FOOD & DRINK

Tomato & horseradish

toasts METHOD

INGREDIENTS

400g pack Waitrose Cherry Vine Tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil A few thyme sprigs Pinch of brown sugar 4 small slices sourdough bread 2 tsp hot horseradish sauce 1 ½ tbsp reduced fat crème fraîche Handful basil leaves, to serve 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Toss the tomatoes, garlic, oil, thyme and sugar in a medium roasting dish and season well. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring gently halfway, until the tomatoes are collapsed and juicy. 2. Just before the tomatoes are ready, toast the sourdough and arrange on plates or a board. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and gently stir through the horseradish and crème fraîche, taking care not to break up the tomatoes too much. 3. Pile the tomatoes onto the toasts (discarding the thyme sprigs), grind over a little black pepper and scatter with basil leaves to serve.

COOK’S TIP

Boost the protein content of this meal by serving sliced steak, cooked prawns or soft-boiled eggs on top.

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Serves: 2

Recipe and photo courtesy of Waitrose. Recipes can be found at www.waitrose.com/recipes.

When Craft and Skewers first opened in my hometown of Newport Pagnell a few years ago, I actually turned down the chance to visit for a family meal; having a nut and coconut allergy means that I have previously been reluctant to visit Indian food establishments due to the risks of cross-contamination. My Mum and brother jumped at the chance, however, and returned from their dinner absolutely stuffed to the brim, sharing with me the manager’s confident and exceptionally allergen-friendly approach to the menu. I vowed to visit with them the week after (testament to how much they’d enjoyed it!) and, safe to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

Craft and Skewers

Craft and Skewers is an Indian ‘restro-pub,’ boasting delicious and well-priced food, cocktails and sundry craft beers in a super relaxed environment. On arrival, there’s no doubt that ‘restro-pub’ is the perfect description – rustic and quirky, Craft and Skewers is the perfect combination of casual dining spot, lively sports bar and homely pub, making it the ideal place to visit with family, friends or other loved ones. My brother, an amateur mixologist and self-professed ‘cocktail snob,’ is a huge fan of the cocktails at Craft and Skewers, proving that it’s not just food that the Indian ‘restro-pub’ excels in! Although

Cocktail of the month: King's Beeswax

This cocktail is a real taste of Summer – created using honey syrup (homemade by heating 2 parts honey to 1 part water) and garnished with fresh honeycomb, this cocktail is the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Initially this cocktail was created for my sister; still wanting to join in the weekends merriments, she had asked for something to make her feel a bit better. Lemon, honey and ginger being the medicine, the ‘King’s Beeswax’ was born. It’s one of the few cocktails I have mixed that is heavier on the liqueur than on the base spirit. The result is a really tangy cocktail, perfectly balanced with sweetness – to cure all ills!

I arrived feeling a little nervous, this dissipated as soon as I spoke to the waitstaff who set my mind at ease immediately, sharing the handful of dishes to avoid and providing me with total confidence in my order. It’s fair to say we ate, drank and made merry!

After this first visit, I have eaten at Craft and Skewers a multitude of times and made my way through the vast majority of the menu. Never once have I chosen anything I even remotely disliked! Some menu highlights include: Lamb Bhuna – served Delhi-style, rich with warming spices and deep flavour; Green Lamb Curry or ‘Palak Gosht’ – succulent pieces of lamb simmered in spinach, garlic, mild spices and cream; Bhindi Do Pyaza – a vegetarian North Indian Dish made from Okra, onions and spices; Chilli Paneer – soft Indian cottage cheese (similar in texture to halloumi) which is marinated, fried and tossed with onions, peppers and spring onions, served in a sweet and tangy chilli sauce and the Butter Chicken – a Punjabi-style rich and creamy tomato-based curry laced with chicken tikka pieces. From the Tandoor, both the Chicken and Salmon Tikka are, in my opinion, unbeatable!

If you are after ‘the star of the show,’ you absolutely must order the Onion Bhajis – this isn’t a recommendation, it’s an order! They are genuinely THE best bhajis I have ever eaten

Recipe

50ml Ginger Liqueur @thekingsginger 25ml Rhubarb Vodka [Homemade] 25ml Honey Syrup [Homemade] 25ml Lemon Juice Shake and serve straight up – huge, crispy, not-at-all greasy and so very flavoursome. Although I can’t personally vouch due to the allergenic ingredients, my brother always orders the fragrant Goan Fish Curry and my Nan (who’s a bit of a spice-avoider) loves the creamy and mild Chicken Korma.

On my most recent visit, I ate a plethora of food, drank two exceptionally tasty alcoholic drinks and the bill, including service (which is always impeccable) came to just over £21 each – yes, you read that right! Craft and Skewers is always absolutely astounding value with no compromise at all on flavour or portion size. If you’re yet to visit, make it your priority and I am sure, like me, it’ll become one of your favourite local eateries.

Craft and Skewers 122 High St, Newport Pagnell MK16 8EH 01908 617100 www.craftandskewers.co.uk

> If you would like your restaurant reviewed get in touch mkpulse@pulsegroupmedia.co.uk

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