the leaves with a knife and pare the base to leave only the tender part of the stem and heart. Put the artichokes in a saucepan with the white wine, olive oil, lemon juice and enough water to cover. cook over a low heat for about 8 minutes until the artichokes are tender and soft. leave to cool in the liquid, then drain and pat dry; set aside.

Peel, trim and wash all the other vegetables. lightly cook them separately in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain, plunge into iced water to refresh, drain and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 160°c/Gas mark 3. To assemble the terrine, use a knife to trim the crêpes into squares and arrange them side by side on the cling film, leaving plenty of overhang at both ends and one side of the mould.

Spread a 2–3cm layer of cold celeriac mousse over the base. arrange a line of one variety of vegetable over

the mousse and cover with more mousse. Gently tap the terrine to settle it and layer the other vegetables and remaining mousse in the same way, finishing with a 3cm layer of mousse. Fold the overhanging crêpes, then the cling film over the top. Stand the terrine in a bain-marie and cook in the oven for about 1¼ hours. To check if it is cooked, push a trussing needle or fine skewer into the centre for 10 seconds; it should come out completely clean and feel hot. leave the terrine to cool, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

To serve, unmould the terrine on to a board and carefully peel off the cling film. using a fine-bladed knife dipped into warm water, cut into 1.5–2cm slices. Place on individual plates and garnish with confit tomatoes, some samphire, a few caper berries, some fennel fronds and a coarse grinding of white pepper.

CeleriaC mousse½ celeriac, about 300g500ml double cream4 eggs3 egg yolkssalt and freshly ground white pepper

BaBy vegetaBles125g baby artichokes (the kind you can eat raw)50ml dry white wine2 tbsp olive oiljuice of 1 lemon150g baby carrots, peeled175g baby fennel150g medium asparagus spears125g baby courgettes125g broccoli florets4 herb crêpes, 26–30cm diameter

to garnishConfit tomatoessamphireCaper berriesFennel fronds

TeRRine of baby vegeTablesServes 8–10

21


Lightly smoked mussels

You will need a heavy casserole, about 30cm in diameter and at least 15cm deep, with a tight-fitting lid, a 10–20cm flan ring and a 25cm round wire rack. Line the base and underside of the casserole lid with foil, to protect from the sugary smoke. Put in the flan ring.

Grind 10g (about 3) star anise, 10g dried lemon zest, from 1 lemon and 250g demerara sugar together in a spice grinder or food processor to a fine powder. Sprinkle this mixture over the foil and position the wire rack on the ring.

Scrub 1kg fresh Bouchot or Shetland mussels, wash in several changes of water and drain. Put the mussels on the rack. Put the lid on the casserole and place over a high heat. as soon as a light smoke seeps out, lower the heat and smoke for 6–8 minutes until the mussels have all opened. Turn off the heat and move the lid very slightly so as to barely uncover the casserole.

after about 10 minutes, shell almost all of the mussels, keeping a few in the half-shell for the garnish. discard any unopened mussels.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. add the fettuccine with 2

tbsp olive oil and cook for 3–4 minutes until al dente. drain and return to the pan. add the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with pepper to taste, add the shelled mussels and toss lightly.

immediately divide the fettuccine and mussels between 4 deep plates or bowls. arrange the reserved mussels on top, add a generous drizzle of pesto and put a basil sprig on the edge of each bowl.

feTTuccine wiTh sMoked Mussels and pesToServes 4

1kg lightly smoked Bouchot orshetland mussels (see below)salt and freshly ground pepper350–400g fettuccine, freshly made from1 quantity pasta dough or shop-bought fresh pasta4 tbsp olive oiljuice of 1 lemon½ quantity pesto (see page 304)4 basil sprigs, preferably purple, to garnish

22


Mix all the marinade ingredients in a wide, shallow bowl, adding a little salt. Add the chicken breasts and turn them to coat thoroughly. Cover with cling film and leave for 1 hour, turning them halfway through.

cut the fennel lengthways into 5mm thick slices. Blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes, refresh and drain. Score the carrots with a canelle knife, cut into 5mm diagonal slices and blanch for 3 minutes, then refresh and drain. lightly brush the fennel and carrots with oil.

heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. add the fennel and griddle for 2 minutes, then add the carrots and griddle for a further 3 minutes, giving

them a quarter-turn to mark a lattice. Turn over and repeat on the other side. Season, place on a plate and keep hot.

Put the chicken pieces in the hot griddle pan, skin side down. once they are marked with lines, quarter-turn to make a lattice pattern. Turn them over, lower the heat and give them a quarter-turn as before. cook for 12–15 minutes in total, depending on thickness.

arrange the fennel slices on plates and top with the chicken. Place the carrots alongside. Put a knob of butter on each chicken breast and top with fennel seeds.

4 boneless or part-boned chicken breasts2 fennel bulbs2 large carrots, peeled2 tablespoons olive oilsalt and freshly ground pepper40g butter1 tbsp fresh fennel seeds

marinade2 tbsp runny honeyJuice of ½ lemon4 tbsp olive oilPinch of cayenneFennel fronds

chicken bReasTs wiTh fennelServes 4

23


Michel Roux: The collecTion Michel Roux Quadrille, £25

in his latest cookbook, world-renowned chef Michel Roux gathers 250 of his finest recipes, devised, refined and perfected during his illustrious 45-year career. Featuring mouthwatering contemporary dishes alongside Michel’s interpretations of the great classics, Michel Roux: The collection is the ultimate cookery bible to inspire and encourage homecooks. covering all seasons and all occasions, the cookbook is divided into nine chapters: Breakfast and brunch; Starters; Fish and shellfish; Poultry; Meat and game; Vegetables; eggs and cheese; desserts; Baking; Party food; Stocks and sauces. dishes include tempting savoury recipes such as seafood risotto with crustacean essence, poussins scented with ginger and lemongrass and wild mushroom cappelletti, as well as an array of sweet suggestions from simple classics such as poached pears in Sauternes to impressive soufflés, mousses and tarts. all recipes are accompanied by easy step-by-step instructions and accompanied with stunning photographs, making it a must-have recipe collection from one of the world’s greatest chefs.

Michel Roux: The Michel Roux Quadrille, £25

in his latest cookbook, world-renowned chef Michel Roux gathers 250 of his finest recipes, devised, refined and perfected during his illustrious 45-year career. Featuring mouthwatering contemporary dishes alongside Michel’s interpretations of the great classics, cencourage homecooks. occasions, the cookbook is divided into nine chapters: Breakfast and brunch; Starters; Fish and shellfish; Poultry; Meat and game; Vegetables; Baking; Party food; Stocks and sauces. tempting savoury recipes such as seafood risotto with crustacean essence, poussins scented with ginger and

This classic is more familiar under the guise of summer pudding, but it is equally good made in the autumn, when berries are full flavoured and at their most fragrant. Vary the berries and fresh currants according to what is in season.

cut the fennel lengthways into 5mm in a medium saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 500ml water over a medium heat and slowly bring to the boil, then lower the heat. every 20 seconds, immerse a different fruit into the sugar syrup in the following order: blackberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, raspberries, redcurrants. Remove the pan from the heat 20 seconds after you add the last of the fruit. cover the pan with cling film and set aside to allow the fruit to cool in the poaching liquid.

Meanwhile, purée the 250g raspberries in a blender and pass through a fine sieve. once cold, carefully drain the poached fruit over a bowl to save the syrup. Mix one-third of the syrup into the raspberry purée.

lightly brush the inside of a 900ml pudding basin with the melted butter. Trim the crusts from the bread slices. cut an 8cm round from one slice; cut

the remaining slices into strips, about 3cm wide.

dip the bread round into the raspberry syrup, then place in the bottom of the basin. one at a time, lightly dip the bread slices in the raspberry syrup, then arrange them, slightly overlapping, around the side of the basin to line it completely. Fill with the cooled, poached fruit and pour a little of the remaining raspberry syrup on top. (Save any leftover syrup to serve on the side, if you like.)

Top with a layer of bread strips, dunking them first in the raspberry syrup. cover the pudding with cling film and put a plate that just fits inside the rim of the basin on top. Place a weight on top to help compress the pudding and refrigerate for 6–12 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, remove the weight, plate and cling film. carefully slide a palette knife around the inside of the basin and turn out the pudding on to a shallow dish or lipped plate. You can either present it whole, or in individual portions, using a very sharp knife to cut it into wedges. Thick cream is the perfect complement.

700g mixed soft fruits (ideally equal quantities of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and blackcurrants or redcurrants) 250g extra raspberries for the sauce350g caster sugar30g butter, melted, to grease1 good-quality white sandwich loaf, cut into about 14 medium slices

auTuMn puddingServes 6

> flavour la bandiera

La Bandiera – Premium Olive Oil

Award-winning single-estate extra-virgin olive oil

Connoisseurs of olive oil will delight in tasting the exceptional extra-virgin olive oil from La Bandiera.

This delicious oil is produced in the traditional wine-growing area of Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast – home of super Tuscan vineyards of Ornellaia and Sassicaia.

The team at La Bandiera continues to use the traditional methods of selecting the best time to harvest the olives to ensure the acidity level is low, thereby creating the perfect blend. The result is a smooth yet full-bodied olive oil, endorsed by the Indicazione Geografica Protetta (IGP) in recognition of its quality and origin.

A gold medal winner at this year’s Great Taste Awards, La Bandiera olive oil is available for delivery throughout the UK in sizes ranging from 250ml bottles up to 5l cans.

0207 243 5150 www.labandieraoliveoil.com

24

26

Denhay Dorset DrumThe perfect

cheeselovers , gift

01308 458963 www.denhay.co.uk

The multi-award winning Dorset Drum is the perfect cheeseboard centrepiece and a great gift for all cheeselovers. Each unique 2kg truckle is handmade and matured on age-old wooden shelves. Customers love its nutty, rounded flavour and smooth texture.

Denhay, nestled in the heart of the Marshwood Vale in West Dorset, have been producing Farmhouse Cheddar for over 50 years. They also produce delicious dry-cured bacon, using only outdoor-bred British pigs – the essential part of any bacon sandwich!

They will be showcasing all of their products at Taste of Christmas, along with plenty of samples and special show offers in the Taste Cheese area.

The Dorset Drums are now available to buy online.

STAND C02

The AuThenTic American Food

Company

01442 822840 www.authenticamericanfood.com

This is the real stuff – a collection of authentic, small batch, beautifully packaged, regional food from America’s heartland.

Sample Rufus Teague BBQ Sauce, Beaver Coney Island Hot Dog Mustard, Braswells Wing Sauce and Koeze all natural Crunchy Peanut Butter.

Real American foods for real food lovers!

STAND 231

Originally from Puglia (south Italy), a region with 60 millions olive trees and accounting for almost 50 per cent of the entire Italian production of Olive Oil, it’s easy to understand how owner Danilo Manco found himself involved with this luxury.

Created in 2001, the company has established its success on its quality, working closely with the producer rather than a supplier. Each product is personally sourced, tested and exclusively imported in the UK and they have won seven Great Taste Gold Awards this year alone.

0207 740 1717www.theoliveoilmill.co.uk

STAND 527

27

Bradley’s specialise in single variety 100 per cent apple juices with no added water, sugar, sweeteners or

flavourings and all made using the very best handpicked apples and pressed in small batches on the farm in Somerset.

Alongside award-winning juices, having taken Gold Stars at Great Taste 2012 with their Cox and Bramley, Apple and Rhubarb and Apple and Ginger juices, Bradley’s also offer varieties that include Discovery, Russet, Lord Lambourne, Worcester Pearmane, Falstaff, Jonagold and Red Pippen.

The single variety juices are also available carbonated, in 25cl and 75cl bottles.

Ginger beer – naturally brewed using fresh root ginger; Elderflower presse – exquisite and delightfully refreshing drink; Traditional Sicilian lemonade – a luscious, zingy, lemony flavour. Cherry Crush and a new Raspberry and Apple complete the range.

It takes time to make a truly remarkable drink and so, with Bradley’s exhibiting at Taste Of Christmas, they would be delighted to see as many people on their stand as possible to sample the full range. There is also a gift box available as an ideal gift for Christmas.

Bradley’s Juices and drinks

Box Bush Farm, Somerset BS24 6UA

email [email protected]

call 01934 822356

Visit www.bradleysjuice.co.uk

Taste the freshness of apple in a bottle

STAND 407

> flavour xxxxxxx

This time of year the line between

normality and insanity is particularly

normality and insanity is particularly

perforated and delicate. Suddenly you

are faced with the fact that there

is little more to plant and that the

is little more to plant and that the

only things left on the plot are proof

only things left on the plot are proof

that winter, dark nights, cabbage and

roots are upon us. There is some solace

in the thought that Christmas dinner

in the thought that Christmas dinner

will be a celebration of homegrown

delights, but despite that glimmer of

festive cheer it’s still hard to get too

festive cheer it’s still hard to get too

excited by turnips, kale and parsnips.

excited by turnips, kale and parsnips.

It would be too easy to be sad.

On the positive side the garage is

heaving with the autumn harvest but that

heaving with the autumn harvest but that

said, the pressure to find a way of using

everything, wasting nothing and coming

up with daily variety in the kitchen can

up with daily variety in the kitchen can

almost be overwhelming. In the summer

almost be overwhelming. In the summer

(four days in total I seem to recall)

the possibilities seemed endless. Now

the possibilities seemed endless. Now

thinking of five things to do with a

thinking of five things to do with a

pumpkin before they go off,resisting

the temptation for ‘making a load of

potato soup’ and crying over the mountain

potato soup’ and crying over the mountain

of onions is almost a daily ritual.

of onions is almost a daily ritual.

Of course, everyone faces a daily

deliberation over what to cook but the

deliberation over what to cook but the

veg grower has the added dilemma that

veg grower has the added dilemma that

if he doesn’t use that squash (or five

squashes) this week, they will decay/

get eaten by mice or slugs, or end up on

get eaten by mice or slugs, or end up on

a friend’s compost heap, when they don’t

have the heart to tell you that the last

one ended up as a Halloween decoration.

one ended up as a Halloween decoration.

Then there are the mystery veg. Months

Then there are the mystery veg. Months

ago it seemed like no big deal. Use up

the last of the seeds, label the pots and

throw away the packet. In theory, the

throw away the packet. In theory, the

shiny

plastic label with plastic label with

permanent ink should have hugged

the plant through its life. The reality

is that labels fade, get lost or broken

is that labels fade, get lost or broken

and some plants just seem to pop up in

and some plants just seem to pop up in

the most unexpected of places. The net

result is that now I find that along

with my well-labelled regulars I also

with my well-labelled regulars I also

seem to harvest batches of lovely looking

produce with no real idea of what they

are, or how to cook them. Of course I

are, or how to cook them. Of course I

know it’s an unusual squash (or perhaps

know it’s an unusual squash (or perhaps

one of those strange variety of courgette

I bought a few years ago?); and surely

a potato is a potato – but is it floury

a potato is a potato – but is it floury

or hard? A baker or a boiler? Onion or

oversized shallot? It’s hard to tell.

And this is where insanity prospers.

And this is where insanity prospers.

Memory is just not stable enough to

Memory is just not stable enough to

recall the varieties, so the only way to

conquer is to experiment. This is going

conquer is to experiment. This is going

to sound like I am a few berries short

to sound like I am a few berries short

of a crumble but when you don’t know

the veg you have to try and understand

it. Veg box users will empathise.

it. Veg box users will empathise.

When you work out the qualities the

When you work out the qualities the

vegetable has you can come up with

the most amazing flavour combinations

the most amazing flavour combinations

and recipes. Tonight I have stuffed

and recipes. Tonight I have stuffed

something squash-like with leeks,

mustard, creme fraiche and garlic

and roasted for an hour. I don’t

and roasted for an hour. I don’t

know what to call it but the smooth

creamy texture tastes exceptional. If

only I knew what I was dealing with

only I knew what I was dealing with

I might even plant them again!

grower has to be inventive, or

they will go mad…they will go mad…

As an executive producer in television, Pete Lawrence works with some of the country’s top TV cooks and yet still finds time to grow his own food.


I genuinely believe that a veg


plastic label with plastic label with

permanent ink should have hugged

plastic label with

Kitchen GardenerKitchen Diary of a







Visit Pete’s website at:www.petelawrencetv.co.uk

28

I s l a yFor those that love a ‘wee dram’ or a late-night ‘schnufter’, a trip up to Scotland may be just what you need. We sent Rob Magnuson Smith on a whirlwind tour to find out all there is to know about the Bowmore Distillery on Islay.

A fine single malt can drive a man wild. Around the best drams of whisky we become as giddy as

schoolboys, brandishing fistfuls of cash and bickering over tasting notes (‘smoky’, ‘peaty’, ‘hints of dark chocolate’). Premier vintages such as the recently released

1957 Bowmore can fetch an astounding £100,000 a bottle. I love a good single malt. The trouble is, I’m usually sipping it at the end of a full meal, after generous portions of wine, when my appreciation can be less than ideal.

So I decided to spend a couple of days on Islay and tour the Bowmore Distillery – for edification’s sake, of course. On the island I discovered an intelligent and intrepid people eager to share their food, wisdom and whisky with the mainland and beyond.

30

I flew from Bristol to Glasgow in late November. Newspaper headlines announced ‘Villagers Rescued as Rain Brings Severe Flooding to Scotland’. As fire brigades headed to Perthshire on dinghies, I boarded an evening flight to the Hebrides.

The twin propellers on the Flybe 50-seater made a raw and deep-throated growl. We lifted off, soared above the commuters heading home in a snake-like crawl, and entered the black fog over the Firth of Clyde. When I landed 25 minutes later, I stepped into an unworldly silence, broken only by the sound of the sea.

Islay is one of the most fertile islands in the Hebrides. Situated so far south (Port Ellen lies below the English town of Berwick-on-Tweed), the temperature is milder than you might think. The soil is potent with peat, the fields rich with barley.

Though only 2,500 people live on Islay, some of the world’s finest whiskies are produced here – Bowmore, Lagavulin, Cao Isla, Ardberg, Laphroaig. You’ll find otter and red-tailed deer. Bird lovers will spot the red-beaked chough and corncrake.

After a short shuttle from Port Ellen to the village of Bowmore (Scotland’s first planned village in 1768), I checked into the Stillman’s Cottage, one of the recently renovated properties managed by Bowmore Distillery. This cottage is spacious and modernised with full kitchen, Jacuzzi tub, and a living room that opens onto the distillery gardens, making for convenient access.

Flying over all those commuters had made me thirsty, and I was greeted by a member of staff with the local drink – a ‘smoky mule.’ This cocktail of whisky, ginger beer and lime made a perfect refresher.

Next I headed up the road to the Bridgend Hotel and Restaurant, where manager Lorna McKechnie keeps watch over a busy port of call. The restaurant has open fires, pleasant staff and a full bar. Straight away I ordered half-a-dozen Islay oysters – fat, full-bodied, with a taste of sweet brine. The first one slid down my throat

in less than a second. Lorna was at my side to admonish me. “You can’t just slurp it down,” she said. “Chew it to get the flavour!” (I obliged her for the remaining five; she was right.) The home-smoked scallops are a must. The fish stew, with a lemon and saffron broth, overflowed with fresh langoustines, scallops, oysters, and crab claws. I had no room left in the belly, but Lorna was back at my side, insisting on pudding. It’s not my nature to offend. I opted for marmalade pudding – a springy number, rather shy at first, yielding on further bites to honey and orange spice.

I slept like a wee bairn that night and woke to the smell of the sea. When you find a telephone number to a distillery on your bedside table, you know you’ve come to the right place. I soaked in the Jacuzzi tub with a cup of tea, then made my way outside. The sky was clear, the sun shining across the water of Laggan Bay. Down on the jetty, fishermen were unloading their creels.

I needed fortification for my distillery tour. At the Harbour Inn and Restaurant, at a table overlooking the black mountains of Jura (where George Orwell wrote 1984), I enjoyed a yoghurt and muesli, fresh coffee and fillet of haddock topped with a poached egg. (One needn’t be guilty about eating so much seafood here. The waters around Islay teem with fish, scallops, three varieties of crab, and lobster, even outside the summer months.)

After breakfast I walked up to the distillery. Nestled against the grassy crags overlooking Laggan Bay, Bowmore dates from 1779 and is the first distillery on the island. (Bowmore is now owned by Suntory, the Japanese consortium, though the Managers and Board of Directors are almost entirely Scots). The white stone malt barns have a sedate, almost monastic charm. In the visitors’ centre I met up with Eddie MacAffer, Distillery Manager.

31

An understated and measured man, Eddie has worked at Bowmore for over 46 years. He started off digging drains, trained in the mash house, then worked his way up the chain of command. Eddie took me into the malt barn where peat fires warmed the air with a toasty aroma. “Islay peat is millions of years old,” Eddie said. I followed him into the next building and did my best to understand the dizzying stages of whisky production – the germination and roasting of the barley, the grains ground into grist, then fed into the mash tun for fermentation.

“What happens to the grain after it’s finished?” I asked Eddie.

“That’s called ‘draff’, laddie. It goes to the local farmers. Feeds the cattle.”

We walked over to the ‘washbacks’, where yeast is added. Washbacks are great big wooden containers, and at Bowmore they’re made of sturdy Oregon pine. Inside, the foaming white-capped froth churned with living yeast. Eddie threw down a stainless steel ‘diver’ and brought up the vessel for a taste. It was a warm and heady brew, fragrant of fresh bread. I wanted to fill the Jacuzzi with it.

Whiskey is a relatively simple concoction (the only three recognised ingredients are water, barley and yeast) but it has infinitely complex methods of production. In the 14th century whisky emerged in Scotland (though the Irish dispute this claim) through the hereditary MacBeath clan of medical professionals schooled in native herbal lore. Eight hundred years later, the spirit has become decidedly high-tech. Not only the way whisky is distilled and refined, but the manner of its storage, is analysed at a molecular level. Bowmore is consistently ranked among the best single malts in the world. What are the secrets underlying its success?

“The chemists are working hard to find out what happens in the cask,” Eddie told me. “And I hope they never do. Because that’s the mystery of good whisky. If the chemists find out, they’ll fix it to suit themselves.”

We were nearing the tasting portion of the tour, down at the Number One Vaults, the oldest maturation warehouse in Scotland. Here, below sea level, the whisky breathes through the casks, picks up the flavours of the wood and matures at its own pace. Eddie unlocked the big black doors, and inside the vaults, on wooden racks, the hogsheads of whisky stretched deep into the chambers. Bowmore uses North American bourbon barrels for ageing, along with Olorosa sherry barrels from Spain. Eddie picked up a wooden hammer and banged open the bung on a 17-year single malt aged entirely in Spanish oak. He dipped a valenche down and handed me a glass.

I lifted the whisky to my nose. The colour was of burnished copper, the aroma reminiscent of wildflowers. When I had my first sip I realised I’d never really had whisky before, not like this. There were three discrete stages to my enjoyment—the embrace of a delicate mouth-feel, followed by an intense, smoky sweetness along the palate, finished by long, lingering flavours of caramel and sea salt. The flavour persisted in my taste buds, long after my flight home.

You don’t have to limit yourself to whiskey drinking on Islay. The beaches and hill trails are ideal for walking. Hunting game and a round of golf make for enjoyable escapes. But if you’ve got an appetite for seafood and a nose for the juice of the barley, you would be wise to visit Bowmore – if only for the sake of edification.

FACT BOX

The Bowmore Cottages: with the 40% seasonal discount which runs until March, the prices range from £153 for three nights for the one bedroom cottage, to £576 for three nights in the biggest cottage which has six bedrooms and can sleep 14.

For this distillery tour, we had the two-hour Craftsman’s Tour (£45). Standard distillery tours with a dram cost £6.

Our flights to Islay were with Flybe – prices are approx £130.

www.flybe.com

cottages.bowmore.co.uk

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

> flavour asia de cuba

Asia de Cuba, at St Martin’s Lane

Opened in September 1999, Asia de Cuba, the acclaimed restaurant at St Martin’s Lane in London, is one

of the most successful additions to the fantastically popular Asia de Cuba group.

The inspiration for the Asia de Cuba concept is rooted in the undiscovered pleasures of the Chino-Latino cafes that dotted the streets first of Havana, and then of Miami and New York. The cuisine represents the marriage of Asian cuisine and technique infused with the tropical flavours of the Caribbean, to homestyle Cuban cooking using Asian ingredients. Under the expert guidance of Executive Chef Franz Schinagl, who executes the menu at Asia de Cuba, all dishes are served in a sophisticated, yet relaxed environment. The family-style portions emerge from the kitchen as soon as they are ready, encouraging an informal grazing style, ideal for groups.

The dinner menu at Asia de Cuba consists of a choice of 14 appetizers and 14 entrees, with a choice of side orders and award-winning desserts. A shortened lunchtime menu offering eight appetizers and eight entrees is also available.

Pre-theatre offers include two courses for £22 and three for £27. Light snacks, cakes, coffees and cocktails are available after 10pm, excellent for a late-night bite after the show.

The wine list offers an enormous variety of both new and old world wines as well as a selection of Ports, rums, cognacs, vintage rosé and traditional Champagnes. Also available at the famous Rum Bar, is the largest selection of ‘sipping’ rums available in the UK, numbering over 150. In addition to pouring neat rum, the bar also serves an unusual and intriguing selection of specialty cocktails, many of which are signature Asia de Cuba originals.

Asia de Cuba is housed in a dramatically colonnaded space, with a series of soaring ‘art columns’ – an innovative design by Philippe Starck creating an environment as equally inspiring as the menu, offering an experience that blends perfectly with the hotel environment.

Look out for the DimSum Brunch, launching on January 20 and from then on held on the first Sunday of every month…

45 St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4HX

call 020 7300 5588

Visit www.morganshotelgroup.com

32

Okay, so you’re going to enjoy a lovely Christmas at home with the family, eat plenty of food and probably drink a bit too much of the good stuff. January will come around and it’s back to reality

and the grind of the routine. However, to keep up with the spirit of excitement, why not plan yourselves a little New Year adventure

and get out of the city, even if just for a couple of days...

GetawaysNew Year

> flavour charlton house

34

Charlton House

Charlie Lyon steers well clear of the Den and heads instead to Duncan Bannatyne’s Somerset spa, to find out if the entrepreneur has invested wisely...

What an absolute treat: the chance to review a Dragon’s enterprise (or at least a

cog in it) without the fear of being interrogated about my observations or having to justify my opinions.

Although I admire Paphitis, Meaden and co, and watch Dragon’s Den with masochistic glee, nothing terrifies me more than the thought of meeting one of them in the flesh. So it’s with delight I accepted the offer of reviewing a Bannatyne Hotel, safe in the knowledge Duncan is resting in Darlington following a heart scare, ie far, far away from Charlton House Spa Hotel, his fourth hotel located next to picturesque Shepton Mallet in Somerset.

Renowned for its good-value spa days, I invite along Mother, who thinks it’s quite extraordinary to be whisked off to such luxury on a rainy October evening. As soon as we arrive, she celebrates by heading straight to the spa for a Gelish nail treatment in hot rod red.

I’m not sure it’s quite the look suited for this shabby-chic hotel whose interior design, a lot of which was realised by previous owner, Mulberry-founder Roger Saul, consists of heavily slubbed silk wallpaper, dark distressed wood, sheepskin tiebacks, and highlights of leather everywhere you turn. For me, it’s beautiful, and having just moved back from Dubai, I’m delighted by the Arabic touches that take this hotel’s style from stuffy English country to Middle Eastern elegance.

Even better, the spa is Moroccan-themed, and the sand-coloured finish, low, colourful cushions and glints of gold do a marvellous job of whisking me away from any Western worries I may have (lack of Gulf sun meaning that my skin is now practically translucent; too much West Country cider meaning my bikini is much tighter than it should be). And what’s more, the hydrotherapy pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, sauna and other spa delights are included in your hotel stay. I enjoy working up an appetite for dinner fighting against various water jets that propel me wildly around the pool.

As it happens, my fear of not being hungry enough for my three-course meal was unwarranted. The menu at Charlton House (£27.95 for a two-course dinner, £13.95 for a two-course lunch, although this will be included in your £40 day package) is punching at fine dining.

My starter of veloute of baby spinach, confit chicken and quail’s egg is homely and warming, while Mother’s golden, candy and red beets with Jerusalem artichokes and goat’s curd is pretty to look at and packs a flavoursome punch. We spend ages debating what the slightly sweet, slightly sour brown powder that’s livening up the goat’s curd is. “Pecan crumble,” informs the waitress. Marvellous!

Unfortunately, the similar game I play with my main – trying to guess the shiver-giving sour red berries – is not for the fainthearted. But they’re easily swept aside as I devour the

rampantly rich dish of Salisbury Plain venison and red cabbage. Juicy, soft, flavoursome: absolutely delish.

Mother’s been too quick with her fillet of Stokes Marsh beef, Jacob’s Ladder pie, fondant potato and roasted roots for me to try, but those hot rod red nails are flashing up and down as she wildly gesticulates with murmurs of ‘mmmmmm’, which I translate as: “This is really rather tasty.”

While the cheeseboard lacks lustre (they’re locally sourced – you want them to be good) the homemade banana ice cream brings the last ray of sunshine to our day and we slink back to our room, looking forward to another invigorating dip the next morning before breakfast.

Reviews since Bannatyne’s takeover of Charlton House two-and-a-half years ago have been mixed. But as I arrive it seems previous criticism has been duly noted and now, not only is the service of Stateside quality, our room feels lived in and the breakfast spread is ample. Which is why, Duncan, I have to say: “I like your business. I’m in.”

Charlton HouseShepton MalletNr GlastonburySomerset BA4 4PR

Call 01749 342008Visit www.bannatyne.co.uk/hotel/ charltonhouse

Spa Hotel

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We spend ages debating what the slightly sweet, slightly sour brown powder that’s livening up the goat’s curd is.

‘Pecan crumble’ informs the waitress. Marvellous!

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A new year getaway in one of Bovey Castle’s luxury lodges allows you to admire the hotel’s wintry Dartmoor surroundings from just £99 per person, based on a three-night stay for six people.

Tucked away in the estate and a short walk from the main hotel, Bovey Castle’s three-storey granite lodges make ideal accommodation for families and friends wishing to stay together and enjoy country living in a contemporary setting.

While the lodges are self-catering accommodation, all of Bovey Castle’s leisure and dining facilities are available for use, giving lodge guests all the benefits of Bovey Castle and independence too.

Bovey Castle

Dartmoor National Park, North Bovey, Devon TQ13 8RE01647 445000www.boveycastle.com

Hotel Endsleigh is at the end of a mile-long drive, nestling on the banks of the River Tamar. This is an idyll of peace and quiet and, surrounded by Repton-designed gardens, this is the best-kept secret in England – a real hideaway in the depths of the countryside.

The rooms have been designed by Olga Polizzi. In an understated fashion, they mix fabulous fabrics with stylish, simple furniture. This is a chintz-free zone! Of course the most important element of a stay is a comfortable bed, and you will not be disappointed. With Hypnos beds and quality bed linen, a good night’s sleep is assured.

Every morning a buffet of pastries, cold meats, cheeses, seasonal fruits, yoghurt and cereals are laid out. To follow you can choose from a variety of hot dishes that are cooked to order. The Tamar Valley is a foodie’s paradise. With an active Farmers Market in nearby Tavistock and a tradition of fabulous soft fruits, the Chef has a wonderful ‘store cupboard’ to raid. You couldn’t get a better breakfast to set you up for a day on the moor (wellies always available) or a quiet read by the fire.

Hotel Endsleigh

Milton Abbot, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0PQ01822 870000www.hotelendsleigh.com

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Thermae Bath Spa

flavour editor Nick Gregory enjoyed a ‘ladies that lunch’ experience as he took in the heritage of one of Bath’s most famous calling cards...

I’ve never been one of those people who’s particularly at home in my own company – especially on an outing

or excursion – preferring more the interaction of others and the sharing of experiences. As such, a solo trip to Thermae Bath Spa, complete with tailor-made 50-minute facial and an interim lunch in The Springs Cafe & Restaurant, was one I was a little daunted by. I needn’t have been.

Despite having had plenty of time to prepare and plan my day, I still managed to forget my swimming shorts, but fear not: The No. 8 shop in reception stocks all you need to not scare the other Spa users, as well as a selection from the Pevonia skincare range – more of which later.

The whole operation here is slick; from checking in, picking up your robes and slippers, securing your locker and paying for food, drink and treatments – the swiping of your wristband as a transaction and settling up at the end of play could not be simpler.

Thermae Bath Spa is the only spa in the UK to offer bathing in naturally warm spring waters and, from the off, on the lower ground floor in the Minerva Bath, that’s exactly what I enjoyed. My preconceptions of possibly being a little bit ‘lonely’ quickly faded as I fully immersed myself performing gentle lengths in a very big bath. My bathroom suite at home simply does not offer-up this opportunity. Within the Minerva Bath there is also a massage jet, a whirlpool and a lazy river.

Moving up a couple of floors you reach the Steam Rooms and Waterfall Shower,

a dedicated level devoted to ensuring you are gently relieved of fluids in the essential oil-scented, glass-enclosed booths that really do revitalise and refresh.

A quick cold shower then it’s off to the pièce de résistance, The Rooftop Pool. By day or by night the views offered of the city and surrounding hills are breathtaking, and that coupled with the natural warm water and evaporating steam make for an idyllic and ‘wow factor’ experience. I could have stayed there for hours.

I couldn’t however as I was booked in for my treatment in one of the many rooms in the Hot Bath area. Being a part-time rugby player and outdoorsy type I maybe should have opted for a deep massage, but inquisition got the better of me and I plumped instead for the 50-minute facial; basically sleeping while having your head played with. I know now why dogs look so content when you scratch behind the ears. Despite attempts to stay awake – much like battling a general anaesthetic – it wasn’t going to happen as I was expertly taken through a medley of cleansing, toning, masking, rehydrating and exfoliation with their chosen range of Pevonia skincare products.

I didn’t wake up a new man, but I was as comfortably lethargic as I have ever known and, after a few minutes in the relaxation room adjoining The Hot Bath lunch beckoned.

There is something quite odd about sitting to eat in robes and slippers, but I was one of many so the feeling soon abated. The Springs Cafe & Restaurant offers light, healthy (albeit I did have a beer) and

tantalising options that won’t undo all the good work and keep you in that health-conscious zone for a little longer. I enjoyed the breaded Gruyère cheese escalope followed by the king prawn noodles. Both dishes delivered oodles of flavour and the king prawns packed a punch to boot.

Another trip up and down the lift saw me complete a further circuit of the facilities, once again the Rooftop Pool being a particular highlight and ‘going home time’ was delayed as long as possible.

The Thermae Bath Spa suits all, is an experience that all Bath residents should take advantage of at least once and all visitors to the city should be made aware of. As it turned out going on my own was not just a pleasure, it really did mean I could do everything exactly ‘in my own time’ and that set me up perfectly to complete my ‘ladies that lunch’ day with a bit of early evening shopping in the many surrounding excellent shops that Bath houses.

For a full breakdown of facilities, treatments, history and prices you really should visit the website as just a page in a magazine is nowhere near enough space to do The Thermae Bath Spa the justice it so deserves…

Thermae Bath SpaThe Hetling Pump RoomHot Bath StreetBath BA1 1SJ

Call 0844 888 0844Visit www.thermaebathspa.com

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By day or by night the views offered of the city and surrounding hills are breathtaking, and that coupled with the natural warm water and evaporating steam make for an idyllic and ‘wow factor’ experience.

I could have stayed there for hours.

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> flavour xxxxxxx

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A warm, candlelit atmosphere and soft piano music in the background is what you will find at Cristini and, with knowledgeable and attentive staff, this makes for a cosy and sumptous environment.

Manager Angelo Grazioli believes it’s the simple things that please the most and to achieve this he offers a menu made using only the freshest, personally selected ingredients; a selection of Italian starters and fresh homemade pasta along with a wide choice of main courses featuring seasonal speciality dishes.

Cristini’s pappardelle with fresh Italian black truffle is one such speciality dish, that literally melts in the mouth. Chef Paul Lonergan continues your journey of flavour by preparing Scotch beef medallions with a wild mushroom sauce, alongside truffle-flavoured potatoes that are too succulent to simply pass.

His amazing chocolate pralines are the delicious finale in a dinner to remember. All this is accompanied by an extensive wine list which Angelo delights in recommending with true Italian passion and gusto.

Live jazz is performed by the Malcom Harris duo every Wednesday from 7.30pm and a private lounge is available for drinks

or coffee. Cristini offers an à la carte menu at set price, so you are charged by the number of courses you have. It may not be a ‘traditional’ Italian restaurant, but Cristini can offer a memorable dinner that is worthy of any Italian table.

Be it a romantic dinner for two, a quiet place for business meetings or that perfect dinner party setting for special guests and occasions, it’s the smart destination for fine Italian food.

28 Sussex Place, Paddington, London W2 2TH

0207 706 7900 www.cristini.co.uk

Cristini Italian Restaurant

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flavour’sIf you want something done properly you don’t necessarily have to do it yourself – and why should you have to? We thought it would be a good idea when looking at the best French restaurants in London to get a French native to carry out this research for the most authentic and objective results. Emily Ricard has done just that for us…French

Restaurants

Nestled in the heart of Belgravia, in between Pimlico Road and Ebury Street, La Poule au Pot is a slice of Provence in the heart of London. From the moment you set foot in this establishment, you are instantly transported to a rural French farmhouse.

The ceilings and brick walls are decked out with hanging wicker baskets crammed with fragrant lavender, as well as steel watering cans and clumps of artificial grapes. The French waiters usher you hurriedly to your table and proceed to run through the mouthwatering list of daily specials, which comprise dozens of varied dishes, from tarragon chicken to farmhouse pâté, reminiscent of home-cooked meals lovingly prepared by grand-mère.

The service is rapid and friendly, and the hors d’oeuvres swiftly make their way to the dining room. The snails are an absolute must, bathing in a glorious buttery, garlic sauce that is even more delectable when mopped up with thick chunks of bread. The restaurant’s main courses include a hearty poule au pot as well as a vast selection of meat and fish, my personal favourite being the duck fillet accompanied with seared foie gras. As a conclusion to this palatable French feast, choose either the divine crème brûlée or the deliciously moreish chocolate mousse.

www.pouleaupot.co.uk

La Poule au Pot

Racine could be described as French sophisticated cuisine at its best. Behind heavy velvet curtains that shield the establishment from the bustle of Brompton Road, lies a sleek haven of elegance where traditional dishes and the best ingredients are celebrated.

The menu is varied and temptation to try every single item soars in. The garlic and saffron mousse, accompanied by mussels, is delicately deposited by a French waiter on the crisp white tablecloth. The flavours hit my taste buds and awake my senses: by the time my plate is cleared, I’m yearning for more. I’d heard great things about their filet and Béarnaise sauce, so that’s what I am eagerly waiting for: it certainly does not disappoint. The succulent filet steak is accompanied by a deliciously creamy and decadent Béarnaise sauce speckled with herbs, as well as golden, crunchy chips: the ultimate French fries. As a last treat after such a full and flavourful meal, I opt for a crème caramel. The first spoonful makes me swoon: I am in culinary heaven, grateful to have this little piece of French paradise to escape to as regularly as I want.

www.racine-restaurant.com

Racine

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Gazette is the archetypical French brasserie with restaurants in both Battersea and Balham. Gazette Battersea sits by the side of the Thames and boasts a terrace which during dinner service in the summer basks in the warm glow of the setting sun.

The shabby chic interior is adorned with antique accordions, wine bottles and oxblood red covered books. The menu resembles a pre-war Parisian gazette and denotes all the specials as well as an extensive wine list, which would make any connoisseur salivate. The dishes are very rustic: tomato and mustard tart and foie gras terrine are simple classics executed in the best possible way.

The tomatoes are laid out as delicately as the most beautiful flower would be on a golden halo of light pastry with a hint of Dijon mustard. The foie gras terrine is also a staple of French cuisine but is made unique by the introduction of slivers of fragrant bacon in the foie gras. Main courses definitely live up to

the standards of the appetizers: the cod is mouthwateringly delicious and the Nicoise salade, simple and traditional, accompanied by a toasted baguette lovingly topped with black olive tapenade and fresh salmon slices.

Dessert is inevitable here: pounce on the best chocolat liégois I’ve ever tasted, topped with sinfully sweet whipped cream. Gazette is guaranteed to please: you will definitely leave satisfied and hungry for more.

www.gazettebrasserie.co.uk

Gazette

This Chelsea restaurant has carved out a cheesy niche for itself, attracting not only fellow expats but also a large British clientele. L’Art du Fromage is, as its name indicates, the art of preparing cheese. The ultimate French delicacy comes in all forms here, including cheese ice cream.

The Brie de Meaux pané is steaming with cheesy goodness on its bed of leaves, oozing creamy deliciousness from the cracks in the golden breadcrumbs. The ravioles are homemade and generously stuffed with diced foie gras and tasty gingerbread, doused in a morel cream sauce.

To continue, a goat’s cheese salad using the softest and lightest warm cheese is beautifully presented on a golden crisp toast and carefully wrapped in smoked salmon, deploying a magnificent palette of hues.

L’Art du Fromage also offers a stunning magret de canard, as smooth as butter and with a delicate honey tang on the roasted duck skin. For dessert, the cheese ice cream is a must. The fromage blanc ice cream is delicious, but the goat’s cheese and Roquefort ice cream have a more acquired taste. Diners should definitely try this original dessert, if only for the wow factor.

www.artdufromage.co.uk

L’Art du Fromage

Sketch is an institution amongst young, trendy Londoners and the exquisite food lives up to the impressively extravagant and crazy décor.

Walking into the dark restaurant, it feels like entering a doll’s house crossed with a velvet draped 19th-century bordello. The Gallery is the largest dining area and every single item, from the cutlery to the chairs is unique: a luxuriously mismatched assembly of objects, which surprisingly, works perfectly. Pop-up paper cutlery is a feature of the menu and the code word here is most certainly ‘fun’!

My starters of choice are the lusciously smooth burrata with deliciously refreshing tomato and basil ice cream. But if you’re in the mood for a dose of decadence, choose Chantilly Lace: an audacious combination of black and basmati rice, lobster bisque and horseradish cream. The pan-fried scallops are succulently smooth and melt like softened butter in the mouth, a characteristic shared by the beef and foie gras burger, accompanied by crispy French fries and ‘Sketchup’, a homemade

beetroot alternative to ketchup. Malabar is the addictive and almost-too-sweet dessert that revolves around bubblegum ice cream and seems to have been transported from a Disney film to your table.

Your evening at Sketch will feel like an abstract dream: sweet and delectable, concluded by a visit to the infamous pod toilets where you will feel not like Alice in Wonderland, but like an astronaut.

www.sketch.uk.com

Sketch

Jack Stein was born in Cornwall and is the middle son of three boys to celebrated chef Rick Stein.

After several years learning the trade, Jack returned to The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow as sous chef before moving on to a tournant role across the whole company.

He is currently the head of development for the company, leading the installation and introduction of a development kitchen for the business, where new recipes and ingredients will be tested.

flavour’s latest columnist Jack Stein brings us the best from the sea...

Sea bass, salsify and red wine vinaigrette

Sea bass is such a versatile fish and this dish celebrates autumn in both flavour and colour. Our development kitchen started work on this dish as a replacement for one of The Seafood Restaurant’s signature dishes, sea bass with vanilla, which is more summery in look and taste.

Salsify is a great autumnal ingredient; sometimes called an oyster plant this root has a lovely mineral saltiness that is a perfect foil for the sweet flesh of the sea bass.

The restaurant version of this dish is more complex involving stocks and reductions so for

this recipe I have simplified the dish and focused on the more important elements.

The red wine vinaigrette is extremely versatile and can be used with many different ingredients including monkfish, chicken and pork. I first encountered it while in Paris working at a restaurant called La Regalade, where it was called vinaigrette d’viande and had a veal stock to thicken it. Veal stock is not something I would want to include in this recipe as it usually requires at least 10 hours of cooking! Instead this version is easier and quick to make.

Recipe ©Jack SteinImage ©David Griffen

Follow Jack on Twitter @JackStein

Serves 2

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Ingredients Method• 2 x 150g sea bass fillet

• 150g salsify root

• 25g shallots

• 50ml red wine

• 50ml red wine vinegar

• 50ml olive oil

• Sea salt

• 1 tsp vegetable oil

• 20g unsalted butter

• Sprig of thyme

• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives

1 To start, pat the skin of the sea bass with kitchen roll to remove any excess moisture from it. This helps to colour this fish and prevents it sticking in the pan.

2 Peel the salsify and place in a saucepan of salted water with some lemon juice to prevent discolouration and cook on a medium heat for 45 minutes until tender, then drain and set aside.

3 To make the red wine vinaigrette, finely dice the shallots and add to a saucepan with the thyme and red wine. Cook until the shallots have absorbed the wine and then add the red wine vinegar and reduce by half. Slowly add the olive oil whisking to emulsify and season with sea salt and set aside.

4 Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and cook the sea bass skin side down on a low-medium heat. When the flesh side is almost completely white, flip the fillets over and quickly cook on the flesh side for 15–20 seconds. Remove the fish from the pan and rest.

5 Meanwhile, heat a little oil in the pan that the fish was cooked in, cut the salsify into pieces and sauté, season and add the butter to colour.

6 Serve the sea bass and salsify together and spoon the vinaigrette around the plate, finishing the dish off with some finely chopped chives.

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Matching wine to food used to be far simpler than it is today. When popular cuisines and wine producing countries were in much shorter supply, finding the right match between a local dish and a local wine would usually suffice. Today we have the entire

world on our supermarket shelves, so the number of combinations is daunting even for the experts. With the festive season fast approaching, there’s no better time to look at some dos and don’ts of food and wine matching.

Match made in

heaven

It is essential to consider the weight of the dish you are serving vis-à-vis the wine that will be served. Imagine a rich beef casserole served alongside a light Muscadet! The wine would have no chance and would end up tasting like a glass of acid next to such a robust stew. By the same token, serving a delicate dish, such as grilled scallops, with a heavily oaked Barossa Shiraz is going to obliterate the subtle flavours in the food. So, if the dish is light and fresh or rich, heavy and full of flavour, then serve a wine of similar weight.

Don’t be scared of acidity – it is a vital component in wine that must be harnessed for food and wine matching

success. Many seafood dishes will be served with a slice of lemon, or a splash of vinegar will be used to add some bite. Crisp, light and acidic white wines can serve this purpose even better than a squeeze of citrus, resulting in wonderful matches like Picpoul de Pinet or Chablis and oysters. Something to avoid is choosing a wine that is lower in acid that the dish it is accompanying. When this happens, the wine just tastes flat and it loses any ability to work as a ‘palate cleanser’ between bites.

When a dish has sweetness, the received wisdom tells us that the wine must be sweeter because if it isn’t, then the wine will taste thin and tart. Therefore, for

lighter and fresher desserts like fruit tarts, wines with brightness and freshness and moderate sweetness will work. However, with a rich and intense chocolate dessert you would be best to search out a wine that was big, dark, powerful and very, very sweet, lest it get drowned out by the flavours of the food.

When a wine is really tannic you will often hear people say “this needs food”. But...that is only true if it is the right food, otherwise food and wine matching disaster can ensue. Oily fish will take tannins and make them taste metallic, very salty food will make them taste bitter, and gloopy textures like eggs will battle the tannins by coating the mouth.

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> flavour mark andrew

2007 Tokaji Aszu 5 Putts; Royal Tokaji Company

Sweet white wine is a much better match with blue cheese than Port, but while most people will go for a

Sauternes, I prefer the extra acidity of Tokaji Aszu. The sweetness works so perfectly with the saltiness of the

cheese – this will convince any sceptic of food and wine matching.

Match with Roquefort or Stilton cheese.

Available at Roberson Wine (£28.95) or on the list at The Guinea Grill (W1) & Northbank (EC4V)

2011 Régnié; Charly Thévenet Lots of people want to drink red with their Turkey on

Christmas Day, but make the mistake of choosing a chunky wine with too much tannin. Gamay

is perfect, as the light body matches the white meat and the bright, intense fruit cuts through

the gravy and matches the cranberry sauce.

Match with Turkey and Cranberry Sauce.

Available at Roberson Wine (£18.95) or on the list at Momo (W1) & Fulham Wine Rooms (SW6)

Mark AndrewMark Andrew is the Senior Wine Buyerat Kensington-based merchantRoberson Wine. In addition to theiraward-winning shop on London’sKensington High Street, Roberson supplywine to many of the UK’s top restaurants.When Mark is not travelling around

Europe, seeking out interesting new wines, he runs Roberson’s wine school and fine wine tastings, judges at numerous wine competitions (including the Decanter Magazine World Wine Awards) and is currently studying towards his Master of Wine qualification.

So what is it that actually works with tannic wines? Red meat! The chewy texture of the flesh and protein in the fat alters our perception of tannins, making them feel softer and suppler than before.

Chilli and spice are wine’s #1 enemy. Spice will strip the taste buds and leave your mouth a much more sensitive place to acid, tannin and sweetness. High acid in wine becomes a serious problem after

eating a dish with lots of chilli, as the wine will taste very astringent. Likewise, high tannin will become bitter and pronounced, while high alcohol will start to burn more than before. Sweetness can go some way to mollifying the effects, so an off-dry white with ripe fruit flavours is about the only place to go when spicy food is on the menu.

3THE POWER OFStrapped for cash but dying to dine in style? Nick Harman checks out three fine restaurants where the bargains are located at lunch.

Some people are rude about Russian restaurants, accusing them of just being meeting places for dodgy beeeznessman and run by some oligarch’s daughter or mistress. And while there may have once been some truth in that, Mari Vanna is the real thing.

Deriving its food styles from St Petersburg, a place older readers may remember as Leningrad, it’s designed to look like an old Russian home. Hundreds of nick-nacks adorn every spare surface, the walls are lined with ‘family’ photos, shawls are draped over lights, and the effect is actually rather comforting.

Food is rather expensive, but at lunch it’s not. We chose the four-course option and K’s salad of king crab, avocado, tomato and salad leaves he liked a lot. The tomatoes were beautifully red ripe, the crab sweet and generous and the dressing just punchy enough.

I nibbled the selection of breads served with butter flavoured with garlic and dill, and then ate a classic ‘Russian’ salad; sausage diced small, soft boiled quail’s eggs, carrots, peas and other veg all bound with a light mayonnaise. It reminded me of ‘70s picnics but in a good way, as I wasn’t wearing flares anymore.

Chicken soup with noodles and scraps of meat had the stock that makes all the difference. This Eastern European/Jewish classic was a little bit fatty, a little bit feral. You could feel it doing you good as it went down. K had Borscht, until recently probably the only Russian dish anyone had ever heard of. Served with a bun and sour cream, it had real guts and after finishing it all, so did K.

My courgette pancakes with lightly salted smoked salmon and Russian sour cream was a bit of a dull dish overall, despite the obvious quality of the salmon and the pancakes could have been fried to a bit more firmness. K meanwhile had Pelmeni, little dumplings with more king crab, Chilean sea bass and other unspecified seafood. The parcels were firm, the sauce buttery; he ate the lot and sat back happy.

And to finish, some honey cake; layers of delicate sponge, cream and honey and a lot lighter than you’d imagine, as was the whole meal. As a sampler of what the kitchen can do lunch was impressive at £38 each, as a sample of real Russian cuisine it was an eye-opener.

Mari Vanna Wellington Court, 116 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7PJ

‘Sounds like a ‘70s West Coast rock band,’ said M looking at ‘Shaved Tuna’ on the menu. It tasted better than it sounded; the pure fish gloriously fatty and touched with a breath of sweetness and a shot of chilli and served in a small bowl over crushed ice. A complicated mouthful but exhilarating.

Spice Market in the super-cool W hotel is modern Asian to the nth – the lights, the decor, the jars of coloured spices everywhere.

There are Spice Markets all over the world, a chain founded by the tongue-twisting Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Blending his Alsace background with his traveller’s love of the Far East, he created pan Asian early in London, and was a pioneer in fact.

Spice Market’s special priced lunch (and pre-theatre) bento box is guaranteed to be served fast and efficiently for people pressed for time. Of the four bento boxes on offer we tried the gourmet; a little jewel box that had some real gems racked up inside.

Lobster summer roll with sriracha emulsion was better than I expected. I know lobster is supposed to be ace, but I’ve always preferred the cheaper king crab. Here its flavour was well brought out and the Sriracha emulsion, a blend of chillies, garlic and vinegar, was probably the reason.

We liked the red curried duck with sticky rice in a banana leaf. Just the right amount of heat with the duck standing up well to the complex, but sometimes brutish, flavours of Thai red curry sauce. For £20 the box was well priced for intelligent and tasty food in swish surroundings and we needn’t have gone for the Ovaltine kulfi caramelised banana, spiced milk chocolate sauce as it was £7 extra and we couldn’t eat it all.

Spice Market W Leicester Square 10 Wardour Street, London W1D 6QF

Mari Vanna The GreenhouseSpice Market The Greenhouse’s entrance must be one of the least obvious in London. It is however one of the prettiest; a decked path through an urban garden.

Inside is chic, as befits the prices. Gary Rhodes once cooked here, his modern British now replaced by Chef Arnaud Bignon’s take on French food influenced by Greek cuisine. It’s light, colourful, playful and completely gorgeous.

Arnaud proves there is still room for fancy cooking. Done without a side order of pretension or pompousness, just joy in artistry, it hits so many right spots. The food looks exquisite on the plate but it doesn’t make you peer around it like a bomb disposal expert wondering where to cut.

My tomato pasta/rocket salad/crunchy bread/mascarpone was a rolled-up sheet of pasta, and on top was another roll of Parmesan tuile, presumably the ‘bread’ and it was perfect. The brevity of ingredients making for more taste. S thought his egg/white asparagus/chorizo/spring onion/nasturtium a bit ethereal; it was gone in seconds but it was, he said, great while it lasted, ‘like a marriage’, I suggested.

Main of sea trout peas/lemongrass/mint was shout-out-loud brilliant. The lemongrass was speared through the fish so it resembled a rack of meat; this allowed the citric notes to gently permeate through. The peas were mostly puréed with just one or two allowed to stand as tiny taste bombs. The fish fell apart in tectonic slices, perfectly, perfectly cooked.

S had lamb with olives, apricot and dates, great combinations and clearly Middle Eastern, if not Greek, influenced. It was yet again picture perfect, but I don’t photograph my food. For once I rather regretted not having a camera.

Mix berries pound cake/rose-litchi sorbet/Grand Marnier was light and sparkling, rather like the whole lunch, which we washed down with excellent matches from the clued-up sommelier. If this was a set lunch, I’m coming back for the main menu as soon as possible.

The Greenhouse 27A Hay’s Mews Mayfair, London W1J 5NY

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It’s a dangerous game being a restaurant critic; chefs are volatile beasts. The heat, the long days and the constant pressure are all ingredients in a recipe for short tempers, bad behaviour and bubbling over. Sweary Gordon is legendary, of course, but tales of chefs charging past the pass with cleaver in hand to confront a hated critic abound.

Chefs are a bit hypocritical about this; if a critic loves their food, he or she is clearly a person of taste and experience. If they don’t like it, well they’re clearly idiots. Either way the professional critic has always wearily accepted angry responses from slated chefs, as much as charming love letters from féted ones, as all par for the course.

Today we are all restaurant critics. Safe back home, late in the evening, possibly a trifle drunk, we can go onto a website or personal blog and, using fist blows to the keyboard, type out ‘worst meal ever!’ press ‘send’ and fall happily into bed. If short of time, or just lazy, we can do it via Twitter. This last can have surprising results; you may only have three followers, one of whom is your mother, but if one of them retweets, then another, there’s every chance the comment could go viral in moments. And then chef gets to see it.

This happened last month and a two-star chef went ballistic with a blogger who tweeted that he hadn’t liked his two-star meal much. Then other chefs closed ranks and joined in, putting the clog into the

blogger in no uncertain terms. The blogger burst into tears and Twitter gathered around, like old ladies at a bus stop with a bullied child, to offer him a virtual hanky and tut disapprovingly at the nasty chefs.

Well the blogger learnt something that is worth repeating to all would be opinion formers. If you choose to criticise a chef in a public forum, then the chef may criticise you back the same way. You’ve got every right to say you didn’t like his food, he has every right to call you an ignorant fool. Or worse. The real danger for any kind of critic or chef is of taking it all, or himself, too seriously.

Nick Harman realises that if you aren’t prepared to catch the ball, you shouldn’t throw the ball in the first place…

Nick Harman is editor of www.foodepedia.co.uk and was shortlisted last year for The Guild of Food Writer’s Restaurant Reviewer of the Year.

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