bakerestates
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Posts posted by bakerestates
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i'd say the river cafe....http://www.rivercafe.co.uk/rc_page.php?pg_id=1......lots of their former chefs have moved on to their own thing after a stint. Lots of training and experince....they send their staff to Italy and this shows especially with the knowledge of the waiting staff. Know two people who have/are working their and they have only good things to say. While it may not be as technically challenging (though it is difficult to do simple well) it's focus on seasonal ingredients and local provenence (sure they get some gear from Italy) is not something that they have jumped on the bank wagon of....they've been going and doing for a long time.
bakerestates
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Do you know if the animal you got was male of female? If it was the former it is possible that what you were smelling was "Boar Taint". Not very pleasant at all when you detect it.
hmm....male....a boistours little runt by all accounts. Advice from an old Italian book I had said wash it with vinegar...which I did but still smelt during cooking.
bakerestates
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Well, its all gone. I am quite amazed that it sold so quickly. And they loved it.
But I am not so sure. Not only did I find the aroma of it quite strong, the flavour did not do much for me. When raw, it looked like just very dark pork meat. When cooked, it looked like venison. In terms of flavour, I couldn't really put my finger on it, partly because the smell was on my palate. I blind tasted my milk supplier with a bit of loin and she said venison and then pork.
It took very slow, low heat cooking. I was amazed at how quickly it cooked and could dry out (I experimented with a bit of loin before going the whole hog) I think the best bit was the shoulder cooked at 150c for 4 hours in red wine, shallots & garlic). I served that with some wet polenta and pecorino which was perfect (as it was pouring with rain here yesterday) and the loin and haunch with roast pink fir apple potatoes, summer girolles and salsa verde which were suitably earthy for it.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'll get some more and just keep experimenting to get the best out of it.
bakerestates
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I am taking my first delivery of a side of wild boar this Friday from a lady who rears them, free-range and no toxins, on a farm in Suffolk. Apparantly the great-grandfather of her current oldest 'stag, stallion, daddy, chief fertiliser?' has his DNA held by the Ministry of Agriculture to show what pure bread wild boar are. This old boy orginally came from the Polish/German border and she sells them on a very small scale.
So I am really thrilled to be getting them hoping my adventrous regulars and the colder weather will deplete it by Monday. I have talked to her at length about the make-up, densisty, fat content etc of the meat and how she has cooked it in the past. At the moment I plan very simply to....
Loin - with the bones still on, score it, make a apricot/butter/fennel/prosciutto marinade stuffing and slow roast it.
Belly - just slow-roasting without any additional flavourings.
Haunch - with bone in, wrapping it with coppa or pancetta and slow roasting it.
Shoulder - slow casseroling it.
I would be grateful for any cooking suggestions or experiences
bakerestates
www.thesuninndedham.com
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self-rising flour looks abit odd and yes, consistency of your batter plays are part - trial and error will help you.
Volume and temperature of the oil are key also. It should be in a good amount of oil which keeps a strong temperature as soon as you but the fish in and is maintained.
not sure this helps!
bakerestates
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..... some really good bargains - 12 bottles Lafite Rothschild 2004 bought last month for £1,020 vs Berry Bros £1,850) and Oxford Wine Merchants.
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Liberty Wines are the best suppliers of Italian Wine in London - period. While they don't supply retail they do have strong affilliations with retailers. Give them a call and they will point you in the right direction - 00 44 207 7205350 or email them at enquiries@libertywine.co.uk.
They have been voted Italian Wine Merchant of The Year for the past 8 years (Allegrinni Amarone, Franz Haas Pinot Bianco & Lagrien & Moscato Rosa, Fontodi, Bruno Rocca Barbera, Mollino Barolo, Cessoni, Pieropan Soave, Felluga Pinot Grigio, Ca dei Fratti Rose), and they have a stong portfolio of Australian maverik producers like Cullen, Duval, Mount Horracks, Charlie Melton, French - Boisset, Richaud, La Lagune and American - Seghesio, Leyth, Frog's Leap as well as Austrain, Canadian Ice Wine (Yum but $$$$$$).
Fields Morris & Verdin which are the wholesale arm of Berry Brothers are also excellent - Marcel Rion Bons Batons, Wild Boy Chardonnay Au bon Climat, Juracon, Oliver Merlin Macon, Cigulti Dolchetto, Lis Neris Pinot Girgio, Quinta de la Rosa,)
bakerestates
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indian try
munal, corner upper richmond road/dover house road, putney.
sri crishna, tooting
a place in the east end with a picture of lady diana in it!
malabar, uxbridge street off camden hill road, notting hill
khans at westborne grove
italian try
river cafe, hammersmith
timo, high street kensington
assagi, chepstow place, notting hill
pubs that serve good food (rather than gastro pubs....steer clear) try
atlas, fulham
eagle, farringdon
anchor & hope, waterloo
oriental
blue elephant, fulham broadway (for the experience)
Zuma or Umu, can't remember which in Mayfair ish, probably why I can't remember
fish & chips
The Anchor, Lille Road
Enjoy
bakerestates
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there are some good places in swaffham (strattons - excentric, great house, organic food). A place called Terroir (vegetarian and good wine list) which I think you will find if you google. Morston Hall is a pleasant experience and there is a lot of thought going into their food. The Hoste Arms at Burnham Market is worth a trip just for their front bar alone but they do serve meticulousy sourced local produce simply executed.
bakerestates
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Going to the supermarket probably takes up about 3 hours of your time. Sitting down and ordering different produce from different suppliers, who may or may not deliver and then having to sit in a wait for their delivers (which to be competitively priced has to be morning or afternoon) proably takes up to 2 hours. Why not just find a good area in London that meets all your requirments - meat, fish, veg, cheese, dry stores etc - and go there weekly. Places such as Turnham Green (Macken's Butchers), North End Road (Dickenson Butchers), Northcote Road (Randle's I think), etc, etc. Or local markets that don't trade on the Borough Market name such as Marlybone, Stoke Newington.
This way, you get to choose the best and freshest produce that should last a week, learn about it, haggle and generally extend the whole experince of eating proper food. Sure it takes effort and a while to get into a rountine and learn who the best traders are, but I think the other options are false economy.
bakerestates.
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My whife who spent many a TV market in Cannes for the Jim Henson Company entertained at Colombe d'Or in Saint Paul de Vance. Not being a total foodie she can't help on that front but said the setting and restaurant are stunning and hangs amazing artwork by such artists as Matise.
bakerestates
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Tomatoes in May! Not grown locally methinks. How many food miles?
I wait untill high summer then pick them fresh from my allotment.
I have been taking delivery from a local grower (Dedham, Essex) for the past two months of 'cocktail tomatoes' (a little larger than normal cherry vines) which he grows in a greenhouse with a little additional heat and nothing else added. Really red, soft and sweet. He also grows them for M&S.
bakerestates
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shelled & pureed with mint
risotto with asparagus, peas & mint
lamb stew - artihokes, broad beans & mint
salad with borlotti, ligurian oil, parsley, coppa di parma
asparagus & broad bean salad blanched within minutes of picking, squeez lemon, rock salt & either parmesan or pecorino
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Have just returned from a very pleasant weekend here. One of the biggest differences we all noticed was that the people generally are exceptionally friendly - from the general public to people who worked in car rental, hotels, golf clubs etc, add this to the restaurant and bar staff and you are humbled by their natural willingness to please. Some English places should take note.
We stayed for two nights in Allo's in Listowel. A charming place full of character, excellent, comfortable, clean rooms, and as previously mentioned, nothing was too much trouble - including turning up 1 hour after the advertised kitchen closed time (albeit they knew we were going to be slightly late) and have choice from a full menu. Very relaxed, uncomplicated food - a duck, prawn, noodle and lots of seasonal veg stir fry the first night, clean and clear flavours. The second night I had two roast, boned stuffed quails which were tender, juicy and flavour excellent and a seafood chowder which had tons of shellfish in. The restaurant bit is separate to the bar and although you can hear the goings on (on our second night we were treated to a Northern Irish piano player of some pedigree and 12 not so talented singers but what the hell....once we had finished our meal we joined them until about 3am).
Our last night was spent in the charming Dunraven Arms in Adare, opposite Adare Manor Golf Resort. The place has a lovely 1920s feel to it and would be very easy to be corporate and chitzy but wasn't. Lots of parlour style rooms for the restaurant that led onto each other with black and white marbled floors, lots of archatraved square arches, tasteful, warm decor and all the staff (of differeing ages, shapes and sizes) were immaculalty turned out. After quizing the maitre d' about the origin of their crab and if the rib of beef (carved from the trolley) had been cooked for a while and therefore had been sitting around drying out, he assured us that we would not be dissapointed. Unfortunatly, the crab linguini was a dissapointment, only becasue the cream sauce killed the crab, which when you got it was very good. The beef was truly excellent. Ordered rare it was carved beside me and was exceptionally tender and deep, long flavour. Others had quails which were stuffed with a mushroom mouse (not bad) and a very sexed up Irish Stew.
Back in the bar, while the others had their smoke outside, I ordered some whiskey. Now, the previous night at Allo's, we had had some very good Midleton single malt and I remembered getting some change for 4 doubles from a 50 euro note. Spotting from some distance a bottle of 'Midleton' on the bar at the Dunraven Arms I ordered another 4 doubles and duly got out my 50 euro note waiting for the bar lady to return with the drinks. When she looked at my note she laughed and said 'I hope you have two there'. Why, I said. ' Becasue this is liquuid gold this stuff, its 16 euros a shot.' 132 euros on the credit card later, we could see why. It was an exceptional, so much so, we had anothe round. Spicy but subtle, sandlewood notes, even a little peachy vanilla. Deep burnt amber colour, viscous. A long, multi flavoured palate with lots of spices and fruit, real peat qualities and a long finish. I have since learnt that this is a very rare whiskey, one of the best ever produced in Ireland and if you come across it, if the time is right, have it.
A perfect way to end a great trip.
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I will be visiting Kerry (staying Listowel) and Limerick (staying Adare) for four days of golf in May. Has anyone got any recommendations of places to, first eat (good, unprentious food) and second, drinking and céilí
.Many thanks
bakersestates
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Its all about preparation, basting and temperature. This is what I do every Sunday with 10 chickens. I allow 1.5 cooking and resting time and then the chickens with hold for up to 1 hour ready to serve.
1. Cut a lemon in half and drop it into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Take it out and stuff it into the cavity of the bird with rosemary & thyme stalks, garlic with skin on but crushed and seasoning.
2. With the chicken stuffed, lay it on a flat surface with its bum towards your crotch (hmm...that sounds dirty). Gently separate the skin from the neck running down the breasts. Between the skin and the breasts put knobs of butter, rosemary and lemon lemon zest. Rub the chicken all over with butter, maldon salt and pepper.
3. Put the chicken in a roasting tray with some stock vegetables (leek, carrot, onion coursley chopped) and put into a very hot oven for 15 minutes. This is crucial to getting crispy skin but keeping a moist bird.
4. After 15 minutes you should notice a change of colour and moisture should start to appear. If so, turn the oven down to 180c. As Mr Grant suggested you could cover it with foil but I tend not too as this inhibits crispy skin. Instead I baste the bird with the juices it creates (or sometimes a pour 1/2 bottle of white wine into the tray to make gravy half way during the cooking). I baste it about 4-5 times until the bird is cooked including putting juice into the birds cavity. I know it is cooked by cutting between the drumstick and the body - i.e. the birds armbit. If when it is almost cooked but the skin is not the required crispiness, I wack the heat up to full blast for no more than 10 minutes.
5. Leave it to rest for 15 minutes on top of your stove with some foil over the top while you strain of the juices and reduce the gravy until disired consistency.
This works for me. If it doesn't for you, I would use the princples I do and try it a couple of times making adjustments on flavourings, temperature vs. size of bird etc until you get it right rather that varying from recipie to recipie.
Good luck.
bakerestates
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Another place for you to try is China Chef on Crouch Street in Colchester. My wife ate there recently with some friends and she was really impressed. Standard chineses menu but cooked very well, clean, fresh etc. Service excellent and lovely atmosphere also.
One of my waitresses and manageresses has also recently tried The Silk Road on queen street in Colchester - Thai. Again, really well cooked fresh food. Both these people have spend a good bit of time in Thailand and said it was the real deal.
As for me, I still in the kitchen so don't get to eat out much (The Eagle, Farringdon Road, London, for skate, roast potatoes and anchionade in January) but did have a great burger at a roadside trailer in my local hardware store run by a West Indian chap - really hot deep chilli sauce and lots of crunchy slices of vegetables.
bakerestes
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......you all keep watching though.....
bakerestates
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You could try my cheese supplier, Hamish Johnson in Framlingon Suffolk 01728 621544. I buy it from him for about £10-£11 per kilo for my lunch cheese platters. It is very very good and i sell quite a lot to regulars on the side. If he won't I could always post it to you but don't know how much it might cost.
bakerestates.
email me if you want some to info@thesuninndedham.com
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i'm new to this so excuse me if is is illegible. i've been to mistley thorne a number of times and have yet to be impressed - seriously overcooked tuna, bottled teryaki sauce, burnt chips, raw lamb burger, five different components on a dish of well made venison stew, slow service, £20 cash profit on the au bon climat pinot?!$!? i remember reading sprats and horseradish in the anchor and hope threads.
On your review of the devere arms, £35 per head seems a lot for this neck of the woods.
try the beehive at horringer, the ship at levington, crown and castle at orford, mogul curry house at manningtree can be great but can be indifferent, new to colchester is east meets west which has thai cooks cooking very fresh clean food or alternatively try sun inn at dedham. i am slightly biased in that i'm the owner but i am now cooking full time after too much inconsistency with previous head chefs which probably explains why locals give mixed reports - hopefully not anymore!
bakersestates
Welcome on board bakersestates...I would agree that the Mistley Thorne wasn't as good as I hoped. At £15 retail the markup on the Au Bon Climat PN is 2.5...well it's less than London which is what I'm used to.
Re the Devere Arms: Maybe £35 is quite a lot but as I only paid £25, for the quality of the cooking I thought it good value. Again the winelist was expensive.
I've been to your restaurant and enjoyed it - your winelist is exceptionally generous and an interesting selection - you obviously like wine - Liberty Wine has a good list ;-). As I mentioned somewhere above I had the Isole e Olena Chianti Classico. I would have some small criticisms of the cooking - a one of focus more than anything compared to other gastropubs I've been to (mostly in London - I'm a newbie to the area).
Thanks for the recommendations and a link to your website here
i look at cash margin once wines are over £16 because i feel it represents better value for the general punter and gets those who do know their wine trading up because its a bargin. what do you mean - by I would have some small criticisms of the cooking - a one of focus more than anything compared to other gastropubs I've been to (mostly in London - I'm a newbie to the area).
bakerestates
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As promised I went to the Devere Arms in Earls Colne - another attractive North Essex village a few miles north of Coggeshall. As mentioned this has two rosettes in the AA guide for what it's worth - I would say it is worth it or probably more.
This is both a restaurant and a hotel done out in a sort of "Country Modern" style. I was a little bemused by the whole "sit down in the lounge while you peruse the menu and nibble on canapes" type thing which I hadn't experienced for a while but a relaxing start to the meal. At least it was until I saw the wine prices - these are London markups e.g. Dr. Loosen basic riesling (£5.99 in sainsburys) for £18.95 and some very expensive basic Burgundys at the £50 mark. Finally found a Castello Volpaia Chianti Classico for £28 - which reminded me of my lunch there last summer.
Perusal over, we moved to the restaurant proper which is painted a rather strong red colour but generally had a nice feel to it. Starters duly arrived - Salmon and Squid ballotine with citrus dressing and Red Mullet with Tomato concasse-thing and green beans. Presentation was impressive and the taste also impressed - although the tomato stuff was maybe too strong and too much with the mullet, all elements had a delicious flavour. The ballotine was a little cool but again tasty.
Main courses were Gressingham Duck with rosti and vegetable accompaniments - I had the venison. Both were again beautifully presented and the quality of the meat excellent - flavours strong and clear. My wife pronounced her duck as the best she had had in a long time.
On to desserts with which we ordered a glass of Willi Opitz beerenauslese. I had Assiette of pineapple with Cardamom pannacotta. This comprised pineapple sorbet, spiced pineapple puree and the pannacotta surrounded by pineapple dice - pannacotta was of the right degree of wobbliness. Other half had Tarte Tatin with vanilla ice-cream - unusual in that it consisted of a whole apple sitting in a pastry 'cup' - tasted delicious.
Wine geek note - wine was served in Schott Zwiesel glasses which is better than the usual rubbish though obviously not as good as Riedel.
All in all an excellent meal which could not be faulted at the level it was aimed at; although not michelin-star-bothering, this was beautifully presented tasty food. At the current 'bargain' price of £25 for 3 courses instead of £35 this is a good bet if you're in the area monday to thursday
i'm new to this so excuse me if is is illegible. i've been to mistley thorne a number of times and have yet to be impressed - seriously overcooked tuna, bottled teryaki sauce, burnt chips, raw lamb burger, five different components on a dish of well made venison stew, slow service, £20 cash profit on the au bon climat pinot?!$!? i remember reading sprats and horseradish in the anchor and hope threads.
On your review of the devere arms, £35 per head seems a lot for this neck of the woods.
try the beehive at horringer, the ship at levington, crown and castle at orford, mogul curry house at manningtree can be great but can be indifferent, new to colchester is east meets west which has thai cooks cooking very fresh clean food or alternatively try sun inn at dedham. i am slightly biased in that i'm the owner but i am now cooking full time after too much inconsistency with previous head chefs which probably explains why locals give mixed reports - hopefully not anymore!
bakersestates
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As promised I went to the Devere Arms in Earls Colne - another attractive North Essex village a few miles north of Coggeshall. As mentioned this has two rosettes in the AA guide for what it's worth - I would say it is worth it or probably more.
This is both a restaurant and a hotel done out in a sort of "Country Modern" style. I was a little bemused by the whole "sit down in the lounge while you peruse the menu and nibble on canapes" type thing which I hadn't experienced for a while but a relaxing start to the meal. At least it was until I saw the wine prices - these are London markups e.g. Dr. Loosen basic riesling (£5.99 in sainsburys) for £18.95 and some very expensive basic Burgundys at the £50 mark. Finally found a Castello Volpaia Chianti Classico for £28 - which reminded me of my lunch there last summer.
Perusal over, we moved to the restaurant proper which is painted a rather strong red colour but generally had a nice feel to it. Starters duly arrived - Salmon and Squid ballotine with citrus dressing and Red Mullet with Tomato concasse-thing and green beans. Presentation was impressive and the taste also impressed - although the tomato stuff was maybe too strong and too much with the mullet, all elements had a delicious flavour. The ballotine was a little cool but again tasty.
Main courses were Gressingham Duck with rosti and vegetable accompaniments - I had the venison. Both were again beautifully presented and the quality of the meat excellent - flavours strong and clear. My wife pronounced her duck as the best she had had in a long time.
On to desserts with which we ordered a glass of Willi Opitz beerenauslese. I had Assiette of pineapple with Cardamom pannacotta. This comprised pineapple sorbet, spiced pineapple puree and the pannacotta surrounded by pineapple dice - pannacotta was of the right degree of wobbliness. Other half had Tarte Tatin with vanilla ice-cream - unusual in that it consisted of a whole apple sitting in a pastry 'cup' - tasted delicious.
Wine geek note - wine was served in Schott Zwiesel glasses which is better than the usual rubbish though obviously not as good as Riedel.
All in all an excellent meal which could not be faulted at the level it was aimed at; although not michelin-star-bothering, this was beautifully presented tasty food. At the current 'bargain' price of £25 for 3 courses instead of £35 this is a good bet if you're in the area monday to thursday
i'm new to this so excuse me if is is illegible. i've been to mistley thorne a number of times and have yet to be impressed - seriously overcooked tuna, bottled teryaki sauce, burnt chips, raw lamb burger, five different components on a dish of well made venison stew, slow service, £20 cash profit on the au bon climat pinot?!$!? i remember reading sprats and horseradish in the anchor and hope threads.
On your review of the devere arms, £35 per head seems a lot for this neck of the woods.
try the beehive at horringer, the ship at levington, crown and castle at orford, mogul curry house at manningtree can be great but can be indifferent, new to colchester is east meets west which has thai cooks cooking very fresh clean food or alternatively try sun inn at dedham. i am slightly biased in that i'm the owner but i am now cooking full time after too much inconsistency with previous head chefs which probably explains why locals give mixed reports - hopefully not anymore!
bakersestates
Help - Sous Vide
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Cooking & Baking
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there is an article in this weeks edition of restaurant magazine about if...with a list of suppliers
www.multivac.co.uk
www.cliftonfoodrange.co.uk
www.cookingconcepts.com