Another card that I have found is this little place close to Monet’s house. Giverny is about Midway from Paris to Rouen. It was one of those sunny days when we just fancied a lunch out in the open having enjoyed the house and gardens where Monet painted his famous works. The food was rustic, the garden busy and the weather was glorious – a definite must next time in that region.
Have a look at the typical menu here: http://www.giverny.fr/IMG/pdf/Carte_restaurant_2010_-2.pdf
I have discovered a couple of cards from trips to restaurants and one that stands out is this restaurant. Its part of the Bodegas Stratvs winery and doesn’t look to have been open that long. Serving fine dining, you can expect a decent meal – and of course, washed down with some of Stratvs’s own wine – and good wine it is, as is others on the island such as the wines from Bermejo.
I don’t have a record of what we ate but I do remember starting with papaya gazpacho and enjoying the food from that moment on.
I'm not that good at photography - mainly because I find a pocket camera useless for details close-ups. My buddy Tim, had a go for these and the results are better, but a decent slr type camera would help!
Pear, Pea & Watercress Veloute with Parmesan crisps
Marinated and home smoked salmon
Tartlette Spicy!
A close Up!
The 'pudding' - looks a bit odd in this photo!
The host - I'm looking quite relaxed really!
The 'pudding' - under attack
Mini Paella
Plum Tatin
Maison Mattmou 08/21/10
Cocktail St-Germain
Champagne et Sureau Liquer.
Delice de Bouche
Veloute de Pois, Poire et Cresson servi avec parmesan feuilletée.
Saumon Fume Chaud
Salmon marinés avec soja et meil, fume dans nos maison.
Le Tarte Spicy!
Un Tartelette inspiré par Le Méditerranéen.
Sureau Sorbet
Deux sorbets! – Sureau do nos maison.
'Pudding Anglais' avec Beouf
Suif de Beouf pudding avec beouf, champignons et un sauce de vin rouge.
Specialité d'Espana
Paella avec poulet et fruits de mer.
Tarte Jacqueline
Tatin de Prunes (produit de nos maison)
Café et Chocolats du Maison
Les plats c'est preparé dans un environment ou il y'a les nutters. S'il vous plait informé le management. Si vous etes allergique a les nutters!
I have been asked by a few friends to add my last gourmet evening menu to the blog and also the recipes – well here is the first bit. Some of the recipes are already on the blog but the remainder will get added in due course. To those there on the night, it was great fun and the I can confirm that you are all bone fide members of the Clean Plate Club!!
What a great evening last night – lots of courses chez nous and all were really enjoyed. I’ll blog the recipes and post a few photos over the next day or so….
Blooming gorgeous! Mrs.H. always likes a bit of flattery but this time she has to step to one side as the noble suet pudding takes centre stage!
This recipe just worked 1st time and it is fabulous. I’m sure that if I had used a rich veal stock, then it would have been even better!
Ingredients – makes 6 mini puddings
For the suet pastry:
Chop the beef into small chunks and then coat in flour. Heat a good knob of butter in a pan and add a little oil to allow the browing of the meat. When it is brown, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until soft. At this point add the wine and reduce a little. Then add the stock, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and cook for around 30 minutes. The stock will reduce creating a thicker gravy - at this point, stir in the redcurrant jelly and cook for a little while longer. Taste and season accordingly.
Once done, remove all the meat, mushrooms and onions with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. You now can make the pastry. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and then add the suet and mix in. Slowly add the water, mixing well as you go until you get a light pastry. Leave for 20 mins.
After about 20 mins the beef will be cool and so the final stange of prep can be done. Roll out pastry to about 3/4mm thick and line a 75mm baking basin with the pastry. Fill well with the beef mixture right to the top edge of the pastry. Spoon some of the gravy left over around the meat to fill any voids but do not put too much in each pudding. Cut a circle of pastry to completely cover the top of the pudding, wet the edges with water and tightly seal down the pastry on the top with the sides of the pastry. Cover the top then with silver foil (I put a pleat in it to help if it expands) and tie up with string.
You can now put the basins into boiling water (2/3rds the way up) and then cover the pan. Cooking times will vary but I would allow 1 to 1.5 hours if they are small puddings. Check the water level regularly.
Turn out the puddings upside down and spoon over more gravy onto the top of the pudding. Serve with a few carrots or crushed peas and mint. I do not think potatoes are needed as the suet pudding makes up for it. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it – in fact I’m going to make another batch shortly!
The description is a little short but I think you get the principle. The better the stock then the better the flavour!
Now I don’t mean finely chopping dried herbs and rolling up in a Rizla or dried meat rolled up in a smoke herring skin like a cigar, I mean hot smoking food to cook it or enhance its flavour – and then eat it! I was recommended this little gadget http://tinyurl.com/25xaj6g (many places sell them, not just Amazon) and I am delighted with the initial results. The only issue I have is that Mrs H has a slight issue with smoke – even a tiny bit, so I’m going to have to find a way of using it outside or in the shed. The smoker is pretty good at keeping most of the smoke inside itself but some does escape and even the hob extractor doesn’t take it all away.
It worked well, even on my electric hob and about 25 minutes was just right to smoke a gutted rainbow trout – I used apple wood dust which came with the smoker. The result was a moist and delicately smoked fish without spoiling the lovely flavour of the trout. Its goiung to take a little practice but I am looking forward to smoking some sausages and maybe even some smoked mash! Will keep you updated on the progress….
This soup is simply delicious. The pear gives it a slightly sweeter edge and a nice texture. Even better if you can use pears from your own garden!
Ingredients:
Peel and chop the onions and fry in the butter on a gentle heat until soft. Add the peas and peeled and chopped pear to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes or so. Add the stock and gently simmer for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and then stir in the watercress. Allow to cool a little and then liquidise until smooth. Transfer back to a pan and bring up to a simmer and then you are ready to serve. Serve with a little cream and a sprig of watercress on the top.
Well, I wish it actually was a review! I seem to have mislaid some of my notes! From memory, the dishes were very good indeed. What came over was the inventiveness of some of the dishes – one such thing being the fact that chutney was served up in a filo pastry wrap rather than just a dollop on the side of the dish – excellent idea. The food tastes great and if I ever find my notes (or a menu gets emailed to me!) I’ll run you through it. If you find yourself in that part of the world, it is worth the detour.
I’m not really sure what to call this but it is one of those satisfying recipes that is easy to cook and tastes great. Enjoy it with a little basmati rice or similar.
Ingredients (serves 4 , or 2 greedy ones!):
Fry the onions and garlic until soft (over a medium heat). Add the peppers and chilli and continue over a medium heat. After about 5 minutes, add the tinned tomatoes, cover and leave on a low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally) Remove cover and add remaining ingredients and season. The salt makes a big difference to the flavour of this dish. Cook until the prawns are cooked through and the cherry tomatoes are just soft. Serve in a bowl with plain rice, feet up and a big glass of wine – perfect!
Is there is one thing that has to be done, it is to enjoy a decent cocktail after a week in the office. My current favourite is Cosmopolitan and I now enjoy this in preference to some of the Mojito’s from last year.
Ingredients:
I use a smallish cocktail shaker that is perfect for 2 drinks
Fill the shaker half full of ice (not crushed), add all ingredients and shake vigorously for half a minute. Strain off from the ice and pour into two cocktail glasses, garnish and enjoy.
Last year we went to the Wild Garlic a few times and had some great meals. The word some gives you the impression that all were not great. Well maybe so but that was more a matter of a budding restaurant and inexperience rather than poor food. Each visit got better and so I was really looking forward to see Mat Follas again after a few months and seeing how his restaurant, food and staff had changed. Well, changed it has! Not hugely in some areas but enough to make a big difference. The restaurant looks much as before: relaxed, bright and colourful (alright, just one colour) and the oak tables are ‘breaking’ in well. The staff were excellent. No gold stars for anyone in particular but everyone seems to enjoy working there and it rubs off. Maybe it is Mat’s excellent management skills or just that they are all part of a team that is doing well – I think a combination of the two. Roll on the food! I’m not going to eulogise about each course. I don’t have time and to be quite honest there are others more capable than me. What I will say is that certain aspects stand out. Firstly Mat’s food has improved and has jumped up another level in quality. Secondly, his portions are a little bigger – I’m not complaining here but in some cases they were a little small before.
So why was it so good? Taste and quality, I would say, oh and did I say faultless! It’s not food with foams and dotted sauces (Mat has used these words in the past) but it is still well presented. Just go there and sample the food for yourself.
I have to add that we managed to sneak in a lunch just before we left – Barnsley Chops with Wild Garlic Pesto – what a fitting fish for the Wild Garlic Resto!
