Eating out in Dorset

I have just returned from my annual holiday with Liz and her brother. As per usual we ate out a lot. Our first port of call was Mat Follas' bijou little restaurant The Wild Garlic just up the road from our holiday cottage in Beaminster. I had been looking forward to it for ages and my meal didn't disappoint. Scallops for a starter were just right, and they were followed by one of the biggest plaice I have ever seen on a dinner plate, simply grilled with lemon and capers. Dave chose venison which arrived on a very cheffy plate of this and that complete with a pot of steaming pine needles to inhale. (Liz and I both thought lavatory cleaner). 

He didn't think it added much but the venison was very good. Liz chose cider braised pork belly, crackle and sweet potato which again came in a cheffy arrangement pictured above. The crackle was pronounced inedible because it was so hard. And her meal was disappointingly tepid. We shared a plate of cheeses and a selection of desserts. The cheese won hands down although Mat when questioned didn't know which cheeses were on offer. The puds looked lovely but the flavours lacked oomph.  Service was lackadaisical, dirty glasses being left on the table for ages for example. It was, however, pretty cheap for evening service. With drinks beforehand, a nice bottle of Temperanillo and a glass of pudding wine the bill came in at just under £140 for the three of us. And we saw Mat a few times, which was nice. (And by the way Mat the amuse bouche of carrot soup was revolting).

Yes, I would go back. It was just a shame that on that particular evening Liz didn't experience the wow factor.

Wednesday saw us returning to The Riverside Restaurant in West Bay. This really was a meal to write home about. Liz has been going there for years and says it never disappoints. I had been once before and had good memories. I started with my favourites. Oysters. Mmmm!

Oh how I love oysters. I love mussels too which is what the others had. All were delicious. And I could have eaten all the mains but settled on roasted wild sea bass with sea blite and a red wine jus. I didn't think it quite worked as the sauce tasted quite sweet and I'm not mad on fish with a sweet tang. It looked lovely though but I wish I'd had what Liz did, pan fried brill fillet with a leek, crab and mustard sauce.

The desserts were first class (better than Mat's I'm sad to say) and I chose an iced white chocolate, raspberry and almond parfait. It was a good choice. The others fared well too.

So, if you are ever in Dorset this is a fish restaurant not to be missed. I shall be back.

We spent Thursday morning on the beach and out on The Cobb at Lyme Regis, beloved by The French Lieutenant's Woman. Tempted though we were to go off on one of the many mackerel-fishing trips the unpredictability of the wind put us off. And anyway none of us are big mackerel fans. We had driven past Mark Hix's Oyster and Fish House but had decided to save that for another visit. As the wind increased and the sunshine began to disappear we hot-footed it back to the car and decided to find lunch out of town. In another town in fact. We had read that River Cottage had opened a canteen and deli in Axminster. We thought it would be very busy and that we would buy enough items from the deli to picnic with. In fact the canteen looked so warm and inviting we queued up for a table, not much of a queue either, perhaps a 5 minute wait.

The canteen does what it says on the tin. Seasonal fresh food simply cooked. My fish soup with croutons and rouille was perfect, Liz and Dave had corn on the cob which they both enjoyed. I then went for the organic beefburger which was, quite frankly, overcooked although the meat was tasty. Dave pronounced his pork koftas excellent and Liz's sardines in parsley and lemon were outstanding.

We had become seasoned chip eaters during the week and we all thought that those served here won first prize. Only Dave could manage a pudding. His blackberry pannacotta looked and tasted superb.

Lunch included a bottle of Rioja and came in at £68 which we thought represented good value.  On the way back to Bridport we passed the new River Cottage. It was a shame we hadn't realised our holiday cottage was in the same grounds as the original!



Lunch at The Waterside Inn

Once a year Liz and I treat ourselves to a very high quality (i.e. Michelin-starred) lunch out. Usually this is just after my birthday and my part is funded by the cheque my dad always gives me. But of course my dad passed away earlier this year and so I have been squirreling money away for this very special treat since then.

The Waterside Inn in Bray is very posh indeed. It is in a posh village (also home to Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck), it is in a posh part of the country (just to the west of Windsor) and it sits on a posh part of the River Thames. Last year the restaurant celebrated 25 years of holding 3 Michelin stars. Previously Liz and I had only eaten at a 2 star establishment, Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons, so we were expecting great things. And by and large we got them.

You drive down a narrow village lane and The Waterside Inn is at the end (as is a slipway leading into the river). You are waylaid by the restaurant's valet who parks your car for you. This is a first for me and certainly for my beaten-up old Honda. A friend had reminded me that he would need tipping on car collection but as he had only in fact reversed it into a space 5 metres away I felt that was a bit OTT. I was left wondering if he thought I might have gone down the slipway . . .

On entering the building I was greeted by a fairly frosty French receptionist who informed me that they would not be open for 4 minutes and would I like to wait over there (pointing at a couple of generously sized sofas). Liz was making her own way so this was fine by me. At that moment Alain Roux the head chef (and son of the great Michel) walked through in his chef's whites so I knew we were in good hands.

Liz arrived and we were ushered through the restaurant and out of the large glass doors onto the riverside terrace for our aperitifs. As it was such a lovely day we really reaped the benefit of the splendid views.

If you are feeling very flush you can book their boat (for £65 per half hour!) and take your drinks and canapés off for a little river trip. Sadly another party beat us to it. maybe next time (when I've won the lottery)!

Ah yes. The canapés. Absolutely gorgeous. I particularly enjoyed the carrot, ginger and vodka shot, and the little round one which was foie gras with something. You will have to forgive the fact that I had nothing to write on and forgot to get a copy of the menu on my way out so details of some of what we ate are a bit sketchy!

The restaurant itself is a bit tardis like, much larger inside than it looks. The clever use of mirrored panels all around the room also means you get to see everything that is going on, great for nosey people like me! We chose the 3 course Menu Gastronomique (basically the set lunch) at £68 for three courses. The other diners all appeared to be doing the same but this was hardly a surprise. We also noticed that all customers were drinking wine by the glass. Having seen the prices on the Wine List this was no surprise either. We both chose the smoked eel/celeriac/crispy egg as a starter. It was a very good combination indeed although the egg was a bit bland. Liz doesn't do eggs but I didn't feel inclined to help her out. The alternative was a creamy corn and prawn soup. The lady on the next table had that. It was decorated with popcorn. I am underwhelmed by great restaurants serving popcorn! Le Manoir used it last time I dined there.

It is now that I should mention the absolutely fantastic service. There were so many waiters running around that they reminded me of the penguins in Mary Poppins. But the service was faultless, friendly and they were all very French. They were charming to talk to as well. It was a bit like being pampered by a lot of lovely young men. Really top drawer. (And the waitresses were very sweet too).

I cannot remember all of the ingredients in our mains. Suffice to say that Liz had Red mullet and squid on a kind of potato wafer and I had roast rump of beef on spinach in a really rich jus serve with timbales of pearl barley which tasted nicer than they sound. It was topped with a lovely splodge of bone marrow, one of my very favourite things. Both mains were exemplary.

By now we were filling very replete but truly the best was yet to come. I think my dessert was probably the best dessert I have ever tasted anywhere. It's right up there certainly.

So we have a pistachio mousse with strawberries served on shortbread, strawberry sorbet and the best pannacotta ever which was enriched by having a trifley bottom. Just looking at the photo again makes me drool. Liz went for a passion fruit/mango sorbet/chocolate dessert concoction and pronounced it very rich but delicious.

 We were then escorted back outside to the river by yet another gorgeous boy where we enjoyed coffee (decaff of course) and wonderful little sweet treats. We must have sat there watching the world go by for a good hour. Really lovely.

 It was, as they say, A Grand Day Out. VAT and Service are all included and the bill, which boasted a large G&T and 2 glasses of wine, was £149. For a special occasion I don't think it can be beaten. Except by Le Manoir maybe.

We think next year's outing will be to Le Gavroche, if we can get a table.

Two good puds

 

A roast chicken dinner was requested by my second daughter this week. She and the boyfriend were off on holiday the following day and it is her default favourite meal. As Josh and his girfriend were also going to be in I decided that I would be a bit (but only a bit) adventurous with the puddings. I had a few packets of almonds in the cupboard (OK so I had six!) and thought I would give Nigella's Strawberry and almond crumble from "Kitchen" a whirl. It was dead easy and it was absolutely gorgeous. Puddingy and jammy at the same time. I urge you to try it.

The second pudding was this Squidgy Chocolate Torte which I have mentioned before. Again pretty effortless but very tasty. Think chocolate brownies and you'll get the sort of texture. This was a Very Big Hit with the boyfriend (my daughter's, not mine). I'm told it freezes well too so I will try and make a couple more before the school holidays end.

It says something that both desserts had completely disappeared by lunchtime the following day!

Another visit to Jamie's Italian

Yet again my husband was away for my birthday and yet again my sister filled the void. My number 2 son had found out that if you own a Blue Badge you can park at Westfield from Monday-Friday for free. This was news to me but then I hadn't gone into the deeper recesses of the Westfield website. The parking charges are about the only thing I don't like about the shopping centre. We had to park in an area I didn't really know (and I wasn't sure we'd ever find that car again) and on departure surrender the parking ticket plus the Blue Badge for intricate inspection. I am pleased to say I passed the test. But I digress. Entering the shopping centre from an unfamiliar escalator I was delighted to see a great array of Boris bikes and the great man himself giving press interviews. I didn't listen in (although I took a couple of pictures) but I imagine they must be extending the zones in which these bikes can be used. My friend Daniel, a keen cyclist, reckons they are great bikes to ride. I have my doubts as they look so clunky. But hey, what do I know? (Other than I'd be far too scared of the London traffic to even consider riding one).

And so to Jamie's. And it was another wonderful meal. From previous experience I have learned that I cannot manage 3 of Jamie's filling courses so we began with some nibbles. I ordered Mushroom fritti which was absolutely splendid, large mushrooms cut into chips with the exact same garlicky/parsley combination  that Jamie's funky chips have. And wondrous alioli. Delish!

Anne chose the rather more worthy (although deep-fried) Ravioli nachos, a nice idea but there wasn't enough of the spicy sauce to hide the blandness of the pasta.

Now, in my short experience of dining at Jamie's, I have always found it worth having a good look at the day's Specials.

I went for the plaice, Anne chose the previously happy chicken. The plaice was absolutely superb, probably the best piece of fish I've eaten this year. The sauce was just fab. Anne liked her chicken but the next day lunching with me she said that actually it was a bit too salty and she preferred the chicken recipe I had just cooked for her. We shared a tub of funky chips. It would have been rude not to.

The puddings were a triumph.

I am so glad I had the Tuscan Eat & Mess. It was fabulous. Tangy, slightly sharp but creamy and sweet all at the same time. Really, really good.  Anne selected her usual Tiramisu because she is addicted to it.

We shared a bottle of Merlot although as Anne was driving  I had the lion's share.  The bill came to just under £60.  I must also mention the very charming waitress who told us that Jamie does pop in from time to time but that as he is opening another 7 branches he is quite a busy man. But we knew that! Busier than Boris I suspect.

Jamie's Mustard Chicken with Dauphinoise potatoes

The OH has hotfooted it out of here for a week which means that in real terms I can eat exactly what I want. The problem is that my cooking mojo seems to have gone off to Derbyshire with him! I have been trying to make this chicken dish for the last week but things, mainly school-related, keep getting in the way.

Having made it before, I can report that it is easy, tasty but definitely an Olympic event trying to complete it in 30 minutes. (And I didn't do the greens or the affogato). But hey, Jamie is a youngish man and I am an old granny . . . !

I didn't tweak the recipe at all and this time it wasn't quite as mustardy as I would have liked. One of my offspring thought it was a bit bland. Well there you go, last time I made it I nearly had my head blown off.

Jamie's way of cooking chicken breasts is easy, fuss-free and thorough. I like it! Am not really sure though that if you had even sized chicken breasts you would need to chop them into bite-sized pieces. Mine were very lopsided (much like my own) and it was a necessity.

It did all look a bit insipid once chopped up as you can see. I think next time I would stir in more wholegrain mustard than he suggests as well as coating the breasts a little more thoroughly.

The Dauphinoise was a bit bland too. My fault. I couldn't be bothered to start it off in a pan and shoved the whole lot in the oven. It definitely needed more time and it needed more salt. I could have forgotten to put salt in for all I know.

So. Have made the recipe for the dreaded "second time" which, in my experience, is usually a bit doomed. But I think it will become a staple in this house because everybody enjoyed it so much first-time round.

Off to Jamie's Italian for my Official Birthday lunch tomorrow. Can't wait!

Hotslaw

Once again I find there has been a long gap since my last effort. The pressures at work have been unspeakably vile, I have been sleeping atrociously and seem to be functioning on a half empty brain.  Unlike some writers, probably most, I don't feel like writing when I am unhappy. And I don't much feel like cooking either. Add to that mix the fact that food costs have risen in a quite dramatic way and so I can't experiment as freely as I would like.

But yesterday Philippa had a barbecue for her friends to celebrate her 25th birthday which is tomorrow. This is an expensive time in the Lark household. My birthday follows Phil's - July 25th, then it's Taylor's on the 28th and Josh's on the 30th. But I digress.

I offered to do the puddings which, by request, were the usual suspects. And I said I would make a couple of salads because I have been itching to try Diana Henry's Hotslaw since reading the recipe in the Daily Telegraph some weeks back. Let me tell you this. It is sensational. I was bombarded with requests for the recipe and the guests were baying for more.



The one criticism came from my chilli-loving son-in-law who said it wasn't hot enough, so next time I will up the chillies and tabasco sauce.

A Grand Day Out

Way back at the beginning of 2011 Liz and I promised ourselves a visit to Tate Britain and it's much lauded Watercolours Exhibition, so yesterday we had a day out. The Metropolitan Line was running for the first weekend in weeks (apparently Take That were playing Wembley so that may have been the reason) and it was also The Queen's official birthday and therefore Trooping the Colour was taking place.

The exhibition was gentle, interesting and educational. We couldn't have asked for more. The highlight for me was a particularly stunning picture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh called Fetges. When I win the lottery I shall try and buy it. I was less impressed by the squiggles of many of the later artists and felt I could do as well. So there Tracy Emin!

We tried to take a bus to Trafalgar Square as we were lunching at Les Deux Salons just behind the National Portrait Gallery but because of Trooping the Colour the buses were all on diversion so we ended up walking from the Embankment. I knew the fly-past would be at 1 and so we took our places in the Square and waited. Sure enough an aerial procession of chinooks, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and many others, culminating in the magnificent Red Arrows, flew directly over us. It was just wonderful.

And then it was lunchtime and my second visit to Les Deux Salons, having been there with Foodycat earlier this year. It seemed like Liz's kind of place.  I had booked but the brasserie was very quiet although our waitress did say that a party of 10 had cancelled and that they were full for the evening. (I worry about this kind of thing - fantastic eateries disappearing because of the recession etc.).

I began with Cornish crab, green mango, chilli, lime and ginger. It looked extremely pretty but I reckon the chef had been a bit heavy-handed with the ginger. I couldn't taste the mango at all and, given recent publicity, it had beansprouts in it which was a bit scary! (I am still here 24 hours later so I think I survived e-coli).

Liz chose a Broad bean and goat cheese salad and felt that the cheese wasn't quite punchy enough. Some of the beans had been skinned, some hadn't. That met with approval.

I then opted for Sea bass with seashore vegetables, fennel, lemon and crushed potato. The fish was fantastic but seaweed (which is basically what it was) was downright unpleasant. Samphire would have been nice. There is salty and then there is salt-enhanced.

The star of the entire meal however was the Special of the Day. It was Slow-cooked breast of lamb carefully interspersed with slices of potato to make a boulangere. It also came with sweetbreads. Liz pronounced it the best thing she had eaten for ages. She also thought it had been very cleverly, even mathematically assembled. It looked like a meat and potato lasagne. Very, very good.

I had chosen the pudding I was going to have even before I chose my starter, and it was to die for. Iced peanut butter parfait with roast banana. I need the recipe because it was just perfect. Not too sickly, which it easily could have been, and set off nicely with a large wodge of praline.

Liz, who has a whey allergy, was slightly disappointed that all of the desserts on offer yesterday contained cream but, in the interests of research, she chose a Raspberry and rosewater macaroon with me agreeing to eat any cream that might adorn it. Again it was really pretty. And again it was very tasty. Liz went home vowing to find out how to make macaroons.

(And yes. I ate the cream in the middle).

We shared a bottle of Temperanillo. The bill including service came in at just over £100. We both felt it was worth it and Liz is going back in a couple of weeks with some other foodie friends.

All in all a grand day out Grommit.