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Delightful Dorset – Tiddy Oggies, Mark Hix and an 80th birthday party

It was my mother’s 80th birthday last month and to celebrate, the family decided to take her for a suprise holiday to Dorset. This is her, with her beautiful granddaughters.Are you thinking knitting, crochet, gentle walks along the seafront? Forget it, my mother may be 80 but she still parties like a rock star.

There were 11 of us, plus Lily the dog and we rented a 6-bedroom barn just outside of Bridport at a place called Lower Eype. http://www.barnonthecoast.co.uk/index.htm . For once, the photos on the website don’t actually do it justice, it is a fabulous, open barn conversion with a sizeable garden. The fittings are definitely a little shabby chic, but that was actually very relaxing and I loved the style. It had two huge sitting rooms, a dining area that would easily seat 14 and an open, welcoming kitchen with an enormous sit round kitchen table. (Not really a criticism, but it is worth bearing in mind that there is 1 amazing bedroom, 2 very nice and 3 quite small, so establish your pecking order in advance!) Add a grand piano (yes, really there was one!), and frankly it was just lovely. 10 minutes walk to the beach and 5 minutes walk to the local pub, the New Inn. Heaven!

I had pre-ordered a Waitrose Entertaining curry selection for dinner on the first night, which was delivered that afternoon along with copious quantities of wine, beer, vodka and other essentials. Next day, after an English-style day on the beach that reminded me of childhood holidays – you know, windbreakers, beach cricket, freezing swimming and sauvignon blance – (okay, maybe not the sauvignon blanc, but somehow warm orange juice wasn’t going to do it for me) we went to the local Eype pub for dinner. After Dermott the landlord had got over the shock of being asked for a table for 11, plus the dog, he was extremely accommodating that night and for the rest of the week and went out of his way to be helpful. The male drinkers in the party were absolutely enchanted by the local brewery (Palmers) and the food was unremarkable, but reasonable.Monday, those of us that are fish lovers decided to treat ourselves and we had booked in at Mark Hix, oyster and fish restaurant in Lyme Regis ( http://www.hixoysterandfishhouse.co.uk/) His deep fried oysters with horseradish mayonnaise as an extra bit of loveliness to have with a drink were stunning, but my crab curry was the dish of the day for me. The day of days arrived along with a beautiful summer sunshine and was spent picknicking on the beach after a champagne breakfast. In the evening, after a “Hello” style photo shoot arranged by Ian and Joss, we had booked a room at the Bull Hotel in Bridport http://www.thebullhotel.co.uk/. The cheese straws with champagne in the courtyard were amazing, and I was impressed that the chef managed to cook that many steaks to such a high standard. It was good, solid unpretentious food and the setting was lovely. The party only stopped at 3.30 that morning when for the first time in many, many years my mother sent my brother and I to bed. Happy Days.I couldn’t mention Dorset without mentioning Tiddy Oggies, which are basically Dorset’s version of the pasty and it is true to say, that the day following the amazing birthday, a walk over the cliffs to West Beach and a Tiddy Oggy saved my life.

I can’t remember the last time a week has gone so quickly and possibely the only thing in the world that could have cheered me up on my way home that Friday was knowing we were going to stop at the Hive Beach Cafe, Burton Bradstock for breakfast http://www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk/. We had stopped on the way for lunch, scene of Jimmy’s valiant fight against the giant crab (we still think the crab may have just had it on points), but this time all we really wanted were carbohydrates and breakfast food to help cure our misery. Their Eggs Benedict is a wonderful dish and I highly recommend anyone to stop for either breakfast, lunch or just because you can. Glorious views and glorious food and frankly that summed up our lovely birthday week.

Mango Jam – trust me there isn’t another decent recipe for it!

Those of you who know me well, understand my secret vice. No, not that one…..but jam making. I absolutely adore it, there is something so therapeutic about a large pan full of bubbling fruit and sugar which you then place in to crystal clean glass jars. It’s a blend of 50’s housewife meets “Charlie and the Chocolate factory”. So there I was in the supermarket, and I see a pile of delicious, Alfonso mangoes on special offer – 4 for £1, can you believe it? I had to have them and so bought 8, with visions of a delicious, tropical jam in mind. However, I get home and scour through my adored Marguerite Patten’s “Guide to Jams and Jellies” and there is nothing, I then resort to the internet and again, the only recipe that pops up is far too over-spiced for my liking. So it’s invention time! I decide that there is probably very little pectin and mangoes and will therefore rely on my good friend, commercial pectin. 1 hour later, I have six bottles of the most delightful looking mango jam and it was easy, easy, easy. Try it and see. Ingredients:

1 kilo of fresh, chopped up ripe mango (that’s the worst bit of the recipe, as they can be messy)
1.5 kilos of preserving sugar
1 bottle of commercial pectin (I use Certo).

Method

Place the sugar and the mangoes in to a large preserving pan and heat very gently until all the sugar has dissolved
Boil rapidly – that’s really bubbling for just 1 minute
Remove from the heat and stir in the Certo
Leave for 20 minutes and then bottle in to clean, sterilised jam jars.I made the mistake of bottling straight away, and that meant that all the fruit floated to the tops of the jars. Next time, I’ll leave it in the pan for twenty minutes and bottle it then. I’m also planning to make a vanilla sponge cake and put mango jam and whipped double cream with coconut liquer in it as a sort of tropical victoria jam sponge. Watch out for pictures.

Last and totlally unrelated to jam, I just had to put in this picture of me meeting “One Direction” at the Katie Piper Ball on Thursday. They look faintly terrified don’t they??

Delightful Dorset….I’ve come over all “Famous Five” and feel the need to cook Apple Cake

Apologies everyone, there has been no blogging for a while, because one of the most fabulous things about Dorset is that there is no mobile phone signal nor wireless to blight our lovely, traditional English holiday. Now that I’m home contemplating my belly, maybe all those cream teas and pasties were a bit of a mistake, but oh dear what is it about the English seaside that makes you yearn for “High Tea” even if in these post-Enid Blyton days that consists more of cheesy chips rather than bloater paste and fruit cake?

We were in Dorset to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday and celebrate we did…my god, there was dancing. I promise to post reviews of local restaurants (Oh, Hive beach cafe I miss you already) and a general review of Dorset as a holiday venue, but in the meantime, here is a replay of my own recipe for Dorset Apple Cake, which really is both easy and delicious. Go on try it…you’re worth it and it is definitely worthy of a spiffing, famous five style high tea.

Kim’s Dorset Apple Cake (as cooked by Kim and Louise for “Taste of Dorset” last year)This spicy, moist apple cake can be served warm with custard or clotted cream or sliced cold. It is moist and delicious and best eaten within 2 days. Ingredients

450g/1lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced  Juice of 1 lemon
100g/4ozs unsalted butter     175g/6ozs dark soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten      3 tablespoons of golden syrup
25g ground almonds      225g/8ozs plain flour
5ml/1 teaspoon mixed spice     5ml/1 teaspoon cinnamon
10ml/2 teaspoons baking powder    3 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
1 tablespoon of clear honey     1 tablespoon of Demerara sugar

Equipment: Mixing bowl, hand mixer (optional), sieve, 18cm/7inch round cake tin, greaseproof paper

Method
1. Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 3/170Cor 150C for a fan oven
2. Line the bottom of your tin with greaseproof paper and butter the sides
3. Weigh out your flour, spices and baking powder in to a separate bowl
4. Peel, core and chop your apples in to small pieces and place in a bowl with the lemon juice – stir thoroughly to make sure all the apples are coated so that they do not go brown – set aside
5. In your large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar using your hand mixer or by hand until it is fluffy and creamy
6. Add the eggs gradually, mixing thoroughly as you do so
7. Add the golden syrup and ground almonds
8. Place your hand mixer aside and using your sieve, sieve the flour baking powder and spices in to your large mixing bowl
9. Using a spoon or spatula gently fold the flour in to the mixture
10. Fold in the buttermilk and the apples – DO NOT OVER MIX AS YOU WANT TO KEEP AS MUCH AIR AS POSSIBLE IN THE CAKE
11. Turn the mixture in to your prepared tin and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on your oven. It should be well risen and firm to the touch
12. Turn out on a rack to cool
13. When the cake is cold, brush it all over with the clear honey and sprinkle with Demerara sugar

OPTION: For a very grown-up version, whilst the cake is still warm, turn it upside down and make some holes in the bottom with a skewer and drizzle amaretto or brandy in to the cake

Sanctum on the Green – has John Burton-Race got it right?

Berkshire is an incredibly competitive area to open a restaurant, you are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Heston, the Rouxs and Tom Kerridge, a dazzling array of michelin stars. So had John Burton-Race got it right, as Consultant Executive Chef (Fancy title, John)at ‘Sanctum on the Green’ in Cookham? Was it a place of “inviolable privacy” (check your definition of sanctum dictionary lovers!)? More to the point, how was the cooking?

Now I have met John on several occasions, all through the rounds of “Britain’s Best Dish”, pus the Celebrity version and in fact, he even cooked at John’s cousin’s wedding at the Landmark. So having experienced his close scrutiny of my cooking, I thought it was time to repay the compliment.

Sanctum on the Green (http://www.sanctumonthegreen.com/index.html) is an absolutely charming hotel, set on Old Cricketer’s Common it has been most beautifully refurbished. I loved the pool area, it felt very Hollywood and rather glamorous and definitely a haven of privacy. The restaurant is small, but feels intimate without being too cramped. Check out the pictures on their website.

There was a wedding going on when we arrived, whcih meant that there was a marquee in the garden which rather swamped the view, but the staff were absolutely lovely, and we did not feel in the slightest bit neglected or left out. I really didn’t know what to expect, and the simple, well-priced menu was quite refreshing. There was a set menu with 2 choices for each course (£20 for 2 courses, £25 for 3) and an A la carte menu. We were served with an Amuse bouche of a substantial liver parfait, which had a delicate flavour:I started with a ballotine of chicken (above) from the set menu.My main course was a classic turbot with hollandaise and new potatoes, which was a lovely, light summer dish, the belly of pork from the set menu was also good. A creme brulee for dessert was okay but unremarkable.

To summarise, the food was very simple and well-cooked. It is not going to alarm the Roux brothers nor Heston, the michelin star holders won’t be quaking in their designer boots, but then I don’t think it was designed for that. If you want a lovely setting, good food and a very reasonable price then this is the place for you. The thing that really stood out for me, was the service. Rachel, the restaurant manager was charming and attentive and the rest of the team were also excellent. This really made the evening for us.

Well done, John I think you made excellent choices in your menu design. You didn’t try for the elaborate style of your Bray neighbours, which is a good thing. You’ve provided us with a really good venue that we can visit often, without breaking the bank.

Criticisms? Whilst I enjoyed the rather eclectic 80’s mix in the background, I am a bit funny about music in restaurants and for me, if it’s not live, or very low key background, I’m not so keen and prefer silence., but this was a small point and did nothing to detract from our evening. In all, I was a happy anniversary gal.

Christmas is coming…time to make your blackberry and blueberry vodka

Okay so I don’t want to come up with the cliche of telling you how many shopping days are left between now and Christmas, but if you want some extra loveliness, now is the time to prepare! Like puppies, this liquer shouldn’t be only for Christmas, but it has become a bit of a tradition on both Chrsitmas Eve and Christmas morning in our house, to drink kir royales; made with my own version of the “cassis” bit. Homemade blackberry liquer and champagne is heavenly, this is also good for Christmas presents, too .This is the easiest thing in the world but do it now, so that it will be beautiful by Christmas time and here is how you do it:

This year it’s blueberry and blackberry vodka

Ingredients (as above) vodka, fresh blackberries, fresh blueberries, cheap vodka (last year I used brandy, but I’m going for a lighter flavour this year), caster sugar and a sterilised kilner jar. (You could add a vanilla pod to create something really different).Method: Layer the fruit in to the kilner jar with about 4 tablespoons of caster sugar and then fill with vodka and seal. Leave in a dark place for a minimum of 3 months, then strain the fruit out of the vodka and decant in to a clean, sterilised bottle. At this stage you can taste it, and if too sweet add more vodka, or if not sweet enough add some sugar syrup. Leave in the dark for a further month (or more) then serve either ice cold as an after dinner drink, or with champagne.Roll on Christmas!

A secret passion – canapés – a lifetime love of little things on toast

Those of you who know me well, know I have a secret passion …Louis Vuitton, champagne…oh, the list goes on. It’s bizarrely for canapés, I just love those wonderful little concoctions that you can eat in one bite at drinks parties, or before a lovely dinner. Call it an amuse bouche and frankly, I’m anybody’s! I am truly in heaven when at one of those lovely restaurants where chef sends out a little amuse bouche just before your main course, or a palate tickler as I like to think of it. Small bites of paradise.

So enough of my secret sausage on a stick vice, last Sunday we were having the lovely neighbours round for drinks, so I took the opportunity to unleash the cocktail sticks. To follow are some unbelievably easy canapé recipes, plus I rolled out Joyce’s lovely cream cheese concoction which is always a winner. (See “Joyce takes a dip…and it’s a cream cheese one” under Everyday Grub)

New potatoes stuffed with smoked salmon: You will need the smallest new potatoes you can find, just roast them with groundnut oil and sea salt for about 20 minutes, Gas Mark 6/200C or 180 Fan. Allow them to cool and then using the end of a vegetable peeler, scoop out a little hollow in each one. Just before serving fill them with sour cream, a little smoked salmon and a tiny bit of caviar (real or faux depending on your budget!). These are also really good with crumbled crispy bacon instead of smoked salmon.

Chilli Prawn and Mango Skewers: Throw some ready cooked prawns in to some lime juice (about 2 limes) , with about 1 inch of grated ginger, a chopped red chilli (take out the seeds) and a small bunch of chopped coriander, with a crushed clove of garlic and leave for a couple of hours.

Thread them on cocktail sticks with a chunk of sweet mango and then pour the rest of the marinade on top and serve.

Meatballs with Chilli Jam or minted yogurt: Take 500g minced beef or lamb and mix with 3 flat teaspoons of ground coriander and ground cumin. Add a tablespoon each of chopped coriander and fresh rosemary and some salt and pepper. Combine together with one large egg and roll into small meatballs. Insert a small cube of feta cheese in to the centre of each one, making sure that the meat covers it completely. Place a tablespoon of sunflower oil in to a hot frying pan, and fry the meatballs for about 15 minutes until browned and well-cooked. Either serve straight away, or allow to cool and then place in an ovenproof dish at 180/160 fan Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes and serve with a dish of either chilli jelly or yogurt mixed with fresh mint.Then to finish, some lovely sweet ones . Strawberries with a Chocolate Dip: All you need is strawberries and a jar of chocolate spread. If you want to be really clever, swirl some melted white chocolate in it, or mix it with a little malibu. So simple, but everyone thinks you’re so clever. My kind of cooking!

Ellie’s fabulous birthday lunch at the Waterside Inn, Bray

Being 30 in itself is fairly fabulous, especially for someone as talented and special as Ellie, but what could make it even more fabulous? Lunch at the Waterside inn, of course my favourite restaurant in the world. Ellie’s birthday week (yes, I did say week) consisted of Cliveden, lunch with friends, the special appartment at Louis Vuitton, Sophia Coppola and lobster and chips at Randall & Aubin and that was just the highlights, the lowlights weren’t at all bad either but on the day of days, a surprise trip to see Alain Roux was definitely in order.Luckily, it was a beautiful day and we took the Hummingbird up the river to the restaurant where we had pre-warned them to expect us by river. We started our lovely lunch with a bottle of their house champagne which is always a delight, along with some of their signature canapes. The pastry with the anchovies and stuffed olive is one of my favourites and very easy to make (I’ll show you soon). Choosing from their light summer menu is probably one of my favourite forms of torture, because basically, I want everything I chose “Flaked duck set in a subtle jelly with a quail egg and oscietra “Royal Belgian caviar”, crisp black radish and tender leaves”. The incredible part about this, is that when you cut in to the delightful jelly, the quail’s egg is still soft and delicious. Alain is a genius. Katy chose a simple starter (under the salads) of poached eggs in hollandaise with asparagus and to be honest with you, we were all rather jealous as it was absolutely lovely. Generous soul that she is, we did all get substantial tasters thank goodness. The others were tempted by the delights of the “Pan fried scallops and octopus slices with coriander, served on a bed of celery puree, coconut emulsion and tamarind sauce”. The octopus in this dish was honestly like nothing you’ve ever tasted before along with the biggest, juiciest, sweetest scallops you can imagine. I am practically salivating, just thinking of them now.

On to the main courses: I had the “Pan fried medallion of farmed veal with carrots and a crispy calf’s head fritter, white wine veal jus”, which I have to confess I have had before, which may not have been very adventurous of me, but then I’m a sucker for a calf’s head fritter! Jim shared the succulent duck, one of the waterside’s specialities, wich is served pink and carved at the table, with a confit of the leg and thigh served on the side.

Katy and Ellie went for “Pan fried fillet of Angus beef, served with a foie gras and wild mushroom kromesky fritter, verjuice sauce with sultanas” which again, did not disappoint, the beef was like butter and I could cheerfully have mugged them for their foie gras.

To complete out lunch, Chef Alain had arranged a special birthday cake for Ellie, which was a combination of a light sponge, fruit mousse and white chocolate.

Happiness, is a birthday lunch at the Waterside Inn.

Jam today, plus a brilliant sponge …..and please make it with English strawberries

Apparently this year’s crop of strawberries has been the best for years, and I have to agree that the flavour of them is amazing, so sweet and well, strawberry-ish! Apart from eating them with a touch of balsamic vinegar and vanilla sugar (try it, it’s delicious!) and of course, not forgetting putting them in to your glass of champagne, please make your own strawberry jam. It is so easy to do, and you will be rewarded with beautiful jars of jewel-like jam that will give you pleasure every time you look at them and remind you of that beautiful summer flavour.

It couldn’t be more simple, all you need is:

1kg fresh strawberries; 1kg preserving sugar (I sometimes use the type with pectin as a “belt and braces” approach”) and the juice of a lemon.

Wash and hull (that is pull out the stalk!)your strawberries,
Place in a saucepan over a low heat until they have gone soft and mushy
Add the sugar and lemon juice and when all the sugar is dissolved add a small knob of butter to keep the foam down

Boil rapidly for a few minutes until it has reached setting consistency (test it on a saucer with a little cold water on top).If you want to be absolutely sure it will set, you can cheat by adding half a bottle of commercial pectin at the end, but use 1.4kg of sugar at the start.

Sterilised jam jars

Pour in to clean jam jars, that have been sterilised by placing in the oven on Gas mark 4, 180 electric for 10 minutes
Place small waxed circles on the top (this helps reduce the chance of them going mouldy) and place lids(sterilised in boiling water) on the top.
Label and store. they should keep for a year, but mine never last that long

The other really good thing to do with strawberry jam (or marmalade or any other kind of jam) is a microwave sponge pudding. It takes about 15 minutes and is like a cross between a steamed sponge and a cake. Served with custard or ice cream it is heavenly, but it doesn’t keep well, unfortunately so you have to eat it straight away. You will need:

50g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
50g self-raising flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoons of buttermilk or yogurt
3 tablespoons of jam, marmalade or syrup
A little butter for greasing the pudding bowl

Method:

Stick all ingredients except the jam in a mixing bowl and usign a handblender, mix until well combined.
Using a microwave safe pudding bowl, grease the dish first with a little butter
Add the jam, then place the sponge mixture on top
Cover the top with cling film and place in the microwave
Cook on full power for 3 to 4 minutes, but the top should start to look set
Leave to stand for 1 minute and serve hot

What to eat with Mike Grgich’s 2008 Chardonnay? Only Pete Russell knows the answer

I love hearing from Pete and Lynda Russell, our Californian based guest bloggers, their search for the perfect wine and it’s equally perfect food accompaniment takes them all over the vineyards of California. it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. Today, they are matching a world famous Chardonnay with their own simple, chicken recipe.

If you want to follow his exploits directly, go to

russep3.posterous.com

Over to you, Pete!!

What to eat with Mike Grgich’s 2008 Chardonnay?

We were delighted to find that the maker of the world renowned 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, one Mike Grgich, is still making Chardonnay in California, and we bought a 2008. Now, what to eat it with?

First of all, Lynda and I had different opinions about the wine. I loved it, thought it elegant, nicely oaked, but not too much, while Lynda thought it a tad overblown. Others feel it should be left for 5 years or so to attain its potential.

We selected our tried & tested, Saltimbocca-style Chicken with Lemony Crushed Potatoes, which is low fat and ready in under 30 minutes, and is one of our favourites. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

500g baby new potatoes, halved
4 Chicken Breast Fillets
4 thin slices Roast Ham
4 large fresh sage leaves
2 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp chicken stock or 2 tbsp Sherry
3 tbsp half fat crème fraîche
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Green beans

Method

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 10-15 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper and bash the living daylights out of it with a rolling pin until they are about 5mm thick, but are still intact and in one piece. Season. Lay a piece of ham on top of each chicken breast and top with a sage leaf. Secure with a cocktail stick.
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and add the chicken, ham-side down. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until starting to turn golden. Turn the chicken over and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat slightly and pour in the chicken stock and/or sherry, depending on your predeliction. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover the pan with a lid or foil and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife.
Drain the potatoes well and crush with a fork. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon zest and seasoning. Serve with the chicken and steamed green beans.

The tricks here are to:

ensure the breasts are properly ‘bashed’ to allow the chicken to cook quickly,
don’t substitute the creme fraiche with sour cream, this won’t give the potatoes the required creaminess.
use new potatoes, don’t overcook, but do crush lightly to give the mash proper body.

Saltimbocca is Italian for jump in the mouth, and is classically used to describe a dish of veal, lined or topped with prosciutto and sage and marinated in wine, oil or salt water, but hey, when in San Francisco, anything goes, right?

This dish is a) really easy, even a bloke can do it and b) quick enough to leave the rest of evening for amore, or going to the pub/playing on the computer if you’re alone, and c) relatively inexpensive

A Street Party named Desire and peanut butter cookies (gluten free, too!)

Peanut Butter Cookies …

..and one hell of a street party. Named Desire? maybe not, just having a Marlon Brando moment. On to the Royal Wedding..

I am very lucky with my neighbours, not only are they polite, don’t make too much noise, are always willing to help out, but most important of all…they love a good party! The Royal wedding was the perfect excuse to have a street party. It wasn’t actually in the street, it was in our generous neighbour Paul’s garden and he beenvolently looked on whilst we put up marquees, bunting (isn’t that a great word?) and organised egg and spoon races.

We also used a new BBQ company run by Stephen Heyes (www.royalqpitcrew.com) who conjured up some of the most amazing BBQ food I’ve ever tasted. if you just wanted bangers and burgers thsi sin’t for you, if you want pork and chicken that’s been gently smoked for hours and hours, so that it’s incredibly tender and flavoursome, then check them out. To complement Steve’s food, there had been an amazing team effort to provide dips (we love Rachel’s avocado dip and the 7-layer dip went down well, see other recipes) fantastic salads,( yes Joe your aubergine salad is now legendary) and a beautiful array of puddings. As part of the pudding contribution, which included cupcakes and Sherri’s white chocolate cookies, I also made peanut butter cookies, recipe courtesy of Ellie. These were snapped up very early and were honestly the easiest cookies I have ever made, plus they have no flour in them which makes them gluten-free! This is all you need:

To make 24 cookies: 1 large jar of crunchy peanut butter (454g), 2 cups or 450g/1lb of any sort of sugar, 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence. You can add chocolate chips or anything else you fancy.

Method: Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4, 180 C/160 fan. Mix it all together, place 24 spoonfuls, well spaced out on 2 baking sheets.

Place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until they are golden brown

We were very lucky with the weather, but some people came prepared anyway…

It was an amazing day, and yes, we partied until we dropped thanks to the fabulous 80’s disco. All we need now is another excuse….