Vittles

The West Dorset Magazine, November 18, 2022 41 Vittles (food & drink) Britannia rules with top quality food

FOOD REVIEW The Britannia Inn, Parkstone By Diana Holman

We were warmly welcomed by staff members on our arrival at the Britannia Inn restaurant. The décor was elegant and restful. The menu was extensive with such a tempting selection that making a choice was difficult! Finally I decided upon wild mushroom fricassee to start, and my husband chose mackerel with green apple sauce. Both were absolutely delicious. A favourite recommended by the restaurant was crab and sweetcorn bon-bons. For main course I chose Gressingham duck leg confit with blackberry sauce, and my husband chose boeuf bourguignon. Again, it was difficult to choose from many lovely selections including the restaurant’s seasonal favourites of chicken ballotine with wild mushrooms and truffled celeriac mash, or panfried cod with mariniere sauce, rope-grown Scottish mussels, clams, samphire, leeks and new potatoes. The vegetarian choices were excellent and plentiful too. I particularly liked the sound of grilled cauliflower steak with parsley and walnut pesto served with sweet potato fries. It was time to choose from the dessert menu. I knew immediately that my husband would not be able to resist the restaurant’s own recommendation of chocolate delice with its crisp feulletine base dark chocolate ganache, cacao tuile, glazed hazelnuts and pistachios, dark chocolate sauce and honeycomb ice cream. My choice was a pistachio soufflé of incredible lightness and flavour, served with rich chocolate ice cream. Our booking was early – 6pm, but already the restaurant was filling up with enthusiastic diners of all ages. I noticed that, even though the restaurant was getting very busy, the same individual warm welcome was extended to each group of diners on arrival. We had a wonderful evening with amazing food and prompt service from friendly staff. For the high quality of the food, prices were not extortionate. I would not hesitate to choose the Britannia for a special celebration or a family meal where a wide range of tastes would be catered for.

Purveyor of a variety of high protein premium Biltong products

Facebook: thebiltongladyuk Instagram: @thebiltong_ladyuk Email: info@thebiltonglady.co.uk Tel: 07388 839855

THE WHITE HART, SHERBORNE

Cheap St, Sherborne DT9 3PX 01935 817668 whitehartsherborneltd@gmail.com

Christmas menu served November 21 – December 23 Two courses: £28.50 Three courses: £32.50 Quote Hart Xmas when booking, for a free glass of prosecco per table

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Sue, Dave, The Family and Betsy welcome you to our traditional Dorset pub. Super dog friendly. Showing live BT Sports! Live music and Jammin’ Wednesdays Great food & family fun

Vittles (food & drink)

Karen Broad lives in Burton Bradstock, with her husband and two mad dogs. She ran The Mousetrap in Dorchester, has lived in France and loves discovering new food producers.

November – the last month of autumn before we accept the onset of those wistful winter days. At this time of year, it is an instinct to hoard, to seek comfort foods, which fulfil cravings for energy and nourishment. We are talking ‘Food Fuel’ here. Not one of us have been unaffected by rising costs, and at 14.7% inflation, everyone’s weekly budget has been affected. The thing is not to be anxious; we’ve been here before and survived we just need to be ‘canny’ and have a week’s food plan. Yes, it sounds a little tedious to think of making lists before you go shopping and meal planning can be daunting but believe me it will make a huge difference if you do. Look for seasonal foods which will be cheaper, use lentils and beans to bulk out meals, both are full of nutrients, protein, iron, and zinc. But our Food Fuel doesn’t have to be boring –try making this Liver Parfait, similar to a liver pâté but as smooth as silk,

FOOD FUEL FOR WINTER: Liver Parfait

Winter is coming: Tuck in

very tasty and cheap to make.

225gms lamb’s liver or chicken livers (remove any tough sinews) Four rashers of bacon 25g butter Chopped onion and garlic (optional) One apple, chopped Optional dash of brandy or Calvados (whatever you have) 200ml cream Salt and pepper Butter 40gs Peppercorns or bay leaves Cook the bacon for 2-3 minutes then add the onions and garlic until soft, add the sliced liver and cook gently for 5 mins. Add the tomato puree, apples and brandy and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Transfer to a blender and leave to cool. Add cream and blitz until smooth, taste and season generously. Press the mixture through a metal sieve, this will take out all the grainy bits and leave a smooth pâté. Place into ramekins or a small dish – melt 40g of butter and pour over the top. Decorate with peppercorns – pink are the most flavoursome – or use some bay leaves. Allow to chill before serving. This can be a sandwich filler or an impressive starter. Sieving the mixture gives it that ‘edge.’ If you like texture, chop some bacon or mushrooms after you have sieved. The pâté will keep for a week in the fridge. Served with hot buttered toast or a baguette, gherkins, and olives. A nice glass of red wine and winter can do its worst!

Mum’s Kitchen...

Macaroni Cheese This version of an old favourite is a bit more trouble, but elevates a simple economical dish into a classy vegetarian main course for three to four people My best tip is to weigh out all your ingredients, separate the eggs and grate the cheeses before you start. Ingredients: 175g macaroni 75g mascarpone 50g Gruyere, grated 50g parmesan, grated 25g butter 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 25g cornflour or plain flour 300 ml milk

with Diana Holman

A good grating of nutmeg 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 2 large egg whites Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Butter an ovenproof baking dish of around 20cm x 15 cm, 5cm deep. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a

Vittles (food & drink)

Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker, who has a stall outside The Old Ship Inn in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram. Wishing you a very jelly Christmas

Why not make your gifts this year and bring some festive spirit to family and friends? Nothing says Christmas quite like sloe gin. Hunt out the blackberries nestled at the bottom of your freezer (you can buy frozen berries in supermarkets) and get making. Just make sure you tuck these goodies out of temptation’s way so there are still some to part with come Christmas.

Blackberry & Sloe Gin Jelly

This is a deep dark fruity jelly that is full of flavour and a kick of gin. You should get around 3-4 jars from this recipe. Pop a couple of saucers in the fridge for testing that the jelly is set.

900g blackberries 1 lemon, juiced Approx 450g sugar 3 tablespoons sloe gin

With the blackberries in a large pan add 300ml water and the

NICE AND SLOE: Blackberry and Sloe Gin Jelly lemon juice. Bring to the boil then reduce the temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the blackberries are soft. Give the berries a quick mash to break them up this really is about getting as much juice from the berries as possible. Hang a jelly bag over a jug and carefully pour the contents of the pan into the bag. Leave overnight until the juices have all run through. Measure the juice and weigh out 450g sugar for each 600ml liquid. Put the juice and sugar in a clean pan and let it warm through gently – don’t heat this too fast as the sugar will end up thick and you’ll end up with streaky jelly. Allow the sugar to dissolve – about 20 minutes. Once completely melted, turn the heat up and bring to a rolling boil. Leave to cook for 20-30 mins. Put a teaspoon of jelly on a saucer and leave it for 30 seconds. Push your finger through the jelly – the surface should wrinkle once ready. If it is not quite set, then boil for a further 3 minutes and repeat the process. As soon as it’s ready, plop the sloe gin in the pan and stir well. Take off the heat and pour the jelly mixture into warm sterilised jars. This jelly can be eaten straight away (once cold) it is fantastic served with baked brie straight out of the oven or cold on a turkey sandwich. To make your present extra special you could add a note with suggestions on how to use the jelly.

n Lizzie trades from The Old Ship Inn in Upwey or checkout her website or Facebook to see where she is over the festive period. lizziebakingbird.co.uk

gentle heat, add the onions and let them soften without browning for 5 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and stir it in to make a smooth paste, then gradually add the milk a little at a time, stirring vigorously. Change to a balloon whisk and whisk until you have a smooth sauce. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg and leave the sauce to cook gently for 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Whisk in the mascarpone and egg yolks, followed by the gruyere and half the parmesan. Meanwhile bring a large pan containing about 2.5 litres of water to the boil. Add the macaroni, and simmer for 4-6 minutes. Drain into a colander, put back into the saucepan and add the cheese sauce, stirring well to evenly coat the pasta. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold them in. Pour the pasta mixture into the dish, smooth the top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Cook for around 15 minutes until the top is puffy and lightly browned.