Chestnut Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 300g of fresh chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 25g of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked then chopped
• 100g pre-cooked and peeled chestnuts, thinly sliced
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 large onions, thinly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100ml of dry sherry
• 100ml of brandy
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp finely chopped thyme
• 1 tbps tomato purée
• To finish
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
  • 1 tbsp truffle oil

Instructions

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pan or stock pot on a low heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chestnuts and cook for another 2 minutes. Then turn the heat up slightly then add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the brandy and sherry and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by two-thirds. Mix the tomato puree in with the stock and the liqueur the porcini soaked in, then add it to the pan with the pinch of sugar and the vinegar. Turn down the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Finally, add the lemon juice and stir well.

Turn off the heat and allow it to cool a little before blending half the mixture, then returning it to the pan. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a bowl with the tarragon, parsley and a drizzle of the truffle oil on top.

Photography by Kake Pugh

Ten-course Menu Découverte wedding dinner at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons

The Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons courtyard at night

Overall impressions of the food at Le Manoir, not having eaten there before, lived up to expectations of a two Michelin-starred restaurant. The service was brilliant, the waiters were fantastic and had personality as well, they were so unobtrusive you didn’t even notice them constantly topping up the wine glasses which was a little dangerous!

The only criticism really was that there was inconsistency in some of the presentation of some of the plates of food. Paul’s red mullet dish came out looking completely different to mine and the other guests, and there were inconsistencies in the sizes and pieces of partridge as well from another guest’s account.

For a chef who builds as public a profile as Raymond Blanc, with his BBC show ‘The Restaurant’, attention to detail is always lauded as a trait that he follows in his kitchen. I’d say the eagle eye of the master is not always followed, but that is a very minor complaint, and as we were not paying customers, but guests of the happy couple, we were very grateful indeed!

We would love to go back to sample more of the food in the actual restaurant setting, and we’d like to see more of the grounds as well as we didn’t have that opportunity on this occasion.

Table setting for wedding at Le Manoir

We had the honour to be invited to our friends Dominique and Gabriel’s wedding at Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin starred establishment ‘Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons’, located in the village of Great Milton in Oxfordshire.

The wedding dinner menu

The wedding meal – a Raymond Blanc 10 course Menu Découverte.

Assiette apéritive, pumpkin soup

The Assiette apéritive – a pumpkin soup – was a light and foamy, slightly sweet and savoury delight. It was served with a La Tour Château Grand Moulin Corbières Blanc 2008 from Languedoc.

Parfait of duck liver, spiced pair chutney, toasted country bread

The duck liver parfait – lovely and creamy with the textural contrast of the nuts, and the bread was delicious. The sweet and subtly spiced pear chutney cut through the richness of the liver.

Risotto of wild mushrooms, truffle cream

The tantalising smell of truffle wafted off this risotto as it was placed in front of us, the flavours were intense. It was perfectly seasoned and the rice was well cooked. Bizarrely though, the slice of truffle on top seemed a bit bland! Despite this, the full-on-flavours made it a winner for Paul.

Pan-fried wild Cornish gill-netted red mullet and "jig caught" squid, salted cod brandade, bouillabaisse jus

This was Sarah’s favourite dish out of the entire meal, the squid had the most intense chargrilled flavour, and was extremely tender. The brandade was satisfyingly salty on top of the potato, and the mullet was cooked to perfection. The accompanying fennel acted as a suitable partner to the gorgeous fish and the bouillabaisse jus added plenty of fishy flavour in the background.

Roasted partridge, smoked mashed potatoes, caramelised salsify, redcurrant jus

The partridge breast was tender and still slightly pink, the way it should be, and the smoked mashed potato was a real winner. Some of our fellow guests found the partridge breast a little tough, and the presentation was a bit hit and miss. Sarah’s looked as pretty as a picture but Paul’s was just piled up. Added to the fact one or two guests had shattered bone and one found shot, this was a bit sub-Michelin standard – but didn’t detract too much from the rest of the meal.

At this point the red wine – Château Le Roc Le Classique 2006 – was served.

Farmhouse cheeses

The cheeses were presented beautifully, each cheese was paired with an accompanying complement: honey, chutney, glazed pecans, etc.

"Kaffir" lime leaf and coconut tapioca, passion fruit and banana sorbet

The tapioca and sorbet dessert was an explosion of tropical flavours which was welcome after the heavier cheeses. The tiny soft tapioca pearls sat on top of finely diced passion fruit, and the banana sorbet was delicately placed on top in a tiny quenelle. The lime flavour from the Kaffir leaves was surprisingly powerful.

With this came a rich sweet dessert wine – Mas Amiel Maury Vintage Reserve 2006, from Roussillon.

Hot "Guanaja" chocolate fondant with amaretto cream, pistachio ice cream

Sarah’s winner out of the dessert courses – chocolate of course! Beautiful, absolutely stunning mini fondant was meltingly perfect, accompanied by pistachio ice cream that tasted of real pistachios – no artificial flavours here! The amaretto creams were delicious too.

Petit fours et chocolate du Manoir

Finally, petit fours were exquisitely hand crafted and presented like a work of art, like all of the food on the menu. They were accompanied by little cups of coffee and then liqueur orders were taken. And with the fantastic wine free-flowing throughout the meal and a couple of Cognacs to finish, the evening was a complete success!

Chinese style stir-fried vegetables recipe

This Cantonese-style dish is great way to use up any spare vegetables such as carrots, peppers, onions, broccoli and mushrooms. Because of its subtle but delicious flavours it makes the perfect accompaniment to any other Chinese dish or can be served as a main with egg fried rice. The different colours of the vegetables add a real pizazz to any Chinese themed meal.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 8 spring onions
• 250 grams mushrooms
• 1 medium or large onion
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• thumb-sized chunk of fresh ginger
• 1 large carrot
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp dry sherry or chinese cooking wine
• 2 tbsp groundnut or cooking oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Chop the peppers into one inch squares and the mushrooms into quarters. Slice the onions into quarter wedges, and finely chop the garlic. Slice the ginger into matchsticks and soak in the dry sherry or chinese cooking wine in a glass or bowl. Finely slice the carrot finely on the diagonal, and chop the green onions into one inch diagonal pieces. 

Begin with a hot wok and heat the oil, then add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, peppers, carrots and any other vegetables that you are using. Stir fry for several minutes, about 5 or 6 until vegetables are about three-quarters cooked. The secret to cooking stir fries Cantonese style is to use a very hot wok and hot oil, and stir the vegetables quickly so that they do not burn. Then add the ginger matchsticks and dry sherry, and rest of ingredients – vegetable stock, soy sauces and oyster sauce – adding more or less to taste.

Finally, dilute the cornflour in a teaspoon of water and add at the end to thicken the sauce. Drizzle wiht sesame oil to serve.  Enjoy!

Maya Gold Chocolate Orange Mousse Recipe

Most of the credit for this recipe must go to the wonderful Green & Blacks for their stunning Maya Gold chocolate, the key ingredient. The lack of cream and butter keeps the recipe really light, but a touch of richness is retained through the brandy and orange. For perfection, make sure you have your folding technique right!

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 mins
Chilling time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 x 100g Green & Blacks Maya Gold organic chocolate
• 6 medium organic eggs
• 1 tbps brandy
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• zest of an orange
• strips of orange peel

Instructions

Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and add 150g of the chocolate, broken into chunks, with the tablespoon of brandy. Retain the remaining 50g, resisting the temptation to eat it.

Meanwhile separate the egg whites, keeping two of the egg yolks to one side. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric or a handwhisk until it forms soft peaks. Be careful not to overdo it or it will separate. 

Take the chocolate off the heat and stir in the orange zest and the cinnamon. Set it aside for a few minutes to cool a little, but whilst it’s still liquid, pour in the two egg yolks in and beat vigourously (or it will scramble). Add a third of the soft egg whites to the chocolate and stir in well.

Now, using your very best technique, fold the chocolate slowly and carefully into the egg whites until well combined but still full of air.

Pour the mixure into ramekins and put in the fridge to chill and set, which should take an hour or two. Now is a good time to lick the spoons and bowls clean

Once the mousse has set, grate the remaining chocolate over the top. Cut the orange peel into four thin strips and curl them tightly. Gently place on top of the mousse and serve immediately.

Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe

Delicious rich lamb curry made with onions and tomatoes, perfect with naan or rice and a Cobra beer.

Ingredients

• 3 tbls butter
• 1 kg cubed lamb steak
• 1 tbls ground cumin
• 1 tbls ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2-3 large onions, finely sliced
• 1 tin chopped tomatos
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, in quarters
• 1 tbls tomato puree
• 1/4 pint water
• 1/4 pint low-fat natural bio yoghurt
• 2 tsp of garam masala
• 2 tbsl of chopped coriander

Instructions
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and fry the meat on a medium heat in 2 to 3 batches until it browns, then put each batch to one side after frying.

Lower the heat and add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Put the heat back up and the meat along with any juices. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes then add the onions. Fry for another 5 to 6 minutes stirring frequently.

Now add the tomatoes and tomato puree – stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water and salt, bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the meat is tender (around 60 minutes).

Stir in the yoghurt and remove from the heat. In a separate pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter over a medium heat and add the garam masala, stir then add to the meat. Transfer a little meat gravy to the pan in which the garam masala was fried – stir thoroughly to ensure that any remaining garam masala and butter mixture is fully incorporated into the gravy and add this to the meat. Mix well. Stir in the coriander leaves.

Chicken and Chorizo Stew Recipe

This flavourful dish is a real Mediterranean mix – French-style cassoulet stew with Italian beans and Spanish sausage, slow cooked to let the full flavours develop. The chorizo melts to add a paprika punch to the rich red-wine, tomato and garlic sauce and the hint of lemon cuts right through the richness. Serve with plenty of crusty bread – you won’t want to leave a drop, and it’s easier to mop it up with the bread than trying to lick your plate clean!

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 2 hours+

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, jointed into 10 pieces
• 150g Chorizo sausage cut into 1cm cubes
• plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 bulb of garlic (about 10-15 cloves), peeled
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, chopped
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ bottle of red wine
• 4 rosemary sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes, drained
• 100g brown or green lentils
• 1 tin of borlotti beans
• 1 tin of cannellini beans
• 1 pint of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 10 dashes of Tabasco sauce
• 1 lemon, grated zest and juice
• 2 tsps smoked paprika
• ½ tsp sugar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and warm a large casserole dish.

Coat the chicken pieces in the flour and seal in a large pan or stock pot with some olive oil. Once brown remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Next, add the onions, carrots, and chilli to the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes until softened. Chuck in the garlic cloves and the balsamic vinegar, followed by the wine, rosemary and bay leaves. Reduce the liquid by half over a moderate heat, which really intensifies the flavour.

Pour in the drained tomatoes, reduce the liquid again by half, then add the lentils and beans. Stir and add the stock, mustard and Chorizo sausage. Bring to a simmer.

Add the lemon zest, the sugar, paprika, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce and a good twist of salt and pepper. Now add the chicken and cover with the sauce, then put it in the oven for about 2 hours. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice.

Serve several pieces of chicken and several ladles of the cassoulet per person in a bowl with some crusty bread and a large glass of full bodied red. We recommend d’Arenberg’s Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz 2005.

Smoked Duck and Orange Salad Recipe

This is an absolutely stunning starter for a dinner party, and is a doddle to make, as there’s barely any preparation needed. We bought our smoked duck fillet from Le Marche du Quartier, in Borough Market, as well as our salad leaves from Paul Crane’s stall. We used blood oranges from our Abel & Cole organic fruit and vegetable delivery box. The dressing is piquant but not overpowering, and your guests will be very impressed with the elegant presentation! For a vegetarian version, I used sliced pears instead of duck, with the dressing adding the savoury twist.

Serves 4

Salad

1 smoked duck fillet
2 – 3 oranges
mixed salad leaves – rocket, spinach etc.

Dressing

Juice of one orange (approx 4 tbsp)
Juice of 2 lemons (approx 4 tbsp)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch Maldon salt
pinch freshly ground pepper

To prepare the salad, wash the salad leaves and pat dry. Arrange a handful of leaves on each plate.

Thinly slice the smoked duck fillet on a diagonal, leave the layer of fat on.

Peel the oranges with a knife, so there isn’t any white pith left on the flesh. Slice into segments. Arrange on top of the salad leaves.

Then, make the dressing. If you have an empty jam jar, combine all ingredients in, screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously.

Just before serving, heat a frying pan or griddle pan, and gently warm the duck slices, 1 minute on each side is sufficient.

Arrange duck slices on top of the salad leaves and orange segments, and drizzle the dressing over it all.

Sarah’s Pescetarian Pasta Sauce Recipe

This is a basic non-meat pasta sauce which I just whipped up for my dinner after work, not much chopping involved, and it’s easily adapted – throw in whatever kind of veg you have on hand, courgette, aubergine, carrots, onions, olives etc. I’ve added anchovies and sardines for protein, but you could easily leave these out for a purely vegetarian pasta sauce, or, add meat. I sometimes throw in a tablespoon of capers as well. I tend to use spray olive oil to keep calories and fat low, but you could use normal olive oil as well. Basically, this is a guide, play with it.

Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 20 min

Serves 4

1 medium carrot
1 red onion
2 large shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
100 g mushrooms, closed cup
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
1/2 tin anchovies (1 tin normally 35 g)
1 tin sardines in brine, drained
olive oil
Maldon salt
pepper
dried basil
dried oregano

First, chop the onion and shallots and chilli. You can de-seed the chilli if you don’t like a kick, otherwise leave them in.

Spray some olive oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. If not using spray, use 1 tsp oil. Add the onions, shallots and chilli to the pan and gently sautee. If sticking, add a spoonful of water to the pan to soften the onion mixture. Then crush the garlic and add. Cook until mixture is soft and translucent, but it shouldn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. In the meantime, slice the mushrooms and finely dice the carrot. Add the mushrooms and carrot to the mixture and cook for 10 minutes, til soft. The mushrooms will add some liquid to the mixture. Sprinkle in the dried oregano and basil, about 1/2 tsp each. If you have fresh, then use, as the flavour will be much nicer.

Add the chopped tomatoes, anchovies, a pinch of Maldon, and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. You can simmer for longer if you like to reduce the liquid a bit and make the sauce thicker. Just before serving, drain the sardines and add to the sauce, stir to break into chunks. Serve with hot pasta of your choice and freshly grated Parmesan.

152 calories per serving
15 g carbohydrate
11.9 g protein
5.3 g fat
2.7 g fibre

Anchor & Hope Restaurant Review

The Anchor & Hope is a gastropub run by the same people at St John, The Fox, and The Eagle – all known for their offally good food. Great food, great service – and the best chips we’ve ever had – but you might have to wait for a table, especially if you visit at peak hours. Bearing in mind we only arrived at 10pm and still had to wait, on a Tuesday night, that gives you a rough idea of how popular the Anchor & Hope is. Definitely one of South London’s gems.

We paid a visit on Tuesday, 27th February, around 10pm, after a few post-work drinks. We hadn’t booked, and in fact I think there is a no-booking policy, however the waiting staff were extremely helpful, even offering to serve us in the bar area. However we wanted to eat in the non-smoking restaurant area, (yes, rejoice those of you who prefer to enjoy your food unsullied by the rude w*nker next to you who decides to light their cancer stick) so decided to wait with our bottle of Rioja.

Sharing tables
We waited about 30 minutes to be shown to our table that we shared with a couple of sapphic lovers. Due to the demand at this gastropub I think sharing tables is fairly common, so if you go, don’t be surprised if you do have to share. However this didn’t impact on our enjoyment of the victuals which were about to arrive at our table.

To start I ordered the brandade with salad, although I had to enquire what brandade actually is. It turned out to be a mixture of pureed potato with salt cod and some herbs – delicious with a rich creamy texture and a not overpowering flavour. Being a potato fan I thought it was delicious, and substantial as a starter. Paul ordered beef consomme accompanied by a slice of artisanal toast with duck pate, which he enjoyed.

To follow we ordered the beef fore ribs for two – accompanied by fresh, hot, crispy chips, and a green salad lightly dressed. The beef was cooked to perfection – medium rare, a fresh rosy colour and had all the fat round the edges to give extra flavour. Tender and juicy, it was heavenly to a couple of hungry carnivores.

The chips
Ah, the chips – the best I have ever had in my life. They were thick cut, double-fried and seasoned to perfection, salty, without being over salted, and it would have been an insult to even wave the ketchup bottle in their direction. Crispy on the outside, steaming hot on the inside with rich fluffy goodness filling our senses. If you go even only for their chips, it will have been a trip worth making.

We polished off our mains in good order, and followed those by a creme caramel which was light and delicate, though a bit small. To be fair that was probably a good call as Paul had ordered a deliciously creamy coffee ice-cream, which we also shared. It tasted like real home-made ice-cream, without a hint of chemicals or that tacky gooiness you tend to see in commercial varieties.

Reassuringly expensive
The three course meal totalled £30 per person, the bottle of wine being extra which was £18.50. Most mains aren’t too expensive, ranging from £13-£17 but we did splurge on the beef for two which was £40.00.

Our waiter was very attentive and obliging, even though some dishes had been sold out, he came back with alternatives and was very helpful – well worth a tip!

Order by the bottle
The only discordant note we saw struck was by a couple in front of us in the bar area who had chosen to have their meal there instead of waiting to be seated in the restaurant area. As they had ordered wine by the glass, it arrived in a little juice tumbler, and they were envious of our wine glasses – we had purchased by the bottle. And why not – let the customer who buys the bottle have a better glass, for they are spending more money. It’s all in the benefits of the upgrade – upgrade to a bottle from a glass, and you’ll get the wine glasses. I understand some may only want a glass, but really, who in their sane mind over a lovely meal will want only one glass? If it’s a dinner outing, splurge a bit. You only live once.

Anchor & Hope
36 The Cut, London, SE1 8LE
Tel: 0871 0757279

Garlic Roast Chicken With Lemon & Thyme Recipe

Give your Sunday a bit of an edge with this fantastic roast chicken recipe – the flavours of the lemon, garlic and thyme are amazing but don’t overpower the chicken. Wrapping the dish in foil is a bit fiddly but well worth it -the wine and juices are sealed in whilst cooking which practically steams the bird, keeping it tender and juicy. It may sound like a lot of garlic, but with the roasting time the cloves become delicate and sweet – delicious served up to be squished and eaten with the meat.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1.5- 2 hours

Nutritional information, average per serving (est.)

Calories:585.7 kcal
Protein: 53.4 g
Carbohydrate: 38.7 g
Fat: 38.7 g
Fibre: 0.3 g

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, approx 2kg – at least free-range, preferably also organic
• 2 whole lemons
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 garlic bulbs (20-25 cloves)
• 250ml dry white wine, eg sauvignon blanc
• 2 large onions
• Glug of olive oil
• Pinch of Maldon sea salt
• Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch), for the gravy

You will also need a large roasting dish and enough wide aluminium foil (aka tinfoil) to double wrap it.

Note: Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken – allow 45 minutes per kilogram. To ensure the meat is cooked, push a roasting fork into the thigh to see if the juices run clear. The temperature of the leg meat should be at least 80ºC.

Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC. Pat the chicken with paper towel until dry and then drizzle with a glug of olive oil. Using your hands (wash them first!), massage the oil all over the chicken until coated. Sprinkle with the sea salt and black pepper and pat down so it sticks. Don’t forget to wash your hands again.

Take the garlic bulbs and place them under a large knife, pressing down until the cloves are separated – don’t worry about the skin. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and add the chicken and garlic cloves. Brown the chicken on the top, bottom and sides until golden. This should take about 10-15 minutes.

Cut the onions in half and position in a large roasting dish. Place the chicken on top. Cut the lemons into quarters and stuff inside the cavity of the chicken. If they don’t all fit, just place them in the dish with the chicken. Try and squeeze a few of the garlic cloves inside with the lemons, scattering the rest around the chicken in the dish. Pour the glass of wine over the chicken, then shake the thyme sprigs over the chicken to sprinkle it with some leaves. Stuff a few of the leaves in the cavity so they stick out a bit then toss the rest around the chicken.

Now take a length of the foil and unroll onto the counter, enough to wrap around the roasting dish. Place the roasting dish on top in the middle and bring the two ends of the foil together above the turkey. Fold one end over the over, then again, to create a seal. Take each open side and fold it over itself twice to seal the sides. Take another length of foil and repeat, but rotating the dish 90 degrees. This will seal the chicken in with the wine and juices to steam it.

Place the foil sealed roasting dish in the preheated oven for 1.5 hours. 15 minutes before the end, remove the foil and baste with the juices from the pan. Return to the over to allow the skin to crisp up. Check the meat is cooked, then remove from the oven and allow it to rest for another 15-20 minutes before carving and serving.

To make the gravy, strain the juices from the roasting dish into a jug and skim the fat off the top. Pour into a small pan and bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour with a little of the liquid to make a paste, removing all lumps, then add to the gravy. Stir until it starts to thicken.

---

We bought our organic chicken from Furness Fish, Poultry & Game Supplies at Borough Market for £3.80/kg.

Made this recipe? Let us know what you thought!