Kitchen Antics: Le Champignon Sauvage

It was 9am on a Wednesday, and whilst I'd usually be at work wishing I was anywhere else, on this Wednesday there was no place I'd rather be.

Stood at the door of Cheltenham's 2 Michelin Starred restaurant - Le Champignon Sauvage - I braced myself for a day behind the scenes, "helping" out in the kitchen.

I've been to Le Champignon Sauvage a few times before, so I was relatively familiar with David Everitt-Matthias' food and style of cooking (not that I could recreate it with such ease), and being a mid-week lunch service, the restaurant was thankfully not fully booked - phew! Oh, and whilst I'm here, despite me writing this post on their set lunch menu back in 2014, it is still the same unbelievable price of £32 for 3 courses. An offer you'd be a fool to resist. But anyway...

The team had been there a couple of hours already - no doubt making sure they were ahead of schedule in case I came in and wrecked the joint - and I was instantly made to feel welcome. Introductions made, chefs whites on, I nervously slipped into my first role prepping the roasted white chocolate mousse dessert. Given a list of ingredients and measurements, I literally cracked on (dad joke - sorry) separating an obscene number of egg yolks.

Looking round, you can see that David runs a tight ship, but the atmosphere is nowhere near like what you see on those dramatised TV chef programmes. No shouting, no swearing, it's heads down, funky tunes on and lots of singing. There's a huge amount of respect held within the team, and that alone makes it a pleasant place to be - no wonder then that David has never missed a shift in the 29 years Le Champs has been open! Having his wife Helen by his side, ensuring each customer receives a seamless friendly service, is sure to make things easier too.

With the mousse made (roasting white chocolate in a pan is a new one to me - and utterly delicious too), I used my painting skills to paint silicone dome moulds with a mix of white chocolate and freeze dried raspberries, poured in the mousse and placed them in the chiller for use the following day.

Next up was to make the rhubarb and hibiscus sorbet that accompanied the white chocolate. Cooked, blended and strained, I was told to try it to double check the sweetness. Not really knowing what it should taste like, I asked for a second opinion and Chef decided that what it needed was a pinch of salt. Instantly the flavours came together... Mind. Blown.

With that churning away in the ice cream machine, my next assignment was to tackle butchery with David. On the menu was Saddle of Cinderford Lamb, so with some guidance I learnt how to remove the meat from the bone. I can't say I did the best job - I only managed one in the time that David did two - but it was quite a satisfying task. Skinned, trimmed and the fat scored, the saddles went in to marinade with garlic, thyme and olive oil for the next day's service.

Ok, you probably won't find me doing some epic butchery in my teeny tiny kitchen any time soon, but David gave me some great tips on how to cook a saddle at home - flatten, stuff, roll, BBQ and slice. Yum. Though I might need a garden to do this too... Bugger.

Prepping canapés was the last thing before service started. I had to artfully dot the squid ink sponges with taramasalata, lay some shredded oyster leaves on top (they really do taste of oysters!), then dust each one with a tangy vinegar powder. David made sure I had one to taste, along with a blue cheese and parmesan crisp - serious snack game.

With guests arriving, the music gets turned off and the kitchen waits with anticipation. Canapes go out, checks come in, and I'm in charge of putting the gorgeous bread selection in the oven to heat up. Two guests, two of everything, one minute in... Out, into the wooden trays, over to the pass, knock on the door and cross it off… *Breathe*

At the same time I watched the guys start plating up starters - lots of squeezing sauces from bottles and precision placing with tweezers. Then, mirroring what they were doing, I got to plate up a couple of the mackerel starters myself and sent them out of the kitchen (let's hope the diners didn't notice their dishes weren't quite as good looking as usual).

After trying a spoon of the beef tartare (served with smoked mayonnaise and charred onions), David suggested I plate up the mackerel dish to eat myself - lucky! Seared mackerel, squid ink quinoa, salt and pepper squid; beautiful.

Mains were in full swing, and I loved watching David work in such a relaxed way. I think you can really see this in his food; sure there are lots of processes and components, but it's not overly-fussy or overdone. He simply aims to get the best out of every ingredient, and constantly experiments with flavours along the way (note the burnt jerusalem artichoke and liquorice purée and that Thai green curry sorbet - swoon). There's a reason Jay Rayner said his experience at Le Champignon Sauvage was one of the best meals of his life!

I was handed a pressed pigs trotter and caper galette to try - part of the pork belly dish - and who thought piggys feet could be so tasty? I'll have a plate of those with a decent glass of wine please.

We chat a fair bit about wine - it's clearly no secret that I drink a lot of it - and you'll be surprised to hear that the restaurant doesn't have a huge mark up on bottles (as is the norm for most other Michelin places). Death row dishes are another topic; I float the idea of a steak done well (definitely not a steak well done), though I know I would never be able to decide. David hasn't even nailed down an answer himself yet - and he must get asked a lot. There's favourite ice cream flavours too; I couldn't choose. However, having tried a spoonful of the chocolate Mexican mole ice cream, which went with the salted caramel mousse, I think I may have a contender.

Checks started coming in for dessert, and I watched each dish come together, helping with the final garnishes. Helen had come in with some foraged pineapple weed earlier in the morning, which we were then able to use on one of the dishes. How lovely is that?!

I ended where I began; the roasted white chocolate mousse. I'd seen the finished product go out of the kitchen, so my final task was to plate one for myself. The frozen dome was accompanied with raspberry purée, fresh raspberry pieces, (clumsy) spoons of raspberry jelly, sharp raspberry powder, basil leaves, and the rhubarb and hibiscus sorbet. I tried to do the rocher (one handed quenelle) all by myself, and I very nearly did it; it was just a bit big damnit. I'll get it right next time. After photographing my achievement, I dived in and don't think I said anything other than 'mmm' until I'd finished scraping the plate clean. The perfect ending.

There really are no words to describe how much I enjoyed my time in the kitchen at Le Champignon Sauvage. As soon as I left I had to phone The Chap to tell him all about it before I burst with excitement, then even when he got home from work that evening, he said I still had the biggest grin on my face (something that never happens with my usual 9-5 job). I'd go back again in an instant.

David Everitt-Matthias is a fantastic chef, and Le Champs truly is a fantastic restaurant. The fact that it will be celebrating its 30th anniversary next year says it all. Just wow.

Tom Kerridge “David is just true to what he believes. He’s never swayed by fashion, and he’s always updating what he does. It is one of the most phenomenal restaurants this country has, yet one of the least known.”

Heston Blumenthal "David Everitt-Matthias is the epitome of what a truly great modern chef should be. David has been quietly revolutionising modern British cooking - a gastronomic visionary whose imagination is expressed so beautifully through his cooking."

Burns Night Supper & Compass Box Whisky Pairing

Following on from my previous post about The Ox Cheltenham, The Chap and I were lucky enough to win tickets to go to their Burns Night Supper. Celebrating the original Master of Ceremony, Robert Burns, Monday 25th January saw the restaurant lay on a Scottish inspired four course menu perfectly matched with a flight of whisky. What a dream!

Having spent previous Burns Nights at home with haggis, neeps and tatties, followed by copious amounts of whisky and shortbread, it was a lovely change to be attending an event with a whole host of other Burns enthusiasts instead. All that was missing were bagpipes, kilts and the ode to a haggis!

Compass Box - specialist Scotch whiskymakers and craft blenders - supplied the drinks for the night. They're an innovative company, making whiskies that cover the spectrum of flavours Scotch whisky can offer; from light, delicate and elegant to big, smoky and peaty. With such a range of styles and flavour profiles, Compass Box can appeal to a variety of tastes, making whisky more approachable, even to those that don't normally drink it.

To kick things off, we had a classic Mamie Taylor cocktail made with Great King Street: a measure of whisky and the juice of half a lime, topped up with ginger beer. Easy to make and easy to drink! Despite resembling the recipe for a Moscow Mule, the Mamie Taylor actually predates it by about 65 years! Canapés accompanied our cocktails too - smoked salmon and horseradish cream blinis - which totally got our appetites going.

Before the first course was brought out, we received our whisky: Compass Box Oak Cross. Part of the Signature Range, the Oak Cross combines the best characteristics of both American and French oak ageing. It's quite a fruity number, which delivers vanilla, cloves and a sweet maltiness.

A great aperitif whisky, and therefore a great match to the first dish; Tandoori Scottish scallops, spiced yoghurt, crisp chick peas and pickled cucumber. The fragrant spices made sure that the scallops didn't get lost when eaten with the whisky, and the crisp chick peas not only added texture, but added a nuttiness which paired with the spirit too.

Next up was the Compass Box Spice Tree. Made from 100% malt whisky sourced from Highland distilleries, and aged in custom-made casks fitted with new French oak heads, this is a big whisky with spicy aromas of clove, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

Photo Credit: The Ox Cheltenham

Its rich, round sweetness paired wonderfully with our main course; Charcoal roasted venison, haggis, charred onion purée and potato onion gratin. Not having the usual Burns Night fayre was a nice touch from The Ox - venison felt like a massive treat - and still including a little bit of haggis was a welcome nod to tradition. It was gorgeous.

If we didn't think it could get much better, we were wrong. The dessert course came with Compass Box Orangerie, a truly unique whisky which has been infused with fresh orange zest and aromatic spices. Although it's made from a soft, sweet blend of Highland single malt and single grain whisky from Fife, it can't actually be called Scotch whisky because it has taken on other flavours from the infusion.

Orangerie is an interesting one, it's probably not something I'd choose to drink - I prefer peaty/salty whiskies - but with the Rhubarb Cranachan that we were served, it really came into its own. Orange and rhubarb are a match made in heaven anyway, but the layers of sharp stewed fruit (I know it's technically a veg), overwhipped cream and crumbled shortbread really brought out the sweet orange-spiced nature of the whisky.

To end our supper, we were given my favourite glass of the night, the limited edition Compass Box Flaming Heart alongside some Dunshire Blue, Barway Original Cheddar, oatcakes and chutney. Smouldering, spicy and complex, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the richness of Scotch aged in new French oak with the peat-fired smoke of Islay malt. This bottle, celebrating Compass Box's fifteenth anniversary, is a brooding, indulgent dram that's destined for late night drinking. Born of oak, smoke and fire, with an underlying sweetness, it's an after dinner drink that's a perfect partner for a cheeseboard… Out with the Port and in with the whisky (we've all had enough Port over Christmas anyway)!

Although we won our places at the event, tickets were only £40 per person, and that included everything - both food and drink. You could easily spend that amount of money on a four course dinner without drinks somewhere - it was such good value. And in the majority of restaurants, having a main course of venison usually means a price tag of up to £20 alone. So, £40 for the whole shebang seemed almost penny saving!

I'll certainly be looking out for future events at The Ox; we had a great night!

Sláinte!

Love Bites 1st Birthday Event at Paragon Gallery

It was LoveBites first birthday last week, and to celebrate, they put on an evening of fun, fizz and canapés at Paragon Gallery on Thursday 10th September.

After following the LoveBites duo - Kelly Bailey and Rachel Thursfield - on social media for quite some time, I finally managed to make it to one of their events in order to find out for myself why everyone is raving about them... It's only taken me a bloody year!

If you're under the impression that a company that concentrates solely on canapés might be parading plates of anaemic vol-au-vents, shrivelled cocktail sausages on sticks, or retro cheese and pineapple, then think again. Though, actually, I won't have a bad word said about cheese and pineapple; it's a classic!

Based in Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, LoveBites seem to have found a gap in the catering market; creating unique and exciting canapés for corporate events, product launches, awards dinners, weddings, birthdays, celebrations... You name it! They focus on delighting guests with their mini-masterpieces, which not only look great but are packed full of flavour too, and as such they spark conversations and leave a lasting impression.

Presentation, taste and style aren't generally high priority when discussing canapés - too often they're a last minute addition after you've stocked up on a bountiful supply of booze - but Kelly (the foodie) and Rachel (the business brains) are showing the local folks of Gloucestershire how it should be done.

It all started at a New Year’s Eve party; everybody had to take something to eat and Kelly was handed the responsibility of the nibbles. They proved such a hit that she instantly got three bookings, suggesting that there was some kind of business potential there, and together with Rachel, they honed in on this luxury canapé idea and launched LoveBites… A two fingers up to all those crappy little quiches that we've ever been served!

They have over thirty different mouthfuls in their collection, both sweet and savoury, and us birthday party guests were able to sample a number of the favourites whilst sipping an endless supply of fizz and looking at Paragon Gallery's artwork. I'm not sure what was more aesthetically pleasing - the canapés or the paintings?

Dry ice glass dishes made an appearance first, dotted with floral topped parmesan and pesto biscuits. I'm always wowed by edible flowers, so I didn't really need the drama of dry ice, but it was definitely an added bonus, and it brought a smile to everyone's face. The petite choux buns filled with chicken liver parfait and red onion marmalade were a hit with me, as were the whipped goats cheese tarts; both simple and stunning. 

There were a few things on spoons; an eggs benedict - not something I'm used to having cold - and an edible oat-cake-y spoon filled with salmon caviar and crème fraiche. If that's not posh enough, they were accompanied with gold dusted quails eggs and ice cold vodka shots! Food and drink pairings are an important part of LoveBites ethos, and they also brought out test tubes of port to be drank with a bite of blue-cheesy-wonder, as well as popcorn and some punchy pink lemonade. My favourite canapé of the night had to be the Coln Valley smoked salmon mousse and beetroot chantilly cones; the best flavour combination and by far the best looking! 

Trying to photograph roaming trays never ends well...

Sugary treats started to be brought round before we had to dash off home. The white chocolate raspberry cheesecake would probably anger many a traditionalist with its lack of biscuit base, but the pink chocolate cup with sweet cream cheese filling managed to win me over, and went lovely with my glass of bubbly. Lemon crumbles on spoons were just the right amount of 'tart', though the most fun and inventive had to be the chocolate truffle. Rich chocolate ganache coated in a glossy tempered chocolate is always going to taste great, but then stick a pipette of booze in it and sprinkle it with a bit of sparkle; now we're talking.

From chatting to a few people on the night, everyone got bitten by the LoveBites bug, and it was clear to see why (especially when they send you home with a branded lolly… I'm easily bribed).

No matter how big or small, LoveBites can help your event go off with a bang, albeit lots of miniature, perfectly-formed bangs instead of just the one. Check them out!