Tag: PastureFedMeat

‘Think of the Takeaway as your friend’

This was the advice of a friend on how to deal with being housebound while recovering from surgery.

It was good advice, and we started by ordering from our local restaurants.

 

Then some kind friends realised our predicament; they introduced us to Dishpatch, and we haven’t looked back.

 

Dishpatch is a service which offers menus from top restaurants, delivered to your door, and available nationwide in the UK.

Your order arrives on Friday, by courier, in an insulated box, and practically all packaging is recyclable. There’s a detailed list of contents, with step by step instructions on how to finish your meal at home.

Menus change frequently; typically there’s a starter and a main event with optional ‘add-ons’, which might be a pudding, or something for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Everything is carefully thought through to ensure you have all you need to complete your meal. You won’t go hungry. Some of the participating restaurants will provide their choices of wine or cocktails to get your dinner party started.

The advice for all perishables is to enjoy them during the course of a weekend, but with common sense you can extend any leftovers for a day or two.

 

The introduction was the gift of a feast from Angela Hartnett’s Café Murano.

 

First was a fluffy focaccia with antipasti, a pleasantly bitter, smoky aubergine dip, and pickled vegetables; then an outstanding starter, Broad Bean Pesto with pine nuts, peas, herbs and Parmesan.

It came with a whole Burrata cheese to serve on top (I don’t normally set homework, but if you haven’t tried Burrata, find some immediately to rectify your omission, or I will mark you down for carelessness).

There was a little tub of pangrattato too, crisp breadcrumbs to scatter on top, for crunch. Weeks later, we still had a few left in the fridge, they were a gift that kept on giving.

 

I feel I should apologise that the photos that follow are blurred and poorly lit. Or both, we were SERIOUSLY OVER-EXCITED!

 

Buratta, Pangrattato, Broad Bean pesto

 

Main course was the leg and breast of a plump chicken, anointed with spicy N’duja sausage, star anise, rosemary and cardamom.  There were roast new potatoes to serve alongside, with sweet cherry tomatoes and artichoke hearts.

 

Chicken, roast potatoes with artichokes & tomatoes

 

We finished with a sublime, intense chocolate ‘cake’, and a light pistachio cream.

 

Chocolate cake, pistachio cream

 

Emboldened by this success, we ordered my birthday treat from St John

 

I’m very fond of St John Restaurant. I know the white interior of the restaurant and the staff uniforms are reminiscent of an operating theatre, but it smells much more welcoming, and is infinitely more pleasurable.

Both the restaurant and the cookbooks have been a huge influence on chefs, particularly in Britain and the USA. They were the originators of ‘nose to tail eating’, a philosophy that respects the animals we eat by using every part.

Be reassured, any idea that you will leave the table up to your elbows in gore is misplaced.

It’s elegant, thoughtful and skilled cooking. By ordering from Dishpatch, you only have two jobs: to complete the process in your kitchen, and then polish off the results.

 

 

Chicken & ox tongue pie

 

 

A chicken & smoked ox tongue pie served two of us generously over two nights. It came with an enamelled pie dish, sufficient pastry for the top, and a length of marrow bone. The marrow enriches the gravy, while the bone serves as pie funnel.

(If you’re not a fan of tongue, the pieces are large enough to allow easy removal, once they’ve imparted their soothing smokiness to the pie).

 

 

Potted Pork with cornichons; tomato salad “model’s own”

 

 

As well as the pie, which we ate over two days, we ordered all the optional ‘add-ons’ to complete the treat: ‘anchovy gunge’ to nibble on, potted pork & cornichons to start.

There was ginger loaf, butterscotch sauce & clotted cream to follow.

There were Welsh rarebit and miniatures of Fernet Branca for the Morning After, and a chocolate brownie for tea. And an Eccles cake with Lancashire cheese. Just in case we got famished before dinner….

 

Our latest experiment? José Pizarro’s Paella Box.

 

You’ll find the full menu via the link below. The tapas provided were enough as dinner on Saturday, with some left over as a starter for the paella the following day. We chose the wild mushroom and artichoke paella, and were amazed by the intensity of flavour. The correct sized pan is included in the box, and can be re-used again if you’re tempted to reproduce the recipe yourself.

There was enough Alioli (garlic mayonnaise) for the Patatas Bravas as well as a transformative dollop to go on the paella.

 

Mushroom paella with artichokes; brown food, but in a good way.

 

If your tapas need deep frying, the instructions tell you roughly what size pan to use. There’s a tub of the right amount of rapeseed oil, and a little tin of Maldon salt, enough for a generous seasoning. There’s a chunk of sourdough bread in the box, for mopping.

Deep frying at home can be quite challenging, another time I (or, rather, The Carer) might try cooking the blue cheese croquetas in a hot oven, and using less oil for the Padron peppers.

The Basque cheesecake with lavender honey? We were speechless with admiration….

 

‘Beef and Liberty’ from Hawksmoor

 

Liberty? If only….

 

This was another gift, aimed more at the kitchen-weary carer, I suspect.

Hawksmoor is a restaurant group known for its beef; they offer their own service, delivering steaks, or in this case a Roast Beef dinner for two. The worry and stress of preparation has been lifted from your shoulders, just follow the instructions (intelligently!) and don’t get distracted!

The beef in question was a 35 day dry-aged rolled rump. Don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of salt they advise you to throw on it while searing before it goes into the oven – the end result won’t be over seasoned.

The rested beef didn’t throw out any blood or juice when carved. It was pink, moist and perfectly tender, with the aroma of well aged meat.

The meat cooked at 200° C, and conveniently everything else reheats at the same temperature, even the perfect (substantial!) Yorkshire puddings.

Everything on the plate tasted intensely of itself.

 

Roast beef with everything prepared and ready to finish in the oven

 

Potatoes were roasted in beef fat, with whole cloves of garlic that oozed mild sweetness when squeezed open.

Again, everything is included, the fat, the Maldon salt, even a piece of marrow bone to scrape into the gravy (don’t let it dissolve, just let it soften till the sauce ‘throbs’ on the heat). Chantenay carrots & buttered greens are provided, and a sticky toffee pudding.

We kept the cauliflower cheese to eat with the leftover beef the next day (it has no other part to play in a roast, in my opinion).

The meal reminded me very much of the fantastic restaurant ‘A.G.’ In Stockholm, where the steaks are generous, and you just want to keep eating everything. http://www.amaroandtwisted.com/2019/10/09/vegetarians-look-away-now/

 

Overview of Dishpatch

Dishpatch was founded in 2020 during the first lockdown. They work with London restaurants to create meal kits that can be posted anywhere in the UK. The restaurants do what they do best by preparing the food, while Dishpatch handles logistics, delivery and customer service.

Since starting, Dishpatch has delivered well over 75,000 boxes.

We’ve found their service excellent. On only one occasion we had a minor issue with a couple of products which we fed back to the support team at Dishpatch by email. They responded very quickly and professionally, with a partial refund as recompense, and a generous voucher to spend on a future order.

Prices are comparable with a local takeaway, ranging from around £25 for a one-course meal for two, to £70 for a complete dinner; if that sounds expensive, be reassured the contents of the latter will provide more than enough for a feast, or more likely two.

Our local restaurants do not include Mexican, Japanese or Korean among the options, to name just three of the cuisines in the Dishpatch portfolio.

 

https://www.dishpatch.co.uk/menu

 

Hawksmoor is not a participant in Dishpatch, you can find their menus on their website here: https://thehawksmoor.com/hawksmoor-at-home/

Pompette, Oxford

In November 2018 a new restaurant called Pompette opened its doors on the northern outskirts of Oxford. It quickly gained a reputation for being a welcome addition to the city’s food scene.

 

The terrace at Pompette

 

Pompette translates as tipsy, tiddly or squiffy – not drunk in an unseemly sort of way, but the rather charming state of a maiden aunt who has enjoyed an unaccustomed glass of champagne.

The restaurant looks and feels authentically French, but this is no slavish pastiche of a Paris bistro. The menu features Italian as well as French influences.

Most impressive is the eye for detail in what emerges from the kitchen; French bread can so often be a let-down. The Pompette Baguette & Burgundy butter is a thing of simple, crusty, sourdough beauty.

The charming waiting staff are friendly and efficient. You can tell they’re smiling behind their masks.

 

Friendly & efficient staff

 

 

We started with a salad of Roquefort, gem lettuce, celery & apple, perked up by spiced walnuts, and a flûte of Crémant d’Alsace.

 

 

Roquefort & spicy walnut salad

 

I chose Burrata & caponata with a glass of Vouvray, which trod a balance between richness and acidity that worked with the discreetly sweet and savoury notes of the aubergine dish and the luxuriously creamy cheese.

 

Burrata & caponata

 

For mains, Courgette, pea & broad bean risotto, mascarpone, lemon, pine nuts & mint was a comforting taste of summer on an unseasonably grey day.

 

Courgette, pea & broad bean risotto

 

I wouldn’t usually order beef at lunchtime, but this was to be my main meal of the day. Roast sirloin of Hereford beef was a thick slice, cooked to perfect rosy pink tenderness.

‘Duck fat potatoes’ were sliced wafer-thin, then moulded into thick ingots, fried or roasted to lovely softness, with a crisp golden crust. Watercress, shallots and a generous bowl of glorious Béarnaise completed the plate.

 

 

Roast sirloin, Bearnaise & duck fat potatoes

 

 

I asked for a carafe of Austrian Blaufrankisch to go with the beef, and was impressed that my order was taken without having to repeat it, or point out the wine on the list.

 

 

Blaufrankisch, Weingut Judith Beck, 2019

 

 

The set lunch is very good value, 2 courses for £26 or 3 for £32.

The wine selection is inventive, and with around 25 wines offered by the glass or carafe, you can afford to be adventurous.

Parking on the street outside is free for up to two hours; there’s also parking for a dozen cars behind the restaurant. It’s through a narrow archway which you might find challenging to negotiate after lunch, especially if you’re ‘un peu Pompette’.

 

 

Even Hercule Poirot is a little ‘pompette’ here

 

https://www.pompetterestaurant.co.uk/

7 South Parade,
Summertown,
Oxford, OX2 7JL 

01865 311 166

Food Unlocked: A Pub, a Club and a Caff.

In the heady days of July, after lockdown lifted, we cautiously put our minds to where we might like to reconnect with the pleasures of….

Now, what was it called again, that activity we had been looking forward to for months?

Ah, yes! It was called ‘Eating Out’. 

We could leave home and go away for a few days. We would go to Norfolk!

We’d go the pub!

 

The Dun Cow, Salthouse

 

It’s a pub with a large garden, overlooking the marshes.

 

View from a window table

 

 

We booked a table for supper on the evening of our arrival; we unpacked the car, got ourselves organised, and then it was a few minutes drive away.

Norfolk had escaped the worst of the pandemic, so while restrictions were duly observed, the atmosphere in the pub was relatively relaxed.

We sanitised our hands on arrival, and waited to be shown to our table. The waiting staff weren’t required to wear masks then, but the menu and wine list were ‘single use’, and we were asked to order at the bar; there were no stools for customers to sit and drink there.

We had taken two or three bites from our starters when I put down my knife and fork. They were good, but I realised what was really remarkable: this was the first plate of food I had eaten in several months that had been prepared by someone who was not sitting at the table.

And behold, for it tasted good.

 

Carpaccio of Beef

 

Carpaccio of Red Poll beef with remoulade, truffle oil, Parmesan and ‘Blakeney leaves’

 

Crab and Cod ‘Bonbons’

 

Crispy fried crab & cod bonbons with chilli & coriander, lemon & sumac yoghurt

 

And to drink? It’s an interesting wine list for a pub.

 

Hungarian Furmint by the glass, anyone?

 

 

I met her in a Club down in old Soho

 

Back in London, to lunch at The Union, the members’ club in Soho.

After lockdown they asked their members to book twice, once in July and once in August. This would enable them to keep going through the summer.

We went during what then seemed to be the never-ending heatwave. The bar and dining room were empty, everyone had elected to sit outside on the small roof terrace.

We ordered a bottle of rosé ‘to show willing’, which came with glasses that had been frosted in the freezer.

Photography is discouraged in the club, but this is a view from our table, looking up.

 

 

Blue sky over Soho

 

I snatched another photo. 

 

The Upstairs Neighbour had gone fishing.

 

 

After a leisurely lunch we were able to repair to the cool shade of the bar (and enjoy the briefest snooze) before making our way home on an almost empty tube.

 

 

Inside The Union

 

 

 

….and a Caff (indulge me here)

 

During lockdown, many restaurants had asked regular customers to invest in vouchers which could be redeemed against lunch or dinner, when such activities became possible again.

We bought them for a couple of local independent places who we wanted to support.

A birthday was approaching, so we also decided to splash out at one of our favourites.

 

The River Café

 

Despite their masks, the staff were clearly enjoying being back in the business of looking after their customers.

The menus were disposable, and we had been encouraged to study the lengthy wine list online, and choose something before the Big Night.

 

I’m sorry the photos are a bit blurry; we were so excited!

 

Turbot, yellow pepper, gremolata

 

Simple and perfectly executed, as ever

 

Scallops, cod, clams, cannellini

 

After dinner, one of the floor managers made a point of coming over to ask how we had enjoyed our evening.

 

Words failed us.

 

 

Wine & food matching at Murano

Not everyone wants to know what I’ve been drinking (so to speak).

I usually post this sort of thing on what’s categorised by WordPress, the template that’s the framework of this blog, as a ‘Page’.

The page is called “And to drink?” and you’ll find it here: https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

I update it as a cumulative drinks diary, so if you’re interested in the world of beverages, it’s worth checking in from time to time.

This time, with 8 wines, carefully chosen to go with 8 courses, (plus canapés, and salumi and breadsticks in case we left hungry) I thought the liquid aspect of dinner at Murano warranted a standalone Post.

 

We were greeted with a glass (or two. Well, several) of Champagne.

 

  • Canapés: Parmesan churros (a savoury doughnut); Mushroom & mozzarella Arancini: Mackerel tartare; Pickled beetroot.
  • A. R. Lenoble, ‘Intense’ Mag 15 Brut, non vintage.

The cuvée is unusually 45% Pinot Meunier (for fragrance), 45% Pinot Noir (for body) and 15% Chardonnay; a crisp and appetising apéritif with the canapés.

 

  • Vitello Tonnato followed.
  • Angela Hartnett’s 2017 Sangiovese Rosato, a dry, pale pink Tuscan from Tenute Fertuna.

Creamy textured; strawberry, white fruit & sour cherry notes cut through the richness of the veal.

 

 

  • Artichoke fagottini, pecorino fondue, Perigord truffle.
  • 2018 Greco, Pietracupa, Campania.

Declassified Greco di Tufo; savoury, nutty, orchard fruits & citrus, low acidity. A successful match for the difficult combination of Artichoke and truffle. 

 

 

 

  • Halibut, carrot, buttermilk, fennel & Pernod velouté.
  • 2018 I.G.T. Marche Bianco, ‘Terre Silvate’, La Distesa, Marche.

100% biodynamic Verdicchio: medium bodied, aromatic, with fennel notes and a salty, funky character.

 

 

 

  • Rare breed pork (roast loin & smoked belly), fermented cabbage, quince, mustard.
  • 2012 I.G.T Toscana, Póllera Rosso, Fattoria Ruschi Noceti, Tuscany.

The sommelier Ali told us this was a rare & obscure grape variety from somewhere in Italy. Emboldened by the champagne, I asked to taste it blind. ‘Pelaverga from Piemonte?’ I ventured? No. ‘Corvina from the Veneto, perhaps?’ No.

‘I know! A Sicilian from Mount Etna!’ I said with (ill-advised) confidence.

It turned out to be Pòllera, a grape native to Maremma in Tuscany (I’d never heard of it). The pork brought out flavours of cherry & plum in the wine.

 

 

 

 

  • Selection of cheese from La Fromagerie (Isle of Mull cheddar, Vacca Blue from Piemonte, Epoisse and Fleur Marie).
  • 2016 I.G.T. Vinetti delle Dolomiti, Teroldego, Foradori, Trentino Alto Adige.

Biodynamic wine, Teroldego is a relative of Syrah. Fresh acidity and dark fruit made friends with a fine selection of cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Caramelised Amalfi Lemon tart, with a texture like crème brûlée.
  • 2016, Jurançon ‘La Magendia’, Lapeyre, Southwest France.

The intense acidity of the lemons went head to head with the orange and lemon citrus in the wine.

 

 

 

 

  • Chocolate marquise, confit orange. Chocolate mousse, rhubarb.
  • 2007 Passito di Malvasia, ‘Vigna dell Volta’, La Stoppa, Emilia-Romagna. 

Chocolate is notoriously tricky with wine. This unfiltered wine (decanted) worked a treat: nutty and savoury, intensely sweet with refreshing acidity.

 

 

There. We made it to pudding.

2019 – the Food Stuff

There’s a weekend to be planned here – nothing that couldn’t be achieved with the services of a private jet, and perhaps a bit of time travel.

You could have breakfast in Paris, take a coffee in Stockholm, then lunch on Torcello, or Borough Market in London if you prefer.

Dinner? Back to Paris, on to Amsterdam? Or (my choice) Stockholm again for a magnificent steak.

I’ll let you take in an hour’s TV to recover, then if you still have the stamina, we’ll head over to Venice for a nightcap.

 

 

Best Breakfast of 2019?

It has to be The French Bastards, for ‘A croissant worth crossing Paris for’

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kj 

 

Best croissant in Paris?

 

 

Mid morning coffee

A seriously good cup of coffee is one of life’s great pleasures for me, and they don’t get much better than at Robert’s Coffee, in the Saluhall market, Stockholm.

The cinnamon buns are a bonus. (They take cards only, not cash, so you won’t even have to bother buying kronor).

 

 

Fika at Robert’s Coffee, Stockholm

 

What have the Swedes ever done for us?

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Cv

 

Lunch in the Lagoon….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo on the island of Torcello; all the better for being unexpected.

Torcello is about an hour from Venice; you can reach it on a scheduled service, changing at Burano, using your vaporetto pass.

 

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo, Torcello

 

The ancient basilica on Torcello predates the city of Venice. To reach it from the quay, you walk along the side of a canal. The most famous restaurant on the island is the Locanda Cipriani nearby, but you pass three others on the way.

We weren’t looking for a grand lunch, but something to fortify us for the basilica.

The first place looked fun, but was packed with families queuing for pizza.

The second was a fairly standard Trattoria. We walked on.

The third had a big dining room with a covered terrace at the back, opening onto a garden. The menu looked as if we could find something suitable, so we went in and were greeted with smiles and shown to a table.

It was a good decision, even the bread basket was exceptional. We had a pretty antipasto of colourful steamed vegetables, all tasting intensely of themselves, served warm to bring out the fruitiness of the olive oil dressing.

Then black squid ink pasta, with crab, samphire and rosemary; orecchiette with turbot and cherry tomatoes.

We drank Arneis, a white from Piemonte.

After lunch we wandered round the garden and may have dropped off on a bench in the pergola. Just for a moment….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo is open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday, and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

 

Contatti

 

….and at Borough Market

Closer to home but equally unexpected was discovering the new Brindisa Kitchen at Borough Market. It’s inspired by the bars in Spanish markets.

I saw it had opened the day before I’d arranged to meet a friend for a day of shopping and sustenance (Instagram has its uses).

 

A perfect scallop

 

A glass of Manzanilla with a single perfect scallop.

Hake & mussels.

I love watching chefs happy in their work, interacting with their customers, and the bar staff were charming.

 

The head chef, Brindisa Kitchen

 

Hake & mussels

 

https://boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/brindisa-kitchen

Dinner?

Honourable mention for the Sweetbreads at Frenchie’s Wine Bar, Paris.

So good, I ate them twice.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

 

‘Everything, I want to eat everything’

 

 

Caffé Toscanini in Amsterdam for the whole experience of food and hospitality; a perfect aperitif followed by an accomplished Italian meal, delivered with good humour and expertise.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

 

The bar at Caffe Toscanini, Amserdam

 

The prize goes to A.G. for the best steak of 2019. I’ll be lucky to find one as good in 2020.

Most of the tables were occupied by groups of men sharing massive steaks.

There were also a few couples on date nights, sharing massive steaks.

‘Vegetarians, look away now’.

 

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Oh

 

A.G. – ‘vegetarians, look away now’

 

 

TV Show: Remarkable places to eat, Episode 1, in which chef Angela Hartnett takes Maitre d’ Fred Siriex to her favourites in Venice.

It’s a full hour of television, so they have time to show you the dedication and hard work that goes into delivering the best ingredients and food experiences in the city. These are not cynical tourist traps. Nothing is done without effort: wading chest deep in the lagoon to harvest seafood; delivering vegetables by boat and trolley to Bruno Gavagnin, the quietly spoken but demanding chef at Alle Testiere; walking half a kilometre over bridges carrying boxes of perfect patisserie to Caffe Florian, from their production kitchen to Piazza San Marco – several times throughout the day.

At the time of writing it’s not available on BBC iPlayer, but it’s sure to turn up on your TV sooner or later.

 

Here are the fishermen:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006vw3

Here’s a clip:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07g3dkl

 

 

FANCY A NIGHTCAP?

 

Let’s head back to Venice, for a glass of wine at Vino Vero. 

You’ll find it here, on my page ‘And to drink?’

 

https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

Foolproof Fillet of Beef

Recipe of the year, 2019: foolproof fillet of beef.

 

My brother-in-law Richard Groves cooked this for his birthday dinner last year, and directed me to the recipe by Tom Kerridge, who serves it with Yorkshire puddings as a Sunday roast.

It’s counter-intuitive, in that it seems to take almost no cooking. It’s rare, deep pink and juicy, but releases no blood. (If any of your guests are squeamish about rare beef, you could flash fry their slices).

I cooked it on two occasions, and both times it went down a storm.

 

Treacle fillet of beef

 

Here’s the link to the recipe:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/treacle_cured_beef_with_35837

In summary, marinade a piece of beef fillet overnight in a mixture of black treacle and water. The next day, drain it and reserve the marinade. Pat the meat dry and sear it briefly in butter, then roast it for 45 minutes on the lowest possible setting of your oven.

Reduce the marinade by about half, and season to taste.

 

 

If you are a regular follower of this blog, you will by now have a supply of Anthony Bourdain’s demi glace in your freezer; this is the occasion to employ it.

“Some dishes know when you’re afraid. They sense it, like horses, and will ‘misbehave’. . . Do not be afraid”.

“Let me stress again: DO NOT EVER BOIL YOUR STOCK!”

“Your butter for finishing a sauce will be ready and on station. It will be f**king SOFT”.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-qk

 

 

If you failed to follow his advice, (and mine) you will have to make do with a splash of red wine. Add it to the reduced marinade, and finish with a knob of butter (soft, of course) if you feel cheffy.

Serve with Horseradish Crème Fraîche: mix crème fraîche, grated fresh horseradish and a good dollop of Dijon mustard. Taste it.

 

‘Do try this at home’

It was so successful, we decided to repeat the exercise as dinner for four in Norfolk, on two consecutive evenings during the August heatwave. We served it at ambient temperature, with a potato salad and simply dressed tomatoes.

It was possibly even better the next day, as a sort of deconstructed Surf ‘n’ Turf.

I’ve never really seen the point of steak and lobster on the same plate. We ate the lobster first, a good decision as it was the best and freshest lobster we’ve ever eaten.

 

 

Surf. Then Turf.

 

Friends had recommended C. A. Seafoods, run by the Westons, as purveyors of the freshest and cheapest crabs on the Norfolk coast (there are several Weston families in Norfolk who fish or deal in seafood).

 

Driving out of Weybourne village towards the station (the North Norfolk Railway, which runs steam trains from Sheringham to Holt) it’s one of the last houses on the left, with refrigerated vans outside, and a little sign on the pavement.

It went like this:

I walked up to the window, which opened as I approached. “I’m hoping to buy four half lobsters”

“Do we have any lobsters, Eileen?”

“I think so, I’ll go and look. Do you want ’em dressed?”

There were about eight ladies inside. In the time I waited, they finished picking and packing crabs (a couple of hundred at a rough count), and cleaned down, leaving the place spotless.

Sure enough, Eileen re-emerged with my lobsters, priced at a reasonable £6 a half.

 

 

In December 2019, the Westons opened a fishmonger’s shop in Sheringham:

https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/sheringham-fish-shop-ca-seafood-business-fifty-years-hopes-1-5815342

“Vegetarians, look away now”

Our taxi driver was puzzled.

 

A neon light outside gave the only clue to finding the restaurant.

You go down spiral concrete stairs with tiled walls, then two or three flights up.

It felt like going into a 1970s multistorey car park, or the entrance to a speakeasy.

 

‘Going down’

 

 

At the top of the stairs, we could hear noise from the bar to the left; we turned right towards the restaurant reception desk, next to glass cabinets where sides of beef were hanging, and an impressive collection of wine.

We’d found the right place.

 

“Hej! Välkommen!

Welcome to A. G.”

 

With this greeting from the Maitre D’, we knew we were in safe hands.

The chef was in evidence, taking calls.

 

 

Hands on chef

 

 

Once we were seated, good sourdough toast, striped from the griddle, quickly arrived at the table, along with irresistible whipped lard and rosemary (like rillettes, but the proportions of fat and meat are reversed)

Most of the tables were occupied by groups of men sharing massive steaks.

There were also a few couples on date nights, sharing massive steaks.

They were young, prosperous diners on the whole, mostly dressed in Swedish black, and with kronor to spare.

 

 

Carnivores bonding

 

The menu is varied, but as you’ve probably gathered by now, the steak is the thing. The different cuts are described in detail, with the breed, country of origin, and length of ageing.

Entrecote on the bone for two is a rib eye of Swedish beef, dry-aged in the restaurant’s meat room; they recommend it be served medium rare. It’s a massive steak.

We ordered one each (just kidding).

“Medium rare” was right for this cut; dry ageing takes moisture out of the meat, so it’s deep red, but not bloody. Cost was about £70 for two, for probably the finest piece of meat we’ll eat this year; they serve it with baked potatoes, Béarnaise and salad.

 

Dry-aged Entrecote of Swedish beef

 

 

Service is relaxed and confident: ‘You’ve eaten the best meat in Sweden’

 

The style is quirky; paper table covers, mismatched silver cutlery and coffee pots. The wine list is serious, as indicated by a full magnum decanter waiting at a serving point, beside two empty bottles of Tignanello Super Tuscan.

Playlist: we couldn’t hear it over the sound of Alpha Males bonding, bouncing off the white tiled walls.

Dinner came to £195 for two, including a bottle of Provence rosé and a couple of glasses of excellent Tuscan red (Mazzei).

 

As we were leaving, we heard the noise at the top of the stairs again, and were tempted to seek more fun. It was the ‘Tapas Bar’, Spanish, Italian…. ‘very New York’.

 

 

The tapas bar at A.G.

 

We decided to stay for one more drink.

We were the oldest people there.

 

http://www.restaurangag.se/ag/

 

 

Footnote:

Smart restaurants in Stockholm tend to follow the American custom of colour-coded uniforms for staff.

The floor managers at A.G. were wearing cotton overshirts the colour of the steaks. Let’s call it Oxblood.

The fabric and relaxed cut looked familiar, and on closer inspection, I realised I had bought the identical shirt on the previous visit to Stockholm, at a shop called A Day’s March.

 

 

 

‘Helps you through the triumphs and troubles of everyday life with style and dignity’

 

 

I was glad I hadn’t worn it tonight.

A Swedish menswear label founded in 2014, A Day’s March is the distance an army can march in a day (obviously) and ‘helps you through the triumphs and troubles of everyday life with style and dignity’. I’m all for that.

A Day’s March have stores in Stockholm, Copenhagen and London.

 

https://adaysmarch.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tale of two Frenchies. Well, actually five.

Frenchie Restaurant in Paris opened on rue du Nil in 2015, and quickly became a hot ticket. We tried to book a table for dinner in May this year, but they still fill the restaurant months ahead.

Frenchie Wine Bar opposite doesn’t take reservations; it opens at 6.30pm, and the advice is to turn up early. We were first in line when the door opened. ‘Table for two?’

There are two small rooms, one with a view of the kitchen, the other of the bar. You sit on bar stools at shared tables.

We elected to sit right next to the glass partition looking into the kitchen, where we could watch every dish being prepared. It’s a tiny space, ruthlessly organised, where five staff were producing all the food: one male chef at the stove, two girls meticulously assembling cold mains and desserts, a female chef on the pass, and a washer-up.

 

‘Everything. I want to eat everything’

 

The friendly, helpful and informative waiting staff wear T shirts printed with the legend ‘Everything. I want to eat everything’, and reading the menu I began to see what they meant. Dishes are served when they’re ready, so we started by sharing three cold dishes.

 

Frenchie Wine Bar

 

 

An assembly of home made Ricotta, crumbled with confit Meyer lemon, fresh fava beans and peas, buckwheat for crunch and earthiness, and chive flowers, was a beautiful celebration of early summer – outstanding, one of the best dishes I’ve eaten this year (so far).

 

 

Ricotta, AKA summer in a bowl

 

Green lentil falafel came with smoky harissa, and pickled cucumber for sharpness and texture.

 

Green lentil falafel

 

 

A gutsy terrine with piccalilli and mustard seeds balanced textures and flavours, with sharp accents from the pickle. (It was so good, I failed to take a picture. Oh, the pressure).

 

Garnishing is precise, pretty and delicate; the chefs each carry tweezers clipped to their aprons, which they use to place herbs on each plate.

 

 

The sommelier wore a similar shirt to the waiters:

 

‘Everything, I want to drink everything’

 

Wines by the glass are poured at the table. We chose a petillant Montlouis from the Loire as an aperitif; gentle bubbles, golden colour.

A Cotes Catalanes rosé was a good match for our first dishes, with strawberry fruit and fresh acidity.

Then we went our separate ways. Pappardelle pasta for her, with lamb ragout, Kalamata olives and lemon confit. And another glass of rosé.

I picked crispy sweetbread nuggets with gribiche sauce. Two juicy morsels of moist tender veal arrived in a thick coat of crunchy batter perfection. Gribiche is a mayonnaise-style emulsion of hard-boiled egg yolks and mustard, finished with chopped cornichons, capers and herbs.

 

 

Crispy sweetbread nuggets, sauce gribiche

 

 

And a glass of red Saumur Champigny 2017, poured from a magnum; unusually intense and dark for the Appellation, a ‘fruit bomb’ of berries and herbs.

 

 

Be careful what you wish for

 

The owner and head chef is Gregory Marchand, the eponymous Frenchie. He earned the nickname working in the kitchen at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen in London.

The London influence shows, there’s English wine on the list, and cheeses are from Neal’s Yard Dairy.

Gregory dropped in to observe the chefs at work and chat to them. I asked the waiter if I could say hello, if he wasn’t too busy – I met him last year at a panel discussion in London, where he has a restaurant in Covent Garden – and he came over to our table.

 

The sweetbreads were so good, I said I could eat another portion for dessert….

(I was joking).

 

A few minutes later, the waiter reappeared at the table with another plateful; he nodded towards the window behind me. There was Gregory outside, grinning, with his thumbs up to check I approved.

 

They were just as amazing the second time.

 

 

 

Frenchie

We resolved to go back next year and book ahead for the restaurant, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the wine bar is more fun, where you can arrive at 6.30 and stay as long as you want. There are clearly two sittings in the restaurant: 6.30 and 9.

 

 

Frenchie Restaurant

 

 

 

Playlist in the wine bar: high energy hip-hop, cool, funky and fun, much like Frenchie’s. It’s just on the right side of loud on arrival. As the evening progresses they either turn it down, or the clientele drown it out as the wine bar fills up.

 

Rue du Nil is a tiny street. As well as the restaurant and wine bar, there’s Frenchie To Go, and Frenchie’s wine shop.

Marchand’s energy has attracted a community of small and perfectly formed retailers to the street: a butcher, a fishmonger, a bakery, a greengrocer, a coffee roaster. A ‘bean to bar’ chocolate shop will open shortly.

 

Purple asparagus at the greengrocer on rue du Nil

 

 

http://www.frenchie-ruedunil.com/en/home/

 

There’s also the London outpost, in the National Restaurant Awards 2019 ‘top 100 restaurants in the UK’ for the 4th year in a row:

 

http://www.frenchiecoventgarden.com/

https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/profile/frenchie/

 

 

My dessert. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly….”

 

 

What has your food been eating?

The Ethical Butcher has been a wholesale supplier of ethically raised meat since 2014. This month they are launching a crowdfunding campaign to expand the business into e-commerce, working with farmers to supply their meat direct to household consumers and to restaurants.

Speaking at a presentation to potential investors, founder and CEO Farshad Kazemian said “we really are trying to make this quality of meat available to everyone across the UK, we want to drive up demand, re-invest our profits to train more farmers in holistic land management and have a positive impact on the environment.

Currently in the UK meat can be labelled as grass-fed if only 51% of the animal’s diet has been grass; this is a very different product from 100% pasture fed meat. 100% Pasture fed animals are healthier, happier and their meat is better for us.”

The presentation brought together four farmers to explain the benefits of raising their beef animals on pasture.

 

“My neighbours think I’m a loony, they call my farm ‘Jurassic Park’.”

Andy Aldridge farms Lincoln Red Cattle, from the “original population” which dates back to the 1930s. The breed was shorthorn until the 1930s/40s when it was “de-horned”, now all calves are born without horns. The Lincoln Red is listed on the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s register as “At Risk” of extinction. As well as cows, he keeps Lincolnshire Longwool sheep, and Tamworth and Large Black pigs.

Talking to Andy afterwards, he said “it felt right to do it this way. I have a conscience; the business has to be profitable, but there’s no imperative to expand the farm.” He owns the land, so apart from some incidental costs, such as silage and mowing, grass on the farm is virtually free; “it makes no sense for us to buy feed.” The herd grazes happily outside, and is only brought inside in extreme weather conditions.

 

 

Farmers Robert Laycock, Andy Aldridge, Jonathan Chapman & Fidelity Weston, with Farshad Kazemian and Glen Burrows of The Ethical Butcher.

 

 

Beef from continental breeds is “tough as old boots.”

Jonathan Chapman contrasted his native Red Ruby Devon cattle (one of the UK’s oldest breeds) with Continental breeds, such as Charolais and Limousin, which are bred to be big, lean animals, with a “covering” of fat. They are “finished” on cereal, quickly losing the flavour of a beef animal grazed all its life on grass. The resulting beef, he says, is “tough as old boots.” It made me reflect on how many times I’ve struggled to chew a tough steak in a French brasserie.

Jonathan pointed out that while hungry human populations are unable to digest grass, they could be fed on grain and soya, which are currently used as feed for intensively reared livestock.

 

 

“Why am I doing it? I’m very greedy, and I want to eat the best beef.”

Robert Laycock, new to farming cattle, observed “the Australians are 20 years ahead of us. Their beef used to be terrible, but they addressed it by working on breed and feed”. Robert chose English Longhorns for his farm, a breed developed for taste in the 1780s, and decided to graze them on pasture, which he firmly believes is better for the environment.

 

 

English Longhorn. Image by www.benpetercatchpole.com

 

 

Tasting meat from their farms

As the three of them spoke, we tasted their beef, all from traditional native breeds. In each case we tried it raw as a tartare, and then a grilled piece of rib-eye. The raw beef was served like an Italian Carne Crudo, with a minimal seasoning of good olive oil and salt. The farmers advised us to take the meat off the crackers it was served on, which they said were a distraction from the flavours of the meat.

Each of the samples we tried had distinctive characteristics. The textures were different; one piece of cooked ribeye was firm, with a tender springiness that Jonathan said comes from intramuscular fat (that’s marbling to you and me). The raw beef was mild with sweet and savoury umami, and something vegetal, grassy, even mineral, that I could only put down to the soil and pasture the cattle were raised on.

 

Fidelity Weston, farmer, and Vice Chair of the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association, spoke about the need for a new vocabulary for tasting meat.

Thinking about the tasting later, it occurred to me that analogies could be drawn with tasting wine: the breeds are like grape varieties, with their own characteristics; pasture is equivalent to the terroir of a vineyard, (you can taste it in milk and cheese produced at different times of year); husbandry in the field is like viticulture, and ageing the final product to achieve its potential could be compared with cellaring a wine to maturity.

 

The Pasture-Fed Livestock Association.

Around fifty farms in the UK so far have signed up for certification by the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association. In animal husbandry, pasture grazing is the best system of rearing cattle for beef. They love to browse and feed on grass, wild herbs and hedgerows, and their manure regenerates the soil. Ruminants are efficient machines to break down cellulose; feeding them on grain is like giving children a sugar rush – these usually placid animals become skittish and disruptive.

 

Farshad added: “We strongly believe that it is possible to raise animals in a carbon-neutral, sometimes even carbon-negative, way. Farming this way increases biodiversity, repairing land damaged by traditional agriculture, and can invert the often cited statement that ‘eating meat is destroying the planet’, as rearing animals on pasture can actually combat climate change.”

 

 

The evening was hosted by The Ethical Butcher, with the support of restaurant Enoteca Rosso.

 

To read about the project, or if you are interested in becoming a ‘steakholder’, click here:   

 

Wines were sponsored by the Garofoli winery in Italy’s Le Marche region.

 

The Ethical Butcher https://www.ethicalbutcher.co.uk/

Enoteca Rosso  http://www.enotecarosso.com/ 276-280 Kensington High Street, London W8 6ND

Garofoli Wine http://www.garofolivini.it/cms/view/id/3/language/en

 

Pasture-Fed Livestock Association https://www.pastureforlife.org/

Rare Breed Survival Trust https://www.rbst.org.uk

There’s more to Argentinian wine than Malbec

 

Chimis cocktails: Mojito & Aperol Spritz

 

If you’re looking for a white wine to start your meal at Chimichurris, there are Sauvignons and Chardonnays on the list, but I would go for Torrontés, which is indigenous to Argentina. It’s a juicy, aromatic wine that always makes me think of a white grapefruit. This one from Finca Las Nubes is dry, but has an attractive aftertaste of pineapple.

For a red, Beatrice recommended her favourite, “Composed” 2016 Mendoza. “Malbec?” I asked. “Of course,” she replied with a smile. Dense fruit, like a perfectly ripe plum, smooth tannins, and a little fresh acidity, perfect with salty, grilled meat. Obviously.

Malbec has come to be synonymous with Argentinian red wine, but it originated in southwest France as the principal grape of the ‘black wine’ from Cahors, south of Bordeaux.

 

 

Composed 2016 Malbec

 

Later that evening: “I want you to try another wine, this one is special”. It was a Cabernet Franc, Dorado, ‘Tiger of the Rivers’, made by the Vicentin family.

 

Dorado Cabernet Franc

 

Lighter than the Malbec at 13%, it had a ripeness often absent from Cabernet Franc from France’s Loire valley, and a clean acidity that would be refreshing to drink with a steak. (Order it when you go to try the rib-eye).

Beatrice wasn’t working on the night I went back, and I asked Antonio for a bottle of the Dorado that she had recommended. “No,” said Antonio, “I don’t like it.” His choice was Munay, which means “love” in Quechua, the language of the Inca empire which is still spoken in parts of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.

 

Munay 2017 Tannat

 

Munay is made from Tannat, another grape native to southwest France, where it’s used in the wine Madiran. Dark, with a fresh acidity and an aftertaste that reminded me of prunes, it’s another new best friend with grilled meat.

 

 

http://chimichurris.co.uk/

132 Southwark Bridge road SE1 0DG