I had a couple of hours to kill in Southend, so decided to treat myself to lunch. I drove along the seafront and saw the Hundreds Seafood Restaurant. I love seafood and assumed that the best place to indulge my cravings was at the seaside. Also, the Hundreds restaurant is a small shack, with the diners sitting in an awning complete with heat lamps. This place looked both quaint and a mess, so I thought that it must be a Southend institution, otherwise the council would have told them to smarten up, right? Afterall, this place is on the beach, just up the road from the rather posh Thorpe Bay. Maybe the food is so good, they don't have to look smart; the diners come back so often, this business hardly need try.
My assumptions were wrong.
I went in and saw that the last two diners were just leaving. I was in this place by myself. I found the waitress rather rude. She seemed to find it a terrible inconvenience that a customer was wanting some grub.
Their lunch menu consists of filled ciabattas, tapas and 8 meals. I didn't fancy a ciabatta, tapas are not ideal for a single diner, so I opted for the sea bass. The waitress abruptly told me that there was no seabass. Or mackerel. There didn't seem to be much fish on the premises really. I opted for the ham, eggs and chips, ordered a cappuccino and took a seat. My cappuccino arrived in a latte glass, and didn't taste very good. It was luke warm and not particularly coffee-like.
I was most disappointed with my meal. This restaurant is not cheap. At £7.95 for a simple meal of ham, eggs and chips, I had high expectations. As soon as the waitress gave me the food I knew I'd made a mistake. The eggs were not fried. They were poached in oil, where the white has no crispiness, colour or bubbles. These are not fried eggs! The ham was very wet and not nice. The bread and butter was a pointless addition to a heavy meal. The chips tasted of oil that needed to be changed.
It tasted like a meal I would have expected in a cheapo greasy spoon or naff chain pub. It tasted like it should have cost £5. It was not a meal I would have expected to be eating at a prime location on the Essex coast.
I will not be visiting again. I will try the chippy opposite.
Saturday 29 October 2011
Monday 17 October 2011
Loch Fyne, Elton near Peterborough: Review
It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, and I was taking a relative to Loch Fyne for a birthday treat. I was looking forward to it; Elton is a beautiful village outside Peterborough, and the restaurant appeared to be inside an old building.
The service was somewhat frosty and sluggish. We were kept waiting a long time between courses. I opted for the King Prawns with Chilli, Lemon and Garlic to start. It was a very pleasant dish- there was just enough chilli for it to be warming, and enough garlic to be brave. My guest had the smoked salmon and rocket and was very happy with it.
The problems came with the main course. I opted for the talapia with a citrus marinade, new potatoes and samphire. I had mixed vegetables as a side order. I was being brave- I'd never tried talapia before. As it turned out, it was fine, just another white fish. I'm not sure I would have put a citrus marinade on it, especially when serving it with potatoes and samphire. The overall dish didn't really work as a whole. The mixed veg was a disaster. The carrots looked like they'd been peeled the day before and left out- they were grey round the edges. They were undercooked, but not as badly cooked as the broccoli. It was raw!
My guest had the dressed crab with new potatoes and green beans. She was bitterly disappointed- the crab meat was full of shell. A complaint was put in and we were told that the crab was dressed off-site. We were offered another main course, and chose whiting in parsley sauce with new potatoes. This was very good, but my guest felt slightly embarassed because I had nearly finished my meal by the time the whiting arrived.
It was a great shame. The restaurant has everything in its favour- a beautiful building, good parking, a nice village and a reputable brand. Sadly, it does not deliver, with the lack of care with the food and the poor service. I'll be sticking to the Chelmsford branch in future.
The service was somewhat frosty and sluggish. We were kept waiting a long time between courses. I opted for the King Prawns with Chilli, Lemon and Garlic to start. It was a very pleasant dish- there was just enough chilli for it to be warming, and enough garlic to be brave. My guest had the smoked salmon and rocket and was very happy with it.
The problems came with the main course. I opted for the talapia with a citrus marinade, new potatoes and samphire. I had mixed vegetables as a side order. I was being brave- I'd never tried talapia before. As it turned out, it was fine, just another white fish. I'm not sure I would have put a citrus marinade on it, especially when serving it with potatoes and samphire. The overall dish didn't really work as a whole. The mixed veg was a disaster. The carrots looked like they'd been peeled the day before and left out- they were grey round the edges. They were undercooked, but not as badly cooked as the broccoli. It was raw!
My guest had the dressed crab with new potatoes and green beans. She was bitterly disappointed- the crab meat was full of shell. A complaint was put in and we were told that the crab was dressed off-site. We were offered another main course, and chose whiting in parsley sauce with new potatoes. This was very good, but my guest felt slightly embarassed because I had nearly finished my meal by the time the whiting arrived.
It was a great shame. The restaurant has everything in its favour- a beautiful building, good parking, a nice village and a reputable brand. Sadly, it does not deliver, with the lack of care with the food and the poor service. I'll be sticking to the Chelmsford branch in future.
Sunday 16 October 2011
Quince jelly recipe
The quince. The result of a drunken fumbling between a pear and an apple.
Someone I know has a quince tree, but really does not know what to do with them. She gave me a bagfull of quinces to use at my pleasure.
The quince is an odd thing- rock hard, covered in fluff and smelling of apples. I decided to do some quince jelly as it looks beautiful, and was eager to know how one gets a ruby-red jelly from a biege sludge. As it was, it was dead easy. The quince is so rammed with pectin that I believe it would be impossible not to make a set jelly.
Here is the recipe, satisfying in that one does not need a degree in chemical engineering to understand it. You need:
Quinces
Granulated sugar
Juice of one lemon
Chop the quinces into chunks. Cover with water, add the lemon juice and boil the fruit, lid on, until it is very soft. This can take hours. When the fruit falls to pieces, mash the fruit with a potato masher. Strain the resulting mush through a jelly bag or a muslin cloth.
Measure the liquid. Using a pound of sugar per pint of juice, heat the juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. (Retain the fruit mush to make quince cheese.) Bring to the boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Behold the colour change from orange to red. After this, test the jelly to see if it has reached setting point. Dot a bit of jelly on a chilled plate and leave for a minute. Nudge the jelly with your finger. If it wrinkles, it's ready. It not, boil for 3 more minutes. Repeat this process until it's set.
Once the set point is reaches, pour into sterilised, hot jars, cover with a wax disk and seal.
The resulting jelly is beautiful and tastes fruity, but perfumed, like it has a hint of rose water. It's quite hard to describe, so have a go.
Someone I know has a quince tree, but really does not know what to do with them. She gave me a bagfull of quinces to use at my pleasure.
The quince is an odd thing- rock hard, covered in fluff and smelling of apples. I decided to do some quince jelly as it looks beautiful, and was eager to know how one gets a ruby-red jelly from a biege sludge. As it was, it was dead easy. The quince is so rammed with pectin that I believe it would be impossible not to make a set jelly.
Here is the recipe, satisfying in that one does not need a degree in chemical engineering to understand it. You need:
Quinces
Granulated sugar
Juice of one lemon
Chop the quinces into chunks. Cover with water, add the lemon juice and boil the fruit, lid on, until it is very soft. This can take hours. When the fruit falls to pieces, mash the fruit with a potato masher. Strain the resulting mush through a jelly bag or a muslin cloth.
Measure the liquid. Using a pound of sugar per pint of juice, heat the juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. (Retain the fruit mush to make quince cheese.) Bring to the boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Behold the colour change from orange to red. After this, test the jelly to see if it has reached setting point. Dot a bit of jelly on a chilled plate and leave for a minute. Nudge the jelly with your finger. If it wrinkles, it's ready. It not, boil for 3 more minutes. Repeat this process until it's set.
Once the set point is reaches, pour into sterilised, hot jars, cover with a wax disk and seal.
The resulting jelly is beautiful and tastes fruity, but perfumed, like it has a hint of rose water. It's quite hard to describe, so have a go.
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Steak marinade recipe
Well, I think I must be a genius. We were having steak for dinner the other day, but I'm not keen on the unadulterated steak flavour. I hadn't got time to look up a steak marinade, so I tried to recreate the flavour of the steaks from Cafe Rouge.
I put salt, pepper, oil, chunks of garlic and some smashed-up rosemary into a bowl. I left the steak in the bowl for 30mins, and made sure I removed all chunks of garlic from the steak before cooking.
It was delicious.
I put salt, pepper, oil, chunks of garlic and some smashed-up rosemary into a bowl. I left the steak in the bowl for 30mins, and made sure I removed all chunks of garlic from the steak before cooking.
It was delicious.
Saturday 1 October 2011
The Blue Bridge, Writtle: Review
Writtle is a beautiful village; it has a village green with a duck pond, a teeny weeny pub and some gorgeous Georgian houses. Previously, I had only eaten at Grahams On The Green where I had eaten a perfectly satisfactory meal.
I had never heard of The Blue Bridge until my partner mentioned that it had been one of the choices for a family meal, but it had been vetoed once people saw the prices on the menu.
Anyway, my partner has gone a bit mad recently, and treated me to yet another meal out! (See last review.) He fancied The Blue Bridge to see if it was better than The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel.
As we arrived, I was worried that there was noone there- I could see that the dining room at the front of the restaurant was empty. I shouldn't have worried. The restaurant is a mishmash of different rooms, and there were plenty of diners in the other rooms.
The staff were pleasant enough, but were very much frostier than at the Strawb'. I attributed this to the fact that it was a 'restaurant' to the Strawberry's lowly 'bistrot' status. I was somewhat concerned when we were shown to a room at the back of the restaurant, especially when noone else was in there! Is this where they stick the oiks, or those who don't know how to use asparagus tongs? I was reassured when other couples soon followed.
The menu was impressive, yet expensive. Their set menu was £18.95 for 2 courses, £23.95 for 3 courses. There were 5 choices for starters and main course, but only 3 for dessert. The a la carte menu was quite steep, with most starters being around the £8.50 mark, mains costing £16-£23!
I opted for the set menu- I always look to the cheaper options, even if someone else is paying! I chose chicken satay, followed by herb-crusted pollock. My partner is a fussy fellow, not liking most fish, seafood, mayonnaise, fruit, mushrooms- he ended up going a la carte.
He chose a simple salad to start with- rocket and parmesan with a balsamic dressing. He said that it was very good- but can one go wrong with such a combination? I was eager to see what top-notch chicken satay looked like; I have had so many disappointing satay incidents with dry meat and gloopy peanut-butter sauce. The dish was absolutely delicious. I find chicken breast lacking in moisture and flavour, but this dish made me reconsider my thoughts on it. The meat was tender, well seasoned and marinaded in something with a very complex flavour- I suspect dark molasses were involved. The peanut sauce was delicious, and used sparingly, so it was not cloying. It was served on a salad of beansprouts, herbs, chilli and spring onion.
When our main courses arrived, I could see the difference between a restaurant and a bistrot. Restaurants serve their food on odd shaped plates, and when the food arrives one feels guilty to have to destroy the artwork when eating it! The pollock was moist and was coated in a cheesy, herby crust. It was served with some amazing piped mashed potato and creamed leeks. It was sheer comfort food- I dread to think how much cream was in that food!
Given that we'd been seated in the Naughty Room, I felt no shame when sticking my fork in my partner's food. He'd opted for the belly pork (yes, he has it everywhere!) with a wild boar sausage and braised cabbage. He also had a side order of green beans in garlic butter. He was very pleased to see that the pork came with extra crackling! Sadly, I was not allowed any! The pork was sweet and delicious, as were the beans. The sausage was nice, but lack any 'wow' factor. My partner was somewhat disappointed by the cabbage. He likes cabbage as nature intended, ie. raw, and failing that he likes cabbage that tastes of cabbage. Sadly, this cabbage had had the 'Christmas cabbage' treatment, having been spiced, sweetened and cooked until it no longer tasted of cabbage.
Given that I was driving, I was on tap water, so felt like I'd earned a dessert. I went for the simple chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was very good- heavy on vanilla, light on sugar. The brownie was crunchy on the outside, gooey in the middle. Nom nom nom.
The bill came to £66, including service, with only one person drinking. It'd be very easy to rack up a £100 bill if a couple both dined of the a la carte menu and were boozing. However, if this is a little steep, there's always the option to go for lunch, where a two course meal costs £13.95. OAPs get it two pounds cheaper, which is a nice touch.
I had never heard of The Blue Bridge until my partner mentioned that it had been one of the choices for a family meal, but it had been vetoed once people saw the prices on the menu.
Anyway, my partner has gone a bit mad recently, and treated me to yet another meal out! (See last review.) He fancied The Blue Bridge to see if it was better than The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel.
As we arrived, I was worried that there was noone there- I could see that the dining room at the front of the restaurant was empty. I shouldn't have worried. The restaurant is a mishmash of different rooms, and there were plenty of diners in the other rooms.
The staff were pleasant enough, but were very much frostier than at the Strawb'. I attributed this to the fact that it was a 'restaurant' to the Strawberry's lowly 'bistrot' status. I was somewhat concerned when we were shown to a room at the back of the restaurant, especially when noone else was in there! Is this where they stick the oiks, or those who don't know how to use asparagus tongs? I was reassured when other couples soon followed.
The menu was impressive, yet expensive. Their set menu was £18.95 for 2 courses, £23.95 for 3 courses. There were 5 choices for starters and main course, but only 3 for dessert. The a la carte menu was quite steep, with most starters being around the £8.50 mark, mains costing £16-£23!
I opted for the set menu- I always look to the cheaper options, even if someone else is paying! I chose chicken satay, followed by herb-crusted pollock. My partner is a fussy fellow, not liking most fish, seafood, mayonnaise, fruit, mushrooms- he ended up going a la carte.
He chose a simple salad to start with- rocket and parmesan with a balsamic dressing. He said that it was very good- but can one go wrong with such a combination? I was eager to see what top-notch chicken satay looked like; I have had so many disappointing satay incidents with dry meat and gloopy peanut-butter sauce. The dish was absolutely delicious. I find chicken breast lacking in moisture and flavour, but this dish made me reconsider my thoughts on it. The meat was tender, well seasoned and marinaded in something with a very complex flavour- I suspect dark molasses were involved. The peanut sauce was delicious, and used sparingly, so it was not cloying. It was served on a salad of beansprouts, herbs, chilli and spring onion.
When our main courses arrived, I could see the difference between a restaurant and a bistrot. Restaurants serve their food on odd shaped plates, and when the food arrives one feels guilty to have to destroy the artwork when eating it! The pollock was moist and was coated in a cheesy, herby crust. It was served with some amazing piped mashed potato and creamed leeks. It was sheer comfort food- I dread to think how much cream was in that food!
Given that we'd been seated in the Naughty Room, I felt no shame when sticking my fork in my partner's food. He'd opted for the belly pork (yes, he has it everywhere!) with a wild boar sausage and braised cabbage. He also had a side order of green beans in garlic butter. He was very pleased to see that the pork came with extra crackling! Sadly, I was not allowed any! The pork was sweet and delicious, as were the beans. The sausage was nice, but lack any 'wow' factor. My partner was somewhat disappointed by the cabbage. He likes cabbage as nature intended, ie. raw, and failing that he likes cabbage that tastes of cabbage. Sadly, this cabbage had had the 'Christmas cabbage' treatment, having been spiced, sweetened and cooked until it no longer tasted of cabbage.
Given that I was driving, I was on tap water, so felt like I'd earned a dessert. I went for the simple chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was very good- heavy on vanilla, light on sugar. The brownie was crunchy on the outside, gooey in the middle. Nom nom nom.
The bill came to £66, including service, with only one person drinking. It'd be very easy to rack up a £100 bill if a couple both dined of the a la carte menu and were boozing. However, if this is a little steep, there's always the option to go for lunch, where a two course meal costs £13.95. OAPs get it two pounds cheaper, which is a nice touch.
Tuesday 27 September 2011
The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel: Review
Last Saturday, my partner decided to treat me to a meal out at the Blue Strawberry. What was the occasion? Nothing! Dining out for the sole reason of gluttony!
I've never had a bad meal at the Strawb' and this was no exception. My partner was a little disappointed with the menu, claiming that it was very fish-heavy. I'm notsure I concur- I suspect it was just an excuse for him to have his beloved belly pork! There was lamb as well as two types of steak, so what's his beef?
We were seated at 6.30pm. The place was quite empty. I attributed this to the financial downturn, but was pleased to see the place brimming by the time we left.
I started with a very 1970s starter- prawn and crab in a Marie Rose sauce, on an avocado fan! It sounds naff, but there's a good reason it still persists: it's a classic! The crab and prawns were sweet, the avocado perfectly ripe and creamy. The richness was cut through with an oak leaf salad and a citrus dressing. It was a well balanced dish. My partner offered for the pork and ham terrine. I think that terrines are very underrated. Whilst people are salivating over pates, the humble terrine, whose rough texture allows individual flavours to shine through, is ignored. Bah. This terrine was well seasoned, with fragrant apricots and herbs as dominant flavours. It was accompanied by a zingy and fresh pineapple chutney.
Predictably, my partner had the belly pork. I can see why. It is absolute perfection for the meat eater- crispy crackling with succulent, tender meat beneath. It was served with spring greens with pancetta, which had a lovely smokey flavour, as well as apple sauce and what looked like boulangere potatoes. The veg on the table was broccoli, mashed swede and courgettes in tomato sauce. There was even enough pork to smuggle some home for the cat!
I had moules mariniere with skinny chips. To my mind, there is something very beastly about eating chips, especially those skinny-fast-food-looking, whenone is in a decent restaurant. I managed to put my qualms to one side, and tackle the enormous portion of mussels presented to me. They were perfectly cook, in a different league to the small mussels served at Loch Fyne. They were plump, tender and perfectly cooked. the white wine, clream and garlic sauce was beautifully seasoned and very garlicky. Not that this was a problem, but it would have been nice to have had some bread.
After stuffing our faces, there was no room for pud. Well, maybe there was, but I didn't fancy driving home with that overstuffed feeling...
I've never had a bad meal at the Strawb' and this was no exception. My partner was a little disappointed with the menu, claiming that it was very fish-heavy. I'm notsure I concur- I suspect it was just an excuse for him to have his beloved belly pork! There was lamb as well as two types of steak, so what's his beef?
We were seated at 6.30pm. The place was quite empty. I attributed this to the financial downturn, but was pleased to see the place brimming by the time we left.
I started with a very 1970s starter- prawn and crab in a Marie Rose sauce, on an avocado fan! It sounds naff, but there's a good reason it still persists: it's a classic! The crab and prawns were sweet, the avocado perfectly ripe and creamy. The richness was cut through with an oak leaf salad and a citrus dressing. It was a well balanced dish. My partner offered for the pork and ham terrine. I think that terrines are very underrated. Whilst people are salivating over pates, the humble terrine, whose rough texture allows individual flavours to shine through, is ignored. Bah. This terrine was well seasoned, with fragrant apricots and herbs as dominant flavours. It was accompanied by a zingy and fresh pineapple chutney.
Predictably, my partner had the belly pork. I can see why. It is absolute perfection for the meat eater- crispy crackling with succulent, tender meat beneath. It was served with spring greens with pancetta, which had a lovely smokey flavour, as well as apple sauce and what looked like boulangere potatoes. The veg on the table was broccoli, mashed swede and courgettes in tomato sauce. There was even enough pork to smuggle some home for the cat!
I had moules mariniere with skinny chips. To my mind, there is something very beastly about eating chips, especially those skinny-fast-food-looking, whenone is in a decent restaurant. I managed to put my qualms to one side, and tackle the enormous portion of mussels presented to me. They were perfectly cook, in a different league to the small mussels served at Loch Fyne. They were plump, tender and perfectly cooked. the white wine, clream and garlic sauce was beautifully seasoned and very garlicky. Not that this was a problem, but it would have been nice to have had some bread.
After stuffing our faces, there was no room for pud. Well, maybe there was, but I didn't fancy driving home with that overstuffed feeling...
Friday 9 September 2011
Pork mince and leek casserole recipe
I was feeling the need for a comforting casserole the other day. I also had some pork mince that needed using. I found this recipe:
Serves 4
1lb pork mince
1lb leeks, sliced
2lb potato sliced
1 onion sliced
Some mushrooms
bay leaf
Thyme
750ml Stock
Tomato puree
Butter
Line bottom of casserole pan with half the potatoes. Cover with sliced onion and mushrooms. Fry pork until brown. Add leeks and cook for 5 mins. Add 750ml stock, 1 bay leaf, squirt of tomato puree and a sprig of thyme. Cook for 10 mins. Check seasoning. Pour into the casserole. Cover with remaining potatoes. Brush potatoes with butter. Cook for 1 hour at 180C, removing lid for final 30mins.
The result was very comforting and filling. I dry-fried the mince which was quite lean, so the whole thing was pretty healthy. I shall do this again as it was very economical.
Serves 4
1lb pork mince
1lb leeks, sliced
2lb potato sliced
1 onion sliced
Some mushrooms
bay leaf
Thyme
750ml Stock
Tomato puree
Butter
Line bottom of casserole pan with half the potatoes. Cover with sliced onion and mushrooms. Fry pork until brown. Add leeks and cook for 5 mins. Add 750ml stock, 1 bay leaf, squirt of tomato puree and a sprig of thyme. Cook for 10 mins. Check seasoning. Pour into the casserole. Cover with remaining potatoes. Brush potatoes with butter. Cook for 1 hour at 180C, removing lid for final 30mins.
The result was very comforting and filling. I dry-fried the mince which was quite lean, so the whole thing was pretty healthy. I shall do this again as it was very economical.
Leek and Potato Soup Recipe
After slating Good Food's waffle-laden recipes- here is my attempt to show them how it's done...
Serves 2
1tbs butter
2 medium leeks
1 big onion
1 big potato
Chicken or veg stock
Some milk/ cream
Salt and pepper
Chop veg. Cook veg with salt and pepper in butter with lid on for 10mins. Cover with stock. Cook for 20 mins. Blend. Add dash of milk/ splosh of cream to taste. Strain and check seasoning. Nomnomnom.
Simples.
Serves 2
1tbs butter
2 medium leeks
1 big onion
1 big potato
Chicken or veg stock
Some milk/ cream
Salt and pepper
Chop veg. Cook veg with salt and pepper in butter with lid on for 10mins. Cover with stock. Cook for 20 mins. Blend. Add dash of milk/ splosh of cream to taste. Strain and check seasoning. Nomnomnom.
Simples.
Tomato soup recipe
I've been doing a bit of cooking recently, with varying degrees of success. The scones were a disaster; the flour was stale and the scones tasted of cupboard. They were bitter and disappointing but were eaten nonetheless, if you overlook the scone and treat them as a jam-and-clotted-cream-delivery system. Hehe.
Anyhow, my tomatoes are coming in fits and starts. The weather has been miserable so they are ripening slowly, but one hot day brings more ripe toms than is necessary! I've been making a couple of delicious tomato and goats cheese tarts, but my favourite is tomato soup.
I use the Good Food recipe. It is a ludicrous recipe. It is pretentiously long winded. I could condense the essay to 100 words. It's that kind of nonsense that puts people off cooking. It's slightly contraversial soup as it contains carrot and celery, but it's not a veg soup as the quantity of carrot and celery is dwarfed by the weight of tomatoes.
I tried this soup unstrained, vowing that there is no need to go through the torture of washing a sieve. It is nice served that way, but it is full of skins and pips. Sieving is worth the effort. It gives a silky, sweet soup. It is truly delicious and only to be attempted if you can get your mits on some top notch tomatoes. Don't bother with the supermarket tastless bullets.
Anyhow, my tomatoes are coming in fits and starts. The weather has been miserable so they are ripening slowly, but one hot day brings more ripe toms than is necessary! I've been making a couple of delicious tomato and goats cheese tarts, but my favourite is tomato soup.
I use the Good Food recipe. It is a ludicrous recipe. It is pretentiously long winded. I could condense the essay to 100 words. It's that kind of nonsense that puts people off cooking. It's slightly contraversial soup as it contains carrot and celery, but it's not a veg soup as the quantity of carrot and celery is dwarfed by the weight of tomatoes.
I tried this soup unstrained, vowing that there is no need to go through the torture of washing a sieve. It is nice served that way, but it is full of skins and pips. Sieving is worth the effort. It gives a silky, sweet soup. It is truly delicious and only to be attempted if you can get your mits on some top notch tomatoes. Don't bother with the supermarket tastless bullets.
Loch Fyne, Chelmsford: Review
I decided to go out to lunch the other day, by myself. Why? I like the peace and quiet, the chance to enjoy some food without having to deal with somebody's inane chit-chat.
I went to Loch Fyne as I love seafood and fish, have a partner is not a fan of the sea and I am not confident enough to cook my own fish. I do not trust the freshness of the fare on the fish counters at our supermarkets. We have some fish stalls at the market, but again, I'm not sure about them. I think the combination of fish of dubious freshness, combined with me not really knowing hoe to cook it is a recipe for illness.
Anyway, back to the meal. I took advantage of the '2 courses + glass of wine' offer. As I've said before, £11.50 isn't bad. I opted to start with the mussels with chilli and coriander. They arrived looking plump and perfectly cooked. There was a pleasant heat to the chilli, but was disappointed that there was not much of a fresh chilli and coriander flavour. The coriander and chilli were added at the beginning, so much of their aroma had been lost during the cooking process. It would have been better to sprinkle a little chilli and coriander just before the dish was served.
There was a really good choice on the lunch menu, 5 options for each course! For the main course I had whiting in parsley sauce on sauteed new potatoes. I remember the days when people were horrified that many fish fingers contained whiting rather than cod. If it doesn't say cod, it ain't cod! I'm not sure what their beef is with whiting, as it is perfectly nice. Ok, cod is meatier, has bigger flakes and doesn't have the slightly off-putting pink veiny bits, but cod is expensive and running out! We Brits need to wean ourselves off cod and look further afield.
Anyhow, the whiting was well seasoned and covered in a thick parsely sauce. Interestingly, the potatoes has been cooked in garlic butter. Whilst this was delicious, it did overpower the parsley somewhat. I'm surprised the garlic wasn't mentioned on the menu- there are a lot of people who detest garlic. Served with mixed veg, it was a very filling dish.
It's such a shame that there is hardly anyone in there, and places like Pizza Express are bursting at the seams!
I went to Loch Fyne as I love seafood and fish, have a partner is not a fan of the sea and I am not confident enough to cook my own fish. I do not trust the freshness of the fare on the fish counters at our supermarkets. We have some fish stalls at the market, but again, I'm not sure about them. I think the combination of fish of dubious freshness, combined with me not really knowing hoe to cook it is a recipe for illness.
Anyway, back to the meal. I took advantage of the '2 courses + glass of wine' offer. As I've said before, £11.50 isn't bad. I opted to start with the mussels with chilli and coriander. They arrived looking plump and perfectly cooked. There was a pleasant heat to the chilli, but was disappointed that there was not much of a fresh chilli and coriander flavour. The coriander and chilli were added at the beginning, so much of their aroma had been lost during the cooking process. It would have been better to sprinkle a little chilli and coriander just before the dish was served.
There was a really good choice on the lunch menu, 5 options for each course! For the main course I had whiting in parsley sauce on sauteed new potatoes. I remember the days when people were horrified that many fish fingers contained whiting rather than cod. If it doesn't say cod, it ain't cod! I'm not sure what their beef is with whiting, as it is perfectly nice. Ok, cod is meatier, has bigger flakes and doesn't have the slightly off-putting pink veiny bits, but cod is expensive and running out! We Brits need to wean ourselves off cod and look further afield.
Anyhow, the whiting was well seasoned and covered in a thick parsely sauce. Interestingly, the potatoes has been cooked in garlic butter. Whilst this was delicious, it did overpower the parsley somewhat. I'm surprised the garlic wasn't mentioned on the menu- there are a lot of people who detest garlic. Served with mixed veg, it was a very filling dish.
It's such a shame that there is hardly anyone in there, and places like Pizza Express are bursting at the seams!
Wednesday 3 August 2011
Prezzo, Bond Street, Chelmsford: Review
Chelmsford has two Prezzos, one near the river, next to Loch Fyne, and the other on Baddow Road, near Strada. This review is of the one by the river.
Yesterday was hot. My stash of Spicy Rice (see the nest post for the recipe) was depleted. I decided to eat out. We had a voucher for Prezzos so decided to go there.
It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday evening, the staff seemed quite overstretched.
We opted to share a starter of oven roasted chicken wings with rosemary salt and a tomato and chilli dip. When they arrived they didn't strike me as being especially good value; £5.10 for 6 chicken wings, some of which were tiny. This niggle aside, they were very tasty. The skin was crisp, and the rosemary was subtle enough to be delicious. (Used with a heavy hand, rosemary give dishes a soapy, medicinal taste.) It was nice to receive wings without a diabetes-inducing sticky glaze, or deep fried in breadcrumbs. The sauce was pleasant, spicy and fresh tasting, my only gripe being that it was a little to vinegary.
For the main course I ordered the Wild Mushroom Girasole. It consisted of some large flower-shaped ('girasole' is Italian for 'sunflower') mushroom-stuffed ravioli, with mushroom, cherry tomato, rocket, buffalo mozzarella all tossed in pesto. It was very good, just not mushroomy enough for my taste. The pesto and mozzarella makes quite a rich dish, but the sharp tomato and peppery rocket compensated for this.
My partner's pizza was another story. He had the 'Tre Gusti', which is a pepperoni, chicken and pancetta pizza. It arrived with an anaemic crust- I prefer a pizza with a bit of colour round the edges because a pallid crust signifies a soggy middle. The pepperoni and pancetta were fine, but the four, count them, four large chunks of chicken were dry and rubbery. My partner removed them from the pizza, wrapped them in a napkin and took them home for the cat to eat/bat round the kitchen floor.
It amazes me that a large chain can get away with serving such a lacklustre pizza. Perhaps the pizza was undercooked because they were busy, but I can always vote with my wallet and go elsewhere. I have had some very good pasta dishes at Prezzo, but find the rest of their menu disappointing. The pizzas have stingy toppings, and the grill menu is hardly worth the bother with a couple of chicken dishes and some crab cakes. Where are the steak, lamb or fish? I went to Strada a few weeks ago, which is very similar to Prezzo in their pricing and menu, and had a delicious saltimbocca whilst my partner had a delicious steak. It can be done.
I'm just glad we didn't pay full price for it. Does anyone pay full price at Prezzo?
Yesterday was hot. My stash of Spicy Rice (see the nest post for the recipe) was depleted. I decided to eat out. We had a voucher for Prezzos so decided to go there.
It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday evening, the staff seemed quite overstretched.
We opted to share a starter of oven roasted chicken wings with rosemary salt and a tomato and chilli dip. When they arrived they didn't strike me as being especially good value; £5.10 for 6 chicken wings, some of which were tiny. This niggle aside, they were very tasty. The skin was crisp, and the rosemary was subtle enough to be delicious. (Used with a heavy hand, rosemary give dishes a soapy, medicinal taste.) It was nice to receive wings without a diabetes-inducing sticky glaze, or deep fried in breadcrumbs. The sauce was pleasant, spicy and fresh tasting, my only gripe being that it was a little to vinegary.
For the main course I ordered the Wild Mushroom Girasole. It consisted of some large flower-shaped ('girasole' is Italian for 'sunflower') mushroom-stuffed ravioli, with mushroom, cherry tomato, rocket, buffalo mozzarella all tossed in pesto. It was very good, just not mushroomy enough for my taste. The pesto and mozzarella makes quite a rich dish, but the sharp tomato and peppery rocket compensated for this.
My partner's pizza was another story. He had the 'Tre Gusti', which is a pepperoni, chicken and pancetta pizza. It arrived with an anaemic crust- I prefer a pizza with a bit of colour round the edges because a pallid crust signifies a soggy middle. The pepperoni and pancetta were fine, but the four, count them, four large chunks of chicken were dry and rubbery. My partner removed them from the pizza, wrapped them in a napkin and took them home for the cat to eat/bat round the kitchen floor.
It amazes me that a large chain can get away with serving such a lacklustre pizza. Perhaps the pizza was undercooked because they were busy, but I can always vote with my wallet and go elsewhere. I have had some very good pasta dishes at Prezzo, but find the rest of their menu disappointing. The pizzas have stingy toppings, and the grill menu is hardly worth the bother with a couple of chicken dishes and some crab cakes. Where are the steak, lamb or fish? I went to Strada a few weeks ago, which is very similar to Prezzo in their pricing and menu, and had a delicious saltimbocca whilst my partner had a delicious steak. It can be done.
I'm just glad we didn't pay full price for it. Does anyone pay full price at Prezzo?
Spicy Rice Recipe
It's been pretty hot here and I've lost the will to cook. Spicy Rice is a recipe I concocted as it requires one pan, is good cold and reheats well.
Serves 4 as an accompaniment, or two for a really slutty dinner.
1 onion, chopped
Slug veg oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2tbsp curry paste
250g basmati rice, rinsed
1 tin chick peas, drained
500ml stock
1 handful of random veg, eg. frozen peas, chopped peppers, frozen spinach
1 handful nuts of your choice
Fry onion in oil for 3 mins , add garlic and curry paste and cook for 1 min. Add rice, stock, chickpeas and cook until stock is absorbed. You will have to use your discretion when adding the veg- the cooking depends on the veg and how cooked you like it. Live a little and experiment!
Serve sprinkled with the nuts. Some coriander would be nice.
I reckon it would go well with a fried egg. Yum.
Serves 4 as an accompaniment, or two for a really slutty dinner.
1 onion, chopped
Slug veg oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2tbsp curry paste
250g basmati rice, rinsed
1 tin chick peas, drained
500ml stock
1 handful of random veg, eg. frozen peas, chopped peppers, frozen spinach
1 handful nuts of your choice
Fry onion in oil for 3 mins , add garlic and curry paste and cook for 1 min. Add rice, stock, chickpeas and cook until stock is absorbed. You will have to use your discretion when adding the veg- the cooking depends on the veg and how cooked you like it. Live a little and experiment!
Serve sprinkled with the nuts. Some coriander would be nice.
I reckon it would go well with a fried egg. Yum.
Saturday 30 July 2011
Benito's Hat Mexican Kitchen, Goodge Street: Review
Yesterday I was in London for a job interview. After this ordeal was over, I went to the Grant Museum of Zoology, full of pickled beasts and anatomical specimens. It is really quite ghoulish, as it's a big Victorian room packed floor to double-height ceiling- a real blast from the past. Anyway, after this I was in need for some grub.
I switched on my Kindle's 3G feature and googled 'London Burrito'. It turns out that I was round the corner from Benito's Hat which is well regarded, if the reviews were to be believed.
Why a burrito? Simply put, there aren't many decent Mexican restaurants in Essex. There are a couple of chains, with completely uninspiring menus. I picked up a love of burritos in the US last year. We went to Qdoba, and I had a chicken burrito (pronounced burrida!) with loads of queso sauce. It was absolutely amazing.
On entering Benito's Hat, I was glad to see a queue, even though it was 3pm. There is tiny menu, based around burritos, tacos and salads, with the choice of chicken, beef, pork or veg. The food is made swiftly on a production line offering black beans or refried beans, rice, choice of salsa, lettuce, salsa verde, sour cream, cheese and guacamole (70p supplement). I was slighty disappointed that there was no queso sauce, but I stuggled on. Also, they do not serve tea or coffee, which is a bit of a pain.
The burrito was served with a handful of tortilla chips, dwarfed by this huge steak burrito. This burrito was full of sinful sour cream and guacamole, yet had sufficient coriander and fresh tomato to taste wonderfully fresh and deceptively healthy! There was a generous quantity of thick-cut chargrilled steak, charred enough to provide a real depth of flavour, It was squidgy, spicy, meaty and delicious. It was so big I wrapped up the remainder and had it for my tea.
If I get the job, the pesky commute will be balanced out my the fact that I'd be round the corner from such a fine establishment.
I switched on my Kindle's 3G feature and googled 'London Burrito'. It turns out that I was round the corner from Benito's Hat which is well regarded, if the reviews were to be believed.
Why a burrito? Simply put, there aren't many decent Mexican restaurants in Essex. There are a couple of chains, with completely uninspiring menus. I picked up a love of burritos in the US last year. We went to Qdoba, and I had a chicken burrito (pronounced burrida!) with loads of queso sauce. It was absolutely amazing.
On entering Benito's Hat, I was glad to see a queue, even though it was 3pm. There is tiny menu, based around burritos, tacos and salads, with the choice of chicken, beef, pork or veg. The food is made swiftly on a production line offering black beans or refried beans, rice, choice of salsa, lettuce, salsa verde, sour cream, cheese and guacamole (70p supplement). I was slighty disappointed that there was no queso sauce, but I stuggled on. Also, they do not serve tea or coffee, which is a bit of a pain.
The burrito was served with a handful of tortilla chips, dwarfed by this huge steak burrito. This burrito was full of sinful sour cream and guacamole, yet had sufficient coriander and fresh tomato to taste wonderfully fresh and deceptively healthy! There was a generous quantity of thick-cut chargrilled steak, charred enough to provide a real depth of flavour, It was squidgy, spicy, meaty and delicious. It was so big I wrapped up the remainder and had it for my tea.
If I get the job, the pesky commute will be balanced out my the fact that I'd be round the corner from such a fine establishment.
The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel: Review
The Blue Strawberry is probably my favourite Essex restaurant. Something that really strikes me is that the waiting staff have been working there for as long as I have been going- about 5 years! Besides the excellent food, the service is very slick yet not stuffy. I will occasionally make an evening visit, but usually go for lunch where 2 courses is £13.95.
The choice is pretty good- about 8 choices for each course. There are some staples (including my partner's beloved belly pork) that remain on the menu for months at a time, and daily specials including the fish of the day, the soup and the pie of the day.
On Thursday I took my guest there for lunch. I've had a greedy week- eating out 3 days on the trot! One glance at the menu, and I instantly knew what I'd have for starters- EGGS BENEDICT! My favourite! I was blinded my the site of my culinary love, and couldn't really care what else was on offer! When it arrived, it didn't disappoint. I'm an eggs benedict snob, and can spot a bad eggs benedict at 10 paces. This didn't disappoint. The egg was perfectly cooked- runny but thick. The muffin was toasted enough to me crisp and the ham was thick and tasty. The hollandaise was zingy and delicious. There was no attempt to fuss around with fancy presentation- another peeve of mine in when restaurants put garnishes on dishes that do not relate to the dish. It was the best eggs benedict I have eaten. My only gripe is that it is not offered as a main course!
My guest opted not to have a starter, the plan being that she must leave room for a dessert. She had the rump steak with tomato and onion relish and rocket salad. Luckily, she gave me a quarter of her steak, just to be doubly sure to leave room for pud! It was cooked medium, yet was still slightly bloody. It was delicious and tender; rump steak can withstand lenghthy cooking. I didn't much like the relish, but this was probably due to my slight aversion to sunblush tomatoes. The accompanying vegetables were jersey royal potatoes, mashed carrots, cabbage and broccoli, all perfectly cooked.
I had plaice fillets with caper and tomato vinaigrette. I was slightly concerned that the plaice would be overpowered by the capers, but this was not the case. The saltiness of the capers was a good contrast to the tender, mild fish. Delicious.
As a side note, I was once fairly conservative in my choice of fish, being suspicious of fish that was not prawns, cod, plaice or haddock. Since going to this restaurant I have beome a fish fan, eating shellfish, salmon, halibut, scallops, crab and sea bass. I still have a way to go on oily fish, but I trust this restaurant to do fish properly. If I don't like something, it'll be because I genuinely don't like it, not that this has happened, rather than it being badly cooked. I was very ill off bad seafood at a London restaurant many years ago, so I won't eat it at a restaurant I don't trust.
After my two courses, I was stuffed, so had no room for a pudding. My guest couldn't go for their usual gluttonous option of the assiette (4 mini desserts, £2.50 supplement) so went for the orange and almond tart with amaretti ice-cream. I'm not a fan of amaretti, but could tell that the amaretto-laced ice-cream with crushed amaretti biscuits would be loved by those that did. The slice of tart was huge, had thin crisp pastry, and was remeniscent of a Bakewell tart, with the layer of almond sponge. It was topped with sliced oranges in syrup. It was moist, not too sweet or heavy. Again, it was delicious.
If you like straightfoward, delicious food, go to the Blue Strawberry. Simple.
The choice is pretty good- about 8 choices for each course. There are some staples (including my partner's beloved belly pork) that remain on the menu for months at a time, and daily specials including the fish of the day, the soup and the pie of the day.
On Thursday I took my guest there for lunch. I've had a greedy week- eating out 3 days on the trot! One glance at the menu, and I instantly knew what I'd have for starters- EGGS BENEDICT! My favourite! I was blinded my the site of my culinary love, and couldn't really care what else was on offer! When it arrived, it didn't disappoint. I'm an eggs benedict snob, and can spot a bad eggs benedict at 10 paces. This didn't disappoint. The egg was perfectly cooked- runny but thick. The muffin was toasted enough to me crisp and the ham was thick and tasty. The hollandaise was zingy and delicious. There was no attempt to fuss around with fancy presentation- another peeve of mine in when restaurants put garnishes on dishes that do not relate to the dish. It was the best eggs benedict I have eaten. My only gripe is that it is not offered as a main course!
My guest opted not to have a starter, the plan being that she must leave room for a dessert. She had the rump steak with tomato and onion relish and rocket salad. Luckily, she gave me a quarter of her steak, just to be doubly sure to leave room for pud! It was cooked medium, yet was still slightly bloody. It was delicious and tender; rump steak can withstand lenghthy cooking. I didn't much like the relish, but this was probably due to my slight aversion to sunblush tomatoes. The accompanying vegetables were jersey royal potatoes, mashed carrots, cabbage and broccoli, all perfectly cooked.
I had plaice fillets with caper and tomato vinaigrette. I was slightly concerned that the plaice would be overpowered by the capers, but this was not the case. The saltiness of the capers was a good contrast to the tender, mild fish. Delicious.
As a side note, I was once fairly conservative in my choice of fish, being suspicious of fish that was not prawns, cod, plaice or haddock. Since going to this restaurant I have beome a fish fan, eating shellfish, salmon, halibut, scallops, crab and sea bass. I still have a way to go on oily fish, but I trust this restaurant to do fish properly. If I don't like something, it'll be because I genuinely don't like it, not that this has happened, rather than it being badly cooked. I was very ill off bad seafood at a London restaurant many years ago, so I won't eat it at a restaurant I don't trust.
After my two courses, I was stuffed, so had no room for a pudding. My guest couldn't go for their usual gluttonous option of the assiette (4 mini desserts, £2.50 supplement) so went for the orange and almond tart with amaretti ice-cream. I'm not a fan of amaretti, but could tell that the amaretto-laced ice-cream with crushed amaretti biscuits would be loved by those that did. The slice of tart was huge, had thin crisp pastry, and was remeniscent of a Bakewell tart, with the layer of almond sponge. It was topped with sliced oranges in syrup. It was moist, not too sweet or heavy. Again, it was delicious.
If you like straightfoward, delicious food, go to the Blue Strawberry. Simple.
Friday 29 July 2011
Damson Jam
On Wednesday I went damson picking. For free. I came back with 16lb of damsons! I assumed that the keen jammers I know would want some of this gorgeous fruit, but I only managed to give away 2lb...
I then realised I had about 2 jars, and my jam funnel has gone awol! Aargh! I then had to scrounge some jars, but I luckily got enough.
Anyway, damson jam is dead easy. The fruits are firm, and therefore rammed with pectin. Setting the jam is a doddle. The only problem is skimming the pesky stones. It's a bit tedious, but not as tedious as stoning the fruits!
I used the recipe from the Times website.
I made made 12 jars of jam, I gave my mother enough stewed damsons to make another 6 jars, and have another 12 jars' worth of stewed fruit in the fridge, ready to be jammed tomorrow. It's delicious, and with the free fruit works out to be about 45p a jar!
I then realised I had about 2 jars, and my jam funnel has gone awol! Aargh! I then had to scrounge some jars, but I luckily got enough.
Anyway, damson jam is dead easy. The fruits are firm, and therefore rammed with pectin. Setting the jam is a doddle. The only problem is skimming the pesky stones. It's a bit tedious, but not as tedious as stoning the fruits!
I used the recipe from the Times website.
I made made 12 jars of jam, I gave my mother enough stewed damsons to make another 6 jars, and have another 12 jars' worth of stewed fruit in the fridge, ready to be jammed tomorrow. It's delicious, and with the free fruit works out to be about 45p a jar!
Loch Fyne, Chelmsford: Review
On Wednesday, after a hard morning's damson picking, I needed food. It was getting late, I hadn't booked anywhere and I had a guest. A quick burger wouldn't suffice. I didn't think that my guest was a big fish fan, so I was surprised when they liked my suggestion of Loch Fyne. It's in a rather posh development next to the river. It's a bit out of the way, which may go some way to explain why there was only 3 tables of diners.
We had a look at the lunch menu, and were glad to see two courses, a side dish and a glass of wine for £11.50. There were 5 choices of starter and main course, 3 were fish, 1 meat option and 1 vegetarian option. I opted for the mussels with shallots and bacon, followed by hake, sauteed new potatoes, samphire in a mustard dressing and a side salad. My guest had grilled sardines with caper and shallot dressing then the salmon fillet with chilli oil, citrus couscous and a side order of new potatoes.
We each had the house white, and were pleasantly surprised that it was a rather palatable, fruity and dry. I've had some pretty ropey house whites, but this was pretty good. My only gripe was that the lunch menu does not come with a non-alcoholic drink. Alcohol at lunch time is not everyone's choice, and the lunch menu is inclusive of a glass of wine. I asked if I could have a soft drink or a tea instead, and was told I could only have wine or tap water!
The starters arrived and I was presented with some lovely plump mussels- just the right quantity for a starter. My only grumble was that the bacon was rather anaemic looking; I would have preferred it to have been cook long enough for it to start to go brown. My guest's sardines were delicious. I am a bit squeamish about oily fish; the flavour can be too strong. These sardines were moist and the sharp dressing cut through the rich flavour.
My guest was similarly impressed with their main course. The salmon, crispy skinned and moist fleshed, was able to stand up to the chilli oil. The citrus couscous, albeit a small portion, was refreshing. My hake was perfectly cooked. My guest claimed not to like hake, but after I removed the spine, she dug her fork in a changed her mind. It's been quite a while since I've had samphire and I'd forgotten how delicious it can be. Luckily, I didn't notice the mustard dressing, as I didn't want it to ruin the flavour of a delicate dish. The salad was very enjoyable as it went beyond the boring house salads I have eaten elsewhere. It was a well-dressed concoction of cherry tomato, spring onion, celery, spring onion, chicory and mixed leaves.
The service was efficient and friendly, so my only complaint was a minor niggle about the bacon.
By rights, if this restaurant was better situated this restaurant would be full!
We had a look at the lunch menu, and were glad to see two courses, a side dish and a glass of wine for £11.50. There were 5 choices of starter and main course, 3 were fish, 1 meat option and 1 vegetarian option. I opted for the mussels with shallots and bacon, followed by hake, sauteed new potatoes, samphire in a mustard dressing and a side salad. My guest had grilled sardines with caper and shallot dressing then the salmon fillet with chilli oil, citrus couscous and a side order of new potatoes.
We each had the house white, and were pleasantly surprised that it was a rather palatable, fruity and dry. I've had some pretty ropey house whites, but this was pretty good. My only gripe was that the lunch menu does not come with a non-alcoholic drink. Alcohol at lunch time is not everyone's choice, and the lunch menu is inclusive of a glass of wine. I asked if I could have a soft drink or a tea instead, and was told I could only have wine or tap water!
The starters arrived and I was presented with some lovely plump mussels- just the right quantity for a starter. My only grumble was that the bacon was rather anaemic looking; I would have preferred it to have been cook long enough for it to start to go brown. My guest's sardines were delicious. I am a bit squeamish about oily fish; the flavour can be too strong. These sardines were moist and the sharp dressing cut through the rich flavour.
My guest was similarly impressed with their main course. The salmon, crispy skinned and moist fleshed, was able to stand up to the chilli oil. The citrus couscous, albeit a small portion, was refreshing. My hake was perfectly cooked. My guest claimed not to like hake, but after I removed the spine, she dug her fork in a changed her mind. It's been quite a while since I've had samphire and I'd forgotten how delicious it can be. Luckily, I didn't notice the mustard dressing, as I didn't want it to ruin the flavour of a delicate dish. The salad was very enjoyable as it went beyond the boring house salads I have eaten elsewhere. It was a well-dressed concoction of cherry tomato, spring onion, celery, spring onion, chicory and mixed leaves.
The service was efficient and friendly, so my only complaint was a minor niggle about the bacon.
By rights, if this restaurant was better situated this restaurant would be full!
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my new blog. My intention is to make note of meals out, along with any kitchen triumphs/ disasters that I have.
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