Chester Food and Drink Festival – April 2015 – Chester Racecourse

April 9, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“It’s a food festival Jim, but bigger than I thought it would be!”

I’ve been to a few of these, but never the Chester one. I managed to twist The Flames arm to troop round a racecourse. I tempted her with coffee, light shopping and a slap up feed. It worked. We ventured to the delightful city of Chester on this delightful sunny day by train. A fine idea.

On landing we sought our first brew. A fine specimen was imbibed at The Baristas. An independent coffee house set in an ancient rampart. Further down Watergate we bumped into celebrity chef and pub owner Dave Mooney on his way to his Chester haunt Mockingbird taproom. This before he hotfooted across to the racecourse for his 1pm cooking demonstration.

Having stumped our £8 each to enter we set out on the regimented route around the site. They reckon around 150 exhibitors were on hand. At times it felt a bit like going round a dreaded IKEA store, but with nicer things to look at! Unlike some festivals I’ve been to, you were shackled to a fairly narrow, roped off path. So whilst you avoided trudging through muddy fields (a feature of some I’ve been to) progress at times was determined by others and did on occasions grind to a significant halt, such was the volume of crowd.

Still undeterred we were rewarded by some fine stalls, selling and (let’s be honest here) free tasting some fine artisan wares. Beer, wine, cheese, hams, chutneys, game, pies, desserts and much more. Highlights including some fine ‘smelly apeth’ cheese by The Saddleworth Cheese Co. If you toiled through the entire route you were rewarded with a seat in the cooking demonstration tent. An optical illusion stage set was hosting a session by Simon Rimmer as we arrived. We watched him finish off a super meringue cake and sign a load of books. We then watched the aforementioned Dave Mooney and sidekick Richard, knock up a gumbo and reveal how to make and cook a proper burger. It was a tough crowd for all I think. Both Simon and David had to work hard by keeping the quips, stories and jokes flowing to keep the far away crowd engaged. They both did manfully though. There sets both heartily received.

We meandered back through the crowds with an impressive haul. The Port of Lancaster Smokehouse, Oliver’s Kitchen, Powell’s pies, Zingh Foods and a few others providing a few bits for tea.

We didn’t get too much for tea though as we then tootled up the hill to The Mockingbird Taproom. A couple of pints of Chester Gold ensued, followed by deep fried oysters, a mockingbird burger and a blueberry almond tart.

Suitably satiated and now some eight hours later, it was a slightly weary twosome who ambled back to the station for the train ride home. All in all a cracking day. These festivals are a foodies heaven and in fairness the Chester one seemed as good as any. The season has started now. I’m sure we’ll get to some more before the summers out.

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Recipes

Beer Battered Fish with Tartar Sauce

April 3, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

It’s Good Friday, The Flame has left out a pretty decent piece of cod. “It’s fish for tea, we can have it steamed with some roasted veg”. I think not. Within seconds I have decided I’m doing my own chippy tea. A quick check reveals a worthy instruction from Hugh and his mates at River Cottage. It works a treat. Even done in a pan it cooked beautifully. Well worth a go. I knocked up a tartar sauce as well. That was a revelation.

He asks “What makes a good batter? What creates that crisp, savoury, golden coating that seals in all the moisture of the fish it covers?” The answer he reckons is beer. It not only adds lightness to the mixture but adds a nutty, wheaty edge of flavour to the crunch. Beer isn’t the only important element. A good batter needs to have the right consistency: too thick and floury and you’ll end up with a pancakey, chewy result; too thin and it won’t stick to the fish. He reckons the thickness of emulsion paint is what you are after! This recipe is useful because you can use it when you’re deep frying almost any fish or shellfish.

Ingredients – could halve this for two, I had quite a bit over.

200g plain flour
Groundnut oil, including plenty for deep frying. (I used vegetable oil)
About 250ml good beer –- anything really, including stout, but preferably not cheap lager. I used a nice Staffordshire IPA
Mixed fish of your choice. I had a nice piece of cod.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prep 30 mins
Cook 5 mins
Serves 4

Method

To make the batter, sift the flour into a bowl, or put it in a bowl and whisk it (which is almost as effective a way to aerate the flour and remove lumps). Add 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil, then gradually whisk in the beer, stopping when you have a batter with the consistency of thick emulsion paint. Beat it well to get rid of any lumps, season generously, then leave to rest for 30 minutes or so.

Heat the oil in a large, deep, heavy-based pan until it reaches 160°C, or until a cube of bread dropped into it turns golden brown in 1-1½ minutes. I used my digital thermometer. It seemed to work a treat.

Dip your chosen piece of fish into the batter so it is thoroughly immersed, then lift it out and hold it over the bowl for a few seconds so any excess batter drops back in. Now lower the battered fish into the hot oil. Do this one piece at a time, if using large portions, or in small batches for smaller pieces, so as not to crowd the pan.

Fry large pieces of fish for 4–5 minutes, and smaller items, such as squid rings, for 2 minutes or so, until golden brown and crisp. Scoop them out with a wire basket, or ‘spider’, and transfer to a warm dish lined with kitchen paper. Keep them warm while you fry the remaining fish, then serve straight away, with your homemade tartare sauce. (See below)

As well as the obvious fillets of white fish, such as plaice, pollack, coley, cod, haddock and whiting, we’ve had great success with beer-battered dogfish goujons, squid rings, even scallops.

Quick tartare sauce (by Jo Pratt)
Ingredients
200ml/7fl oz mayonnaise
3 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
3 tbsp gherkins, drained and chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
squeeze of lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method
Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl and serve straight away or store in the fridge until needed.

https://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/fish-in-beer-batter
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quicktartaresauce_67777

Eating Out Reviews

Liberty Tavern – Woolton, Liverpool

March 30, 2015 thecooktwit 1 Comment

“A touch of real Americana in Woolton Rimmer!”

Like ‘Padstein’, it would seem Woolton has fallen under the spell of a celebrity chef. I have waxed with credit regarding my audit of The Elephant Bakehouse (see here) but noticed at the time that there was another emporium lurking round the back. It turns out Liberty Tavern is also linked with brunching, LFC supporter Simon Rimmer.

Despite the tight parking, (Sainsbury’s had locked off their bit!) it was a pleasing sight as myself and The Flame ran gleefully towards the twinkling lights that greet the hungry hordes. The arching, eagle logo leaving one in no doubt as to the fayre on offer. This is pure American diner. Not that The Flame noticed! She quickly turned into a rather forlorn soul on realising that pretty much everything on offer was deep fried! She normally goes for the healthier end of a menu leaving The Cooktwit to plunder the dirtier side of things!

It’s a smart place though. Deceptively capacious, it’s full to the brim with lavish banquettes and large, rustic tables. After being greeted in the heaving bar area our maître led us through the back via a myriad of offshoot rooms. We were eventually settled on a tidy twosome table high up on a mezzanine at the back. It offered a splendid view of proceedings though being early evening we were a little off the pace compared to some of the more thriving parts of the scheme. That’s not to say it was quiet. A booming PA ensured we were kept up to speed with US diner tunes. A natty Bad Company track had me tapping though.

Our waiter Chris kept us topped up with Founders IPA and tap water before presenting us with the huge menu. It’s a bold document is this. Black on white, the cooktwit peeps had no trouble reading even the small print. Mind you it still takes some reading as there are dishes splashed all over the place coupled with a variety of fonts. Burgers and kids to the right, sharers and starts roughly to the left. As stated earlier, the deep fried element of the offer had seriously impaired The Flame’s enthusiasm. I managed to convince her to go for the lobster and steak as the main event with a couple of tacos sliders to start.

The three sliders arrived in good time. One king prawn, one fried chicken and one chilli. In fairness they were very good (£8.50). All featured a pickled bit for tang. The winner though was the chilli. Assuming this was a sample of the Texas chilli that you can have as a main, I can heartily recommend for next time.

Then Chris asked us to make room on our ample table. We dutifully pushed aside the ecutriments that we had slowly built up during our short time of pleasant chat. Then it arrived. A giant metal pan swallowed our top. It contained an impressive list of ingredients, to wit, 1 x one and half pound lobster, halved, with claws removed, 1 x 10oz New York strip steak, rare, 2 x metallic tins of beautifully cooked, skin on chips, I x boat of béarnaise sauce, 1 x boat of peppercorn sauce, 1 x skillet of ‘mac and cheese (with grated parmesan) and a set of stout tooling. The tooling was used to crush said claws and extricate more goodness, All in all a fine offer, though it was £25 each! (£50 in total)

As much as I love lobster, I rarely have it. I have to say it was a right pain to eat. The Flame looked on as I grappled with the instruments of torture to extract a couple of spoons of seafood. Have to say mixed in with the buttery béarnaise it was pretty lovely. The chips were a revelation and the steak (a bit too rare for me) was decent enough. The mac and cheese was an unexpected star. We hadn’t knowingly ordered it, but nonetheless it went down as a worthy accompaniment. Mixed in with spring onion, topped with grilled parmesan it really was good.

I completed the deal with a very acceptable baked cheesecake, complete with lemon curd dollop, coulis and kiddies whipped ice cream. Sorted.

Coffees to finish, we then parted £74 lighter with a hairy trek down the M62 to come. It was thoroughly enjoyed. The food, ambience and the staff all first rate. I’m not sure it’s a cosy twosome kinda place. Definitely recommend it for a big party of mates or for bringing the family early doors. He knows what he’s doing young Simon. All his gaffs are decent. This one fits in nicely……..if you like things deep fried……what’s not to like?

Liberty Tavern
1 Woolton Street,
Liverpool,
Merseyside L25 5NH

Phone:0151 909 4909

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Eating Out Reviews

The Farmers Arms – Great Eccleston (Nr Preston)

March 24, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“That’s two out of two so far for The Seafoodpub Company”

Spring has started to bring some rather natty days of late. It prompted a rash offer to The Flame. “How about a meal at The Farmers Arms in Eccleston?”, “yes ok, I’ll drive while it’s only fifteen minutes away”. Result, I thought and so I booked a spot for seven o clock on a fine Saturday eve. With the clock ticking past six, whilst slipping on some of my finest threads I happened to test the route for PR3 0YE. “Ye gods it’s over an hour away, it’s near Blackpool” I shrieked. Cue the “well I’m not driving there”. A quick call of explanation confirmed that our evening feed was being held in ‘Great Eccleston’ and that our table would be held. Off we set on our trek to the Fylde heartland. A pleasant scoot to be fair. Great Eccleston sits towards the end of some curvy, pot holed tarmac in the midst of some super terrain.

Dusk had settled in by the time we arrived. The Farmers, gently lit, looked warm and inviting from the now freezing car park. Our very warm welcome was amplified even further as we were invited to take our delightful table for two by the roaring wood burner. The Flame was well chuffed. The room, one of several dotted about the place, including an upstairs bit, was tastefully decked out. Interesting lighting set over rustic tables, bathed in Farrow and Ball. It’s fairly standard stuff in the world of upmarket ‘gastropubs’, which is where I pitch The Farmers and its stable mate The Assheton Arms (Previously reviewed here). No doubt the remaining four offer similar surroundings?

A half (half?! – Ed) of the ubiquitous Thwaites Wainwright was set up to quench the thirst. We surveyed the card and imaged the ‘black boarded’ specials. It’s a storming menu. Shoals of fish dominate, but that’s fine by me!

That said The Flame picked out the southern fried chicken to start (£5.95). It came with a restrained garnish (a spring onion and a radish) and a creamy dip. I can vouch that the super, spicy coat encased a tender moist hunk of beautifully cooked hen. Good start. I had the devilled crab, salmon and brown shrimp (£6.50). It came in the good old ‘kilner’ jar with a mini ‘hovis’ and some salad. The devilled tanginess combined with the pleasing texture ensured a perfect start. Top stuff.

Mains next. The Flame opting for her favourite fish pie (£12.50). A good effort. A little short of her all-time favourite as served up at The Church Green, but very good all the same. It seemed a little dry to me, but chocked full of fish, including the odd scallop. I went for a special ‘Swordfish with creamed wild garlic on a potato rosti’. If I was being churlish I could argue it was a little steep at £19.50 but it was worth it. Wouldn’t normally have swordfish but this came beautifully cooked with a touch of ‘blush’ in the middle, just as a like it. The rosti was plentiful and mopped the mild garlic cream sauce up to a tee.

I love meringue, so it was an easy choice for afters. The trio of Pavlovas caught the eye (£6.50). As soon as lemon curd got mentioned as well it was a done deal. Though ginger cheesecake had me intrigued. The cheeky little ‘pavs’ looked a bit sparse on the huge oval plate but they went down a treat. The Flame went safe and had the very decent cheese board (£6.50). A Lancashire bomb piece being of particular note.

Coffees to finish, we then parted £74 lighter with a hairy trek to the M6 to come. It was thoroughly enjoyed. The food, ambience and the staff all first rate. We’ll be back on a Sunday afternoon I reckon. Some lovely walks close by. Like the Newmoon Co pubs and the Ribble Valley Inns I reckon The Seafood Pub Company have got it about right. Great food in smart surroundings without the ‘chain’, ‘boil in a bag’ feel. Check them out.

The Farmers Arms,
Halsalls Square,
Great Eccleston,
Lancashire PR3 0YE

Phone: 01995 672 018
Email: info@greatecclestonpub.co.uk

http://seafoodpubcompany.com/farmers-arms/

Events

NRB 2015 – Manchester Central

March 19, 2015 thecooktwit 1 Comment

“It’s better than the normal trade fairs I go to!”

Not being in ‘the industry’ I managed to bag a ticket for the National Restaurant and Bar Show as an out and out blagger/hanger on. It seemed to work, I was let in and left free to roam around the architectural hangar of Manchester’s great central building without anyone seeming to mind. Within minutes I was slurping a half of JW Lees Manchester Pale Ale, and it was free! I could get used to this.

The NRB was held across two days March. It was a smorgasbord, a collection, a veritable phalanx of professional outfits looking to win more business in our wonderful world of restaurants and bars. If you’ve ever wondered who it is who supplies those comedy salt cellars, or the gaudy menus, or the neat waitress uniforms, then this is the place you needed to be. It was all there.

As well as some of the more abstract items and paraphernalia that’s required to get a restaurant up and running there was of course plenty of other tasters. Lots of food and drink producers were on hand to let you sample the wares. As you might expect the beer section of the scheme seemed to attract a good deal of interest. Craft beers from Liverpool, the aforementioned MPA section, Greene King and a few others all had the pumps set up for testing. The Prosecco stand seemed to be doing well too!

Purveyors of machinery were on hand to demonstrate how effectively food can be transformed from the raw ingredient to an object of pure joy. I encountered no finer example than at the INKA grill stand. A beautifully seasoned chump of rib eye left the charcoal fed lair with a charred coat and a blood red centre, the baying crowd hoovered up the result as soon as it hit the board. I was there ‘obvs’ 🙂

Another of the main attractions for me was the ‘chef live’ area. As the title suggests this was where Chefs cooked something ‘live’. I happened upon up and coming sensation Michael O Hare, or the @hairmetalchef. Young, director and chief of The Man behind the Curtain currently being raved about from its home above Flannels in Leeds. He quipped that he made is mark serving fine food in a rock bar. He looked the part. I reckon with a bit more glitter and make up he could have drummed for The Sweet*, with his long hair and black outfit. He cooked a pork dish with smoked toast, eggs and a few other bits and served it on a slashed canvas with beetroot juice! It looked Like a Tracy Emin art installation, but then again so does most of his stuff. The packed theatre shot up at the end to image and quaff the result. Lots of other chefs were on hand throughout the two days. I was hoping to catch our very own Beef and Pudding chap Dave Mooney but sadly missed it.

Michael O Hare, The Man Behind The Curtain

Other smaller areas had demonstrations on fish and butchery as well a large seminar/debate section. Sadly I didn’t get to hear any of these as I had snook out of work on my lunch break. I had hoped to have a good few hours at it but work commitments took over. Maybe next year!

All in all a great event. A true reminder to us hangers on about just what a great industry it is that we all enjoy. To all the restaurateurs out there, keep on cooking!

*a glam rock group from the 70’s. Google ‘Blockbuster’!

Eating Out Reviews

The Grill On The Alley – Manchester

March 2, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“Has the old favourite still got what it takes to take on the new boys?”

Bear with me here a touch of preamble before getting to the food. I’ve worked in Manchester for two years now. The recent rapid fire expansion of the Manchester food scene is well documented. Before this explosion, living in the sticks, I was used to having my steak on a white porcelain disc (do you mean plate? – Ed) And get this you used to get the chips on the same disc!! However, The Grill On The Alley offered a sumptuous new way of doing things. Steak was delivered on a plank, the chips in their own steel net alongside. This was sophistication; this was where you came for a posh, slap up feed. It was a firm favourite for years. And so it was recently that The Flame was in town and suggested we give it another go. We settled for a six thirty rendezvous.

The old place hadn’t changed. You sweep down the long narrow room to the exposed kitchen and servery, via some neat light oak tables, some brown booths and some neatly arranged wall hung pictures. No scaffolding and neon signs here. It’s totally ‘trad’. We settled into the menu, while William, our highly efficient, aproned waiter, enlightened us, most informatively about the wines and higher bracket steaks on offer.

The old favourites are all still there. In fact, I reckon it is the same menu. I don’t think it’s changed in years? Heavily bent on steaks, burgers and grills (as you would expect) it didn’t take long to pick out some winners. I must admit I had some difficulty understanding the difference between the basic, bog standard steaks at £14-22 plus sauces and the premium steaks on a separate menu at £30+ and the ‘wagyu’ steaks at £50+. Surely they’ll all high quality? It would be interesting to compare, but sadly a test I can ill afford and didn’t do on this occasion.

Starters for me curried mussels (£8) with coconut and wilted spinach draped over. Plump mussels in a tasty, light spiced broth. Good stuff. The Flame had asparagus soup (£5) which again was very good and presented as well as you can for soup! For mains I had a burger with bacon and cheese (£11 + £2). The chips were great, the burger was pink in the middle as ordered, but a little dry round the edges. It wasn’t as good as some of the ‘experts’ I’ve tried, Byron, SoLita, Gorilla and Almost Famous. The Flame had chicken fajitas (£12) which she thoroughly enjoyed.

I finished with a superb Black Forest cherry trifle (£6) with lashings of fattening cream set in the obligatory clamp top jar. I noted looking with some envy to a neighbouring table demolishing a superb looking fish and chips. Still maybe another time!

It all came in at a fairly whopping £62, which for a quick standard burger tea with no wine is right up there. I think therein lies the problem for me. The food was good, not the best ever, the ambiance is good, but just a bit uninspiring for the fairly top end pricing. I just feel that with the myriad of alternatives in Manchester there are places doing this for better value. To name but a few you have Beef and Pudding, Fazenda, and now with Hawskmoor coming on stream I think it will be some time before I’ll be giving The Grill another go. I reckon I could have eaten for less at Mr Coopers which I feel is way above the standard here.

To be fair, the vibrant, avant garde, mismatched furnishings of the new boys is not to everyone’s liking. If you like your food and surroundings no nonsense, straight down the middle, The Grill Is for you but I think I prefer a little more choice and excitement now.

THE GRILL ON THE ALLEY
5 Ridgefield
Manchester
M2 6EG
0161 833 3465

http://blackhouse.uk.com/grill-on-the-alley

Eating Out Reviews

Sticky Walnut – Chester

February 23, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“It was well above average”

A curious statement you may think. But in the world of Sticky Walnut average is a by word for social media stardom. It harks to a particular twitter feed whereby a disgruntled punter ‘Trip Advisored’ that SW had served up an ‘average’ meal. Gary Usher, head chef and owner vented his angered humour on the poor chump, to the hilarity of his many followers. The rise of Sticky Walnut was assured. Foodies flocked to sample the average offering.

However, as we all know, it’s been more than average. A restaurant cannot function on media savvy tweets alone. It needs to back it up with decent grub. The accolades have poured in. Local interest quickly morphed into National interest culminating in a prestigious ‘AA Restaurant of The Year’ for 2013/14. It’s been on my list ever since.

Last Saturday I managed to bag a six o clock table for The Flame and me. Given the heady, after dark mileage the fabled fifty fifty driving scheme (I drive there, the flame drives back) turned to a one hundred to me. This meant I couldn’t sample some of the craft ales that were offered on arrival. A full cooking, coke had to hold my attention.

We parked on the street. The place is settled on a narrow one way thoroughfare in Hoole. Hoole itself, is a small enclave on the outskirts of Chester. The restaurant is effectively a single shop width on two floors. It has a simple, freshly painted frontage. The glowing indoor lights cast a welcoming glow through the large window onto the cold, sleet laden street. We were glad to get in and set up on our quaint, street level table. We were the first in and spent a few minutes probing the impressive range of cookery books next to our table. I had quite a few of them!

I could count maybe twelve staff including the chefs. They were all beavering away. It looked an impressive well oiled machine. As the kitchen was on a lower level than the dining bit, it was a bit strange watching the twitter stars heads popping up above the servery. FOH kept us well informed and we soon ordered from the single sheet menu.

First up, a bit of bread. I say bit of bread. What arrived was half a dozen sections of arguably the best focaccia I’ve ever had. Evocatively soaked in the finest olive oil and crusted with rosemary, thyme and the finest sea salt. I could have simply ate a few courses of this and gone away happy.

The menu, stunning bread and calves brains

Next up the starters. The Flame went for the oven roasted beets with spicy pumpkin seeds, ricotta and sticky walnuts (£6); I went for the port and rosemary risotto with deep fried calves’ brain (£7). Both dishes epitomised the time honoured aim of applying tastes and textures that feature sweet, sour, smooth and crunch. My brains were smooth and rich, but quenched perfectly by a slurry of crimson, acidic, sweet rice. Stunning. The Flame loved the ricotta and the sticky, sweet, crunchy walnuts.

Lamb neck, hake, truffle and parmesan chips

For mains I had the braised lamb neck, treviso, balsamic raisins and onion puree (£18). I don’t think I’ve ever had lamb like this. Simply resting my fork on top brought the soft pink flesh away from its clump. Washed in the jus and purees and mingled with sweet raisins it was exquisite. The Flame had butter soaked hake, kale, fennel with lemon and brown shrimps (£17) accompanied by truffle and parmesan chips (£3). I managed a fork full of the thick, fishy hake. A perfect specimen. The flame loved it. If I was being picky I would have preferred the crispy but soft inside, hot chips to have arrived without the truffle and parmesan. The Flame loved them though, so who am I?

I finished with the rhubarb trifle with sherry cream and almond crumble (£6). It didn’t look too special in fairness but the boozy cream and the sweet rhubarb soon ensured it was amongst the very best I’d had. The Flame had a super cheese board (£7), with homemade bread and chutney, each cheese passionately described by the highly efficient Adam. Two coffees finished and we waltzed off into the cold night.

We were £75 lighter for an hour and a half’s usage of the table. We both concluded it was a super meal and that we would be back. The idea next time would be to arrive by train in the daytime, have a stroll round Chester and make more of a day of it. We could either have lunch or an early tea again. Either way we’ll be able to sample the wine and the beer as well next time.

It definitely wasn’t average. It is much more than that.

Sticky Walnut
11 Charles Street
Hoole
Chester
CH2 3AZ

01244 400400

www.stickywalnut.com

Eating Out Reviews

The Plough Inn – Croft (nr Warrington)

February 9, 2015 thecooktwit 2 Comments

STOP PRESS- I think this has shut down now 23/10/17

“Sorry everyone but I’ve found another great place to eat”

The Plough Inn at Croft, like many pubs of late has had its ups and downs. Many years ago I recall it being a fairly standard local pub. Frequented often by its local rural crowd, it did what many pubs of the time did; serve half decent ale and a decent pie and chips when called upon. As we know many pubs, particularly rural ones, have either gone to the wall or effectively become restaurants or ‘gastropubs’. I have already ventured to and regaled about many fine specimens throughout the North West. See list below!* This latest one has the distinct advantage of being walkable from my home town of Newton-le-Willows. It’s a good walk mind, about four and half miles, so it’s a summer stroll or a winters Sunday. But boy on this evidence it’s worth it and its going on the list.

The Plough has succumbed on and off to periods of neglect, however it seems a hefty dose of love and affection has been awarded to its period frame. A splash of paint on the outside has freshened its gills, a lick inside has set its heart alight. It still needs a bit doing inside I fancy to fully compete with the esteemed list below, but without doubt the raw materials are all present and correct. Timber beams, an open fire, dark wooden fittings. It will do nicely.

The sun was streaming through on this Sunday binge, the place almost empty. The Flame flitted between several tables before selecting a suitable spot. A Deuchars IPA, one of three real ales, soon had me purring. The comprehensive menu soon added to my contentment. In fact there were two menus. The standard Sunday offering and the Sunday lunch. I selected from the Sunday lunch at £17.95 for three courses.

The Flame started with what one would consider to be a fairly unadventurous choice. The soup of the day (£4.95). However, even it was presented with a good level of panache. Tomato and basil arrived on its own podium of timber and featured a decent swoosh of cream, herbs and breaded elements. It tasted good as well. I had the ‘Ham hock terrine’. This was as good as a starter as I’ve had in a long time. The terrine was housed in a tubular ‘kilner’ jar. The hock itself was coarse, meaty and splendidly choice in flavour. The accompaniments of homemade piccalilli, toasted bread, salad and various drops of dressing and shoots all added to the general appeal. Excellent stuff.

As it was a Sunday, my mains took on the familiar look of a traditional roast. Would have preferred a pink, topside but the slow cooked brisket went a good way towards making up the deficit. There was lots of it too. Combined with the standard, well-cooked accoutrements it was most agreeable. The Flame piped in with a chicken and leek pie (£9.95). Arriving in its own skillet on a board it looked a picture, particularly alongside its pot of crisp, hot, salted and skin on potato wedges. They alone were a triumph. The pie was chunked full of chicken, writhing in a rich sea of herby, leeky goodness. Good stuff.

As ever, for research purposes, I had to test out a dessert. And crikey, in trooped a memorable effort. Apple and granola crumble with custard. Arriving in its own earthenware pot, set on a slate it came with a riot of coulis, kumquats and a boat of hot, vanillary loveliness. Truly special.

By the time I was dousing the dessert down with the final slurp of IPA the place had filled up. It would seem you would have to book for a mid-afternoon slot on a Sunday. I wouldn’t hang about, when word gets around this could become a serious stopping point. Cheshire has another belter to go at.

*Parker Arms, Nags Head, Assheton Arms, Hearth of the Ram, The Old Sessions, The Church Green, The Three Fishes to name but a few!

The Plough Inn,
Heath Lane, Croft, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 7DS
01925 766001

Eating Out Reviews

The Richmond Tea Rooms – Manchester

February 3, 2015 thecooktwit 2 Comments

“Our very own Alice in Wonderland adventure park right here in Manchester!”

It does beg the question whether accolades really do enhance the reputation and service of a restaurant or whether it ruins it? The Flame and I have held in our grasp a significant portion of gift vouchers for The Richmond Tea Rooms in Manchester for quite some time now. However our ability to purloin a table for two on a suitable afternoon has proven to be somewhat fraught. It would seem that ever since it won the tea room of the year everyone wants to try it! Good for business I suppose but somewhat frustrating as a would be punter.

That said last Saturday we decided to crash on and get ourselves into town and wait….. and wait….. and wait. We wound our way down the backstreet, past a rather splendid exterior graphic and up the grand steps. The good lady at the reception pod pronounced that it was a mere two hour wait before we could be seated! Unperturbed we added our data to the ever-growing list on the good ladies pad and set off for an alcoholic relaxant (at Beef and Pudding if you must know!). With some glee the call came some forty minutes later. With the relaxant sunk we hared off back across town once again.

This time it was mere moments before we were set down at our cosy retreat amidst a riot of flamboyance, gladioli, swooshes and swathes. The place is festooned with nods to Alice In Wonderland. Facsimiles of playing cards, diamonds and dripping clocks. The tables are set with spotty tableware and the finest China. It’s all rather engaging.

Im feeling slightly nervous though. I’m pretty much the only male in the house. Females dominate, either in pairs or in banks of six or more. Possibly on pre alcohol hen do’s? The Flame reassures me, I’m in good hands. We order the Richmond Tea. Top of the pile this, which means we soon have a glass of bubbly to quaff. Very pleasant too. A strong, decent black coffee accompanies whilst The Flame mollycoddles a battery of implements to administer her equally fine green tea.

Soon the main event appears. Three China tiers of savouries and sweets are gently lowered mid table. We were hungry, we fleetingly admired the vision, exchanged a few pleasantries and dived in bottom first. Finger sandwiches in brown and white. Egg mayo, beef and horseradish and Brie. A spinach and feta pastry completed the savoury ensemble. All very nice, fresh and tasty as you would expect.

Next up a mini strawberry eclair. Gone in a mouth full. Then a verdant cube of sponge topped with lemon icing. Lovely jubbly. Sweets are my thing, so I’m doing nicely here. My favourite sweet is trifle and here as the finale on level two is a trifle taster. It’s perfectly fine, but there’s no booze soaked sponge wallowing at its base. A teaspoon is needed to wheedle out the full contents.
Finally, the finale, a wonderful, sweet warm scone with strawberry jam and a healthy dose of clotted cream. The highlight for me. Rich and crumbly, a cracking end. I washed it down with a mouth full of bubbly.

As I mentioned we had £50 worth of gift vouchers to devour. The Richmond Tea takes it all with a small tip. For all the wait we were only in for forty minutes. As I say we were hungry, so we didn’t hang about. One might suggest it was little expensive (just over a pound a minute!) but we had a lovely time. I’d try and call in again for something less exotic. It’s a great space to while away some precious time. You should try it once at least!

Richmond Tea Rooms,

15 Richmond Street,
Manchester M1 3HZ
0161 237 9667
http://www.richmondtearooms.com

Eating Out Reviews

The French – Midland Hotel, Manchester

January 19, 2015 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“Its food Jim, but not as we know it”

The Flame and I had the very good fortune to experience the phenomenon that is The French. I’m sure many know it is one of the restaurants overseen by chef extraordinaire Simon Rogan. It is set in a grand room within the equally grand surroundings of The Midland Hotel in Manchester City centre. We graced the hallowed theatre a few minutes before our allotted start time of 7pm.

It was a Saturday night which means your choice is taken away. It is preordained that thy shall have the ten courses listed. Drinks however, are a different matter. You need to plough through at least two handsome volumes to determine what you want to drink. We each settled to a ‘livener’ of our choice. A “down the rabbit hole” and a “Perennial Julep”, both absolutely delish. Whilst The Flame selected a water, I plumbed into the £60 option of a five glass ‘wine flight’. Each selected by the sommelier who explained which tree each glass had come and when. I’m not a wine buff but they were all excellent.

Soon things got underway. Swarms of ruddy cheeked, young waiters set to the task. Nothing seemed too much trouble, brows were mopped, napkins were folded, glasses re-filled and prongs of cutlery were placed at a prescribed jaunty angle at a pre-set time. They did however struggle to stop the intermittent waft of chilled air that swept over us when the air conditioning kicked in!

But then to the food. I’m not about to wax lyrical about acidity, sweet, sour, crunch and texture. I don’t think my palate knows enough about that, but I know a man who does! Hence the reason we were there. I left all the taste and texture matching to Simon and his team. Suffice to say it was incredible.

The first course was effectively three! A trotter coated in breadcrumbs with ham fat cream and sage, a shrimp, celery and tomato salad on a chick pea crisp and a baked potato filled with soft cheese in a sack of soil made from beetroot dust. What a start.

Trotter, Chick pea crisp, Potato in a sack, The Bread

We then had the only dish that The Flame wasn’t too keen on. It was turnip dumplings, marrow and horseradish with a beef and onion broth. The turnips were so soft they simply melted. The broth so beefy.

Next one of the highlights, the raw Ox in coal oil with pumpkin seed, kohlrabi and mustard leaf. The coal oil brought an amazing smoky tinge to the whole dish.

One of the weaker dishes next, a breaded oyster with butternut squash with bacon buttermilk and mint. It was still great though.

Next up was another surprising highlight. Pickled red cabbage with beenleigh blue cream cheese, some violet mustard, linseed sand and walnut. Texturally this was incredible; it had everything, crunch, soft, sour and sweet. Superb.

Then it’s the fish course. Plaice, barbecued purple sprouting broccoli, chicken fat potatoes and pennywort. I’ve never had potatoes like this, soft and so much flavour. By this time I’m on the third glass of matched wine!

The main course. Reg’s duck, roast parsnips, cavolo Nero with old tom vinegar. The duck beautifully soft and pink. A meaty jus spooned over gently by one of the waiters adding the final touch. A robust, red Syrah accompanied.

We then got on to the first of three sweets! Beetroot meringue crisps with sheep’s milk parfait, frozen blackberries and chestnut. Absolutely gorgeous.

Sweet number two. Another wine. Quince, pear, ginger and butterscotch set on a slate. Superb. Apologies for the basic adjectives.

Last up ‘Sass n soda’. Basically this was a sandwich of sarsaparilla meringue, a sarsaparilla lollipop and sarsaparilla juice to finish. Astounding.

I then snuck another bourbon on at the end just to sooth things down. The Flame had a coffee with chocolates. Needless to say another winner.

The food part of the scheme was presented as a gift and cost £170. The drinking part was funded ourselves and added a further £105 to the bill. All in all we are talking the thick end of £300 for two at The French. Whilst not necessarily a once in a lifetime event it is nonetheless a ‘special occasion’ one for us. If you’ve not eaten like this it is an unforgettable experience and one that I urge all to try at least once.

Any ideas when L’Enclume next has some tables free?

The French
Midland Hotel
Peter Street,
Manchester M60 2DS

+44 (0)161 236 3333

http://www.the-French.co.uk

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The Cook Twit

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The Richmond Tea Rooms – Manchester

The French – Midland Hotel, Manchester

FOOD! Reviews and Recipes by an Enthusiast!