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!

New Kid on The Block: The Stable

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. That's amore."

... And yes Dean Martin, it really is amore with Cheltenham's latest food joint. Serving both pizzas and pies, this place is already a hit with me. Then adding in a healthy supply of cider, well that just sweetens the deal. Cheltenham, say hello to The Stable.

Having taken over the old D'fly/Ange Noir building on Clarence Street, and undergone extensive refurbishment, The Stable opened their doors just a month ago - prime time in the run up to Christmas. It's a big space, one which previous occupants have struggled to fill, but that doesn't seem to be the case here; locals have been constantly flocking to the restaurant to get their proper pizza fix, and I'm guessing it's because decent pizza is something that we've been missing in the town for quite a while.

Now I know The Stable is a chain - and we all know how I feel about chains - but this one is different. With just 13 locations, solely in the South West, there's a lovely story to how the business has got to where it is today. Long story short (you can read it all on their website if you wish), founders Richard and Nikki Cooper bought a hotel in Dorset that had an outbuilding/former stable at the back. Deciding to do something with it, to share with the locals, they started with the obvious; Dorset = Real Cider. Richard’s brother Andy, who also happened to be a chef, got in on the action and the trio began experimenting with creating some extraordinary sourdough pizzas. The concept was born; fine food and crafted cider set within an alluring atmosphere.

What I really like is that despite the growth, ingredients are still sourced locally to each venue (Gloucestershire bacon, Severn and Wye smoked salmon and cheese from nearby dairies feature on Cheltenham's menu). Inventive names and a truly local approach, as they say, "keeps The Stable grounded with its community and continues to win the hearts of its customers." I'd have to agree.

The Chap and I went along to the launch night, where we tried every pizza available - probably equating to at least 2 pizzas each - and sampled a hell of a lot of cider too. I definitely regretted telling the barman that my favourite kind was "the dangerous side of dry"... Ouch! To get a less hazy experience, we promised that we'd go back before the New Year, and sure enough we did.

It was utterly miserable weather, but we battled the wind and rain to get there, only to find that everyone else clearly had the same idea, and we struggled to find a table! You find a spot, order and pay at the bar, then wait for your food to come... Simple. And even though it was heaving, it really didn't take very long.

Having drank our weight in cider on our last visit, The Chap chickened out and tried one of the local ales, whilst I had a pint of Gwatkin's Silly Ewe (from just over the border in Herefordshire). There are over 100 ciders to choose from - sweet, dry, sparkling, you name it - though if you really can't decide, you can opt for a special tasting board; 5 different ciders, each 1/3 pint, for £7.50.

Foodwise, we ordered two pizzas to share between us, though we probably should have got one of the pies to get the full Stable experience (The Lamb Bam Boogie with lamb, rosemary, garlic potato and honey sounds delicious).

The Blue Forest (£10.50) was one of our faves at the opening, so we had to go for that again; herb roasted potato, Fowlers Forest blue cheese, roasted Spanish onions, English spinach, our fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. Our other choice was The Blazing Saddle (£13.00); slow roasted pulled beef, Gloucestershire smoked bacon, caramelised onions, roasted red pepper and mozzarella. Topped with sour cream and jalapeños, it was flippin' fabulous.

Thin and crispy, The Stable's pizzas aren't too stodgy, leaving you feeling overstuffed, and with generous toppings, you're not left with any naked boring crusts - yay! It's a pizza dream.

Good food at a good price (and even better on Tuesdays, where you can get a pizza, side salad and a pint for a tenner)... Welcome to Cheltenham The Stable, I can tell we're going to be great friends.

All Smoke & Fire at Stockholm's Ekstedt

Back in June we went on a family holiday to Stockholm. Having booked it months before, The Chap and I, along with my parents, were seriously looking forward to sampling all the authentic Scandi style food; think proper meatballs - without even a hint of Ikea - coupled with lingonberries and pickled cucumber, herring galore, dill fronds fondling everything, and plenty of cardamom buns…

Low and behold, a month or so before our trip, Stockholm was featured in the finals of Masterchef. Now, as you could probably have guessed, food programmes are my thing, so getting this little foodie insight into the city got me extremely excited about the whole thing. The finalists first cooked at Gastrologik, which has a minimalist "new nordic" approach - along with a Michelin Star - and as such, is quite pricey. The second restaurant, Ekstedt, which also has a Michelin Star, seemed to be in a league of its own.

With no gas or electric appliances in the kitchen, every item of food is cooked over the restaurant’s beastly fire pit, in a wood-fired oven or on top of a wood burning stove. And whilst stripping back the kitchen might sound easier than tackling some sous-vide techniques, making gels and foams, or playing with liquid nitrogen, Masterchef showed us that it clearly isn't; the flustered finalists did provide some great TV entertainment though.

After watching it, I immediately urged my folks to do so too, and gaging their response - equally in awe - I decided to book us a table.

Ekstedt is one of those 'blink and you'll miss it' restaurants. Having no bells and whistles on the outside - the reputation is enough - there's just the faint scent of smoke to lure diners in. And once you're in, you'll find some of the best in Scandinavian design; birch, leather, copper and stone run throughout the timbered interior, and with some good tunes in the background, it's both rustic and relaxing. The open kitchen also gives you the privilege of seeing the super stylish tattooed chefs, in checked shirts and signature denim and leather aprons, executing every dish to perfection.

"Dinner at Ekstedt is more than a meal. It’s an experience for life." Using just heat, soot, ash, smoke and fire to infuse flavour, texture, and taste is as old school as you can get, yet here it seems fresh, inventive and exciting. The chefs swear by the Scandinavian wood they use in order to create "superior flames", giving the food a truly unique character – one, they assure us, that you can’t get anywhere else in the world.

With a menu based on ingredients from the sea, forests, meadows and fields, you can choose either the 4 course option (which is what we had) or 6 courses - easy - no tricky a la carte decisions to make! There's also a matching wine flight available, which is deemed "as ambitious as the food"; they buy small quantities of great wines, preferring them to be as natural as possible to compliment the natural flavours of the food. In other words, there are probably some very interesting and somewhat 'funky' wines being served. Trying not to blow all our Swedish Krona in one go, we decided to just get a bottle to share between us; I don't remember the specifics, but it was a cracking USA Pinot.

Almost as soon as we were seated, out came some appetisers; miniature pizzas! A thin, crispy sourdough base, topped with chanterelles, podded broad beans and goats cheese. I couldn't help but think that scaling this up to a full sized pizza would be an absolute dream, and I definitely didn't want to share these mini slices!

More breaded goods arrived at the table in the form of the springiest hunks of warm sourdough. That alone would've impressed me, but the butter it came with made it even better. Freshly churned in-house, it was served in a little dish along with a splash of tangy buttermilk (the by-product of the process of making butter). We were all banging our heads on the table wondering why we'd not thought of doing this before! Needless to say, we polished the bread and butter off pretty quickly - it was too good - and asked for more.

Apologies for the poor photography; we weren't near any windows and it was dimly lit, so my poor iPhone had no chance of being able to take any good snaps. However, our first course was smoked char with beans and Swedish seaweed. I think it shows an incredible amount of skill being able to cook something as delicate as a piece of fish purely on some ferocious flames; it would only take a matter of seconds for it to be overcooked. Smoky, salty, green and fresh, it highlighted the simplicity of the ingredients, allowing each to speak for themselves.

Next was an absolute stunner, beef baked in hay with salsify and ramson capers (seen above too). I consider myself to have had two exceptional beef experiences lately; firstly, that Galician beef at Kitty Fisher's in Mayfair, and secondly, this. A thick black crust around the outside framed the blushing red meat in the middle, and it was making eyes at me as it sat glistening on a separate 'sharing stone'. It was one of those moments when you take a bite and have to put your cutlery down to really think about how bloody good it is; even the strip of fat just melted in the mouth. The caramelised salsify and ramson (wild garlic) capers were an inspired touch, but the beef was obviously the star, and The Chap unashamedly licked his plate clean.

The last of the savoury dishes was controversially a veggie one; you'd usually expect the meaty course to be the 'main'. New potato with truffle and woodfired oven baked onion. The new potatoes weren't like any I'd had before; essentially a salty crispy shell with fluffy carb-y goodness inside - a little like mini jackets, but better - and the onion was succulently sweet. The shavings of zebra-esque truffle did it for me too.

Dessert was frozen yoghurt with raspberries and pistachio. Fresh and clean flavours, combined with a sweet nuttiness and deep, smoky honey notes, ended our dinner on a high, and we all proclaimed to have loved every inch of it.

I guess there's something very primitive about Ekstedt; man hunts food, man makes fire, man uses fire to cook food, etc. And with many restaurants now housing Josper Grills and Big Green Eggs to play with fire and smoke, is this really that different?... Yes, yes, a million times yes. To have nothing else in the kitchen other than fire is exactly what sets it apart, and the fact that it's not overdone is why it's so great. It'd be far too easy to char every ingredient, making the whole menu taste quite samey, but Ekstedt use their creative cooking skills to add delicacy and elegance to dishes, each one permeated with the essence of the restaurant. Just beautiful, and a real eye opener in the Swedish food scene. 

So, if you're cracking out the BBQ this week, crowning yourself king (or queen) of the flames, then you might want to rethink that status; Niklas Ekstedt owns it.

If you're planning on visiting Stockholm, why not take a look at my Vinspire blog post on the best bars to go to...