Binham Blue Cheese Trifle, Pear Relish Recipe

Pear Puree

6 All Spice Berries

15 Black Peppercorns

11/4 Cups Water

3 Tablespoons Sugar

4 Williams Pears – Peeled and Chopped

Tie the all spice berries and peppercorns in a piece of muslin cloth, place this bundle and all the other ingredients into a pan and simmer until the pears take a knife, drain and reserve the liquid. Remove the spice bundle and place the pears into a glass jug blender and puree if needed add a little of the liquor. Chill.

Pear Relish

2 William Pears – Peeled and finely diced

1 Red Onion – Finely dined

1 Red Bell Pepper – Peeled and finely dice

3 Tablespoons Sugar

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over a very low heat for approx 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated, chill.

Binham Blue Mousse

100g Binham Blue Cheese

¾ Cup Milk

1 Gelatine leave – soaked in cold water to soften

1 Cup Double Cream

Crumble the cheese into a bowl and leave at room temperature until soft. Warm the milk in a saucepan and pour over the cheese, allow to infuse for a few minutes and blend in a jug blender for 10 seconds re warm the mix in a pan and pour over the gelatine and whisk until dissolved. Pass through a sieve and chill.  Whisk the cream to a soft peak, fold the cheese mix into the cream.

Walnut Wafer

125g Walnuts

50g Flour

8 Tbls Softened Butter

2 Egg Whites

½ Teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 F, pulse the flour and walnuts in a robot until the nuts are powdery, do not over blend.

Whisk the butter in a bowl until it resembles mayonnaise, fold in the nut and flour mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until foamy add the salt and whisk again until they are blended but not yet holding peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the nut mixture and spread over a silicone sheet on a baking sheet with a palette knife – 5mm thick, with a round cutter mark out the biscuits and bake for 20 – 30 minutes, remove from the oven and re cut the wafers over the pre marked circles, cool and store in an air tight container.

To build the dish spoon 1 inch of the pear puree into the bottom of a martini glass, smooth the top of the mousse out, and layer 1 inch of the Binham Blue Mousse on top of the pear puree, again smooth out the top and chill for 3 hours to set. Place 1 of the walnut wafers on top of the Binham Blue Mousse. Place a quenelle of the pear relish in the centre of the wafer and garnish with a sprig of chervil.

Restaurant Review - The Hand and Flowers, Marlow

Anna and I visited The Hand and Flowers http://www.thehandandflowers.co.uk/, Marlow for lunch on Wednesday 24th November 2010, having followed Tom Kerridge on this years Great British Menu and on the Good Food Channel we were looking forward to experiencing Tom's personality in his food and Michelin Star food in a pub environment without the stuffiness that often accompanies Michelin rated restaurants. Below you will find a review of our visit to The Hand and Flowers:-

Reservation

I only reserved our table on the Monday before our visit and was aware that I was cutting things a little fine, luckily however there was one table for 2 remaining at 12 noon which was fine for us as the restaurant is a 2 hour drive from Cambridge and would need to return the same day. The lady who took my reservation also informed me that we would need to vacate our table before 1:45pm, from a business point of veiw I can understand why however as a customer who has driven 2 hours and paid well over £100 for lunch I felt we were being rushed before we even arrived.

Food

Before our starters we received a selection of warm bread and a newspaper cone of battered whitebait with marie rose sauce which was presented in a wooden block and was both quirky and delicious.

To start Anna selected Truffled Pork Terrine, which was simple but elegant in presentation with various pickles, warm sour dough bread and truffled butter, which I have to say was rather luxuriously accompanied by 3 huge slices of delicious white truffle. A simple yet delicious dish that would have been amazing if the terrine was not fridge temperature and the full flavours could be realised.

I selected the Mussels Mariniere with Warm Stout and Brown Bread, a dish that had intrigued me from its pictures on the restaurants website and I had already pre selected before arriving. The dish could be described as mussels cooked traditionally yet with the shells removed and topped with a stout foam accompanied by a minaiture loaf of brown bread. The dish arrived and was presented in a different vessel to that pictured on the website and for me took the theatrical edge I had been excited about this dish away. However it smelt and tasted fantastic, real comfort food, the stout foam and butter in the mussels makes it quite a rich/heavy dish though. Half way through my starter I found myself crunching something very hard, it was mussel shell - two big pieces, I am not one to usually complain however when the waitress came to clear our starters I did point this out. In the words of Michel Roux Jr 'at this level its just not acceptable'.....the restaurant manager informed me she had removed the dish from my bill, however this was not what I was looking for I was more worried about another unsuspecting diner breaking a tooth.

Anna selected Venison with a Beetroot and thyme tart tatin for her main course

Lightly Cured Warm Sea Trout, Onion and Thyme Confit, Crispy Pancetta and Pea Shoots Recipe

Ingredients:-

2 Sides of Sea Trout (skinned and trimmed)
250g Maldon Sea Salt
250g Caster Sugar
Zest of a Lemon
Zest of 2 Limes

8 Large White Onions
Bunch of Thyme
250g Butter

Pea Shoots
Thin Slices of Pancetta

Method:-

The Cure-

Mix the sea salt, sugar and lemon/lime zest together, place half the mixture on a piece of cling film, lay the Sea Trout on the cure and cover with the remaining mixture and wrap tightly in cling film.

Place the Sea Trout in the fridge for approx. 4 hours, remove from cure, wash and pat dry.

The Confit-

Finely slice the onions and place in a hot thick based saucepan with the butter. Cook the onions down until soft but not coloured and all of the butter is evaporated or absorbed.

Season with thyme leaves and chill.

The Pancetta-

Place the thin slices of pancetta between 2 sheets of parchment between 2 heavy baking sheets and cook at 180 for around 8 mins or until crisp.

To Serve-

Cut 5 thin slices of the sea trout and place on a baking tray with a little olive oil and place in a hot oven (180) for around 3 mins - just to warm.

Arrange the sea trout slices on a suitable plate, and place a quenelle of the onion confit on top, and a piece of the pancetta on top of the onion confit.

Pick several pea shoots to garnish the dish, and dress with a little good olive oil or lemon oil.

Smoked Cambridge Favourite Strawberries, Set Vanilla Cream, Strawberry and Black Pepper Sorbet Recipe

Ingredients:-

1kg Cambridge Favourite Strawberries
1ltre Stock Syrup
750ml Double Cream
250ml Milk
31/2 Leaves Gelatine
100g Caster Sugar
2 Vanilla Pods
Whole Black Peppercorns
Extra Strawberries to Garnish

Required Equipment:-

Ice Cream Churn
Smoke Gun
500ml Kilner Jars

Method

For the set vanilla cream:-

1. Place the milk and cream in a thick bottomed pan with the split vanilla pods and bring to a simmer.
2. Soften the Gelatine in cold water, drain and place in a bowl with the sugar, pour the hot cream mix over the sugar/gelatine, mix thoroughly.
3. Pass the cream mixture and skim the foam.
4. Pour the mix into 500ml Kilner Jars until 2cm from the bottom and chill to set, do not close the jar.

For the sorbet:-

5. Blend the strawberries and pass, combine with the stock syrup and churn.
6. Crush the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar, pass through a fine sieve and near to the completion of the churning cycle add to the sorbet, mix thoroughly and freeze.

To present:-

7. Quarter some fresh strawberries and lace on top of the set vanilla cream in the centre of the jar.
8. Quenelle some of the sorbet and place on the nest of strawberries.
9. Fill the jar with smoke from the gun and close.
10. Place a teaspoon thru the lid and serve immediately.

Pan - fried Organic Salmon, Beetroot Mash, Carrot and Ginger, Seared Scallops, Horseradish Foam

Ingredients:-

1 Organic Salmon Side
6 Fresh Beetroot
10 Maris Pipers
250g Butter
250ml Cream
3 King Scallops per Portion
10 Carrots
2 inchs Fresh Root Ginger
1/2 Litre Veg Stock
1/2 Litre White Wine
1/2 Litre Double Cream
4 Tablespoons of Creamed Horseradish (Jarred)
Pea Shoots
Lecite

For the mash:-

- Peel, chop and boil the maris pipers until soft. Drain and pass through a potato mouli.
- Simmer the cream and butter in a pan to combine and reduce.
- Slowly add the reduction to the mash until a creamy consistency is reached, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil the beetroot with their skins on, you can add thyme or bay to the water if you like, until a veg knife goes through the beets easily. Drain, refresh and peel.
- Keep half the beets hot and transfer to a blender, blend and add veg stock until a smooth puree consistency is achieved.
- With the other beets dice into half a cm cubes.
- To serve add some of the puree and diced beets to the mash, dont over do it you dont want the mash sloppy it needs to hold its shape.

For the carrot and ginger puree:-

- Peel and chop the carrots and root ginger.
- Place in a pan and cover with half water and half orange juice and a knob of butter.
- Simmer until soft, drain (retaining the liquid) and transfer to a blender and puree adding the retained liquid until you reach the right consistency.

For the horseradish foam:-

- Reduce the white wine by half, add the veg stock and again reduce by half, add the cream and creamed horseradish and reduce by about a third.
- Pass through a chinois.
- Add 1 dessert spoon of Lecite and foam with a hand blender.
- You can use fresh horseradish if you prefer but the jarred products give a more concentrated flavour.

For the fish:-

- Simply pan fry the salmon and scallops.

Garnish with a few pea shoots.

November Pudding Menu

To Finish

Frozen Orange Parfait, Dark Chocolate Mousse (g) £6
Fig & Frangipan Tart, Vanilla Ice Cream (n) £5.50
(Please allow 10 minutes preparation time)
Popcorn Panna Cotta, Butterscotch (g) £5.50
Perry Poached Pear, Stinking Bishop £5
Hot Chocolate Fondant, Banana and Yoghurt, Granola £6
(please allow 10 minutes preparation time)
East Anglian Farmhouse Cheeses with Chutney, Grapes and £8
Homemade Suffolk Rusks

Tea or Cafetiere Coffee with Homemade Sweets £3

November Menu

Restaurant Menu

‘One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating’ ~ Luciano Pavarotti

Warm Artisan Bread with Balsamic Reduction & Hill’s Farm Rapeseed Oil £3
Marinated Moroccan Olives £4

To Start

Watercress and Cobnut Broth £5
Loin of Rabbit, Langoustines, Pear and Rosemary £7.25
Lincolnshire ‘Hot’ Smoked Eel, Beetroot, Radish and Frisee £6.50
Wood Pigeon and Pork Boudin Salad, Marinated Figs £6.25
Seared Scallops, Jerusalem Artichoke Puree, Caramelised Walnuts £9
Organic Goats Cheese and Sweet Potato Terrine, Pickled Girolles, Truffled Vinaigrette £5.50

To Share

The Bottisham Smoke House Experience: Hot Smoked Gressingham Duck, Chicken & Pigeon Breast and Cold Smoked Camembert with Homemade Pickles, Chutney and Warm Bread £13 per plate

To Follow

Telmara Farm Duck, Peppered Swede, Cabbage and Bacon, Cranberry Sauce £17
28 Day Aged Sirloin Steak, Grilled Field Mushroom & Tomato, Hand Cut Chips, Garlic Butter £19
Belly of Suffolk Pork, Garlic & Thyme Squash, Black Pudding, Seared Scallops, Quince, Cyder Caramel £17.50
Elveden Estate ‘New Season’ Pheasant, Boulangere Potato, Buttered Kale, Whisky Cream £16.50
Pumpkin and Ricotta Risotto, Crispy Sage £11
Mustard Glazed Cod Loin, Herb Mash, Creamed Leeks £15
Wild Mushroom Pithivier, Roasted Roots, Truffle Foam £13.50