Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Back to the Griffin
Back to the Griffin for a second night in the row. Started with a salt cod and beetroot dish
Followed by an excellent plate of braised ox cheeks - shall have to have a go at making these!
Accompanied with 'pearl barley bourguignonne'. No idea how it's done, but it was great - definitely some pancetta and red wine in there, and probably a little onion and garlic as well
Finished with a tracle tart with brown butter ice cream and a glass of tokaji
Followed by an excellent plate of braised ox cheeks - shall have to have a go at making these!
Accompanied with 'pearl barley bourguignonne'. No idea how it's done, but it was great - definitely some pancetta and red wine in there, and probably a little onion and garlic as well
Finished with a tracle tart with brown butter ice cream and a glass of tokaji
Dinner in Wales
Dinner at the Felinfach Griffin, near Hay on Wye
Started with an amuse bouche of a carrot and parsnip soup
The menu was great - lots of things you'd want to eat
Started with the smoked salmon
in discussion the next day, Jay Raynor thought it 'a little overwrought', and I can see what he meant with the lemon caviar accompaniment, but it was very tasty
Main course was an excellent chunk of slow cooked belly pork with morels and champ
Started with an amuse bouche of a carrot and parsnip soup
The menu was great - lots of things you'd want to eat
Started with the smoked salmon
in discussion the next day, Jay Raynor thought it 'a little overwrought', and I can see what he meant with the lemon caviar accompaniment, but it was very tasty
Main course was an excellent chunk of slow cooked belly pork with morels and champ
Monday, May 18, 2009
Dinner party food
First - preparing the grapes in advance. I served pickled grapes with the cheese, another smittenkitchen recipe
The grapes were removed from the stem, and a little sliced off
They were steeped in white wine vinegar, water, sugar, black peppercorns, mustard seeds and cinnamon
Rhubarb fool was a repeat dessert from last weekend
Rhubarb was cooked down in caster sugar and a little water
Cooked until not quite falling apart
Cooled, then mixed with softly whipped cream
For the main course, sausage casserole
Pancetta, torpedo shallots and sausages were simmered gently . . .
. . . in red wine
Mushrooms were added near the end, and it was served on sweet potato mash
With a fresh green salad from the garden
Twice cooked shortbread made another appearance
The finished rhubarb fool
A cheese board
And finally, the pickled grapes
The grapes were removed from the stem, and a little sliced off
They were steeped in white wine vinegar, water, sugar, black peppercorns, mustard seeds and cinnamon
Rhubarb fool was a repeat dessert from last weekend
Rhubarb was cooked down in caster sugar and a little water
Cooked until not quite falling apart
Cooled, then mixed with softly whipped cream
For the main course, sausage casserole
Pancetta, torpedo shallots and sausages were simmered gently . . .
. . . in red wine
Mushrooms were added near the end, and it was served on sweet potato mash
With a fresh green salad from the garden
Twice cooked shortbread made another appearance
The finished rhubarb fool
A cheese board
And finally, the pickled grapes