Tag: dinner

The Dinner Party ( that didn’t happen)

We were having friends over for dinner, ex Belgium, current Belgium and us ( also ex Belgium) so a mini gathering of friends who had all lived in Belgium. Everything was planned, except, Himself went into hospital. Ok it was a planned intervention and he insisted that it would be OK even though it was an overnighter! I was sceptical, willowy brunette was sceptical, but himself not so!

Consequently when he had not been discharged by 4 pm on the Sunday afternoon , dinner finally had to be cancelled. Of course everything had already been done, food already to go and table set. Hence, we have been eating said food this week, or what could be frozen, went into the freezer.

So what were we going to eat. Starters was Asparagus, English of course . There is always a buzz around the English Asparagus season, which traditionally runs from St. George’s day ( patron saint of England) April 23 rd to the Summer Solstice, June 21 st. Other countries also have their own traditional regarding Asparagus, for example in Southern Germany, it is white asparagus that is very popular ( the season ends on June 24 th) and in many restaurants, they insist that every dish on the menu comes with Asparagus . Belgium and Holland also have a long history of a love affair with white asparagus, but for the English it has to be green.

I decided to keep the menu fairly simple so the Asparagus was going to be served “Au Mimosa“, which is very simply, steamed asparagus with eggs and oil. I used soft boiled eggs cut into quarters and / chopped soft boiled eggs, after all mimosas are small yellow flowers. I also used some Yuzu, as garnish and some pomegranate dressing on top of the oil ( I used avocado oil) . I also steamed my asparagus in the microwave, using the Lekué container. It only took 2 1/2 minutes on high to steam my bunch of asparagus.

The main course was Bourride, which is one of the great dishes of Provence.There are of course many ways of serving it and as it is traditionally from Provence it has to be Fish, though I have made it with Chicken which works just as well, and always finished with wonderful Aioli ( basically garlic mayonnaise). The recipe for both versions will be on the next blog ( I have already frozen it).

For dessert I made a Fool! This is a very English dessert and normally made with custard ( for me that is too close for comfort to Trifle). I made mine with Rhubarb, Mascarpone and thick cream. This can be started ahead of time as the rhubarb has to cook and then cool.

To make enough for 6

  • About a kilo of rhubarb, preferably thinner stalks and the redder the better.
  • Zest of 2 oranges and also their juice
  • 40z of caster sugar
  • A sprinkle of Star Anise powder ( optional)
  • 250 grm mascarpone at room temperature
  • 300 mls thick cream
  • Tabspoon caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Heat the oven to 170C ( fan).

Cut the rhubarb into chunks and put onto a baking tray, along with the orange zest, orange juice, sugar and star anise. Bake for about 30 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Whip the cream ( do not make too stiff) , stir in the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla.

When the rhubarb is cooled stir it into the cream mixture, and let it break up into the cream, stir so that it is evenly distributed.

Put into some sort of serving dishes ( I used brandy glasses) and garnish as you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I went into one of our local Indian grocery stores the other day and found some dried orange zest always useful as it could be used on this dish or soaked to make it soft. Other goodies included ready made dried Fried Onions and Bombay Mix.

Bombay Mix, Fried Onions, Orange Rind

And finally, as I had a slight excess of asparagus, I made a quiche and an omelette, for both one can be creative. For the quiche I add cooked stem broccoli and defrosted frozen peas and then used the same extras for the omelette.

Lunches and a Dinner, a Late lunch, and Sunday Lunch.

So seem to have been out a lot recently, feast or famine or so it seems.This week saw us having lunch with Ray White, well actually at Raymond Blancs famous Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, in Great Milton Oxfordshire. Dinner at Stoke Park Cub, a girls lunch at the Swallow Street rooms ( part of Bentleys restaurant) in Swallow Street London, a very late Good Friday Lunch with the willowy brunette, lunch with friends in Sloane Square and Sunday Lunch with son and wife in Fulmer

Needless to say Le Manoir topped the list both for food and service, not to mention the location. This world-famous restaurant and hotel is now part of the Belmond group of hotels ( formerly Orient Express group). I love Le Manoir, ever since we returned to the UK, it has never failed. The service is exemplary , food delicious, they encourage children to come, as well as encourage photographs to be taken. Raymond’s eldest Son, Olivier  (Olly), happened to be in the same french class at school as my eldest daughter. The french master always took great delight in the filling in of the blancs in a french test by saying Remplir les Ollys! Very odd, but something that has always stuck in my mind.

We went with  friends and their friends, the sun shone and the gardens as well as the food was perfect ( apart form the constant arrival of guests, Via Helicopter!

The next visit was to The Swallow Street rooms, for a birthday girls lunch. This was wonderfully organised by the lovely Antonia for her Mum, and it turned out to be a complete surprise with girl friends descending from Belgium and far-flung places.

As Cate, the Mum, is from Wales originally, Antonia took the opportunity in her dad’s absence to have Lamb as the main course.c1

The Swallow Street rooms are a private dining room which seats 24 or so below Bentley’s. The room is made to look like a smart library with sage green Panelling and mirrors. Bentleys is the place to go for Oysters and people watching as it would seem that a lot of M.P.s go there as well!

Onto Stoke Park Country Club, for dinner with the older male members, a once a year event, which I have the impression is just an excuse to raise money for their drinking fund! However it is usually a very nice evening in good company. For dinner this year, the starter was poached salmon, which tested very nice, but to my mind it was a pity that they did not remove the skin, crispy skin is great but sloppy skin, on poached fish, Uh No No!, For the main course it was  Pork Cutlet with Ham and Swiss cheese, again I feel that the execution was not the best, it looked very dry and burnt at the edges. If this was me cooking it, I would make a pocket in the pork, fill it with goats cheese and wrap in Parma ham. Fortunately, I chose the alternative choice which although a bit skimpy was a far better dish, Salad with King Prawns. Dessert for those who have a penchant for Puds, AN apple crumble with Blackberries.

Onto Saturday Lunch. we went to Colbert on Sloane Square to have lunch with friends from the Cotswolds. Colbert is part of the group of London Restaurants run By Corbyn and King. Fortunately it is Jeremy King and Chris Corbyn ( and not Jeremy Corbyn, otherwise we might indeed be a bit concerned.)

Apart from Colbert, they also own  The Wolseley ( my favourite) The Delaunay, on Aldwych, Fischers in Marylebone, Brasserie Zédel in Piccadilly, The Beaumont a hotel in Mayfair, which won best hotel 2016, and within the hotel the American Bar and the Colony Club grill. There was one other, on Lower Regent Street, but they changed their format, and it just didn’t  work, it is no more. So all of the above have a similar theme, a grand European Brasserie type restaurant. Fischers, is based on an Austrian Theme, Brasserei Zédel, very much a french brasserie with a Prix Fix very good value menu.

Maybe I have just eaten out too many times in the recent past, plus himself is learning to cook, as I was left disappointed with my lunch. My starter salad was beetroot and goats cheese which i really liked, but when I see dressed crab on the menu, i expect os see A Dressed crab, not a tiny pile of crab on a plate for £17.00 and himself chose the Feuilletés Anchois as a starter, and expected the very least a small pastry case filled with Anchovies, but think again, it was just like Cheese Straws with a smidgen of Anchovy. I have to say that the Filet Americain however was good, or so he said. Our waiter was on the other hand surly, too quick to remove plates and generally did not seem to love his job. So not good marks I am afraid, they must do better.

Col1

Sunday Lunch on the other hand was for the most part what the Doctor ordered. We had, ham Hock Fritters and heritage tomato salad, followed by, Sausages and Mash, Smoked haddock fish cake with a poached egg, beer battered haddock and chips followed by a crumble and Ice cream. This was in The Black Horse, in Fulmer, a small very pretty village in Buckinghamshire, worth a visit, they have rooms lots of outside tables, parking and seem to serve food at least on a Sunday, pretty much all day.

And finally, it being Sunday, breakfast was cooked. A His and Hers.

His was Sautéed mushrooms on Toasted Sourdough Bread with Soft Poached Eggs, Rocket, Tomatoes, Chimichurri sauce and a Mexican spicy salsa.

Hers a bowl of Berries!

his and her

Spargel Zeit, or better still ASPARAGUS TIME

Oh to be in England now that Spring is here! Some of us might actually wonder about that,or as my grandmother once said, “Don’t cast a clout, until May is out” ( do  not put on your summer clothes until June) BUT English Asparagus, is with us. And it is here for such a short period of time, that we really do have to make the most of it.

The season can start as early as April, but is usually best in May and early June, that is if you live in the UK. The English really love  Green Asparagus, however the Germans, French, Dutch, Polish, Spanish and Belgians prefer on the whole thick white asparagus, and indeed in many restaurants in southern Germany , at this time of year it is obligatory to eat Asparagus ( white) so, it could be Steak ( with Asparagus) or Salmon ( with asparagus) and indeed I have been in such a restaurant, where one of our number, did not care at all for Spargle ( as it is called) and asked to have his steak served plain, and they refused!!

These days, we can get fresh asparagus year round, with it being imported from as far away as Peru and China. Indeed China is the worlds largest producer of green asparagus, growing up to 7 million tonnes a year. Peru grows about 3.5 million tonnes, just think of all of those air miles! But the appetite in the west for green asparagus, has become insatiable.

There is evidence that the world has been eating Asparagus since about 3000 BC and it arrived in the New World in the mid 1850’s. It is well-known for its medicinal properties as well as being a diruetic.It apparently dissolves Uric Acid ( which causes gout) and South Korean scientists have found that it can also cure hangovers!

Asparagus is made up of about 92% water, is low in calories and sodium, contains Vitamins A, B , C, E and K, rich in dietary fiber and essential minerals. Is also an antioxident.Apparently the water in which asparagus has been cooked, makes a good face wash/cleanser. Umm not sure about that one! And of course, it makes your pee smell!! Uhh!!!

White and green asparagus, are the same vegetable, the difference is the way in which they are grown. White asparagus is grown in rows with the earth piled up to keep them covered   ( a bit like growing potatoes) whereas green asparagus is grown about 20-25 cms above soil level and then cut.

So how to eat it?

It is very easy to prepare, rinse in cold water and either bend the ends ( not the spear end) until they snap , but I usually cut them off. The universally accepted way of cooking them is to steam them but I microwave them with excellent results. I wrap the spears in either micro-wavable cling film or micro-wavable plastic bags and Microwave on high, 15 spears take  4 mins, to be al Dente. Serve with scrambled egg  and smoked salmon, perfect! sophisticated supper and fast!

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Or how about with a quick hollandaise sauce, again this is do-able in the microwave, ( with a little caution)

113 grams ( 4 oz) butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste) ( or bottled)Directions:
Put butter in a Microwave safe container. Microwave 30 sec. on high, until butter is soft but not melted. (This may take up to 60 seconds if the butter is cold from the fridge.). Be careful, if you M/W too high  for too long, you will have a mess in the Microwave as it will spit!
In a small bowl, mix egg and lemon juice together well.
Add mixture to softened butter.
Microwave on high, stopping to whisk every 15 sec. ( this is where a microwave whisk comes in handy, as you can leave it in the jug)
The mixture WILL be lumpy for the first two whippings. Sauce is done when smooth and thick. Do not over work.
Or how about  Grilled asparagus with brown butter ( Beurre Noisette) and browned almonds
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Use thick asparagus, carefully peel the ends, lightly oil a grill pan, I use a Le Creuset pan, and when it is hot place the asparagus on the pan, turning until the aspargus is tender. In another pan, melt some butter ( I prefer unsalted), and heat and melt until it begins to brown, add a handful of sliced almonds, a quick swish around in the  pan and pour over the asparagus and serve immediately.
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or this is one of my favourites, Chunky Asparagus, dipped in egg and then Panko Breadcrumbs ( Japanese breadcrumbs) sautéed in a mixture of butter and olive oil, drained on paper towel and served at once with grated parmesan..
Or another really simple way of serving skinny asparagus, and this works year round, as some of the imported asparagus will be of the skinny type.
Stir fried Asparagus with cherry tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, a chopped, de-seeded red chili ( optional)
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
  • bunch of asparagus
  • To begin, put a Wok or  large frying pan over medium heat with some olive oil. Press the garlic and add to the pan with the chili.
  • On a chopping board, trim the ends of the asparagus, and chop the asparagus into 2 inch-long pieces.
  • Add the asparagus into the pan along , and cook for 5 minutes or so until the asparagus is tender, Add the cherry tomatoes , cook for another 5 minutes.. Done!photo(13)
And finally Asparagus served with a poached egg BUT not an ordinary poached egg but one  that is coated in Panko Breadcrumbs
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Line a small dish or egg cup with cling film, lightly grease the cling film. Pop in the egg, and tie up with string. Pop the egg parcel into boiling water and lightly poach/cook until the white looks cooked, ( about 2 mins.) remove from the water and cool on a bowl of ice. When cool unwrap the egg and dip into  beaten egg and the panko breadcrumbs. At this point they maybe refrigerated until ready to serve, Heat a pan with oil ready for deep frying, when it is hot enough ( test with a piece of bread, if it bubbles up straight away, the oil is hot enough) Pop in the egg and it will very quickly turn golden brown, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen paper, serve with the steamed asparagus. here you see two pictures of this, one is from a professional kitchen and the other, one that my son cooked the other day.photo(18) photo(19)
So enjoy English Asparagus, whilst it is around,  because, here today, but gone soon. But of course, other types of asparagus, is with us all year round!