flavour for people who love local food
Bristol, Bath & South West | Issue 34 | December 2010
win! Half a case of Bottega Gold Prosecco!
ÂŁ3 (Where sold)
christmas with gordon Cook your festive centrepiece Ramsay-style
Ship Shape
Time-saving ideas for the harassed host
Happy Holidays! www.flavourmagazine.com
Glorious New Year getaways
Celebrate Christmas in style at Clifton Triangle’s exciting new venue
glass of wine or soft drink with every main meal
ur
ed to o you are cordially invit
l l a B e d a r e u Masq
New Year’s
Eve
£5 entry 0 people ption for first 10 ce re e gn Champa ball e ad masquer Strictly black tie 7-9 m fro as zz pi d Free canapés an DJ from 9-3 8pm Free entry until available so Limited tickets t disappointmen d oi av to book early
THE Brass Pig bar and dining OPENING HOURS 10.30 until Late All Week LOCATION 1 Clifton Heights, Triangle West, BRISTOL BS8 1EJ CONTACT US 0117 329 4471 info@thebrasspig.co.uk www.thebrasspig.co.uk
*Offer runs from 1st January until end of February 2011
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Free if you quote flavour magazine at the bar*
Editor: Holly Aurelius-Haddock Email: holly@flavourmagazine.com Deputy Editor: Faye Allen Email: faye@flavourmagazine.com
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Art Director: Chris Jones Email: design@flavourmagazine.com Advertising: Miranda Coller, Director of Sales Email: miranda@flavourmagazine.com Clare Wicks, Account Manager Email: clare@flavourmagazine.com
Welcome to the December issue of flavour!
Photography: Jeni Meade, Toby Roxborough, James Walker Contributors: Stuart Ash, Martin Blunos, Siân Blunos, Tom Bowles, Nick Gregory, Duncan Shine, Ron Faulkner, Clare Morris Flavour Magazine 151-153 Wick Road, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4HH Tel: 01179 779188 | Visit: www.flavourmagazine.com Please send any comments or suggestions to the publisher at the above address. For general enquiries: Peter Francomb Email: peter@flavourmagazine.com
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For competition entries: Email: competitions@flavourmagazine.com © Copyright 2010 flavourmagazine.com All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission of flavour. While we take care to ensure that reports, reviews and features are accurate, flavourmagazine.com accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed or advice given are the views of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of flavourmagazine.com
flavour magazine provides effective communication through design. We specialise in brochures, corporate identity, advertising, direct mail, marketing and design for print. We have a reputation for clear, creative solutions to communication problems for a number of corporate, sports, financial, charity and leisure industry clients. We maintain the highest of standards, throughout each individual project and our client relationship. We pride ourselves on delivering distinctive designs and ideas that will get you noticed. For more information, please contact Peter Francomb Tel: 01179 779188 Email: peter@flavourmagazine.com Visit: www.flavourmagazine.com Competition Terms & Conditions In addition to any specifically stated terms and conditions, the following applies to all competitions. All information forms part of the rules. All entrants are deemed to have accepted the rules and agree to be bound by them. The winner will be the first entry drawn at random from all the entries sent back after the closing date and will be notified by either post, email or telephone. The prizes are as stated; they are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered. All entrants must be at least 18 years old. Competitions are open to UK residents only. One entry per person. Proof of postage is not proof of entry. flavour accepts no responsibility for entries lost or damaged in the post. Entrants agree to take part in any publicity material relating to the competition. The name of the winner will be published in the next edition. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes do not include unspecified extras (such as travel). All prizes are subject to availability. Please state if you do not wish to receive any further correspondence from flavour or competition organisers. You may be required to collect your prize. Please recycle this product.
welcome
contents 6 In Season Tom Bowles and Stuart Ash cook up the best of the season 10 WIN! Half a case of Bottega Gold Prosecco! 20 Happy Holidays Glorious New Year getaways 28 Goodman’s Geese If it’s good enough for Delia... 48 Ship Shape Time-saving ideas for the harassed host 66 Dinner 4 Good A great goodwill gesture
Unless you’ve just returned from an extended trip in outer space, you’ll have noticed that we are well and truly into the festive period. With varying levels of good taste, your entire village or town is likely to be lit up like the proverbial illuminations, and your general sense of worth hinges on how much present shopping you’ve managed to accomplish. Thankfully, the mumblings of my inner Scrooge are still just about overpowered by the excited squeals of my inner child – hey, you’re never too old for an advent calendar. Everything about this time year relies heavily on two things: food and planning. That’s where we come in. Gordon Ramsay is on hand with the ultimate festive centrepiece PAGE 23, wine columnist Clare Morris offers up some great ideas for the drinks cabinet on PAGEs 26 and 57, and there’s even few ideas on PAGE 20 of where to spend a truly Happy New Year. Despite being a time for tradition, it’s OK to do things a little differently too, which is why we’ve included a three course vegetarian menu on PAGE 55, as well as recommending a whole host of top quality meat suppliers on PAGE 28 if turkey leaves you cold. Most importantly though, follow our advice on PAGE 48 and you’ll have plenty of time left over to pour yourself a drink and relax in front of the fire with our latest issue. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Happy Eating! Holly Aurelius-Haddock
> flavour news
If you have any news or events that you would like to share with us here at flavour then email enquiries@flavourmagazine.com
this month A well-run kitchen
Teach me to cook! If you are a fledgling foodie with a New Year’s resolution to develop your cooking skills, then Streamcombe Farm on Exmoor has a new course just for you. The relaxed and informal sessions are kept to a maximum of six students, led by accomplished chef and proprietor Ian Jarmarkier. Participants will leave with a good understanding of fundamental cookery skills and how to create great food without always relying on recipes. The price of £145 per person includes lunch and refreshments on both days and evening dinner on the first day, plus luxury bed and breakfast accommodation.
Renowned Bristol chef Stephen Markwick has teamed up with local award-winning food-writer Fiona Beckett for the second volume of his culinary memoirs, A well-run kitchen. The series charts the recipes Stephen has cooked at his former Bristol restaurants Bistro 21, Markwicks and now at Culinaria on Chandos Road. Fiona comments: “The name of the book stemmed from the fact that Stephen’s kitchen is irreproachably frugal. He buys top quality ingredients but uses every bit of them – a lesson he learned from his two mentors George Perry-Smith and Joyce Molyneux who has written the foreword to the book.” Available from Culinaria restaurant or online for £12. 01179 737999 www.culinariabristol.co.uk
01398 323775 www.southwestcookery.co.uk
The Bath Wine Tasting Company The Bath Wine Tasting Company is a new venture being launched by Bath resident Jonathan Kemp, who will offer wine tasting experiences to corporate and private clients at their premises or homes. Jonathan is launching his new business after a career in hospitality, managing award-winning restaurants, bars and cafes in Oxfordshire. He moved to the West Country three years ago, “I’m really excited by the enthusiasm for good food and wine here in Bath” he said. “I’m hoping that people will share my love of wine and decide to treat themselves to an enjoyable and informative experience.” T: 07875-234406 W: www.bathwinetastingcompany.com
Room at the Inn Two bespoke hotels in Exeter are offering free accommodation from 16-19 December to all couples called Mary and Joseph! Photo ID is all that is needed to secure a place at The Rougemont and the Jury’s Inn in Exeter. No donkeys allowed! To claim your free room, email the Tourism Officer at Exeter City Council on maryandjoseph@heartofdevon.com
winners Congratulations to Pauline Routley from Redditch who won BBC Good Food Show tickets 4
Congratulations to Stuart Poole from Bedminster who won lunch for two at Troughs
> flavour news
CHRISTMAS TREES FOR SALE! Visit Rainbow Wood Farm opposite Bath University to pick yours up today. T: 07891 537528
Somerset Venison The red deer at Somerset Venison Farm are home bred and feed on grass and silage, with no GM or antibodies used. Choose from steaks, joints, casserole pieces, mince, sausages and burgers. Order by phone or spot Somerset Venison at your local Farmers’ Market. Try the Bath or Wellington market on the first and third Saturday of each month, Westonsuper-Mare on the second Saturday of the month, Minehead every Friday or Montacute, Yeovil and Clevedon on the fourth Saturday of every month. Phone early to avoid disappointment. 01823 400257
grape & grind Gloucester Road boasts another great shop for foodies with new, independent wine merchant Grape & Grind now open. After major building renovations, Grape & Grind opened on 27 November, providing a long awaited complement to the run of fresh food outlets on the street. Run by husband and wife team Darren and Polly Willis, the shop sells a wide range of high quality wine from small producers around the world, alongside glassware, leaf teas and freshly roasted coffees.
With stores in Bath, Bristol and Cardiff, Kitchens is a haven for all those buying for their own homes or for commercial use. In recognition of the comprehensive range on offer, the tantalising displays and dedicated staff training, Kitchens on Whiteladies Road in Bristol, Quiet Street in Bath and High Street in Cardiff scooped three industryrecognised awards at the Excellence in Housewares Awards. Against tough competition, Kitchens won the Retail Training Category, the Cookshop and Housewares Retailer of the Year Award as well as the Global Innovation Award. Now these local stores are going global, representing independent cook shops from the UK at an international event being held in Chicago next year.
T: 0117 9248718 W: www.grapeandgrind.co.uk
WIN! A three-course meal for two
at Dart Marina’s Wildfire Bar & Bistro!
In a setting alive with soft jazz, acoustic guitar, cocktails and champagne, enjoy seasonal cocktails and a menu that takes influences from around the world. Head Chef Tom Woods is equally committed to his local suppliers from Devon pastures, Devon coastal waters and Devon dairies. Simply sit back and watch the River Dart glide by a few steps away. For your chance to win simply email competitions@flavourmagazine.com stating your name, address and phone number, or write to us at the usual address! www.wildfirebistro.com
Specialising in knives and saucepans, Kitchens also stocks small electricals and a wide assortment of other products for the preparation and cooking of food. Brands stocked include Global, Sabatier, Le Creuset and Magimix. Keith Floyd was one of the first regular customers. Other wel-known names include Nigella Lawson and Nicolas Cage. Local fans include Richard Bertinet from the Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School in Bath as well as Barny Haughton of Bordeaux Quay, Bristol. Kitchens (Catering Utensils) Ltd. Bath: 01225 330524 Bristol: 01179 739614 Cardiff: 02920 229814 www.kitchenscookshop.co.uk
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> flavour in season
>Cranberries The best cranberries will be brightly coloured and firm. As they are usually available in packets, you won’t always get all the berries in the same condition, so discard any soft, shrivelled or discoloured ones. They will keep their freshness for a couple of weeks in the fridge but also freeze very well providing you don’t wash them beforehand. Along with their most obvious use in sauces or jellies they can be great in sweet and savoury pies, stuffing, relishes and tarts. Their sweet but sharp flavour tends to go very well with cold meats, particularly white meat, making it the perfect addition to the well-anticipated Boxing Day sandwich!
Cranberry, lime and coconut steamed sponge Makes 4 Cream 60g butter and 70g sugar until white then beat in 1 egg. Fold through 120g of sieved flour and 7g of baking powder, then add in 100g dried cranberries, 60g desiccated coconut, 1 fl oz of milk and the zest and juice of 1 lime and thoroughly mix. Butter and flour four dariole moulds, divide the mixture between them and steam for approx 50 minutes. Allow to stand for a few minutes then turn out and serve with ice-cream or custard.
At their best
>Sprouts Whether you love them or hate them, no Christmas dinner table would be complete without sprouts. They were thought to have been originally cultivated in Belgium, hence the name, but the humble sprout has been a British favourite for many years. They are available through winter from October until March growing on large central stalks. To prepare trim any outer damaged or discoloured leaves. Do not overcook them as they can become mushy and the flavours are at their best when they still have a bit of bite. If you buy them on their stalks they keep well but if not keep them in a fridge for three or four days.
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SAUTÉ of sprouts with smoked bacon, crushed walnuts and sage Makes 4 Place a large sauté pan on the heat, add a splash of oil and 60g butter. When the oil is hot and the butter has melted add 180g smoked bacon cut into small lardons and 2 finely sliced shallots. Cook for a few minutes then add 20 large sprouts, slices and sauté until just cooked. Add 70g of walnuts and 5 sage leaves and sauté for another minute. Serve immediately. (Great with Christmas lunch.)
> flavour in season
>Clementines Clementines are the very essence of Christmas fruit. They have a familiar and festive fragrance which is released when they are peeled. They are packed full of vitamins and are very easy to eat due to the lack of seeds which makes them a great hit with the kids. Their zest works very well with many desserts and they also go well in some savoury salads with other bitter ingredients. They can be kept in a fridge or just in a cool room, which are common this time of year! Clementines are usually best just eaten as they are, freshly peeled and segmented, snacked on throughout the day.
Clementines in winter wine syrup Makes 8 Start by making the syrup from 500ml of red wine and 240g granulated sugar, stir to the boil and remove any scum from the surface. Add in 5 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and zest from one orange and simmer for two minutes. Prick 16 small clementines all over with a sharp needle then add them to the syrup, bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Mix in 60ml of ginger wine and 60ml of orange liqueur, cover with a cartouche and allow to cool. Refrigerate and eat after a few days .
We all know that eating with the seasons makes for healthier bodies and tastier dishes. Each month Tom Bowles from Hartley Farm and Stuart Ash from Woods Restaurant team up to bring you all you need to know about the best produce of the month.
right now >Chestnuts Chestnuts are another real Christmassy treat. They are small and sweet brown nuts that are only available late in the year. If you are seeking your own source of wild sweet chestnuts do not get yourself confused with the more common horse chestnuts (conkers) as these are inedible. They are readily available now as they are or already prepared. They will keep very well if you have foraged for them yourself for a few days. They need a fair bit of TLC when preparing them but the reward far surpasses that. Just score them with a knife and roast them in an oven to ease the shell away. A great way to enjoy them is to soak them in brandy after roasting them and enjoy whilst still warm.
Roast chump of lamb with braised chestnuts and rosemary Makes 4 With a sharp knife, slit one side of each chestnut (400g worth), plunge them into boiling water for 3 minutes then drain and remove the shells and skins whilst still hot. Place the chestnuts in a sauté pan along with 50g butter and 1 finely diced shallot and cook for a few minutes. Add 2 sprigs of rosemary then cover with lamb stock and simmer until the chestnuts soften. Season 4 x 200g lamb chumps and seal all over in a hot pan until golden brown. Place in a hot oven, cook to your liking allowing 5 minutes for resting. Remove the chestnuts from the pan and reduce the liquid to sauce consistency. Add the chestnuts back into the sauce and continue to cook for 2 minutes. To serve, divide the chestnuts between four bowls, slice the chump of lamb and arrange on top and finally drizzle with sauce. 7
> flavour best books
best books of 2010 Best for baking
Bake and Decorate: Fiona Cairns March, Quadrille, £19.99 Bake and Decorate was our top pick for Mother’s Day this year. Bursting with ideas for delicious cakes and cookies that will make you go weak at the knees, we just couldn’t get enough of top cake designer, Fiona Cairns’ simple and scrummy recipes. A particularly good buy for beginners, this book not only shows you how to decorate delightfully, but also how to master the art of successful baking.
Best for photography Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume: Silvena Rowe June, Hutchinson, £25 It isn’t just the Oriental Mediterranean recipes that make this book so utterly irresistible, but a quick flick through the pages is sure to get you hooked (we certainly were!). Every dish is captured at its best and if you never end up reproducing one of the carefully crafted and delightful recipes, the stunning visuals alone are sure to bring a ray of Mediterranean sunshine back into your kitchen.
Best for the modern cook
Best for eating on a budget
June, Bloomsbury Publishing, £18.99
April, Quadrille Publishing, £14.99
The Flavour Thesaurus: Niki Segnit
Since its publication, flavour has had many readers write in to comment on their successes with the Flavour Thesaurus in their own homes. Niki Segnit takes 99 popular ingredients and explores the ways they can be combined. Niki looks at everything from chili and chocolate and lobster and vanilla, to lemon and beef! Beautifully packaged and easy to use, this is the essential gift for a foodie friend.
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Gourmet Food for a Fiver: Jason Atherton Coming to the end of 2010, you may be feeling a little fed up of the credit crunch and doing everything on the cheap. If this sounds like you, then we have the perfect book to brighten up your evening meals and give you some of the delicious gourmet food you’ve been missing – and all for less than £5 a head for a two-course meal!
> flavour best books
Best for budding chefs
Cooking with the Master Chef: Michel Roux Junior September, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £25 If you’re still reeling from the inspired work of the nation’s favourite judge on MasterChef, then this book is the perfect choice to keep your skills up to scratch. This delicious cookery book is a compendium of his favourite recipes, demonstrating his vast knowledge and experience. Take a lesson from the man that knows everything there is to know about food and impress your friends and family with top marks.
Best for gardeners
The Home Cookbook: Monty and Sarah Don October, Bloomsbury, £25 From one of Britain’s best loved gardeners comes the The Home Cookbook, a wonderful collection of over 250 recipes celebrating the best of British domestic cooking as it has evolved over the centuries and still exists, especially in the countryside. Monty and Sarah Don share the lessons of eating as locally as possible (often in their back garden) and with the seasons. From thrifty farmhouse techniques to indulgent puds, this book is full of recipes that you fancy everyday.
Best reprint
Best newcomer
October, Michael Joseph, £25
July, Quadrille, £14.99
A celebration of such an iconic foodie figure cannot go unrecognised in our rundown of the best books of 2010. This collection of her greatest recipes is testament to the woman who revolutionised post-war British cooking, brining inspiration and soul to home cooking as well as restaurants around the world, once more.
Featuring in our July issue, we instantly fell in love with Alice Hart’s new cookbook. Still in her 20s, Alice has spent her time as a chef, the youngest ever food editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated and has also run a hit pop-up restaurant, The Hart and Fuggle, in London. Alice is an exciting and authoritative new young voice on food who loves to share her culinary knowledge with friends.
Best restaurant cookbook
Best of British
At Elizabeth David’s Table: Elizabeth David
The French Laundry Cookbook: Thomas Keller November, Workman Publishing £80 Through recipes, essays, charming personal anecdotes and extraordinary photography, this stunning coffee table read captures one of America’s great restaurants, its inspiring owner-chef, and the food that makes both unique. 150 superlative recipes are exact receipts from the French Laundry kitchen; no shortcuts have been taken, no critical steps ignored and all have been tried and tested in home kitchens. If you can’t get to this world-famous Californian eaterie, you can now re-create the next best thing at home.
Alice’s Cook Book: Alice Hart
Clarissa Dickson Wright Potty! September, Hodder £20 Clarissa’s one pot cookbook is a natural choice for anyone who loves good food but hates washing up. A mouth-watering collection of casseroles, soups, stir-fries and roasts as well as delicious one pot desserts, such as the magic chocolate pudding. Ideal for the colder nights, these easy to follow recipes are perfect for the taste of home using the best of local ingredients.
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> flavour loves...
Deliciously Decadent... Dorset chocolatier House of Dorchester has created a deliciously decadent collection of chocolates for Christmas. The Luxury Christmas Tin Collection has two layers of eight hand-crafted milk, white and dark chocolates, including a Praline Bouchee, Pistachio Mousse, Raspberry Caramel and Marc de Champagne Truffle. Available for £11.99 at Lakeland and other independent retailers. T: 01420 84181 W: www.hodchoc.com
flavour This month’s must do, buy & see...
Loves
The Bridge Brasserie
New to Chippenham this month is The Bridge Brasserie. Owned by Stephen Smith – formerly a chef at Castle Combe’s prestigious Manor House Hotel – and Chris Bonsor who has shaken and stirred in a string of awardwinning cocktail bars, the restaurant serves up modern British and European cuisine rounded off by a small but bespoke drinks menu. T: 01249 444522 W: www.thebridgebrasserie.co.uk
rich pickings Resist the madness of the supermarket and pre-packed veggies by paying a visit to Chris Rich’s farmshop in Batheaston. Chris will package a box of what you enjoy the most and if you live in Bath, he’ll even deliver it to your door in time for your Christmas dinner. Prices range from £5-£40. T: 01225 859939
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Gin Gin! Not only is Six O’clock Gin Bristol’s first gin, but it’s been developed with its own tonic, resulting in a perfect and unique G&T come aperitif time! Available from great independent off licenses, bars, restaurants and online. W: www.bramleyandgage.com
> flavour loves...
The perfect mulled wine… Bart Spices have developed a traditional blend of Fairtrade Wine Mulling Spice – great for guests and winter evenings. Containing ginger, cloves, mace, cassia, orange peel and nutmeg, this blend gives off the most wonderful festive aroma and a warming spicy flavour. Each sachet can mull 1 litre of wine, beer or cider.
Fire your imagination
T: 0117 977 3474 W: www.bartspices.com
Getting back to nature and using the elements to cook food has captured the heart and imagination of designer Amrit Row. Whether you install a wood-fired oven inside or outside your home, you will rediscover a social means of dining along with great design and practicality. Be it meat, fish, vegetables, bread or pizza, nothing compares to the taste created in the unique atmosphere of hot stone and brick. T: 01225 867971 W: www.wood-firedoven.co.uk
Jackie’s Country Larder Based in the beautiful village of Frampton-on-Severn, Jackie’s Country Larder is a small family-run business that aims to produce the finest products using locally sourced and homegrown fruit and vegetables. The high quality preserves, marmalades, chutneys, oils, pickles and vinegars are regularly used in her restaurant and are also available for purchase at the restaurant or local farm shops and garden centres. T: 01452 740077 W: www.jacquelinesbistro.co.uk
A fruity number Now available at Quoins Organic Vineyard in Bradfordon-Avon is a fully mature 2007 Rondo red wine. This full bodied red with subtle fruity flavours is ideal with venison, beef, or even as an appetiser. Take advantage of the special Christmas offer: £50 for half a case of Rondo or a mixed, including award-winning white wines and rosé wines. Free local delivery or visit the Bath Farmers’ Market! T: 07835 265082 W: www.quoinsvineyard.co.uk
Win! Six bottles of Bottega Gold Prosecco Bottega Gold is a special sparkling wine made from Prosecco grapes from the Trevisco Province in the Northeast of Italy. A fresh and crisp wine with notes of golden apple, pineapple and mango, the gilding of the bottle protects the wine against any source of light, keeping the features of the Prosecco unchanged for over a year. Use as an aperitif or with cocktails. Bottega Gold is available online at www.selfridges.com To win simply email: competitions@flavourmagazine.com stating your name, address, phone number and where you got your copy of the magazine. Good luck!
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> flavour three horseshoes
three horseshoes Despite the undesirable driving conditions, flavour takes a drive out to Batcombe in Somerset to visit the re-invigorated village pub… I’m a huge believer in horses for courses. So for example, when the summer sun is out in all its glory, nothing is nicer than flocking to your nearest waterside destination for a big plate of oysters and a glass of crisp white wine. Yet come the dark winter months, it’s time for log fires, hearty one-pot wonders and gutsy red wine. The Three Horseshoes, a 400-year-old country pub tucked away in the sleepy Somerset village of Batcombe, is an ideal bolt-hole for this time of year. Taken over six months ago by Ann-Marie and Cav Javvi, the pair set about re-establishing its reputation for good food and a warm welcome for diners, drinkers, walkers and families alike. Given a secluded location and icy driving conditions on the Sunday evening of my visit, the number of fellow patrons and audible camaraderie suggested the pair aren’t doing a bad job of it either.
The Three Horseshoes Batcombe Somerset BA4 6HE 01749 850359 www.thethreehorseshoesinn.co.uk 12
This is the kind of place where good food lies at the very heart of what makes it tick, as exemplified by the delicious homemade pork pies and chutneys adorning the bar. Those looking for more of a sit-down affair can take a table in the dining room, a former coach house that cannot fail to make a lasting impression on those who enter it. The space emits a palpable sense of history, as do the mismatched antique dining furniture and oil paintings dotted throughout. No clean lines and cryptic canvasses here. A cursory glance at the menu revealed provenance to be very much the order of the day at The Three Horseshoes, with all
produce coming from well-respected local suppliers. That is apart from the quail, charge of ‘Annette, who lives in village’, and the pork, reared by the owners themselves in Gillingham. To start, delicate strips of crimson venison carpaccio (£5.90) were beautifully framed against a china white backdrop. Meat as good as this needs very little intervention, though the addition of salt, lemon, Parmesan and mouthwatering mustard watercress was just the ticket. A main course of pan-fried duck breast with thyme potatoes, black kale and red wine jus (£16.90) was exactly the kind of well-constructed dish I’d hoped to see on the menu. The quality of ingredients spoke for themselves here, leaving in their wake an irresistible sauce that begged to be mopped up with warm bread, regardless of table etiquette. With just a little room left for dessert, the upside down caramelised pear pudding with Chantilly cream (£5.50) seemed the perfect solution to my predicament. A fluffy sponge base rendered it light enough to eat every last mouthful, the sugary pear enveloped within a nod to superlative French patisserie. Just 40 minutes from Bath and Bristol is a journey well worth making to this picturesque pub with a strong team behind it. What’s more, in the age of the enigmatic gastropub, places like The Three Horseshoes remind us that good food in relaxed surroundings needn’t necessarily be dressed up any other way. ■
> flavour xxxxxxx
The quality of ingredients spoke for themselves here, leaving in their wake an irresistible sauce that begged to be mopped up with warm bread, regardless of table etiquette
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> flavour martin blunos
so here it is This month Martin Blunos reminisces over the ingredients that make Christmas, however old you are... I give it until 2020 and it’ll be Christmas all year round. Brilliant if you’re 10 years old and under but not if you’re an adult; blimey there is a limit to the amount of mulled wine you can drink and Twiglets your body can deal with. Have you noticed that at this time of year we tend to eat a lot more than we would ordinarily? I think it’s the need to be hospitable. You know what it’s like, even a knock at the door from your local MP ends in an invitation for a glass of port and a minced pie. As a child, getting a pomegranate was a winter holiday treat. Picking out the jewelled arils (the red bits) with a bobby pin watching as Snow White said ciao to the seven little fellas was heaven. Nowadays you can buy the arils already picked and pre-packed, which takes the fun out of the whole. The juice is also available and not only does it taste great, it’s really healthy and full of antioxidants too. I love this stuff and here’s a festive dish that you can prepare easily and simply. The juice (POM) is now readily available in all good supermarkets. Try it even if you just drink it.
POM AND GINGER JELLIES Serves 6-8 Ingredients 7 sheets bronze leaf gelatine 600ml POM juice 65g caster sugar 20g fresh root ginger 200g fresh arils Method 1 Place the leaf gelatine in a shallow dish and pour over just enough POM juice to cover the surface. Leave to soften for 5 minutes. 2 Peel the ginger and slice finely. 3 Heat the remaining POM juice, sliced ginger and caster sugar in a saucepan until hot, but do not allow to boil otherwise the colour will be affected 4 When hot remove pan from heat. Mix in the softened leaf gelatine and any juice, stirring until completely dissolved, strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Allow to cool to room temperature. 5 Pour into individual moulds or one large one. Add the arils to the jelly so they set in suspension and strew around turned out jelly to garnish. Serve with thick double cream or low fat yoghurt.
One of the South West’s most talented chefs, Martin Blunos was born and brought up near Bath, his parents having come to England from Latvia just after the Second World War. He has held two Michelin stars for more than 15 years and appears regularly on television and radio with regular slots as guest chef on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen with James Martin, BBC Market Kitchen, ITV Daily Cooks and ITV’s Saturday Cooks. 15
> flavour george inn
the george inn A regular contributor to CAMRA magazine Pints West, Duncan Shine champions the virtues of real ale and traditional cider. He’s also editor of the website britishpubguide.com
One of the many joys of living in Great Britain is the fact that we can boast one of the most technologically advanced societies in the world, while enjoying light refreshment in the same building where monks did the same thing more than 700 years ago. The George Inn High Street Norton St Philip Somerset BA2 7LH 01373 834224 www.georgeinnnsp.co.uk 16
Where else in the world could you tap a postcode into your SatNav system (BA2 7LH if you’re interested), and be directed to an inn that has been continually licensed since 1397, and where you can enjoy a ciabatta beneath heavy oak beams while making use of the free wi-fi connection, lit by energy-saving light bulbs above a
centuries-old secret tunnel to the local priory. The George Inn at Norton St Philip offers all that and more. Approach from the north and you see instantly that this is somewhere very special. The Cotswold stone exterior of the ground floor is marked by a low entrance arch, a built-in staircase to the entrance to the Coach Room, and arched and barred windows, while the upper storey has that patchwork of whitewash and oak beams where nothing is quite straight and the windows seem designed for an altogether smaller guest.
> flavour george inn
Raise a glass to... Wadworth 6X (4.3%) Copper in colour. If you like to waft your pint under your nose, you’ll notice the fruity aroma, which is also present in the taste, but there is also a pleasing bitterness to the brew. The hops come through in the end too. Wadworth Henry’s I.P.A. (3.6%) A pale session bitter, with a golden brown colouring. The malt is understated in the aroma, and yet as you take about your third sip, you notice the malt winning the battle against the hops for your palate’s attention.
No surprise, as it is thought that the building dates back to around 1223, when it may have been constructed to provide accommodation and sustenance to those building the nearby Hinton Priory. The pub claims to have been licenced continually since 1397, and has an international reputation as one of the most ancient inns in the country and, let’s face it, therefore the world. There is a large car park – offering gorgeous views over the meadow to the church – from which you enter the side of the building through a big old oak door. A lounge on your right has the plush opulence of a stately home, complete with a roaring fire and the sort of chaise longue in which you could comfortably pass several hours if not days. Carry on along the narrow stone corridor and enter the main bar on your right. I challenge anyone to enter this wonderful
room without feeling a surging sense of inner contentment. A huge and imposing real fire dominates one wall, with an ornate ironwork fireback bearing the name and crest of the George. Above the fireplace are large blackboards offering a wide range of dishes such as Homemade Game Pie, or Sri Lankan Seafood Kirata (a whitefish and coconut curry). Along the longer wall opposite the door are substantial high-backed settles with red patterned upholstery. The bar itself is not so much a bar as a giants’ dining table, above which a display of bottles and tankards is suspended from the ceiling by three twisted iron struts. The George, as evidenced by the wellpreserved sign at the front, is a Wadworth house, so the beers on offer are from the Devizes brewery’s own range. Wadworth 6X is the best known, but Henry’s I.P.A. is arguably even more quaffable. Malt & Hops has a stronger flavour, and Swordfish commemorates the Battle of Taranto in 1940 with a brave but ultimately inspired selection of ingredients. As lovely as this, the Monmouth bar, is, it still represents only a fraction of the architectural and historic delight that is the George. There’s the Dining Room in the converted barn to the rear, with its 19th- century portraits; there’s the heavy oak-beamed ceilings, the round table which purports to have been used by the
Wadworth Malt & Hops (4.5%) An autumnal offering. Normally, the hops are dried after picking, but this one is made using undried, freshly picked hops. The effect of this method is to produce a citrus tang, which gives way to the signature Wadworth bitterness in the end. Wadworth Swordfish (5%) Appearing from November onwards, this commemorates the Swordfish Torpedo bombers of the Second World War. If you think you can smell a touch of rum in this, that’s because they use Pussers Rum from the Virgin Islands – the original Sailors’ ration rum. This added ingredient, along with the cane sugar, gives a real smooth-bodied and satisfying flavour to this rich brown beer.
Duke of Monmouth, who stayed here in 1685 during his rebellion against King James II; then there’s the tiny cobbled courtyard, with its open air gallery leading to the bedrooms. Although simply dripping with history (ask about the story of the automatic cart horse) and a Grade I listed building, the George remains as welcoming of those popping in for a quick pint as it of diners or overnight guests. A national treasure right here in the West Country. ■ 17
• Rosemary Restaurant • Japanese Sunday buffet lunch • “All you can eat” dinner on Thursdays • Japanese à la carte menu • Afternoon cream tea on the patio
The Avenue, Stanton Fitzwarren, Swindon SN6 7SD Tel: 0870 084 1388 Fax: 01793 861857 restaurant@stantonhouse.co.uk
StantonHouseHotel www.stantonhouse.co.uk
Nursery, Garden Restaurant & Café, Farm Shop & Gift Shop There is so much to see & experience at Lowden this Christmas… … In our nursery you will find all the traditional festive plants, winter-flowering hanging-baskets, our beautiful fresh hand-made wreaths and Christmas trees, of course. Lots and lots of gorgeous Christmas trees. Our thoughts – like yours – turn to food especially at Christmas, and at Lowden, there is plenty of traditional Christmas fare to enjoy. The festive menu in our Restaurant, and the delicious foods available in our Farm Shop will be sure to delight. With a visit to our Gift Shop, you will find everything on your (and Santa’s) list this Christmas.
Truly celebrate the festive season with Lowden Garden Centre. For more information on the range of foods and gifts available, and for news on events, please visit our website. Lowden Garden Centre and Farm Shop, Bath Road, Shaw SN12 8TZ 01225 702345 | www.lowdengardencentre.com
> flavour recipe
White chocolate and gingerbread cheesecake Serves 10 To make the gingerbread base: 2g ground ginger 142g plain flour 1 egg 85g unsalted Isigny butter roll 1.5g bicarbonate of soda 1g mixed spice 57g black treacle 142ml semi skimmed milk 113g caster sugar Method 1 Sift the flour, ground ginger and mixed spice into a mixing bowl. Pour the milk, black treacle, sugar and butter into a pan and heat gently until everything has melted. 2 Add the bicarbonate of soda to the milk and black treacle mixture. Place into a suitable metal mixing bowl, add the sifted flour mixture and mix well to combine. 3 Add the egg and mix well to make the batter. Pour the batter into ½ pint loaf tin,
Get out your mixing bowl, don your apron and cook up this seasonal sweet treat from The Living Room in Bristol.
lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 90mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
To make the filling: 198ml condensed milk 60ml water 125g unsalted butter roll 2 each of bronze leaf gelatine 2-3 eggs (whites only) 250g cream cheese 112g caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 250ml double cream 200g white chocolate Method 1 Soak the gelatine in water, split the vanilla pod and remove the seeds. Chop the white chocolate and butter into small, even pieces and separate the eggs whites from the yolks. 2 Place the butter, vanilla seeds, condensed milk and white chocolate into a mixing bowl over a pan of gently
simmering hot water. 3 Place sugar and water into a clean suitable saucepan and bring to the boil. Whilst boiling, clean the inside of the saucepan using a pastry brush. When at 120°C remove from the heat. 4 Put egg whites into the small, clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk on the highest speed until soft peaks form. 5 Turn the speed of the whisk to slow and start to pour the hot sugar into the bowl, be careful not to burn yourself. 6 Remove the soaked gelatine from the water and squeeze to remove excess water. 7 Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and add the soft gelatine, whisk this into the mixture to ensure it dissolves. Add the cream cheese to the chocolate mix and whisk to combine thoroughly. 8 Put the cream into a separate mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. When the chocolate mix is cool, fold in the whipped cream then the egg whites. 9 Pour the cheesecake moisture onto the base and allow to cool.
The Living Room Explore Lane Harbourside Canon’s Way Bristol BS1 5TY 01179 253993 www.thelivingroom.co.uk
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> flavour happy holidays
If you’ve been charged with overseeing all the Christmas preparations, don’t you think you’ve earned a relaxing break to see in the New Year?
Happy
The Queensberry Hotel Even after all the lights come down, Bath still boasts a dependably gorgeous midwinter twinkle. So, just as the beautifully quirky, and quirkily beautiful, Queensberry Hotel is an unbeatable seasonal destination, its appeal lasts well into the period associated with the post-festive doldrums. Its Old Q Bar’s expertly-mixed cocktails are reliably delicious, while The Olive Tree’s diners are always treated to chef Nick Brodie’s reliably uncanny ways with the finest ingredients. The restaurant is celebrating winning three AA rosettes, and its wine list was named 2011’s best by The Good Food Guide. 4-7 Russel Street Bath BA1 2QF T: 01225 447928 W: www.thequeensberry.co.uk
Offer: If that wasn’t incentive enough to visit, flavour and The Queensberry’s doldrumdefying deal will stave off the New Year blues without walloping your wallet. Stay for half price on selected midweek dates in January if you book before December 23rd, just quote ‘flavour’ when you book. Also included, pay for two courses and you will receive a third free in the hotel’s restaurant, The Olive Tree.
Dart Marina Hotel & Spa Dart Marina Hotel and Spa offers a haven of rest and relaxation on the banks of the River Dart, where guests are able to do as much or as little as they wish. If seeing the New Year in surrounded by comfort and serenity is something that appeals to you, then this four star Devon Hotel is your ideal retreat.
Reawaken your taste buds at Dart Marina’s River Restaurant, which holds two AA rosettes. The atmosphere matches the rest of the hotel – relaxed, chic and full of understated elegance. If you are looking for something a little more lively then step into the Wildfire Bistro and Bar for soft jazz, cocktails and champagne or a seafood grill.
Every bedroom has views of the river, so sit back on the crisp white linen sheets and the blissfully plump pillows to watch the yachts float by. In your own time, move on to the Health Spa where you can unwind in the warm pool, spa bath and steam room. Enjoy a sensory massage, a rejuvenating facial or if you are feeling energetic, tone up in the fitness suite or exercise pool.
The hotel is set in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – a more stunning location is hard to imagine. Dart Marina Hotel & Spa Sandquay Road Dartmouth Devon TQ6 9PH. T: 01803 832580 W: www.dartmarina.com
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> flavour happy holidays
Holidays Charlton House Bannatyne’s Charlton House will serve you a New Year in style. Join Charlton for a two-night break to get you ready to see in the New Year. Arrive and pamper yourself in the spa or take a leisurely stroll in the grounds. Begin your evening celebrations with a Cocktail and Canapé reception. The team of talented chefs will create you a four-course dinner to accompany your celebrations. After dinner, dance the evening away and count down the seconds to 2011 with the house disco and carry on the party. Charlton are also offering the evening to non-residents and for New Year’s Day, join the team for a hearty brunch and cosy up by the fire to relax throughout the day.
relax and recuperate and leave feeling rejuvenated. The Spa promises to be a decadent experience for a quiet contemplative visit, a get together with friends or a romantic getaway. The superb spa facilities will re-invigorate you, clear your mind and put a spring back in your step. Afterwards, enjoy lunch in the conservatory. Dine in your robes or even join some friends for lunch.
Bannatyne’s Charlton House Spa Hotel Shepton Mallet nr Glastonbury Somerset BA4 4PR
The Spa at Charlton House is a unique and luxurious place to visit for those who wish to soothe the mind and soul,
T: 01749 342008 W: www.bannatyne.co.uk
The Royal Lodge The Royal Lodge, set in the heart of the Wye Valley, mixes contemporary style with a touch of the traditional, reminiscent of the hunting lodge that it once used to be. The restaurant runs a carvery every Sunday from 12-5pm using locally sourced, fresh produce. They are open for light lunches every day of the week and offer both a table d’hôte menu and full à la carte menu in the evenings from 06:30-08:30pm. Full table service of the highest quality is paramount to the Royal Lodge. The Royal Lodge is open for Christmas
lunch and is proud to be hosting a black tie gala dinner on New Year’s Eve including a firework display over the riverside to help you celebrate New Year in style. Contact the Royal Lodge for some innovative ideas for your Christmas party this December. Places still available!
The Royal Lodge & Hunters Restaurant Symonds Yat East Herefordshire HR9 6JL T: 01600 890 238 W: www.rhhotels.co.uk
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> flavour xxxxxxx
AT THE BRASSERIE
For contemporary and stylish dining this Christmas season. Special 3 course festive menu available for lunch and dinner - ÂŁ33 per person to include coffee and mince pies. For reservations please call The Brasserie on 01225 740575.
Menu available from Wednesday 1st December to Monday 3rd January.
www.lucknampark.co.uk
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> flavour christmas with gordon
If you fancy a Michelin star chef giving you an extra hand in the kitchen this Christmas, then turn the pages for recipes to help you deliver a flawless finish to your festive table...
Christmas with Gordon
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> flavour christmas with gordon
A
s each year draws to a close, I am inundated with queries. I’m often asked for ideas about food to serve at Christmas parties, the secret to a perfect roast turkey, even what to do with the leftovers. As a chef and food writer, I have certainly cooked my fair share of festive feasts. But rather than give you a weighty tome of every possible Christmas dish, I wanted this book to be a considered collection of mouthwatering recipes that will impress your friends and family. For the main festive meal, I’ve provided five different menu options, each centred on a classic dish with a modern twist. I’ve also included a time plan for each menu, encouraging you to do as much as possible well in advance, to avoid last-minute panics on the day. Some recipes are simple, others more elaborate but rewarding to prepare. Whatever you choose to cook, I sincerely hope you enjoy the festivities with family and friends. Happy Christmas!
Roast turkey with lemon, parsley and garlic This is my favourite way to roast turkey – with a savoury butter under the skin to keep the breast meat moist and flavourful. And to ensure both the turkey and pork stuffing are cooked properly, I bake the stuffing separately. Another of my secrets is to rest the turkey for a couple of hours or more. As it relaxes, the juices are re-absorbed, making the meat succulent, tender and easier to carve. It may seem like a long time, but the texture will be improved the longer you leave the turkey to rest. Piping hot gravy will restore the heat. Serves 8–10 1 free-range turkey (ideally Norfolk Black or Bronze), about 5–5.5kg sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 onions, peeled and halved 1 lemon, halved 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally 6 bay leaves olive oil, to drizzle 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon Lemon, parsley and garlic butter: 375g butter, at room temperature 1 tbsp olive oil Finely grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Meanwhile, prepare the herb butter. Put the butter into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic and chopped parsley. Mix well to combine. 2 Remove the giblets from the turkey cavity. Season the cavity well with salt and pepper, then stuff with the onions, lemon, garlic halves and 2 bay leaves. 3 With your hands, loosen the skin on the breast from both ends of the bird so that you will be able to stuff the flavoured butter underneath it, making sure you keep the skin intact. Repeat with the skin on the legs – from the lower side of the breast feel your way under the skin and out towards the leg, loosening the gap. 4 Stuff half the butter mix into the opened spaces under the skin. From the outside of the skin, gently massage the butter around the breasts so that the meat is evenly covered. Finally, insert the rest of the bay leaves under the skin of the breasts. 5 Place the bird in a large roasting tray, breast side up. Spread the rest of the butter all over the skin. Season well with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil. (If preparing a day ahead, cover the turkey with foil and refrigerate at this stage.) 6 Roast the turkey in the hot oven for 10–15 minutes. Take the tray out of the
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oven, baste the bird with the pan juices and lay the bacon rashers over the breast to keep it moist. Baste again. Lower the setting to 180°C/Gas 4 and cook for about 2½ hours (calculating at 30 minutes per kg), basting occasionally. 7 To test whether your turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and check that the juices are running clear, rather than pink. As oven temperatures and turkey shapes and sizes vary, it is crucial to check your turkey about 30 minutes before the calculated roasting time. If the juices are pink, roast for another 15 minutes and check again. Repeat as necessary until the turkey is cooked. 8 Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter and remove the parson’s nose, wings and tips of the drumsticks; reserve these for the gravy. Leave the turkey to rest in a warm place for at least 45 minutes; make the gravy in the meantime. Remove the bay leaves from under the skin before carving. Serve the turkey with the piping hot gravy, stuffing and accompaniments.
Turkey gravy with cider and walnuts Serves 8–10 Bacon, onions, lemon and trimmings from the roast turkey (see above) 3 rosemary sprigs 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 litre good-quality dry cider 600ml good-quality chicken stock 2 tbsp walnut pieces, toasted Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Once you’ve transferred the cooked turkey to a platter to rest, drain off most of the fat from the roasting tray and place on the hob. 2 Roughly chop the bacon, add to the tray and fry for a few minutes. Chop the onions and lemon and add to the tray with
> flavour christmas with gordon
Pork, apricot and pistachio stuffing Serves 6–8 500g pork mince Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large Braeburn apple 6 dried apricots, about 50g, chopped 30g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped Finely grated zest of 1 lemon Small bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped Olive oil, to drizzle Large bunch of large sage leaves 2 fresh merguez or chorizo sausages
2 rosemary sprigs and the tomatoes. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the turkey wings, parson’s nose and drumstick tips and fry for a few more minutes. 3 Pour in the cider and boil for a few minutes. Add the juices from the resting turkey and simmer to reduce the liquid by half. Pour in the stock, return to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Using a potato masher, crush the vegetables in the tray. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced again by a third. Take off the heat. 4 Strain the gravy through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing down on the solids in the sieve with a ladle to extract as much of the flavourful juice as possible. Add a fresh sprig of rosemary to the pan, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse for a
few minutes. 5 Before serving, remove the rosemary and reheat the gravy. Coarsely crush the walnut pieces using a pestle and mortar and then tip into a warmed gravy jug. Pour the piping hot gravy on top and serve at once.
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Put the pork mince into a large bowl and season. Grate the apple into the bowl, avoiding the core. Add the apricots, pistachios, lemon zest and chopped parsley, and mix well. 2 Lay a large sheet of foil on a surface, oil with a drizzle of olive oil. Arrange the sage leaves on the foil, overlapping them in two rows to form a large rectangle, the length of the two sausages placed end to end. Sprinkle with a little seasoning. 3 Spread half of the pork stuffing mixture in the middle, along the length of the sage leaves, then run your finger down the centre of the stuffing to create a hollow for the sausages. Lay the sausages in the hollow and cover with the remaining stuffing mixture. 4 Bring up the foil and envelop the stuffing, twisting the ends to seal. Holding both ends, roll the stuffing in the foil to get a tight and even log. (Refrigerate at this stage if making a day ahead.) 5 Put the stuffing parcel into a baking dish and cook for about 40 minutes. To check if it is cooked, insert a skewer into the middle for 10 seconds – it should feel piping hot against your wrist. The log should also feel firm. Leave to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
Christmas with Gordon by Gordon Ramsay is published by Quadrille. Available exclusively at Tesco, RRP £14.99 Photography by Chris Terry
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> flavour indulge & imbibe
&
Indulge imbibe P
lummeting temperatures in recent weeks immediately summon thoughts of hearty stews, steak and ale pie and toad in the hole. Frost-tinged mornings and scurrying snowflakes are a beautiful sight to behold, but I long for hearty food and wines to match. Luckily you don’t need to be a millionaire to enjoy some seriously indulgent wines. At this time of year, our robust British winter cuisine is sturdy enough to stand up to – and perfectly complement – even the most full bodied and concentrated of red wines. These wines need to be warm enough to drink – not heated but certainly not straight out of a chilly cellar because you just won’t be able to taste all the fantastic flavours inside. So a cosy country pub with a roaring fire really couldn’t be a more perfect environment…
Our first wine is made from a relatively unknown grape which is possibly Chile’s best-kept secret. Carmènere really is Chile’s signature grape and known as ‘the lost grape of Bordeaux’. A late-ripening grape, it was too difficult to grow in France as it needs a hotter climate – perfect for Chile’s Northern regions. Errazuriz, one of Chile’s leading wine producers makes a really fantastic wine with smoky, spicy flavours – which is a great partner for red meat infused with a little bit of spiciness. The Saunton Sands Hotel in North Devon has just the dish we’re looking for here: lamb chops with cumin, spinach, sundried tomato, pesto potatoes and redcurrant glaze. www.brend-hotels.co.uk/saunton Another great spicy red is the Zinfandel grape. There are several
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> flavour indulge & imbibe
Wine columnist Clare Morris has over 10 years’ experience in the drinks industry, consulting with hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK. She is currently studying for a Diploma at the WSET London Wine and Spirit School. schools of thought as to where the grape originated from but its spiritual home is now firmly in California. One of the most iconic Zinfandel producers is Ravenswood. Their winemaker, Joel Peterson, is dubbed ‘the King of Zin’ and some devoted followers even sport Ravenswood tattoos! The Old Vine Zinfandel (which refers to vines not wiped out by a bug which swept the world at the end of the 19th century) is their top end wine and is one of my ultimate indulgent reds. Try it at Ennios in Southampton – a lovely Italian restaurant facing onto the old waterfront and Southampton Water. www.ennios.co.uk It may surprise you that the next wine is made from the Pinot Noir grape. Characteristically a lighter, more fruit-driven wine, the great red producing regions of Burgundy turn this delicate grape into something altogether different. Louis Jadot’s Gevrey-Chambertain is one such wine. Full and rich, it will age beautifully if you can resist the temptation to drink it early. The winemaker at Jadot has the motto ‘the less we touch it, the better the wine’. At the Lamb Inn in Rissington you can snuggle into a country pub overlooking the Windrush Valley with all the charm you would expect of a 300-year-old Cotswold stone building. Purists would no doubt suggest pairing it with a chargrilled steak, but I’m going to suggest the heavenly homemade steak, kidney and real ale pie in short crust pastry. www.thelambinn.com The next wine is to be expected in this category – a top end Rioja. Popular all year round, it is at its best with rich, winter food. It’s often hard to tell from a wine label what the quality level is in the bottle. Luckily with Riojas it’s easy, as there is a classification system based on how long the wine has been aged. Gran Reservas must by law have been aged for at least five years with two in the barrel before release – although many winemakers age them for even longer. Faustino I Gran
Reserva is the flagship of the Faustino range and delivers everything a great Rioja should – velvety-smooth and a hugely complex flavour. Try it at the The Bat and Ball, a pub tucked away in a corner of Farnham described as ‘a pub that serves good food, not a restaurant that serves beer’. The rich Dundee beef stew or Scottish lamb steak with onion and rosemary sauce are ideal bedfellows. www.thebatandball.co.uk Our last red is a delicious Australian Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Made by a top quality winemaker exhibiting some supremely good wines – with all the elegance that this grape can display, rather than some of the cheaper versions you may have encountered on the ‘three for £10’ deals in the supermarkets. Still packing all the punch that an Aussie Shiraz can, this wine is complex and full of fruit flavour without being too over the top. It’s definitely worth trading up a couple of pounds in this category. You do need some serious food to pair this with and the Bridge in Fairford, a cute little Italian restaurant with some great dishes, has just that. Try the fillet steak wrapped in Parma ham and topped with melted Gorgonzola, or a bed of oyster mushrooms topped with pâté and served with Madeira sauce. www.thebridgefairford.com
Another category of wine that is truly indulgent but often overlooked is dessert wine. Usually sold in half bottles, and in any good restaurant by the glass, you don’t need to commit to a large volume. Partnered with the right food – yes, sometimes savoury – or well chilled as an aperitif, they can turn an ordinary meal into something quite special. A ‘light’ dessert wine can be a very versatile accompaniment to a meal. Described as ‘medium dry’, the Vouvray le Cormier is from the village of the same name in the Loire Valley. This is Chenin Blanc’s traditional home and the dessert wine is made from the same grape.
Refreshing and racy, rather than luscious and sticky, this wine is a great partner for cheeses as well as desserts and also difficult to partner items such as crab. At the Langtry Manor in Bournemouth, you might want to simply savour it at the end of one of their weekly Edwardian banquets. However as a food match you could really experiment – with a starter with either the crab, chilli and leek ravioli or crottin goats’ cheese with quince jelly and cider syrup. Go on – be brave! www.langtrymanor.co.uk
Bowens Folly Noble Late Harvest Riesling from South Africa is a bit of a mouthful of a name. The wine is a bit of a mouthful too, but for all the right reasons. The word ‘noble’ refers to a type of rot that affects grapes in the misty, early mornings of the autumn, and turns the grapes into concentrated, shrivelled raisins when dried out by the afternoon sun. This concentrates the flavours into something extraordinary. A small glass of this, for those with a sweet tooth, would be divine with the chocolate haven at the Haven Hotel in Sandbanks. White mousse, milk and banana snowball and dark devil cake create this fabulous concoction. For those needing a slight tartness to balance the wine, try the orange and coffee Vacharin in layers of crisp poppy meringue, which is equally decadent! www.fjbhotels.co.uk
The last wine is not really a dessert wine at all…But what’s a winter-inspired set of drinks without a luxurious glass of port? Treat yourself to a glass of the vintage stuff. It really is worth splashing out here – vintage is only made in exceptional years. The beautiful Victorian building of Duffield House is set in suitably lavish grounds, and big enough to find a corner to tuck yourself away and savour your glass of port. The Warres 1985 is delicious to savour alone although it does beg to be partnered with a cheese board. Leave it for a few minutes before drinking and you’ll find it juicy, full of fruit and freshness. www.duffieldhouse.com 27
> flavour fat of the land
If you fall into the category of those who cook turkey just because it’s Christmas, you might like to consider some other fabulous centrepieces for your annual family feast…
Fatof the Land
Goodman’s Geese It’s not so long ago that the traditional turkey would have been discarded for the cheaper and more traditional alternative, the goose. Turkey was considered not only expensive as it had to be imported, but disease prone and notoriously hard to breed. The turkey became more popular through the 1700s as it spread across Western Europe, but essentially it was regarded as a pricey fad food for the rich until the 1950s. The goose has been eaten across Europe for thousands of years. Easy to rear and in season from Michaelmas (September 29), it makes the perfect Christmas option. Judy Goodman from Goodman’s Geese tells us why she thinks that until now, the goose has taken a backward step: “The goose has always prevailed as the fattier bird out of the two and the meat to carcass ratio is a lot lower compare to the turkey. But leave it to hang, and the goose is just so tender. The fast food revolution of the 70s meant that everything had to be
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> flavour fat of the land
Judy’s top tips for the perfect goose 1 Before you cook the bird, bring it up to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Season and rub a bit of butter on top if you want it to get golden brown quickly. Put a bit of the goose fat on the legs and cover them with foil, which will mean that as the legs poach, they will not dry out. Prick the fat glands on the side of the bird as well as the parson’s nose. Don’t prick the breast as it will dry out. 2 After the first hour, turn the goose from breast side up to breast side down. Drain the fat and cook for a further ¾ of an hour. Turn it back for the last 20 minutes to finish it off.
easy and mass produced. The goose went out of fashion but thankfully it’s now making a healthy revival as people get back to tradition.” What initially started out as a hobby, quickly developed into an award-winning, family business: “It began in 1981 when my mother-in-law complained that she couldn’t source any geese for Christmas. By 1982 I had 26 goslings on the lawn.” The farm is now the home to 4,300 geese and 4,200 turkeys. Reared on a free-range system, the birds are then slaughtered on site at an average age of 24 weeks and left to hang in a cold room to mature for 10-14 days. “Our smallest flock is 400 and the largest is 800 and they have about 5-6 acres to graze over. We feed them grass and natural foods including home grown oats as well as compound food.” Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have all recommended Goodman’s as one of the leading meat supplies in the area. It is not only the country’s favourite chefs that Goodman’s have made an impression
on, but they are also industry recognised. Judy modestly tells of her award from Worcester life, given with recognition for her outstanding service to agriculture. The geese won the Diamond award for taste and presentation for the Heart of Fine Food as well as becoming a finalist for the poultry Farmer of the Year at the Farmer’s Weekly Awards. Quite an accolade of achievement.
“When I turn 70 I might think about retiring! I have great support with my sons Michael and Andrew as well as my husband Jeff and they all do a lot of the hard work now.” Staying organised and adaptable to people and change has been the secret to Goodman’s success and has insured their position at the heart of the community. “We are farmers which means we are not millionaires. Agriculture brings its highs and lows and you can never tell what is going to happen. But we all support each other and that’s how the world goes round.”
Goodman’s Geese Walsgrove Farm Great Witley Worcestershire WR6 6JJ 01299 896272 www.goodmansgeese.co.uk
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> flavour fat of the land
Fatof the Land
PJ’s Farm Producing a wide selection of pork products, PJ’s Farm specialises in one rare breed of pig, the British Lop. Originating from Devon, the British Lop are at the top of the rare breed list. Bred outdoors with lots of space to run around and with straw beds to call home, the welfare of these animals is PJ’s priority.
Higher Hacknell Farm If you’re looking for an alternative to one of Higher Hacknells Organic Turkeys then a good place to start would be with their award-winning beef. Higher Hacknell started breeding the herd of South Devon cattle in 1985 and can trace each animal in the herd. The cattle are suckled on their mother’s milk and then grass fed, and if extra feed is needed then it is supplied in order to ensure great marbelling and succulent tenderness in every animal, something that the farm has become renowned for. The meat is hung for three weeks on the bone at the farm butchery and can be cut to order by butcher Keith. Join in with the success of the farm as it celebrates an award for its lamb, winner of the best meat and fish category at the Organic Food Awards. Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall presented the award and the judges described it as ‘smooth and tender with a lovely wallop of flavour,’ and ‘soft and melts in your mouth,’ making this a perfect centrepiece to the festive dinner table. Higher Hacknell Farm delivers throughout the UK. Higher Hacknell Farm Burrington Umberleigh Devon EX37 9lX 01769 560909 www.higherhacknell.co.uk
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newton Farm
This Christmas is the perfect opportunity to try a great alternative to the traditional turkey, a PJ’s Farm leg roasting joint. Cooked on a low heat for a longer time, what is achieved is a lovely melt-in-the mouth, hog roast style dinner. Topped with fabulous crackling, surrounded by chipolatas and wrapped in streaky bacon, this is a pork lover’s dream! Just don’t forget the apple sauce... 01179 324173 www.pjs-farm.co.uk
reader offer Visit PJ’s stand at the Green Park Station Market in Bath, to receive 20% off your first order when you mention flavour!
Newton Farm, in the middle of the picturesque Duchy of Cornwall village of Newton St Loe, is where Hugh and Celia Gay have built up a local butchery business selling their own home produced beef and other locally sourced meats. The beef herd at Newton Farm is managed on a natural basis and includes Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and a small herd of Pedigree South Devons. The animals remain outdoors for much of the year, grazing the beautiful Capability Brown parkland of the Newton Park estate. The beef is hung for 3-4 weeks to ensure maximum flavour and tenderness before being cut to a particular customer’s needs. The local delivery service caters for the Bath area, delivering to the villages to the South and West of Bath. Alternatively, the butchery is open six days a week for collection. Newton Farm Newton St Loe Bath BA2 9BT 01225 873707 www.goodmeat.co.uk
> flavour fat of the land
The Butts Farm Shop The Butts Farm specialises in rare breeds and is farmed by Judy, wife of Master Butcher Gary Wallace who runs the award-winning Farm Shop. One of the shop’s specialities is its Gloucestershire Old Spot pork (featured on Rick Stein’s Food Heroes). The farm oak smokes its own produce which gives its customers a wonderful selection of gammons and hams that can be purchased any size, smoked or unsmoked, on or off the bone. Why not glaze your gammon with local honey and homemade marmalade and serve it hot with all the trimmings as a delicious alternative to the Christmas turkey? Any leftovers will be a tasty treat served cold on Boxing Day. For fully traceable meat and local produce it’s got to be The Butts Farm Shop– we’re a rare breed. The Butts Farm Shop South Cerney Cirencester GL7 5QE 01285 862224 www.thebuttsfarmshop.com
Macey’s Butchers
Langley Chase Organic Farm Langley Chase produce the finest organic rare breed lamb and mutton. Jane Kallaway at Langley Chase has a real passion for producing awardwinning Manx Loaghtan lamb reared on the best food – ancient organic pasture, enriched by sunshine and rain, exactly as nature intended. Their distinctive prize-winning flavour, unique to Langley Chase, produces wonderful dishes with the traditional joint, slow cooked mutton tagine, boned and rolled saddle of lamb, flash fried neck fillet, for hassle-free cooking, all available in a lamb or mutton box. Langley Chase also make their own delicious chorizo salami with smoked paprika, chilli and red wine – perfect for a starter served with sliced figs or mango, it can be added in chunks to casseroles, tagines and lentil dishes as it adds a certain depth of flavour. Sold in colourful boxes they make perfect presents as does half a boxed lamb or a beautifully soft, honey coloured sheepskin rug.
For over twenty years, Macey’s Organic Food have been serving customers who are looking for something a little bit different to cook up on Christmas Day. With the poultry coming from the awardwinning Goodman’s Geese and the renowned homemade stuffing made from ingredients of the highest quality, these three bird roasts do not disappoint! There is a large selection to chose from but to give you a taster of what is on offer then try the Buckingham selection (goose with any two choices of chicken breast, duck breast, pheasant or pigeon breast). The Sandringham (turkey with any two choices of chicken, pheasant or guinea fowl) offers a more traditional taste. The Duck Roast (duck with any two choices of chicken, pheasant, turkey or guinea fowl) or the Chicken Roast (chicken with turkey and a choice of duck, guinea fowl or pheasant) are all sure to accommodate your dinner guests’ appetites.
Kington Langley Wiltshire SN15 5PW
Macey’s Butchers Rose Cottage Lower Road Cookham Rise Berkshire SL6 9EH
01249 750095 www.langleychase.co.uk
01628 521128 www.maceysorganicfood.co.uk.
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Bristol HGL Ad Land Dec 2010:Layout 1
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the local farmer and die-hard fisherman do an amazing job. We salute our local heroes with this new menu, which is great for the region and perfect for lunch or dinner.
Marcus Lang. Head Chef
The Sugar House, Narrow Lewins Mead BS1 2NU Please quote ‘Flavour Magazine’ when booking
T COU WO RSE S £
14.9 5
FRO
M
*
0117 925 5577 reception.bristol@hotelduvin.com
Think Homegrown & Local. Think *Lunch £14.95 for 2 courses from the a la carte menu (£5 supplement on steak only) from Monday to Saturday. Dinner £19.95 for 2 courses from the a la carte menu (£5 supplement on steak only) from Monday to Thursday. Valid from January 3rd to February 5th.
Situated on the banks of the River Dart near Totnes in South Devon, Sharpham vineyards and cheese dairy has been producing wines and unpasteurised cheeses for nearly thirty years to local, national and international acclaim. By producing their own Jersey cow’s milk on the farm and growing a range of carefully selected cool climate grapes varieties in the vineyard, they are in control of production from start to finish. The results are individual, hand made wines and cheeses which have a special character and flavour that relates to this unique position in the South Hams area of Devon. They have recently won the Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards for The Sharpham Soft Cheese, whilst both their red and white wines have recently won major awards. Sharpham have proven they are one of the best producers in the world. See for yourself and enjoy a day of touring the Estate with the Sharpham Wine Experience. Whether for yourself or a gift for someone else, these tours offer a fantastic insight into English wine and cheese making, as well as a relaxing day out.
Sharpham Partnership Ltd, Sharpham Estate, Totnes, South Devon TQ9 7UT
Flavour readers can order online with promotional code DISCXMAS10 for a 15% discount on any case of wine.
Tel:01803 732203
www.sharpham.com
> flavour drops by
Four years ago saw the realisation of a life long ambition for business partners Gary Say, Phil Rimmer and his wife Dorcas, with the opening of a small but perfectly formed café nestled off the beaten track in Bradford-on-Avon. Working for years in the kitchen together, Gary and Phil were united over a common cause; setting up and running a place of their own. Gary comments: “After you work for other people for a significant amount of time, you start to realise what you would like to do and most importantly, you learn what not to do.” Amongst the banter and hard work, the common thread of discussion always remained the same – opening a café serving really good, honest food at affordable prices. With a background in fine dining, Gary has picked up influences from across the board: “What I am drawn to the most is rustic, provincial food. This is the food of people and nothing else tastes quite like it. I have the technical ability so can add a touch of flair to a product that really can’t be beaten on taste.”
drops by...
As the name indicates, Troughs is about exactly this: enjoying wellcooked, hearty food from honest, local and seasonal produce. “There are a lot of Northern European dishes on at the moment and a fair amount of game and stews. In the summer I gear towards a Mediterranean style, goat curries and lots of fish.” The menus change on a weekly basis and daily changes are made according to what the suppliers could offer on Gary’s morning visits.
flavour
troughs
“People who normally wouldn’t eat in a fine dining restaurant can come here and try something new and appreciate what we’re doing. I think we are still missing the point in this country with good, real food – it’s still too much on the elitist side.” Gary continues: “Really, everyone knows what good food is once they’ve tasted it, it doesn’t matter what your background is.” Troughs Avoncliff Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire BA15 2HD 01225 868123 www.troughsatavoncliff.co.uk
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> flavour xxxxxxx
l e e h a t h C erine W T he
A grade I listed 17th century coaching inn sitting at the gateway to the Cotswolds, The Catherine Wheel pub boasts a long standing reputation for its warm atmosphere and traditional home cooked meals. Work up an appetite by trying one of the pub’s surrounding countryside walks or alternatively, kick back and relax in front of the fire. The new Sunday lunch menu includes some great hearty classics as well as all the traditional roasts. And if you fancy making a night of it, choose from one of four comfortable ensuite bedrooms followed by a superb farmhouse breakfast. Food available Monday to Friday 12-2pm and 6.30pm-9pm Saturday 12-3pm and 6.30pm-9.30pm Sunday 12-3pm and 6-8.30pm Booking recommended See website for details Open 12 noon to 11pm everyday 34
The Catherine Wheel 39 High St, Marshfield, nr Bath, Wilts SN14 8LR Tel: 01225 892220 Visit: www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk Email: roo@thecatherinewheel.co.uk
’s Eve
Come and join us for New Year
-fashioned party See in the new year at a good old e entry! that means an open house and fre
tiffins Bringing authentic Indian cooking to Bristol was the dream of owners of Tiffins Nick and Jay Jethwa, whose hard work saw them come runner up in this year’s BBC Food and Farming Awards for the UK’s Best Takeaway. I came to England in 1984 and fell in love with the country straight away, apart from the weather! We tried a few different businesses but quickly found our enjoyment was in the catering industry. We wanted to open a place that offered authentic home cooked, Indian food at affordable prices. We opened Tiffins in 2003 and as the years progressed, our customers asked us for tables and chairs as well as the takeaway service we provided. After a lengthy process, we were eventually granted a restaurant license, followed by an alcohol license as well as a take-away license! The main principle however has been about good, wholesome food whether that is to eat in or take away. We cook food from our home province Gujarat, which is on the West side of India. That whole state is mainly vegetarian and makes up the largest population of vegetarian people in the whole of India. I was brought up with incredibly delicious food, wonderful textures and unique, fresh
tastes. I wanted to offer this in Tiffins and give people a choice. You won’t find our dishes anywhere else. Offering variety is really important. Our dishes change all the time so people aren’t stuck with the same thing. I cook each dish individually, which can take anywhere from 1-3 hours. Once cooked, I chill it right down and display it in the cabinet. The customers can see what they are eating, chose the dish and take it home to reheat. Every dish put on that day depends on what’s good and available from our local suppliers on the day.
your health. Personally, I don’t like the taste of ghee anyway and only cook with very minimal amounts of sunflower oil. You wont see any oil floating to the top of my dishes – it’s so important to me to keep things healthy. I use the spices from Bristol Sweet Mart. I know what I buy from them is the best in the city. I wouldn’t ever take short cuts in my ingredients. Everything I cook and sell is what the family and staff eat. We are so proud that our food is the true taste of India, and being able to offer our customers an insight into the food we grew up with is immensely satisfying.
Being short-listed for ‘Best Takeaway’ in the BBC’s Food and Farming Awards was a complete shock. These awards are like the Oscars of food! The lady who informed us couldn’t tell me who nominated us but that our customers highly recommended us. It’s not so much about how many write in, but what they say.
Tiffins 151 St Michael’s Hill High Kingsdown Bristol BS2 8DB
I don’t cook with ghee. To cook with Indian butter in this climate is just not good for
01179 734834 www.tiffins-bristol.com 35
> flavour gift of giving
The giivfting of g
For those who seem impossible to buy for, inute these fabulous last m e ov pr st ju t gift ideas migh .. n. tio ira a source of insp
Enigma Pottery Situated between Frome’s historic town centre and the railway station, Enigma is a friendly, family-run venue including a gallery exhibiting a wonderful selection of arts and crafts, a pottery studio and walled garden. Give a hands-on gift with their pottery vouchers, or alternatively book a session for the whole family and make something special for ChristmasDay. T: 01373 452079 W: www.enigmapottery.co.uk
Shaw to please Back by popular demand this Christmas are Elizabeth Shaw’s Famous Names Harvey’s Bristol Cream Liqueur Chocolates. Delve into the delicious sensations of their finest dark chocolate, combined with the rich, indulgent, yet satisfyingly mellow Harveys Bristol Cream. Available online, or from your local Sainsbury’s or Asda store. T: 01179 371200 W: www.elizabethshaw.co.uk
Driftwood Decorations Karen Miller fashions beautiful sculptures and objects for the home out of driftwood that is collected from around the world. For a unique and wholly natural touch at Christmas, try these beautiful bespoke bleached Christmas trees. Available in multiple sizes and colours, these driftwood decorations bring a stunning festive touch to your room. T: 01803 882 850 W: www. devondriftwooddesigns. com
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> flavour gift of giving
Get Cosy
Pud’s aplenty
At Sue Dann Interiors we found these scented candles from True Grace, made in Somerset with natural ingredients using inspiration from the values of village life – honesty, integrity, authenticity and harmony with nature. £18 each.
You can resist anything but temptation from this fruity little number. Voted the number one pudding by the Telegraph, numerous taste awards and personally recommended by Antony Worrall Thompson.
Comfy and cosy, this assortment of wool and cashmere throws in soft autumn tones of moss and heathers is perfect to snuggle up with on winter nights. From £45 – £65.
Wheat and gluten free, suet free, nut free, suitable for vegetarians and licensed using courvoisier vs cognac. Online shop and stockists www.feeding-your-imagination.co.uk
Showroom open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10am to 5pm – Saturdays 10am to 5pm throughout December. T: 01225 463 648 W: www.suedanninteriors.com
Stroud and Proud Stroud Brewery is a craft brewery supplying organic and vegan beers to drinkers within the ‘Five Valleys’ of the Stroud district. They produce premium beers using high quality ingredients including whole hops, and Cotswold grown malting barley. The ale drinker in your life is sure to love their seasonal Ding Dong, a ruby porter with rich liquorice, a hint of Christmas spice – it’s easy enough to drink several pints! T: 07891 995878 W: www.stroudbrewery.co.uk
Hamptons Hamper The Hamptons Deli offers a selection of hamper baskets for you to fill from a wide selection of enticing items from their shelves. Choose from Tracklements chutneys and condiments, Bramley & Gage liqueurs, Kitchen Garden jams, Fine Cheese Co. biscuits and a wide variety of chocolates, Turkish delight, biscuits and fillers. From £15 to skies the limit, these hampers promise to put you on ‘The Good List’ for next year! T: 01454 854745 W: www.thehamptonsdeli.co.uk
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With delicious, family favourite dishes always on the menu, Rainbow Café in Clifton Village offers a welcomed home from home experience. The organic produce is locally sourced and cooked fresh on the day, meaning great value and home cooked comfort. Ideal for students, this cafe is open until 9pm every evening and offers student discount. Sit back and enjoy work from local artists or pick up one of the books on sale for a laid back read.
Rainbow Café 10 Waterloo Street, Clifton, Bristol, Somerset, BS8 4BT 01179 738937
www.rainbowcafeclifton.co.uk
Roaring log fires, great food and welcoming staff all full of festive cheer are awaiting you at The Fox in Broughton Gifford.
Rosemarino is now open on the site of the old York Cafe in Clifton village.
The Fox is the perfect place to relax over the holidays. With a three course set lunch starting at £16.50, it represents fantastic value too. The Fox are now taking bookings for New Years Eve brunch where food is served from 11am-3pm. Menu is available online and booking is essential! Broughton Gifford, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8PN Tel:01225 782949 www.thefox-broughtongifford.co.uk
The emphasis is on freshly prepared food using a range of locally based artisan suppliers and producers. No fancy or complicated masterpieces, just great food from great ingredients. 1 York Place, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1AH t: 0117 973 6677 e: info@rosemarino.co.uk w: www.rosemarino.co.uk
> flavour ask a chef
Ask a chef R
Ronnie Faulkner
onnie Faulkner is the owner-chef of Ronnie’s Restaurant in Thornbury. Ronnie has had a distinguished career working in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the UK and Europe, for celebrated chefs such as Anton Mosimann and Ed Baines. Cooking for national and foreign royalty and dignitaries honed Ronnie’s skill and further reinforced his lifelong commitment to food. His menus showcase the best local produce, earning the restaurant its title as the Good Food Guide’s ‘Restaurant of the Year’. Ronnie’s is based in Thornbury and is open Tuesday-Sunday. Lunches and coffees are available from 10am-3pm and evening meals are available from 6.30pm-11pm. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.
Q. Is it true that the French make mulled wine differently to the British? Michael White, Bedminster A. Both British and French mulled wine varies significantly according to who’s making it, but in principle we both make a hot, mildly-spiced wine with a hint of citrus. In France it is known as vin chaud. The basic recipe includes, red wine, sugar and orange juice simmered with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and vanilla. I like to add a little port and cognac just before serving as the alcohol is normally boiled away while the spices are infused.
Q. What should I do with all the leftover turkey? Amy Shepherd, Bristol A. If you’ve bought a whole turkey and roasted it on the bone, the chances are there’s plenty of meat left over. The trick is to serve it with something to mask how dry the meat is once you re-heat it such as olive oil, butter, or mayonnaise. Try keeping it simple after the blow out the day before with a dish like warm turkey, béarnaise sauce and chips. Other dishes I would do are turkey and butternut risotto or a Thai green curry with turkey and sticky rice.
Q. What nibbles can I serve when unexpected visitors call this Christmas? Jonathan Tinkworth, Wells A. Tradition says serve nuts, and I agree. You can roast your own with your favourite spices and keep them in the cupboard. All you’ll need to do is pop them in a bowl when your friends come round.
If you have a culinary query for Ronnie, write to us at the usual address or email info@flavourmagazine.com
(?) Q. I want to make something completely different for Christmas dinner this year, can you help? Sarah Walters, Bladgon Christmas dinner should be a decadent feast. I felt exactly the same a couple of years back when the whole extended family came to the restaurant for Christmas Day. I served a whole rib of beef, a roasted gammon and all the traditional trimmings. The joints are two of my favourites, while the trimmings gave a wonderful traditional feel. I love to put the food all in the middle of the table and let everyone get stuck in!
Ronnie’s – Tel: 0800 849 4455 www.ronnies-restaurant.co.uk 39
> flavour festive cheeseboard
Festive Cheeseboard So many of us have rekindled our love of British cheese in the last few years, which is why these local delicacies make after dinner just as exciting as the main event.
Quenbyhall Stilton Award-winning Quenby Hall Stilton is made using milk from local Leicestershire herds. Its delicious creamy taste makes it unique. It has won many awards over the last five years and became British Supreme Champion in September 2009, winning first place out of 884 different cheeses. T: 01162 595403 W: www.quenbyhall.co.uk
Slice in Style Define Home has something for cheese lovers everywhere – a bowl for the biscuits, a board for the cheese, contemporary cheese cutlery and more besides. Look no further for a truly fabulous present or tableware worth talking about. T: 01858 464888 W: www.definehome.com
Somerset Cider Brandy For something out of the ordinary, the Somerset Pomona is the ideal partner to a fine cheddar. Like a port it has a real depth of flavour and is reminiscent of apples, orchards and all things Somerset. Made by the Somerset Cider Brandy, this was the top tipple at the BBC Food Awards. Stocked in Waitrose, most good delis in the West, farm shops, cider farms and online. T: 01460 240782 W: www.ciderbrandy.co.uk
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> flavour festive cheeseboard
Capricorn Somerset Goat’s Cheese Capricorn Somerset Goat’s Cheeses are carefully crafted at the Lubborn Creamery with West Country goat’s milk. When young, the cheese is mild and crumbly and has a slightly nutty flavour, perfect for salads. As the cheese ripens from the outside towards the centre, the white curd becomes softer and creamier, and develops a full flavour.
Cotswold Blue For cheese lovers everywhere, Simon Weaver’s Cotswold Blue is a “must have” on the cheeseboard – an artisan soft blue that delivers on all taste fronts. Although not pungent, it has a wonderful clean, creamy flavour that develops with age. Taste the difference that can only come from the care and expertise of the cheesemakers, coupled with the fresh organic milk that comes straight from their own cows every morning!
W: www. capricorngoatscheese. co.uk
T: 01451 870852 W: www.simonweaver.net
Westcombe Cheddar From the first step of production to the last, quality and care is taken with Westcombe Dairy’s cheese. Made by hand using traditional methods, Westcombe Cheddar has a lactic, deep and creamy flavour which evolves into a complex, citrus aftertaste with a hint of apple. Perfect for the classic Christmas cheeseboard. T: 01749 838033 W: www.westcombedairy. com
Tracklements Onion Marmalade The original onion marmalade and still the best. It’s enriched by the addition of redcurrant juice which makes it a marvellous accompaniment for pâtés, terrines and cheese. Delicious when melted over sausages! T: 01666 827 044 W: www.tracklements.co.uk 41
> flavour christmas spirits
Wine columnist Clare Morris has over 10 years’ experience in the drinks industry, consulting with hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK. She is currently studying for a Diploma at the WSET London Wine and Spirit School.
Christmas spirits Christmas is the time of year when even the most occasional spirits drinkers creak open the cupboard door and dust the cobwebs away from the Advocaat and Crème de Menthe bottles. Whether your tipple is a creamy liqueur, sparkler-topped cocktail or a warming, complex malt, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some delicious, festive themed drinks. And you really don’t need to be a ‘mixologist’ to create any of these in the comfort of your own home – just get yourself a basic cocktail shaker (or equivalent) and you’re ready to go!
Raspberry hot spiced rum
Disaronno Darkness
Let’s start with a wintry cocktail, served hot to get our taste buds tingling. Sailor Jerry spiced rum has been one of the success stories of 2010, with its iconic and eye catching branding created by tattoo artist ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins. The vanilla flavours are very noticeable which makes it perfect for this cocktail, along with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for a further festive feel.
I couldn’t resist another piping-hot, seasonally appropriate idea for these luscious spirits. Based on a liqueur coffee, the sweet marzipan flavours of the Amaretto blend perfectly with the bitterness of the coffee, balanced by the distinctive rich warmth of the Cognac.
35ml Sailor Jerry 15ml Chambord 15ml lemon juice 100ml pressed apple juice 1 tsp sugar syrup Mix ingredients then top with boiling water and add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Garnish with cinnamon stick. Move over mulled wine! 42
25ml Remy Martin VSOP Cognac 25ml Disaronno Amaretto Strong black coffee – to top up Pouring cream 1 pinch cocoa powder 1 tsp sugar Pour the Cognac and Amaretto in the glass. Add the coffee and sugar. Stir gently. Dust the surface with the bitter cocoa powder and finish by adding the cream over the back of a spoon to create a layer.
> flavour christmas spirits
Monkey Shoulder Hendrick’s Snowball Jacuzzi Moving on to a more ‘retro’ cocktail – dusty bottles of Advocaat aside, let’s focus on the recipe for a traditional Snowball. Using a whisky that’s bang on trend – Monkey Shoulder, with hints of banana and chocolate – gives this recipe a more contemporary feel. 50ml Monkey Shoulder whisky 1 lime, juice and zest only 3tsp caster sugar 1 small free-range egg Ginger ale to top up Mix together the lime juice, zest and caster sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for an hour. Place the egg, whisky and one tablespoon of the lime mixture into a cocktail shaker. Top up with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a highball glass and top up with ginger ale.
Cosmopolitan Thanks to the success of the Sex and the City series and films, this cocktail has had a renaissance to become one of the most popular cocktails in the world. A delicious balance of citrus and berry flavours, it’s so easy to make! 50ml Russian Standard vodka 25ml Cointreau 25ml cranberry juice 15ml lime juice Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. If you’re feeling flamboyant, garnish with a flamed twist of orange peel.
Here’s one for the fizz lovers amongst you (particularly suitable at Christmas time) and also those looking for an alternative to their beloved G&T. 50ml Hendrick’s 25ml Peach Schnapps 25ml Orange juice Top up with Champagne/Prosecco Simply add the ingredients one at a time to a Champagne flute. Simple yet utterly delicious.
Glenfiddich For those who want to enjoy the pure flavours of a single malt, why not try a Glenfiddich Speyside malt. Christmas marks the anniversary of the first Glenfiddich produced in 1887 by William Grant. At that time, Scottish single malts were considered too challenging for the palates of Englishmen and other foreigners. However it was the Grant family who first decided to market their whiskies outside of Scotland in 1963. Lucky for us! As a less challenging malt this no doubt helped the uptake of the brand, however it is the ongoing quality which has helped to make the brand the global success that it is today. If you get the opportunity, taste the whole range of Glenfiddich products together as a ‘flight’ to pick out the different tasting notes. Start with the Special Reserve 12 yr old, move on to the Solera Reserve 15 yr old, Ancient Reserve 18 yr old and finally the Gran Reserva 21 yr old. Purists drink it with a dash of water, but whether you prefer it alone, or over ice, it’s really your call.
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C > flavour cheltenham
With charm, beauty and a sense of English tradition around every corner, it is hard to imagine a more suitable destination feature for the festive season‌
Cheltenham T
he most complete Regency town in England, Cheltenham Spa, offers its visitors and residents a truly stunning setting for a relaxing break, some retail therapy, a spot of cultural or sporting excitement and award-winning food. Regency town houses, characterised by intricate ironwork balconies and painted stucco facades, line the historic promenade, squares and terraces, making this town an architectural masterpiece. Cheltenham’s transformation into a fashionable resort began in the 18th century with the discovery of Spa waters. According to legend, the first waters were discovered when pigeons were noticed pecking at salty deposits which had formed around a spring. Their medicinal properties were much acclaimed and in 1788 King George III came to drink the waters, followed by other aristocratic and distinguished figures of the period. Over the following decades the town developed into the architectural style famously popularised by Prince Regent in Brighton, with sweeping classical terraces and elegant villas set in landscaped estates around
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broad tree-lined walks. Today, most of the town centre lies within a conservation area of outstanding national importance and many travel across the country to view at first hand the award-winning gardens.
> flavour cheltenham
With theatres, concert halls, restaurants and wine bars in abundance, Cheltenham is known as the festival town of England. Enjoy both great food and breathtaking scenery with the infamous food and drink festival held in late June in the Montpellier gardens. Here you can experience an impressive line up of the most tantalising food and drink producers in the country, with over 150 exhibitors, top chefs and free theatre talks.
Hotel du Vin and Bistro Located in the chic Montpellier district of this historic spa town, Hotel du Vin in Cheltenham offers 49 bedrooms and suites. The hotel features a trademark bistro with a homegrown and local philosophy at its heart, a Health du Vin spa, extensive alfresco, and of course the finest array of wine.
Known across the world as the home of National Hunt racing, Cheltenham racecourse offers the perfect day out. Embrace the racing spirit and enjoy the history, the tradition and the setting for an experience you’ll never forget.
Hotel du Vin and Bistro Cheltenham Parabola Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 3AQ
If you prefer to step outside of the town centre then Cheltenham offers the perfect touring base, situated between two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – the Cotswolds and the Wye Valley – with the country’s first designated National Forest Park on the doorstep.
T: 01242 588 450 W: www.hotelduvin.com
You can choose to travel the wide upland landscapes of the Cotswolds, where there are discoveries to be made at every turn as you descend into the valleys to find hidden hamlets and bustling market towns. Alternatively, you could head west through the Forest of Dean for a moment of calm and serenity with spectacular views and romantic ruins. A town specifically designed for purposes of leisure and pleasure, excuses aren’t necessary to escape to a place of beauty, history and culture without a moment’s notice. www.visitcheltenham.com
Cheltenham Lawn and Pittville Gallery The Cheltenham Lawn and Pitville Gallery is a historic Regency townhouse, encompassing charm, relaxation and creativity. Situated on the edge of Pitville Park, you’re a stone’s throw from the town centre, the pump room and the racecourse. The award-winning vegetarian kitchen serves breakfasts made from the best locally sourced produce and is sure to get you off to the best start. Also available in the gallery are ‘Be Creative Workshops’ where you can try your hand at art, textiles or printmaking. This is a real gem of a guesthouse, perfect for those looking for somewhere a bit different to stay in Cheltenham. Cheltenham Lawn and Pittville Gallery 5 Pittville Lawn Cheltenham GL52 2BE T: 01242 526638 W: www.cheltenhamlawn.co.uk
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> flavour cheltenham
ALL THAT JAZZ An award-winning conversion from 1920s Art Deco picture house, The Daffodil restaurant is a stylish restaurant that retains many original features as well as its original name. First time visitors will love the sweeping staircases and spectacular views from the mezzanine Circle Bar, as well as luxury dining par excellence.
Lumière Clarence Parade Cheltenham GL50 3PA
Since its inception seven years ago the Monday Jazz Night at The Daffodil has featured the best of music free to diners. The evening has long been known as a mixture of wonderful food and top class entertainment, even seeing Jamie Cullum take the stage before ascending to international stardom.
T: 01242 222200 W: www.lumiere.cc
T: 01242 700055 W: www.thedaffodil.com
Lumière Lumière is a unique dining experience located parallel to the Promenade in Cheltenham. The restaurant offers the very best in British, seasonal food with distinctive and imaginative twists. Lumière is ideal for lunch between designer shops, an all-important business meeting, as well as an intimate restaurant for that special evening out. It was also named Cotswold Life’s Restaurant of the Year 2010.
Maurice Chaplais For many years the renowned delicatessen and bakery of Maurice Chaplais has sourced an amazing range of goods from all over the world.
Maison Chaplais 52 Andover Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 2TL T: 01242 570222 E: shop@maisonchaplais.com
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Honey from deep in the Auvergne, coffee direct from Jamaica, a wonderful French olive oil otherwise unavailable in the UK, chocolate from the last West Indian cocoa plantation, hand thrown ceramics, olive oil-based scented soap... small specialist producers and limited availability ensure that you won’t find any of these in the supermarket. They also specialise in beautiful, bespoke hampers which are the perfect gift.
A Taste of the Cotswolds at Lords of the Manor Located in a timeless corner of the Cotswolds countryside, Lords of the Manor has a wealth of wonderful local produce on the doorstep. Add an astonishing wine cellar and award-winning service to the mix and you have a hotel that fully deserves its place on the foodie map.
River Severn elvers, rare breed pork from Kelmscott, Cerney goat’s cheese, Cox’s Farm asparagus, herbs snipped from the hotel garden just moments ago…these are just some of the delicious ingredients that find their way onto Matt’s stunning Cotswolds-inspired menus each season.
The proud holder of a Michelin star – the ultimate accolade for any chef – Lords of the Manor’s head chef Matt Weedon is the envy of his fellow chefs thanks to the abundant natural larder he has to draw on.
What better way to discover the Cotswolds than with a tasting menu, a veritable gastronomic tour of the region? Discover the country’s finest artisan producers and farmers and take in some of the world’s
finest wineries – all without leaving the hotel grounds. The restaurant also offers seasonally changing ‘à la carte’ menus at £65 and a classic Sunday lunch for all the family at £40 a head. But it’s not all about Michelin-starred cooking. Lords of the Manor has its simple pleasures too. Think Champagne afternoon tea with home-baked scones and fruit preserves. Or a full ‘Cotswolds breakfast’ featuring rare breed sausages, organic eggs and hot buttered toast. Here is the taste of the countryside in a subtle, sophisticated setting. Lords of the Manor is a luxurious, 26-bedroom country house hotel in Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire. Set in eight acres of secluded gardens and parkland, it’s a dream weekend getaway. With its tempting gourmet offering, it makes the perfect setting for a celebration, a romantic dinner or ‘just because’. T: 01451 820 243 W: www.lordsofthemanor.com 47
> flavour ship shape
Ship Shape With so much to plan over the festive season, our time saving ideas promise to save a lot of stress too. Get reading!
Classic condiments…
Edible gifts Perfect for presents or to serve up as an after dinner treat, try this quick and easy truffle recipe to wow your guests: Ingredients 250g good quality dark chocolate 41/2 tbsp double cream 4 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp icing sugar 1/2 vanilla pod 1 tbsp dark rum Method 1Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. In a separate bowl, boil the cream with the vanilla and rum and add to the chocolate. Whisk together until smooth. Leave in a cool place to set and then whisk again until you obtain a light texture. Place into the fridge and leave to set. 2 Take a tray and sieve the icing sugar and cocoa powder onto it. Then take a teaspoon and portion the mix into sizes that you would like the truffles to be. Put a little of the icing sugar and coco powder on your hands and gently roll the truffle mixture into a ball. You can then finish the truffles by rolling them in grated chocolate or crushed almonds, as required.
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A classic chutney is a Yuletide must and if you don’t fancy making your own then the next best thing is Tracklements Christmas Chutney. Aromatic allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon are combined with Bramley apples, cranberries and rich, muscovado sugar. A perfect chutney to accompany melted brie. For a delicious canapé idea, put a spoonful of the chutney in miniature filo pastry parcels with a wedge of Camembert and chopped hazelnuts. www.tracklements.co.uk
Feeling blunt? Chopping with blunt knives is time consuming and hazardous. Take your knife set to your local butchers and they’ll sharpen them for free.
Plush puddings… Haven’t quite managed to find the several hours required to make your own Christmas pud? Fear not! The Devonshire based Georgie Porgie Puddings can help at the last minute. Try the orange and Cointreau or cider and apple with a good quality vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, warm your custard to just before boiling point then add a generous glug of Cointreau for the merrier option! www.georgieporgiespuddings.co.uk
Christmas in a Box If cooking has fallen to your hands this year and you just can’t face the prospect then we have a sneaky cheat for you, and we promise not to tell! Daylesford Organic Farm offer the perfect Christmas lunch delivered to your door. The delicious organic produce comes straight from the farm in Gloucestershire and the veg from the market garden. Included in the selection is homemade stuffing made from a special recipe and delicious cheeses. www.daylesfordorganic.com
> flavour ship shape
Instant winter warmer… If you have guests coming somewhat unexpectedly, then the decadent and delicious Vacherin Mont d’Or from The Fine Cheese Co. in Bath is the perfect party piece, and now is the time to take advantage as the season runs from October to April. Simply place in the oven for ten minutes and serve with grissini or crudités.
Pastry Chef Cheat… Save yourself some time and cheat with ready-made pastry this year. Try the Dorset Pastry Company who specialise in quality organic frozen butter pastry products. All ingredients are sourced locally within the South West, giving the homemade touch to your food. Try this puff canapé recipe for a speedy option: Cut one 375g sheet of puff pastry into 4mm squares. Bake at 220°C for 5-6min. Split in half while still hot. Makes approx 110 canapes. www.dorsetpastry.co.uk
www.finecheese.co.uk
Fridge Raiders… Chuck out everything in your fridge that you haven’t used in a while or don’t want to make room for produce that you will need. To save space, store your veg somewhere cold and dark, like the garage. You can even put your white wine and bubbly in the back garden, freeing up plenty of room for the dairy and meat.
Stay cool… “My tips for Christmas or any big day would be to plan ahead! Write a detailed, clear list of everything you have to cook. I get everything ready to go days beforehand, saving the fresh vegetables until last. I would also get a good butcher to bone, stuff and roll my turkey. It really helps keep it moist, and saves you a massive amount of space. Try Bartlett & Son in Bath.“
Keep it simple… “Buy quality ingredients but give less selection. Concentrate on serving a few well prepared vegetables rather than a huge selection of badly cooked, time consuming vegetables. Don’t try to be too elaborate – an organically reared bronze turkey with perhaps a chestnut and pancetta stuffing requires little preparation.”
Sam Moody, Head Chef at Bath Priory, Bath
Alex Murray, Head Chef at Bordeaux Quay, Bristol
www.thebathpriory.co.uk
www.bordeaux-quay.co.uk
Need more hands? The Oven Add-a-Shelf is the perfect answer for ovens with space issues. Fitting neatly at the bottom of your fan oven, this freestanding shelf utilises the empty space and enables you to cook an extra dish or two. No need to juggle with keeping dishes hot again! www.lakeland.co.uk
One stop shop… Bring the farmers’ market to your doorstep with Forman & Field, a fantastic online mail order company specialising in fresh, traditional British produce from small, independent producers. Forman & Field will also source products that are hard to find such as wild salmon, game and fresh foie gras, saving you the time and effort. www.formanandfield.com
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> flavour rosemarino
rosemarino This month flavour visits Rosemarino, a new Italian eaterie set to follow in the footsteps of some long-standing success stories… If the tireless protests of Stokes Croft residents against the opening of a new Tesco shows us anything, it’s the blazing independent streak that underpins Bristol. A progressive city that does niche like no other, the place is a breeding ground for small businesses with big ideas. It’s not that the bigger players don’t get a look in, but with so many exciting alternatives, they simply aren’t able to trade on brand alone.
Rosemarino 1 York Place Clifton Bristol BS8 1AH 01179 736677 www.rosemarino.co.uk
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As far as the restaurant trade is concerned, many of the real stalwarts – Culinaria, Green’s Dining Room and Bell’s Diner are just a handful that spring to mind here – are unassuming neighbourhood restaurants who do less than 50 covers. This allows the owners to pour every last bit of love and attention into the food, and precisely why they continue to thrive in all weathers.
It’s early days of course, but it seems that the new Rosemarino in Clifton stands a very good chance of joining their ranks. The site occupies the former York Café – a greasy spoon that enjoyed an unexplainable cult following among university students until its demolition a few years ago. Following an impressive overhaul, the modest space of wood and neutrals is now a split-level affair, punctuated by an open spiral staircase. The thoughtful addition of a mirrored bar area on the upper level helps to create a sense of light and space too. Set up by owners Sam Fryer and Mirco Bertoldi, the restaurant is the culmination of their joint ambition to run their own place following stints at Goldbrick House, The Glassboat and Hotel du Vin. “Our backgrounds are most definitely fine dining which has been great in terms of the
> flavour rosemarino
standards we’re striving for, but the whole experience we want to offer customers here is far more laid back,” Sam explains. As such, all the Italian inspired dishes on the menu are available in smaller portions and can be ordered tapas-style throughout the duration of the meal. Starters mainly consist of meat, fish and vegetarian antipasti plates and despite the tempting prospect of home-cured meat, the angel on my shoulder saw me opt for the latter. The resultant offering of exquisite mozzarella chunks, sweet marinated vegetables, home made focaccia and various other deli delights got the evening off to a very strong start. The wine list as you might expect leans heavily towards Italian offerings. Sam’s expertise in wine combined with Mirco’s native knowledge makes for very pleasant reading, and a recommendation of the Beltrame Pino Nero 2008 given my penchant for Pinot Noir and white Burgundy was spot on.
Our backgrounds are most definitely fine dining which has been great in terms of the standards we’re striving for, but the whole experience we want to offer customers here is far more laid back Next up, two small portions: a lamb stew with red wine and rosemary served with an anchovy gratin, and fried risotto balls with pumpkin, sage and mozzarella. The marriage of flavours across both comforting dishes immediately flagged up a switched-on kitchen. The former was an absolute steal at £5, though the latter would have benefited from being served in individual balls as advertised rather than as one slightly heavy offering.
Despite its aniseed qualities, fennel tends to be used more in savoury cooking, and having sampled it in this refreshing way, more’s the pity. In a country where ‘Britalian’ food chains proliferate, Rosemarino reminds us of the sublime simplicity of real Italian cuisine – and being surrounded by diners who don’t always believe that bigger is better, Sam and Mirco couldn’t have picked a more fitting place to start their new venture. ■
Finally the vanilla pannacotta, caramelised orange and fennel biscotti paid fitting tribute to a traditional Italian dessert. 51
> flavour chef profile
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> flavour chef profile
chef profile Name: Dave Daly Originally from: Ireland Head Chef at: The Three Coqs Brasserie
I grew up in the industry as my father was a chef. I left school on the Friday and on the Monday I started working professionally in the kitchen. I was 16years-old and had always wanted to do it. I’ve enjoyed the lifestyle, it’s meant that I’ve been able to travel and become independent from a young age. It’s a career you chose because you love it and not because of the great pay and normal working hours. My family are from Ireland and at the age of two we moved to Bristol where I’ve been living on and off for all my life. I worked for a year in Brisbane, Australia, which I loved. The food over there is completely different to what we’re used to, it’s very multi cultural and they have a real mixture of flavours going on in each plate. We also have very different definitions of what local means. Here, if it is more than 50 miles away then we don’t regard it as local. There, if it’s from Australia, it’s local!
Three Coqs Brasserie Clifton Down Shopping Centre Clifton Bristol BS8 2PH 01179 493030 www.threecoqsbrasserie.com
The first kitchen I ever worked in was with Martin Blunos in his two Michelin starred restaurant, Lettonie. Since then I’ve spent my time in gastro pubs, country house hotels and fine dining restaurants. I worked for just under five years at Harvey’s in Bristol, as well as with Barny Haughton at Bordeaux Quay before moving onto Head Chef at Jamie’s Italian in Bath. At that point I realised I wanted to set something up myself.
I own The Three Coqs with two others. I’ve worked with John at Bordeaux Quay for years who knew Chris Wicks from Bells Diner. Chris is a silent partner and John and myself work together on a day-to-day basis. He is in the kitchen most of the time and I jump between the kitchen and front of house. It has worked out really well and there isn’t a clash of egos. Anybody who has opened any business in the last couple of years will know how tough it is, but you just have to believe in it and work hard. Things take longer than you think they will but we are getting there, especially as we have only been open seven months. Being on a second floor has been challenging at times but once people know where we are they love the fantastic view over Whiteladies Road. Our wine menu consists entirely of biodynamic wine, something that Bristol has never seen before. The wine list is natural so there is little or zero sulphur included, making for a softer wine. People are just getting their heads around the idea now and it’s taking off. The idea for the name of the business was sparked off from a three-metre canvas oil painting done by a friend and local artist, Carol Paine. People have made their own connotations with the fact that the restaurant is owned by three male chefs. You can imagine the jokes we’ve had and I’m always open for new ones, as long as they’re original! 53
le M A Z O T brasserie
at Whatley Manor Pre-Festive À La Carte Menu Served from 1st – 24th December. Starters from £7.50. Mains from £16.50. Desserts from £8.50 Christmas Eve Dinner - £79 Champagne and canapé reception, four-course candlelit dinner with coffee and Florentine 26th December and 1st January 2011 £36 includes three-course table d’hote menu and coffee New Years Eve Dinner - £140 Champagne and canapé reception, six-course gala dinner and live jaz 3rd January 2011 £26 includes three-course ‘Bank Holiday’ lunch menu 24th January Burns Night Celebration £98 includes drinks reception, screening in our cinema, four-course set menu, a selection of finest Benromach whiskies with the meal, wine, coffee and petit fours. Black tie or traditional Scottish dress.
Call Events on 01666 834 026 or email events@whatleymanor.com to make your reservation. Early booking is recommended.
Le Mazot at Whatley Manor Easton Grey Malmesbury Wiltshire SN16 0RB T 01666 822 888 E lemazot@whatleymanor.com
> flavour xxxxxxx
All the
trimmings
Thanks to Bristol’s well-known restaurant Café Maitreya, this three-course vegetarian feast is a delicious alternative to the usual meat and two (hundred) veg!
Smoked ricotta terrine with caper and raisin This simple terrine or pâté makes a delicious alternative to smoked salmon as a festive appetiser. It’s great served with toasted brioche or good crusty bread. You could also do a ‘potted’ smoked ricotta in ramekins.
Makes 10 generous portions Ingredients 500gm ricotta cheese drained 5 large shallots finely diced 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 cloves garlic crushed and fine chopped 250 gm smoked cheddar preferably smoked applewood, fine grated 100 gm ‘lillyput’ mini capers rinsed and dried 100 gm lexia raisins, fine chopped A little olive oil
Method 1 Gently sauté the shallots for 2 minutes, add the garlic and smoked paprika, and gently sauté and stir for a further 3 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. 2 In a large bowl, mix the paprika shallots into the ricotta, and then thoroughly mix in the smoked cheddar, and finally the capers and raisins. 3 Set in a cling film lined terrine mould 25 cm long by 6cm, (or a suitable mould) or into ramekins. Chill for 1 hour and serve. Will keep well for 4 days. 55
> flavour all the trimmings
This seasonal treat ticks all the boxes with its earthly gingery flavour, great crispy texture and its dairy and gluten free. This is also an excellent side dish. As a main dish it’s marvellous with simple sautéed pak choi and toasted halloumi cheese.
Crispy crown prince pumpkin and quinoa schnitzels with Boxing Day relish Makes 8 portions Ingredients for the schnitzels 1 kilo crown prince pumpkin 3 cm ginger peeled and finely chopped 3 cloves garlic peeled and fine chopped Sea salt and ground black pepper for seasoning 4 dessert spoons olive oil 250 gm quinoa 600 ml water 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 heaped dessert spoon agar-agar flakes ¾ coffee cup water Method 1 Pre-heat oven to 160°C 2 With a large sharp knife, chop the squash into quarters – remove seeds. Baste on oven tray with olive oil, the chopped ginger and garlic, season well and roast for approx 1 hour10 minutes or until just tender. Remove from oven and cool. 3 Bring the water, smoked paprika, a little olive oil and salt to boil, meanwhile rinse 56
the quinoa under a running tap, drain and add to pan. Simmer gently for approx 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The quinoa will have popped when it’s ready. It will be tender but should still be slightly al dente. Remove from heat and cool. 4 When the squash has cooled, carefully take off the outer skin so as to leave the orange flesh, and then carefully slice the squash into long 1cm thick schnitzels. 5 In small pan bring the ¾ coffee cup water to boil and whisk in the agar-agar flakes, simmer and stir for 3 minutes until dissolved and ‘gluey’. 6 Carefully brush the schnitzels with agar-agar and press into the quinoa (like breadcrumbs) and press more quinoa onto top to coat thoroughly. Place on a greaseproof paper lined tray and top with greaseproof paper. Press carefully. 7 Leave in fridge for 15 minutes. 8 The schnitzels are now ready to sauté (or bake). Fry each side until golden brown for 2 to 3 minutes each side.
Boxing Day relish Ingredients 2 medium red onions, diced 200g dried cranberries 200gm or 3 plums cut into 3mm cubes Fine zest of 1 orange and the juice of 2 oranges 120g stem ginger and syrup (stem ginger fine chopped) ½ glass red wine 1 heaped dessert spoon caster sugar A little olive oil for sauté Method 1 In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion gently for 3 minutes, add the chopped stem ginger and syrup, the wine, orange zest and juice and the sugar. Reduce gently for 3 minutes. 2 Add the dried cranberries and diced plums and simmer for 5 minutes or until the juice is almost all absorbed. 3 Serve immediately or reserve for use.
Chocolate mocca almond pudding with plum and orange butterscotch sauce Ingredients 400g dark 70% chocolate pistols or bars cut into 3mm squares 225g organic vegan margarine (or 225 gm unsalted butter) 225g caster sugar 1 expresso or 1 dessert spoon coffee essence 9 dessert spoons soya cream (or 3 medium organic eggs) 90g plain white flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 150g flaked almonds 250gm or 6 medium dark plums cut into 3mm chunks
This chocoholic pudding is a favourite at Café Maitreya. We make it dairy free but just substitute eggs, butter and cream as indicated for the full fat version.
Method 1 Pre-heat oven to 160°C. 2 Grease and line a 25cm square / 4cm deep baking dish with greaseproof lining paper. 3 Gently toast the almonds. 4 Mix half the chocolate with the margarine in a bowl and gently melt over hot water bain-marie. Stir carefully and quickly to ensure chocolate doesn’t get too hot and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 5 Meanwhile mix the sugar, coffee and soya cream in a mixer or by hand in a deep bowl then add the melted chocolate and mix. 6 Add the flour and baking powder. Mix until smooth, and then add the almonds and plums. 7 Finally add the remaining chocolate and transfer to lined baking dish. 8 Bake for 18 minutes at 160°C, then turn oven down to 140°C and bake for a further 8-10 minutes. The pudding should be very moist and chocolaty in centre. Serve immediately or cool and portion into brownies.
Orange butterscotch sauce Ingredients 125g golden granulated sugar 225g golden syrup 50g organic vegan margarine or unsalted butter Fine zest and juice of one orange 200ml soya cream or double cream Method Put all the ingredients apart from the soya cream in a small saucepan; boil gently for 10 minutes or until golden orange brown. Take off heat and carefully whisk in the soya cream (cream), serve hot or reserve for use. 57
Everything you want for Christmas! At Neston Park Farm Shop we’ve got all you need for Christmas under one roof... • Home reared organic meat, free-range turkeys, geese and hams • Farm fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables • Wonderful selection of cheeses and delicious deli treats • Gifts, wines, beers and luxury chocolate • Enjoy our festive Christmas lunch party menu While you’re here, why not relax and have coffee or lunch at our lovely café? Neston Park Farm Shop Ltd, Bath Road, Atworth, Wiltshire SN12 8HP Telephone: 01225 700881
www.nestonparkfarmshop.com
The Fabulous Vodka Company With 15 years of experience under his belt, director of the Fabulous Vodka Company Chris Spiller has a taste for the industry like no other. “I don’t produce anything that I wouldn’t drink myself,” Chris says. “The best vodkas depend on the texture and the way it feels in the mouth. It should be smooth, soft and pleasant enough to drink neat over ice.” First off the production line was ‘Caralicious’, caramel vodka that wowed Christmas shoppers in Reading, Henley and Chris’s hometown of Marlow where he’s based. As hoped, the free samples converted into sales and Chris shifted over a thousand bottles in December 2008 – despite the credit crunch. It can take anywhere up to a year to perfect and launch a product, depending on the spirit that is used and the distillation process. All of the spirits used in the Fabulous collection are English with the one exception being the Krol Kazimiersz Potato Vodka. This vodka is distilled in Poland and is made from potatoes. It’s then shipped over at high strength (96%) where Chris will blend it and reduce its
strength to a more palatable 40%. The result is one of the finest vodkas available in the UK. Chris’ passion for bringing high quality spirits to his customer’s tables doesn’t stop at vodka. Perivale dry gin is a full strength gin specifically developed to make the perfect gin and tonic. Ideal for the party season, it forms an excellent base for cocktails. The latest addition to the range is Cask One, oak aged vodka. Smooth and dry with a delicate oak aroma, it is reminiscent of a top class single malt whisky. Cask One is the first in a series with very limited production. This special brew was released in autumn 2010, and by December, two thirds had already been sold. The Fabulous Vodka Company is proud to be a family business. As well as using his mother’s kitchen to develop and test the products, family and friends form the (very willing!) tasting panel. A taste of these traditional drinks will open your mind to a new, rather fabulous, experience not to be missed this cocktail season. www.fabulousvodka.co.uk
> flavour moles new music café
moles new music café Remember not too far back when you were looking for a late-night beer and found yourself in a rainy, sweaty, bloodthirsty queue as you dodged traffic trying to get access to Moles Night Club? Well no longer my friends, things have changed. With a transition of ownership has come a spruce up that has seen the street-level entrance moved to a far less perilous and more convivial sanctuary a few yards above the taxis and tour buses ploughing along George Street. Music to one side, but not totally forgotten, Moles now has another string to its longstanding and renowned bow. Below the music studio, owners Sybil Bell and Ric Yerbury have come up with the idea of a fun, warm and hospitable café. On the face of it some may ask why Bath has the need of yet another handful of square feet of somewhere to grab a latte, but Moles Music Café, opened in October, has far more to offer than just that. There is of course wi-fi, a wide selection of Fairtrade coffees and teas, a healthy amount of beers, lagers and spirits, while the décor has a not displeasing kitsch feel, retaining Moles’ history of hosting great bands in its visual theme.
On top of that is an uncomplicated but energetic menu that won’t leave you dashing over the road for an ATM. There are half a dozen or so Pieminister pies on the list that come in at under eight quid a pop, alongside favourites such as bangers and mash, the full English or a doorstop sarnie depending on your appetite. The produce is all locally sourced – Marshfield Bakery, Bartletts Butchers, Bath Bakery, the Handmade Cake Company – and believe me the portions are decent. The wine list is small but covers the bases. I’d recommend the crisp white Principato Pinot Grigio on a lighter meal, which will set you back £14, while the Chateau L’Eglise Bordeaux (£17.50) complements most of the meat dishes very well. There are a comforting amount of cakes and icecreams available for pud too. Moles Music Café appeals to not just the music nut or the student, although for those so inclined it will be a pleasant trip down memory lane, it also has a ‘vibe’ that
can and should be enjoyed by all. It doesn’t conform to the Jane Austen criteria of many of the other excellent venues across the city, nor does it try to and nor does it need to. Think bar, think café, think music and think outside of the box for a moment and you’ll be in the right ball park. Moles has its own impressive history in its own right and the fact that it has flourished in such a Heritage City as a forerunner in progressive music is testament that Bath is not as staid as many think. There is a place for this café here and as such it should be embraced and championed, I’d even point my granny in this direction. She may not get it completely, but she’d certainly enjoy it. ■
Moles New Music Café 14 George Street Bath BA1 2EN 01225 404445 www.moles.co.uk 60
> flavour moles new music cafĂŠ
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The Bath Wine tasting
THE LOVELIEST fISH &cHIpSCompany In THE SOUTH WEST!
Lovejoys Wholesale
papa’s Enjoy a wine tasting experience with The Bath Wine Tasting Company
fish restaurant
The Bath a Wine provides wine tasting nTasting D tCompany a K e aW aY at private and corporate events. I offer set or bespoke packages suitable for conferences, entertaining clients, Indeprivate pendentlyparties clubs and societies. I also cater for voted byand Daily Mirror readers as the celebrations, such as birthdays and& hen evenings, Best Fish Chips in the Southand West! ~ sociable nights with friends this Christmas. Rece nt winners of The Regeneration Partners hip and Weston Mercury and Star FM’s Business of the Year Award
So, if you are new to wine tasting, or want to try an interesting selection of vintages, please contact me.
Jonathan Kemp
Tel: 07875-234406 Papa’swww.bathwinetastingcompany.com Fish Restaurant and Takeaway ~ 20 Waterloo Street ~ Weston-Super-Mare ~ BS23 1LN Telephone: 01934 626565 ~ Visit: www.papasukltd.com
• Fruit • Dairy
• Vegetables • Bread
Quality ingredients for restaurant kitchens in the West Wilts and Bath area. Local produce grown exclusively for us including specialist crops.
‘If you are passionate about your food we’d like to talk to you’
01225 708838 www.lovejoyswholesale.com
The Blue Bowl Inn Country Pub & Restaurant Good food, well kept ales and a warm welcome!
off the beaten track but well worth finding Winner - Silver Taste of the West Award 2010 for 2nd year running for its committment to local food Book your Christmas party now! Tel 01278 662629 www.clavelshaybarn.co.uk
The Blue Bowl Inn, Bristol Rd, West Harptree BS40 6HJ
Tel. 01761 221269 www.thebluebowl.co.uk w fo
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> flavour > flavour siânxxxxxxx blunos
U I T
Chef, food writer, author and mother Siân Blunos is passionate about children’s health and their eating habits, and believes that expanding your knowledge of food can only help benefit your child.
know your
fruit I adore Christmas – it’s a time for family and simply magical for children. So many precious childhood memories are to be made for the little ones; the preparations at school, the nativity plays, carol services, Christmas parties and bazaars not forgetting of course Santa’s grottos!
Cranberries, a well-loved festive fruit, are small, glossy, dark red berries grown in colder regions of the northern hemisphere
FR
FRUIT
such as the US, Canada and Europe. They have long been valued for their medicinal properties and have very high antioxidant content. In times gone by, sailors used them as a source of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. In the 18th century, they were used in Native America to stop wounds from bleeding. There is an active ingredient in cranberries called (deep breath) proanthcocyanidins,
Festive cranberry and orange muffins Try to use an unwaxed orange but if you can’t find any, remember to wash the fruit first to remove any wax. When zesting, take care not to include any of the white pith, as it’s bitter. You can keep these muffins in an airtight tin for up to two days. Makes 10-12 muffins Ingredients 10oz/275g plain flour 1 tbsp/10g baking powder Pinch of salt 7fl oz/210ml milk 1 egg, beaten 1fl oz/30ml orange juice 4oz/100g caster sugar 3oz/75g unsalted butter, melted 6oz/175g semi dried or fresh cranberries 1 tsp grated orange zest
U F R TIIU T
Method 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Grease a muffin tin or line it with proper cases. 2 In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, egg, lemon juice, sugar and butter. 3 Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir just enough to combine. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Fold in the berries at the end, but be careful not to over mix. 5 Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for about 25 minutes until light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins.
these are very powerful antioxidants that help prevent urinary tract infections, and cystitis – this may also help in the prevention of cancer. Research has also found that cranberry juice may reduce the bad cholesterol levels in the blood, which is good news for grown ups too. They can be consumed fresh, dried, juiced as well as the traditional cranberry sauce to go with the turkey!
Cooking for Coco Like most busy mothers, Siân wanted to feed her baby well, but didn’t have a lot of free time on her hands. Her solution was to develop recipes using a wide variety of fresh, available foods, which could be batch-cooked and used to stock the freezer. Now, she always has a range of delicious dishes on hand, and you can too. With a little care and planning you can give even the youngest of children the experience of good, fresh food, which is tasty and nutritious.
To order a personally signed copy of Cooking for Coco for only £8.50 (including postage), RRP £9.99, email sian@blunos.com
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> flavour goodfellows
goodfellows
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> flavour goodfellows
This month Faye Allen visits the newly opened Goodfellows Café in Shepton Mallet to live out a French fantasy somewhere a little closer to home. Call me hopeless, but there is something ever so romantic about the French fantasy that has, I’m sure, drifted across many of our minds at some point. Waking up to rich, black coffee before casually cycling down to the local patisserie to pick up the fresh baguettes and exquisite pastries, would certainly cause a smile to cross my lips and a whimsical sigh; “life is beautiful”.
more unusual ingredients and now, a new café has opened within the Haskins store in Shepton Mallet.
“We offer the same breakfast and lunch menu that we have available in Wells and we have the same lunchtime offer. It was important to serve good food and good coffee at affordable prices for us, in a relaxed atmosphere. The space here is what sold it for us, we couldn’t refuse it.”
Chef and owner of Goodfellows, Adam Fellows and his French wife Martine, know all too well about the luxuries of such a lifestyle and have endeavoured to bring a piece of that to Somerset. “France has played a great influence on both myself and my food, I love France but we both enjoy living in England as well and wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
The contemporary but cosy café now has a formal area to eat lunch, a dining table designed for business meetings as well as a relaxed area with a muted TV for those that prefer to lounge with the paper, and a breakfast bar for those on the go. Accessible from both the High Street as well as Haskins itself, the café sits as the focal point of the community.
A chef by trade, Adam spent the majority of his time training in France before working for some of the finest restaurants in the country including The Chewton Glen Hotel in Hampshire, as well as for the infamous Roux brothers in London, where he met Martine. The pair then worked in Brussels, France and London once again before Adam was offered the position of Head Chef at Charlton House in Shepton Mallet and gaining his Michelin star. Adam continues; “As a chef, its natural to move around to get the experience. Even though I was happy working for Roger Saul, the opportunity to buy the Wells premises came up and working for ourselves was the next goal, so I managed to convince Martine that we were doing the right thing and we went for it.”
Visit Goo dfellows at lunchti me and e njoy a dish, c ake and a glass o f wine for just £ 10
Whilst we may have more miniature supermarkets down our streets than traditional patisseries and bakeries, one cannot grumble too hard. The opening of independents such as Goodfellows continues to bring pride and hope back into our local towns. It’s reassuring to know that the best of France is only a bike ride away. ■ The Sadler Street Café in Wells was the first opening of the Goodfellows Empire. A traditional French patisserie producing breads, pastries and cakes has proven the popularity of continental dining in the UK. A seafood restaurant soon followed from Adam’s passion for cooking with
64 High Street, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AX T: 01749 343579 W: www.goodfellowswells.co.uk 65
> flavour dinner4good
Running a marathon, bathing in baked beans or waxing an eyebrow off may all be tried and tested methods of raising money (and a few giggles), but not all of us are as keen to be washing beans out of our hair for days afterwards when it comes to supporting our local and favourite charities. Thankfully, there is a much tastier alternative available…
Dinner4Good Dinner4Good was an idea devised by Bryan Sergeant, a dedicated marathon runner who needed an alternative way to fundraise when an injury put him out of action one year: “I wanted to do something to continue supporting my local Bristol charity. I figured I would cook a dinner for some friends and when they turned up, I would twist their arm for £20! The only problem being, it was quite embarrassing asking for the cash.”
A host can sign up, chose their charity and devise an invitation that Dinner4Good will send out automatically. Money can then be donated anonymously and handled by the site, avoiding any embarrassment. With Gift Aid, 28% can be added to the
Pink cheeks aside, the idea of enjoying an evening with good food and friends, all for a good cause, was one that would quickly be shared. With a background in web development on his side, Bryan soon found a way to channel his concept into a business: “I set up a website where the host, the guests and the charity could all interact. There’s a lot going on with the site and it would cost a lot for individual charities to set up and use. I wanted to set it up once and let any charity use it. Now we have over 400 charities, all with their own web pages.”
“My dinner guests were so supportive of the evening. Having a dinner party is something I would usually do anyway, so this was such an easy way to raise money and took all of the embarrassment out of asking for donations at the end of the evening. It’s an idea that is accessible on every level, from students putting £5 towards a pizza night to those looking to raise more money with a grand event. I’d thoroughly recommend it!
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Hostess with a heart Lorna Montgomery, Bath
donation courtesy of the tax man making contributions reach even further. “The average party raises around £100. Because most people are eligible for Gift Aid then around £115 goes to the charity, after we have taken a small handling charge fee.” Integrating Dinner4Good into everyday life is a lot more manageable then having to face the gym for a year of training or jumping out of a plane. Dinner4Good offers charities a stream of income which is constantly flowing and growing, whilst also enabling the people taking part to do good: “For every one marathon runner out there, there must be 100 people who would prefer to entertain. My goal is to make Dinner4Good a part of everyday life.” Bryan continues: “Charities often have to nudge their supporters to help 4-7 times before they do anything. This is just one way where a lot of good can be done with a few fun benefits.” ■
www.dinner4good.com