Oyster Master Class at Bentley's London

When you get an invitation to an Oyster Master Class, it's pretty rude to decline the offer isn't it? And when it's at the prestigious Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill - 'The Grand Dame of Swallow Street' in London's Piccadilly - it really is impossible to say no.

Having been there since 1916, it's currently under the watchful eye of the Michelin starred Chef Richard Corrigan, and is still famously serving up the best seafood fayre from the British and Irish Isles. Oysters and fizz (obvs), lobsters, langoustines and the freshest fish around. You can go all-out-fancy, sure, but you can also just get some honestly cooked fish and chips. No messin'. I've had a tip off that the Fish Pie is an absolute dream too... I've added it to the list.

Shucking nearly 1000 oysters a day, Bentley’s is somewhat a flagship institution for the best oysters prepared by London’s most knowledgeable teams. So to celebrate this, they run an Oyster Master Class on the third Saturday of every month costing £65 per person. You get to experience different varieties of oyster, learn how to open and prepare them at home (without injury), and ultimately have some fun with a constantly filled glass of Champagne. Perfect if you fancy gaining a niche skill, but it also has excellent date potential *wink*.

Feeling smug as I left work early to go on a jolly to London, the smile soon disappeared when my train ditched its destination, abandoning all passengers in Swindon. Ugh. And then when I finally made it to Paddington an hour and a half later than planned, the bloody Bakerloo Line was closed. Double Ugh.

 

Fourty minutes late, having missed the start of the class, I was quickly introduced to Master Shucker Helio Garzon and thrust a much needed glass of Champagne and a variety of oysters. Instantly all was fine and my nightmare journey forgotten about. The class takes place at the long bar, so it's pretty relaxed anyway.

Catching up, I soon got up to speed on the difference between Native and Rock, knocking back a fair few of each. Natives are the flatter round shelled ones that are wild, and only harvested in certain months of the year (where the saying comes from that you should only eat shellfish during the months with an R in). Rock oysters are the tear drop shaped ones, which are quicker to grow, and farmed all over the UK.

Simply a squeeze of lemon and a crack of black pepper is how to best compliment the saline creatures. There's Tabasco and shallot vinegar if you really must, but I'm defos in the nearly naked camp; I want to taste the sea!

We then learnt how to shuck our own, with some success and some failure. Helio made it look so easy, but it certainly takes some guns to slide the knife into those shells. I'm pretty sure I was battling with mine for a good five minutes, though I'm assured I'll get quicker with practice. Anyway, with all digits still in tact, and countless oysters down, we then moved onto the different ways you can cook them.

Out came a selection of breads, of which the treacly Irish soda bread was the standout - no surprise with Richard Corrigan being the owner - and the seaweed butter really was the best I've had. We had wine to match too; a refeshing Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc. A classic fishy accompaniment, and with the richness of some of the cooked oysters, the acidity was spot on.

We were instructed to start with the Vietnamese; "cooked" like ceviche in its own spicy lime dressing with crispy shallots and teeny shoots of coriander. Probably a good choice for anyone who hasn't eaten oysters before and wants to try them; the texture's basically the same, but there's a bit hit of flavour to ease you in. Next I went for the one which was deep fried and served with a sizzling slice of chorizo and a squeeze of lime. Salty, smoky and tasty, but frying them is not quite my thing.

All the health benefits of an oyster had well and truly been eliminated with the one baked in garlic butter and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. YUM. And finally the Florentine, accompanied with wilted spinach and a citrusy, buttery hollandaise, was a hit with us all.

Feeling rather boozy and verging on having an oyster overdose, I left Bentley's with a swanky goody bag, which contained a stripy chefs apron, a shucking knife, Richard's recipe for an Oyster Croque Monsieur, and an Oyster Passport so you can make notes and keep tabs on what oysters you prefer. I'm hoping I'll be an expert in no time.

If you like the sound of Bentley's Master Class, then check on their website for dates and availability. It really was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in London, and I've even used my new shucking skills since... Helio would be proud.

‘A slice of old London, lovingly revived by people who really care about such things’ 

Tim Hayward, Financial Times

Afternoon Tea at Malmaison Cheltenham

Us Brits do love an afternoon tea. It's an act steeped in history thanks to that early nineteenth century pro-snacker Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford, and has always had this high society, upper class feel to it. Elegant and indulgent; sipping tea and nibbling crustless sandwiches and delicate fancies. Oh how the other half live!

It's no secret that I'm a lover of this ritual - at half past three, everything stops for tea - and have written about a few of my experiences before (see here). However, it really is one of life's little luxuries, and I only ever really go for afternoon tea on special occasions. Lets face it, if I were to scoff copious amounts of cake on a regular basis, I'd definitely start resembling the Michelin man in no time at all.

So, with that in mind, I was delighted when a little email arrived inviting me to Cheltenham's Malmaison to test out their afternoon tea (permission to gorge without cause granted). Soon enough, after a much needed half day at work on a Friday, off I went - friend in tow - to see what all the fuss was about.

In case you've been living under a rock for that past couple of months, Malmaison has found its home in what used to be Montpellier Chapter. From first glance, you can't really notice any change, other than maybe a couple of widescreen TVs in the lounge areas and a completely different menu coming from the kitchen, but that's fine; it was lovely hotel before anyway, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it - capiche?

It was gloriously sunny and were sat in the conservatory - slight risk of feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass on such a day - though surrounded by all the big leafy greens, with a gentle breeze coming through the open door, and a cold glass of Mumm Rosé Champagne in hand, we could hardly complain.

Malmaison's afternoon tea is a bit more contemporary than most - especially in comparison to the countrified Cotswolds versions. The triangular sandwiches have been ousted, instead being replaced by wraps and a burger; there's not a tart in sight, and we have a selection of gluten free goodies alongside a fruit smoothie?! Don't worry though, I very much doubt that there's an inch of health in that smoothie (healthiness doesn't come into question with afternoon tea - ever); it's basically a mini milkshake, and delicious it is too. Oh and there's a fruit scone, obviously.

Starting savoury, we headed to the burger first. A perfectly formed shiny bun, with a decent sized patty in the middle. Despite my doubts, it was super juicy and had just enough sauce, with a crisp lettuce leave adding a bit of crunch. Being a little pedantic though, we both felt it could have done with a bit more seasoning.

The wraps were a good touch - slightly less bread to fill up on - but I couldn't find much crème fraîche with my salmon. And with the chicken and avocado one, although the chipotle mayo had the right reddish hue, it wasn't smoky or spicy at all. C'est la vie.

The scones were crumbly and packed with fruit, but we were surprised that they came with mini jars of Bonne Maman - classic - but a jam made in-house or something local would've been more impressive. And we couldn't quite put our finger on what was different about the clotted cream either; it didn't have that thick gloopy texture you usually get, as if it was maybe a lower fat version…?! Clearly we're too used to Rodda's Cornish cream.

Struggling slightly, we worked our way through the sweet treats (admittedly not being able to finish everything). The lemon and polenta cake (GF) was just my cup of tea; slightly sharp, sticky and nutty. And I always approve of jazzing things up up with pistachios. The salted chocolate brownie was also gluten free, making it super moist and almost truffle like.

The pavlova was a welcome 'lighter' addition, and the meringue base held itself well; had it have been any more mallowy in the middle, I can imagine it'd have been near impossible to pick up and eat. The frozen summer berry smoothie acted as some sort of palate cleanser between each sweet, and I saved my favourite until last - the rhubarb cream. Tangy pieces of rhubarb in syrup lay at the bottom of a shot glass, topped with a set rich vanilla cream and a final layer of rhubarb jelly. A pick me up at the end of a weighty afternoon, although the tea spoons were a bit too big to reach the bottom of the glass - doh!

All in all, a hotel afternoon tea with a twist, and at £17.50pp with your pot of tea (more if you opt for champagne or cocktails), Malmaison has it at a really good price too. I'd say it's a lot more man friendly than most, and an easy crowd pleaser for the family. Perhaps not snazzy enough to take your mum for Mother's Day though - stick to Ellenborough Park for that.

Birthday Dinner at The Chef's Dozen, Chipping Campden

It's a rare occasion that I'll be going to dinner without any knowledge of where I'm going, or what sort of food I'll be eating. However, my birthday this year was just that. The Chap had planned a couple of months in advance to book into a restaurant that I'd previously mentioned, and for those that know me, I talk about a lot of restaurants. All I was told is that it was 45 minutes from our house…

Did I want to know? Yes. Did I want to spoil the surprise? No. I racked my brains but couldn't think, and it wasn't until that Friday evening that I was told where we were off to; The Chef's Dozen.

Set in the centre of the Cotswold town Chipping Campden, this is actually the The Chef's Dozen Mark II, with the first originally based in Alcester. Chef Richard Craven and his wife Solanche built up a great reputation, but decided to move on, and after a stint working at The Fuzzy Duck in Armscote, the pair found the opportunity to open their own restaurant again - in Richard's hometown. 

For local food followers, you may already be well versed with Richard's name thanks to his victory at the Cotswold Life Food & Drink Awards last year, winning 'Chef of the Year' (he's also finalist this year too). His precise but unfussy food has melted the hearts of many a critic, as has his wife's passionate FOH charm. Within an instant you feel like you're old friends and longstanding customers, despite having never met before.

The seasons offerings have been almost poetically typed out and wrapped around our napkins, reminding me how lucky I am to have a birthday in June. Broad beans, cherries, lemon sole, rhubarb, watercress and wood pigeon... The menu is designed to allow customers to experience a selection of the best seasonal ingredients that the team at The Chef's Dozen are most excited about. They work closely with a small core of quality producers too, and together the menu is practically written for them.

And what a menu it is; four similar sized courses for £45.00, with a choice of three for each - hence the dozen. Even on paper you can see Richard's flair for flavour without over-complication. There are just four or five ingredients listed for each dish, and no technical terms either; his cooking is highly skilled yet stripped back at the same time. Pretty much the ideal scenario. 

The Chap and I were greeted with some birthday fizz - a Rhubarb Royale made with Deutz Classic Brut Champagne and a rhubarb syrup - followed by an appetiser which had tangy flavours of buttermilk and lime (… I can't remember what it was - my bad).

Out came a perfectly-formed mini loaf of wholemeal bread, which we're informed is made using flour milled at a friends farm, with homemade butter and a dollop of snow white whipped pork dripping. Melting into every crumb, each bite was a naughty piggy treat. Game changing.

Ox tongue was my first course, rich and tender, hidden beneath piquant goats curd, gremolata and superfine discs of courgette; the only clue to its presence being the beefy liquor drizzling down the plate. FYI, serious plate envy.

The Chap had ordered a Chef's Dozen signature; rabbit raviolo served in its own consommé. Like a magicians trick, the flat round of pasta wasn't what it seemed; the underside harboured a generous nugget of confit rabbit, sauced with the clear gamey stock.

Having shunned the veggie option without thought, the kitchen sent out two plates as an extra course. Bright heritage tomatoes in red, gold and green lurked under the canopy of nasturtium leaves, It looked the epitome of summer, and with a Wigmore cheese cigar, crunchy granola and elderflower dressing it's put every other tomato salad I've ever had to shame. And shame on us too for dismissing it so hastily.

Being such a robust fish, my wild turbot's flavour still shone through its poultry counterparts; chicken oyster and chicken gravy. with a creamy turnip puree, cubes of pickled turnip, hazelnuts and, to bring the dish back to the water, sea aster. The Chap had lamb sweetbreads, which would have totally been my first choice had I not have had them relatively recently. Lifted with fresh and green flavours from the peas and sweet cicely, then given more richness with lardo, he barely uttered a word until putting his knife and fork down, longing for more.

For the final savoury course, The Chap continued on his meaty marathon with guinea fowl. The juicy bird was made earthy with wild garlic, braised snails, pearl barley and bone marrow sauce; both hearty and wholesome.

I, on the other hand, went for something a little lighter; pork loin poached in soured milk. I know, pork's not usually a lighter choice, but Richard's managed it. Still pink, the delicately flavoured medallions came with wedges of salt baked celeriac, apple puree and pickled walnuts. For those that fear the fattiness of pork, this is how you'll be converted.

A pre-dessert palate cleanser arrived, not that I can remember what it was (The Chap was driving, so I was too busy drinking the beaut bottle of Rustenberg... and these things are never written down). No complaints; our sweet tooth's were awoken. 

And so we arrived at our final course. Sad times. Struggling to choose, we planned on sharing; I ordered 'rhubarb and custard' - duck egg custard, rosemary and Arlette pastry - and The Chap picked the dark chocolate option, with toasted hazelnuts, hazelnut ice cream and a warm beer caramel that was poured over table side. It melted and oozed like hot lava, and with that our sharing idea went out the window - typical. It didn't matter, my classic combo was heavenly, and we were even given the third dessert to try too; lemon curd soufflé with vanilla ice cream. Nice, but no matter how many times I try, I still can't get on with the poofy sweet egginess (it's become a bit of a running joke with the guys from Lumiere - whoops!). That said, we still polished it off.

With the last of the evening sun glimmering through the windows, we sat back and looked round at the other diners; a handful of couples - young and old - a family with children, and a few friends catching up over some food and a bottle of wine. The Chef's Dozen really is a place for all. Not only did we have one of our 'top dinners of 2016', but the service was probably the best we've ever experienced too. We left full, with smiles from ear to ear, desperately trying to think of an excuse to return.

Tasting Menu at Purslane Restaurant Cheltenham

The first Thursday of every month sees Purslane Restaurant in Cheltenham host their 'Taste' evening. For £45 per person, customers are able to take a tour of some of the options on the A La Carte menu, sampling five seasonal dishes plus a few added extras.

Despite always recommending Purslane, it had been ages since we'd actually eaten there ourselves (shamefully it was their special Lobster Night back in August 2014!). Armed with some vouchers given to us by Father Christmas, The Chap and I were very excited to be going along to the March event. 

With just a handful of tables, Purslane is an intimate space, though with decent lighting - none of that so low you can barely see what you're eating stuff here - and a tasteful grey and lemon yellow colour palette, there's a more friendly neighbourhood restaurant vibe about it. And being instantly greeted by the bubbly Parisian manager Stephanie, you get this impression as soon as you walk through the door. Coats are hung up, you're shown to your table, given menus to peruse, and relax; you know you're going to be well looked after.

Although the menu has a strong focus on seafood - all their fish are caught in Cornwall and served up the very next day - there are meaty dishes and veggie options too. The kitchen prides itself on sourcing as much as possible from nearby suppliers - vegetables from Vale of Evesham, an abundance of local cheeses and rare breed meats from the Cotswold Hills - and chef Gareth Fulford sure knows how to get the best flavours out of each and every one of them.

We began with homemade breads, taramasalata and seaweed butter. I'd remembered that their bread selection was good last time, and here we had slices of sourdough, treacly soda bread and a fennel seed roll. Serving seaweed butter instead of the straight up kind was a nice twist (and a good nautical nod); it had a fresh "green" flavour to it, whilst still having the saltiness you require from your classic bread 'n' butter.

The taramasalata was a dream too; not the blancmange pink kind you'd normally find in shops, instead, a desperately pale salmon colour, jujjed up with a pinch of paprika. Paired with a glass of Champagne, we were off to a fine start.

Our amuse bouche was an oyster, topped with saucisson and a green apple granita. I've had oysters in many forms, but none quite like this. Pork and apple, apple and shellfish, citrus and oyster; it all just worked, and kind of set precedence to our official first course.

Pressed suckling pig, black pudding, langoustine, celeriac and pickled pear. Although sounding quite hefty with double pig, it was wonderfully delicate and the langoustine wasn't overpowered. The creamy ribbons of celeriac and the sweet-sour pear kept it light, whilst the crackling added a welcome texture.

Our fish course was John Dory, monk's beard, sea kale, wild garlic and spaetzle. Monk's beard is all the rage right now; similar to samphire, but a lot less salty, I've seen it crop up in fish dishes all over town. And I'm sure that every chef is happy about the fact that wild garlic is just coming into its bountiful season too! Including it in this dish, along with the sea kale, made it like a foraged feast from both land and sea.

Of course, those were just counterparts to the beautiful fillet of fish and the buttery spaetzle (little noodle-cum-dumpling-kind-of-things - The Chap and I tried making them once...we don't talk about it now). With fish as their forte, it came as no surprise that this was a highlight, and Stephanie's pairing of un-oaked Chardonnay was a cracking choice.

Wye Valley duck, breast and croustillant, heritage carrots and chicory was our main course. Not only did it look incredible with pops of bright yellow carrot puree against its sultry orange, brown and green tones, but every mouthful was equally a joy to eat. The tender pink strips of duck draped themselves over the chicory - like a drunk uncle at a family wedding - being propped up by the more sturdy croustillant (confit duck in a crisp casing).

What we notice is that whilst we had root veg galore, there was no starchy-carb-overkill, which would have easily seen us roll home. And that's what I find so great about a tasting menu; restaurants aren't out to fill you up in three over-portioned courses, they want to excite and tease your tastebuds with a number of delicious dishes, leaving you feeling satisfied not sick!

Our wine match for the duck was a Fleurie, which was full of red berries and spice, and it had just the right balance of tannins and acidity in order to lift the dish rather than overcomplicate it.

Yorkshire rhubarb, white chocolate delice and rose meringue was our pre-dessert, paired with a tawny port. The rhubarb came in four ways - jelly, ice cream, poached and puréed - a sea of pink and cream in contrast to the black plate; it looked amazing. Sweet and creamy vs. cold and tart, harmonised by the strong floral crunch of the meringue. Out of all the options on Purslane's A La Carte dessert menu, this is the one I'd have picked, and The Chap said he preferred it to our final course too!

Hazelnut fondant, malt ice cream, salted caramel and milk stout jelly. Fondants are more often than not in some sort of chocolate form; get them right and they're great, get them wrong and they're unsalvageable. As a lover of hazelnuts, but not of Nutella, this really appealed to me - and it didn't disappoint!

Cutting into it, its lava-like liquid centre oozed out onto the plate, putting the toasty ice cream, bitter jelly and the tongue tingling salty caramel in their places. This is a dessert that means business, and with the spirity heat of a glass of Amaretto, Purslane's Tasting Menu ended on a high.

Tea, coffee and petit fours followed (after a much needed break I hasten to add), and The Chap and I both said that this was the best meal we'd had out in 2016 so far! Fresh and clean flavours, put together with flair and imagination; I'm annoyed at myself for not returning sooner.

The next Taste on Thursday is April 7th priced at £45 per person - you can view the menu here. The Tasting Menu is also available on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the month, priced at £55 per person, and the accompanying wine flight - 2 glasses of fizz, a white, a red and two dessert wines/spirit - is £35; quite a bit cheaper than some of the other fine dining restaurants in Cheltenham!

Just make sure you book before visiting Purslane, having only 12 tables you don't want to be turned away!

Eckington Manor with Masterchef Professional Winner Mark Stinchcombe

A few weeks back, a group of us ventured over the Gloucestershire borders to Eckington. It was summer last year that we'd first all gone out for dinner together - having the tasting menu at Lumiere Cheltenham - and we'd planned this next date quite a while before Christmas. The reason being?… Masterchef.

As you'd probably have guessed, I am a massive food programme lover; if I'm not watching them at home, I'll be listening to them at work. And although there are probably a few too many on TV these days, Masterchef is one of the ones which draws me in every time. Unfortunately, whilst I'm drooling over the dishes on the screen, my list of restaurants to visit only gets longer and longer, sigh. 

As a stroke of luck, one of the chefs taking part (and wowing all the judges) was from a restaurant just half an hour away, and after a quick text around during one of the shows, we decided that we should all go. 

Fast-forward to Christmas Eve, when the title of Masterchef: The Professionals Winner 2015 was handed to Mark Stinchcombe, we were all feeling incredibly smug with ourselves having preempted his success and bagged a reservation at the restaurant he works at; Eckington Manor.

Mark is in fact just one half of the culinary couple behind Eckington Manor's kitchen. Him and his wife Sue - who has also appeared on BBC's Great British Menu - met whilst working at Le Champignon Sauvage, and having explored the edible offerings in various other countries together, they returned to the area to share their own vision for food.

With Eckington Manor's award winning farm, orchard, vegetable and herb gardens to hand, it's not been difficult for the pair to hone in their style. They honour seasonality, maintain natural flavours, and illustrate the importance of using quality ingredients. It's field to fork in every sense - the restaurant, cookery school, hotel - and in being on Masterchef, Mark has showcased this unique set-up to a much wider audience. It's now pulling in food fans from across the UK, and rightly so.

When we arrived, we were offered a drink at the bar downstairs, but seeing as it was 8:30pm and we were almost eyeing each other up to eat, we went straight up to the restaurant. It was full and had it not been pitch black outside, I imagine there would have been picturesque views out of the large windows. Sipping a glass of Champagne, we browsed the menu and nibbled on some tuile-like breadsticks dipped in a creamy truffle butter - a perfect start don't you agree?

Decision making was tough despite there being just four options for each course, but after committing, we were presented with an unexpected appetiser brought out by Mark himself. A little glass dish filled with a Waldorf Salad of sorts - celeriac panna cotta topped with blue cheese and walnuts - salty, creamy, refreshing, nutty and tangy; teased and tickled our taste buds in all the right places.

Warm bread followed, of which the pillow-like focaccia was the favourite.

My starter was the Eckington Manor beef tartare, radish, hazelnuts and pickled mushrooms. What surprised me was how delicate the dish was; beef tartare can be quite a punchy little number thanks to capers, etc. But here there was just a light pepperiness from the radish, texture and depth from the nuts, and a little acidity from the pickled mushrooms, leaving the flavour of the beef to be the star attraction.

The Guinea Fowl Terrine at the other end of the table looked perfectly formed, and I managed to sneak a taste of The Chap's Smoked haddock, leeks, macaroni and artichoke, which was a great arrangement of flavours. Our crisp glass of Riesling paired particularly well to this one.

Main course, I opted for Breast of poussin, chestnut purée, sprouts, confit parsnips and lentils. There was an air of Christmas about it, what with the chestnuts and sprouts, but the earthy lentils, sweet parsnips and purple flower sprouts made sure it was a far cry from your festive roast.

As lovely as it was - especially with the Pinot - sat next to the larger, architectural beef and pork belly dishes that surrounded me, it looked and felt like something was missing. The Chap's Pork belly, prune, sweet potato and spiced granola was a stunner. Reminding me of the piggy starter Tom Kerridge serves up at The Hand & Flowers, it was a fatty piece of meat complemented with dried fruit sweetness and spice.

For a £3.50 supplement though, I could have (and should have) ordered the Eckington Manor rib eye of beef and braised shin, caramelized onion, wild mushroom and red wine jus. It was by far the best thing on the menu, and the three of us who didn't choose it simply gazed longingly at its glistening beauty.

I suppose it's somewhat controversial serving mains without a hefty portion of carbs, but this seems to be something that Eckington Manor take pride in, and they've actually just won a Gold Award in the Healthier Choices Food Award scheme. It's certainly not to be confused with healthy eating - you won't lose any weight by visiting here - but careful choices and cooking techniques mean that you wont leave overly stuffed with a feeling of guilt.... Which leads me onto dessert...

I personally feel I had the best of the bunch; Banana bread, milk chocolate and banana sorbet, peanuts and caramel. Seeing as I'm obsessed with (as are a lot of other people) the combo of peanut butter and banana on toast, adding chocolate and caramel into the mix and hello! 

The Malted milk ice cream, praline, 70% chocolate and warm spices was served on a black plate, emphasising its naughty cocoa indulgence, whilst the pert Rhubarb soufflé and gingerbread ice cream came with candy stripes and a pretty-in-pink rhubarb juice - fun! 

We finished our meal with coffee, cocktails and petit fours down in the bar - a nice finishing touch - and settling the bill we were pleasantly surprised at the price. Three courses at Eckington Manor is £42 (plus supplements for specials), and with champagne, a few bottles of wine, dessert wine, cocktails and service charge, we ended up paying just over £80 each! I think we were all expecting to pay much more than that. 

Being the last to leave - as ever - we boozily chatted to Mark, expressing how much we enjoyed ourselves and quizzing him on Masterchef. As for his future plans, it turns out he's insistent on staying in his current position, with the desire to grow and expand the business alongside Sue and the owners of the manor. Great news for us local folk!

I'll consider it a lesson learnt; it's about time we took more notice of what's on our doorstep. Eckington Manor has been firmly put on the map... And I already want to return.

Eckington Manor, Hammock Road, Eckington, Pershore WR10 3BJ