Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli

Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli

This is one of my favourite meals for Sunday when we're not having a roast dinner. I made it today and realised I've never shared the recipe. 

I used king prawns, mussels and squid today and it is a little faffy the way I prepare this with the squid being fried separately, but it well worth the preparation and extra pots and pans.

You could make these with prawns or mussels that aren't in the shell, however I urge you if possible to make with the shells still in-tact, it really does add to the flavour of the sauce.

People often marvel at the 'unusual' foods that my young daughters eat, including seafood, but it isn't unusual to them, as they have both had seafood from weaning and they absolutely love it, just like me.

I do use a cheat here, a pack of prepared Mussels in Garlic, which you can pick up from practically any supermarket; you can of course just use normal mussels, but the garlic sauce adds to the pasta sauce.

You could equally just throw the squid into the pan to cook with the rest of the seafood in the sauce direct if you prefer. I picked all of the seafood up from my local Morrison's and the kind fishmonger prepared the squid for me so I literally just had to cut, season and cook.

Here's how:

• 12 large king prawns
• Pack of mussels in garlic 
• 1 squid, body and tentacles
• 1 large white onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 red chilli
• 4 tomatoes
• 400g passata
• 1 tsp saffron threads
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Handful parsley to serve
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 300-400g spaghetti or other pasta
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 lemon

Fill and boil the kettle. 

Add the drizzle of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pan and place on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and slice the chilli and add to the pan to saute.

Now roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the pan once everything else has softened down. Finely chop the parsley and set aside for garnish, and cute the lemon into wedges and set aside too.

Season at this point and add the oregano and saffron and allow to cook for a few minutes. 

Now add the passata and tomato puree and allow to cook for fifteen minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the squid. Clean if necessary, otherwise, finely slice into rings, and keep the tentacles. In a bowl add the plain flour and paprika and season generously with sea salt and black pepper, combine and then toss the squid rings and tentacles into the flour and ensure they are well-coated. Now set aside.

Once the sauce has been cooking away for fifteen minutes, place the pasta on to cook according to the packet instructions and when only eight minutes of cooking time is left, throw in the prawns and the mussels and immerse into the sauce, turning every couple of minutes to ensure they cook through. You can see when the prawns are cooked through as they will colour to pink. 

In a separate pan drizzle a little more olive or vegetable oil and place on a high heat and once hot, add the squid to the pan, allow to cook for thirty seconds, and then turn each squid over and cook for a further thirty seconds or until crisp, then remove from the heat and set aside. (Please don't be tempted to cook for longer, as it will result in chewy, rubbery squid, a common mistake.)

Before draining the pasta, add a serving spoon full of the pasta-cooking-water to the sauce to loosen up and help the sauce stick to the pasta. 

Drain and shake the spaghetti to remove excess water then add to the cooking pan with most of the parsley and stir really well, ensuring all of the spaghetti strands get a thorough coating and then quickly dish up for the family. 

Complete by scattering over a final sprinkling of chopped parsley and adding a few of the fried squid rings to each portion and placing a wedge of lemon with each. Enjoy!

Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron and Chilli

Some other seafood dishes you may enjoy:
Vicky's Special Seafood Stew
Crab and Asparagus Linguine with Parsley Grantitata
Prawn Summer Rolls
Prawn and Chorizo Carbonara
Honey Chilli and Coconut Prawns with Ho Fun
Gourmet Seafood Burger
Crab, Chilli and Asparagus Pappardelle
Spanish Prawns with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Peppers
Prawn Saganaki

Lunch at Oblix, The Shard

Last Monday, I enjoyed a gorgeous, impromptu lunch at The Shard's Oblix restaurant with my friend Tatum and our two little ones.

We were in the area to visit the London Aquarium and decided to try this rather than the flurry of chain restaurants we wandered past along the Southbank.

Considering it was Monday lunchtime, and a dreary day, the place was buzzing, mainly with what looked like business lunches, and as it's a smart place; we were impressed by how welcoming and accommodating the staff were to Bridget and Cruz, a pair of cheeky toddlers. They were really helpful sorting highchairs and that was the first tick for me.

The views over London are great, but it was a pretty grey day, so we didn't choose the best day for that.

Tatum and I shared a range of small plates, which was a great way to enjoy lunch together, as there was a wide variety of delicious plates to choose from. Every plate was artfully and carefully considered in terms of presentation too.

We had a flatbread topped with smoked salmon, rocket, cream cheese, chives, lemon and some sea salt and every taste was delicious. The babies thought so too. 

Smoked Salmon, Rocket, Cream Cheese & Chive Flatbread at Oblix

A crispy chilli squid with lime was one of the best I've had in a long time, it wasn't over seasoned and it wasn't overcooked; just done to perfection and a burst of delicious flavour in every mouthful. 

Crispy Chilli Squid with Lime at Oblix, The Shard

The soft shell crab was to die for too - a taste of the sea brought to life with a gorgeous hint of chilli infused mayonnaise.

Soft Shell Crab at Oblix, The Shard

We had a plate of seared beef, which was just browned at the edges, as the name suggests, topped with truffle and girolles and was served with a sweetcorn jus or reduction. I cannot stress enough how beautiful this was both in appearance and flavour, the meat just melted in the mouth, delicious. 

Seared Beef with Girolle and Truffle at Oblix, The Shard

Our final dish at Oblix was burrata - after my recent trip to Rome I'd been craving it and it's not available in too many places here. Soft, creamy and fantastic, the burrata was served with fresh datterini tomatoes; a perfectly sweet, small variety, with basil leaves, a drizzle of a balsamic glaze and a great olive tapenade. Our standout dish for sure. So simple yet so stunning.

Burrata at Oblix, The Shard

We also had some chips as a finger food for the two tots which were also rather tasty and some beautiful freshly baked bread too.

Oblix is an attractive proposition, stylish setting, winning menu that delivers on both taste and appearance, views over the city and attentive, knowledgeable staff. With an open kitchen and views into the pastry kitchen, the butchery area and the open grill, aside from the other guests it sets a great atmosphere too.

The staff at Oblix were great with the children, didn't mind them having a few snacks we'd brought along with us or the mess on, and under, the table that comes with two feisty toddlers.

The meal with service at Oblix came in at £120. Money well spent, and I’ll be sure to return to try the dinner menu.

The Narrow, Wapping

Last Sunday was of course Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day and we had a lovely three course lunch as a family at Gordon Ramsay's informal, The Narrow at Wapping, overlooking the Thames.

I'd never eaten there before despite popping in several times for drinks, and always eyeing up the food.

There were eight of us - myself, Glen and Bridget, my parents, my Nan and my two brothers, Daniel and Dean and when we arrived the place was absolutely heaving with jovial diners. There wasn't room for a pre-meal drink at the bar but we squeezed onto a sofa in the main stretch of the restaurant with the beautiful views out across the river. It's a fairly cold space despite the radiators pumping out heat plus a few fan heaters so wrap up if you feel the cold and visit during this cold spell.

There was a great atmosphere and children were most certainly welcome - there was even a face painter, which was a nice touch.

Once seated we ate from both the The Narrow's Mother's Day and  A La Carte menus and weren't disappointed.

My Dad and I chose the ham hock terrine to begin, which came with the most delicious homemade piccalilli that was artfully arranged on the plate. The terrine was chunky, full of meaty flavour and perfect with the fresh seeded rolls that came to the table. Very rustic in taste, but beautifully presented.

Ham Hock Terrine with Piccalilli

Glen had a mushroom fricassee served on rocket with buckwheat and with a perfectly soft poached egg on top which was a delicious and light way to begin.

Mushroom Fricassee with Rocket, Buckwheat and a Poached Egg

My Mum and Daniel both opted for the mackerel rillettes which came atop some rye toasted bread. Smooth and pepped up with a zing of lemon and a hint of black pepper, it was lovely, a great start.

Mackerel Rillettes on Rye

Dean had the Chicken Liver Parfait which was great but a rather large portion - no matter; we shared around the table, happily.

Chicken Liver Parfait with Pear Chutney

We also ordered one of the bar snacks of fried squid - a favourite dish, as we'd seen a few other diners enjoying. The squid was tasty and cooked perfectly - no rubbery texture here, cooked in salt and chilli but It was a slightly too heavy handed on the salt for my liking.

Squid

I had seen several roast beef dinners whilst having a drink beforehand, and it looked rare and beautiful so this is what I chose. I was slightly disappointed when it arrived, it looked a touch overdone for my taste, but on cutting into the meat, realised it must have browned on the outside from sitting on the hotplate waiting to be brought to the table as the meat, a sirloin, was tender and pink inside and had the most beautiful seasoned taste. The roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables were lovely too but the huge Yorkshire pudding was utterly perfect - I ate every morsel.

Roast Beef

Glen had the leg of lamb and Dean the pork loin roast dinners and, like mine, each came with just a drizzle of gravy, and we had to request more. We weren't offered condiments and our waiter rushed off so we had to, request these from a different member of staff which was a little frustrating, however it was insanely busy and the roasts were all good so we felt forgiving.

Roast Pork

My Dad had the Pappardelle with Rabbit Ragu which he said was fantastic; but lamented he would have liked a little more pasta.

Rabbit Ragu with Pappardelle

Both my Nan and Bridget had the Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas, although Bridget's was from the children's menu and the white fish was cooked beautifully, coated in a crispy batter and served with perfect 'chip shop' style chips and mushy peas - again a good dish.

Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas

My Mum and Daniel both opted for the Pan-fried Hake on a bed of Crayfish Risotto. The hake was cooked to perfection, crispy skin and perfectly flake-able flesh. The risotto was a little under seasoned and lacking in the seafood flavour Dan was looking for, but my Mum thoroughly enjoyed.

Pan Fried Hake with Crayfish Risotto

We had a selection of puddings that included Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding, White Chocolate Cheesecake with Poached Pear and my own delicious Rhubarb and Pear Crumble with a Vanilla Custard - utterly delicious. My only complaint here would be that I could have done with a little bit more custard, but that may be down to sheer greed.

Rhubarb and Pear Crumble with Vanilla Custard

Bridget's dessert was an ice cream with chocolate sauce which she thoroughly enjoyed and I think it's a great coup that any child eats free at The Narrow all day, every day - great incentive for families to eat out more. She received a colouring in book, some pencils and a plain paper hat to decorate which kept her more than amused. The staff were kind and attentive towards her too, when one waiter noticed she was nibbling on the cucumber garnish from one of our drinks, he brought a little plate full of cucumber over. All of these small attentions to detail mean so much when eating out with children, so top marks for being family-friendly.

We had a few beers and wine amongst the table but there were a couple of drivers in our mix too and the bill came in at just under £300 for the eight of us including service which for three decent courses each, I thought was reasonable.

The Narrow is a great venue for informal family dining, in a buzzing riverside atmosphere that serves wholesome, hearty and delicious traditional food with something for all the family.

Brunch at Villandry, Great Portland Street

A few weeks back I won a Twitter competition to enjoy a brunch for two at Villandry on Great Portland Street, so a week later I trotted along one August Saturday morning with my mum, Vicky for a leisurely brunch followed by some retail therapy.

Having only ever popped into Villandry for a tea or coffee with a slice of cake before, I was keen to try out what else they had on offer. Our table was booked for 11:30am and I immediately ordered a Virgin Mary with a pot of tea for Mum, and a latte for myself, whilst we perused the menu.

The Virgin Mary had a good hit of spice in there, which is just how I like them, and for once I wasn’t hungover, so I wasn’t craving a good glug of vodka for that oh-so soothing hair of the dog feeling.

Rather than the traditional egg and bacon options, Mum and I were rather more tempted by their ‘small plates’ section of the menu which had some very enticing sounding dishes listed.

We chose the Villandry Mediterranean mezze platter, a smoked salmon dish, salt and pepper squid, beef carpaccio and a dressed crab salad with some chunky bread – in short, a mini-feast for the pair of us.

The platter consisted of a quenelle each of hummus and babaganoush with some focaccia, some deliciously salty black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet roasted red pepper, some griddled courgette and some mozzarella balls rolled in a mild pesto. 

The babaganoush and focaccia were the stand-outs of the mezze. In fact, all of the bread is produced on-site and is outstanding, but the focaccia had an extra something – a slight garlic hue with the crunch of sea salt, it was sensational – I could have certainly eaten more of it. The babaganoush had a coarse, chunky texture and a divine smoked flavour – again, I could have eaten tons more of it, but luckily we had plenty more to get through.

The Severn & Wye smoked salmon had a beautiful flavour, gently smoky and with a melt in the mouth texture, the drizzle of lemon over it only improved it, with of course the essential sprinkling of black pepper. Eaten with a hunk of the delicious Villandry bread, this was a winner.

The salt and pepper squid was fantastic. Coated in a beautifully light batter that was packed full of flavour, the squid was cooked to perfection, unlike so many other venues that over-cook their squid, this was light with just a touch of bite to it, but had, happily, completely avoided that awful rubberiness that I’ve experienced time and time again elsewhere. I did find it a little strange that this was served with what tasted and looked like a thousand island dressing, but hey ho. 

The other real winning dish was the dressed crab and avocado salad. Once again the quality and flavour of the crab was excellent, and with a little green leaf covering the mound of crab, and the cucumber jelly which covered the square plate, it was a very, very  pretty plate and certainly wasn’t a case of style over substance. I would actually return for this alone as a delightful lunch dish. 

The only other dish we had was the beef carpaccio, which was the only thing that there was really any left of at the end of our feast. It was perfectly acceptable in terms of quality, but really was lacking in seasoning, and when compared to the delights of the squid, salmon, crab and the mezze platter, it just didn’t match up, but as we’d over ordered anyway, this wasn’t a problem at all.

The service was attentive, friendly and informative throughout our brunch at Villandry. We sat in the restaurant area rather that the café, which was a mistake as there was much more of a buzz in the café area that was packed full, but this certainly didn’t detract from what was a very pleasurable meal. We were gifted a £50 voucher and had a small bill of £8 to pay at the end so this also presents good value in the heart of the West End. Definitely a key contender for the best brunch spots, but I will certainly return to try some of the main dishes too as they all sounded rather glorious too.

Vicky's Special Seafood Stew

I have grown up with a love of food and drink that stems from my wonderful parents, Les and Vicky. Practically from birth, my two brothers and I were taken to different restaurants and were always encouraged to try absolutely everything. We were lucky enough to enjoy lots of holidays abroad in various parts of Europe and so all love experimenting with new dishes and styles of food.

We were never shy of seafood or shellfish, and with them both hailing from the East End of London, we often enjoyed ‘high tea’ on a Sunday afternoon – a feast of cockles, winkles, whelks, rollmops, prawns and an array of sandwiches, always, always cut into quarters or as my Mum calls them ‘dolly sandwiches.’

Both my Mum and Dad enjoy cooking and each have their signature dishes, which get brought out for special occasions, birthdays and the like, and on request when one of us has a craving. My Dad is known for his paella whereas my Mum’s seafood stew is her absolute signature – and it is legendary. 

The whole family enjoyed this dinner this afternoon for no other reason than it is a Sunday and we were all eating together. It occurred to me that in writing this blog since January 2010, I’ve never shared this wonderful recipe, which has been honed to perfection by my Mum over the years.

Originally found in a 1997 edition of ‘Best Ever Cook’s Collection, Farmhouse Cooking’ which incidentally has some fantastic recipes included, my Mum has experimented with lots of variations. For special occasions, this is made with lobster, but for a standard Sunday lunch, like today, we had langoustines in in place of the luxury crustacean. Monkfish works really well in this stew, being a little meatier than some white fish, it holds together better, but you really could use any fish. 

My mum’s addition to make this a little heartier is to serve over pasta. We’ve had linguine, spaghetti and vermicelli before but any would work, today we had pretty tripoline – the telephone wire looking ribbons.

So here is Vicky’s Special Seafood Stew:

·         12 Langoustines or a lobster if you’re feeling flush

·         24 fresh mussels

·         1 large monkfish tail or a cod fillet of about 300g

·         1 tbsp plain flour

·         225g squid

·         90ml olive oil

·         12 large raw prawns

·         450g tomatoes

·         2 large onions

·         4 garlic cloves

·         2 tbsp brandy

·         2 bay leaves

·         1 tbsp paprika

·         1 large red chilli

·         300ml fresh fish stock

·         3 tbsp ground almonds

·         2 tbsp parsley

·         Salt & Pepper

·         Pasta of your choice

Firstly scrub the mussels, and get rid of any that are open. Chop the monkfish into bite-size chunks..

Liberally season the flour and toss the monkfish and squid in it and then fry on a high heat in a drizzle of olive oil to sear for a minute or so and then set aside.

Fry the prawns and set aside with the squid and monkfish.

Peel the tomatoes (a tip is to put them into boiling water for 30 seconds-1 minute and then move into ice cold water to ease the skins off). Chop roughly. Chop the chilli (if you like a fiery kick leave the seeds in, but remove if you prefer a milder dish).

Dice the onions, crush the garlic and add to the pan (keeping back about 1 clove of crushed garlic). Allow to soften then add the brandy and set alight to flambé. When the flames have died down, add the tomatoes, chilli, bay leaves and paprika and pour over the fish stock. Gently bring to the boil, and then reduce and simmer for five minutes.

Add the mussels and langoustines to the sauce and cover, keeping on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Once the mussels have opened, remove them from the juice, and again get rid of any that haven’t opened.

Cook the pasta you’re using in a separate pot of water.

Make a flavourful paste to intensify the stew by blending the ground almonds, garlic and parsley with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir into the sauce.

Finally return all of the fish and seafood to the stew pot and cook on a low heat for a further five minutes until hot through.

We always serve this at the table, but pile in the pasta first into a soup bowl and then ladle in the stew. Make sure you have some fresh, preferably crusty bread to dip in and soak up all of the fantastic flavours – you won’t be disappointed. I advise a glass of Rioja or a jug of sangria to go alongside. 

A London Lunch No. 7: Dim Sum at Young Chen, Lisle Street

Dim sum for lunch makes me happy, very happy indeed.

My Grandad on my Dad’s side hailed from Hong Kong, so certain delicious Chinese delights, such as Char Siu Bao, remind me of my first tastes of dim sum, and offer the same kind of comfort food nourishment to me as macaroni cheese or my favourite, Pie & Mash.

I like to think of dim sum as the Chinese version of ‘afternoon tea’, as I only ever enjoy after 12pm, however traditionally, I believe this is served all day, and of course with the accompaniment of Chinese herbal tea. Not a massive fan of herby teas, I usually wash my dim sum down with a bottle of two of Tsintao, probably the most well known Chinese beer.

Many of the restaurants around Chinatown in Soho get a bad press, but actually there are a few real jewels, and frankly I blame sheer snobbery for people shunning the ‘dutty’ looking venues in favour of more fine dining style Chinese. Dim sum doesn’t need to be gourmet or artisan, so here is a lunch recommendation for one of my favourites, Young Chen on Lisle Street.

Probably the most well known dish, Siu Mai, are the little pork and prawn dumplings topped with bright orange cod roe gems. An odd looking little dish of steamed parcels, there is a reason they are so commonly known, they are absolutely delicious, and the Young Chen varieties always leave you wanting more. The always have a mixed texture inside, minced pork, chopped up pieces of prawn and a flavourful bite from spring onion – they are a must order at any dim sum venue.

One of my favourite dishes, has to be King Prawn Cheung Fun, not least because it includes my surname. Again, this isn’t the most beautiful or inviting plate of food, however the cannelloni-like rice noodle wrappers, filled with deliciously fresh, large meaty prawns and sitting in a pool of sticky, salty soy sauce can bring such a joyful sensation to the mouth. Like many dishes served as dim sum, Cheung Fun has a sweetness to it and for me, it is a truly addictive plate of food.

Ha Gau, the other well-known dumpling, are another favourite – shaped like a sea shell, the original are filled, again with prawns and are quite simply fantastic little bites of joy. But do try other varieties too, such as those with chives.

I cannot order dim sum, no matter how many are in my company, whether one or ten, without ordering one of my favourite things in the world – squid cakes. I don’t know the Chinese name for these sadly, but they are fabulous patties made up of squid, fiery chilly, garlic and ginger and the herb that frankly improves most things to my mind, coriander. I didn’t take a photo on my last visit, despite knowing I would be writing about them, as I literally inhale as soon as they arrive.

If you like Char Siu Bao, or indeed deliciously sweet char siu, or the sweet BBQ pork of Chinese restaurants, then you will probably like what I call Char Siu Pastries. Little mini pies of slightly greasy flaky pastry filled with the delicious barbecued meat and topped with sesame seeds – they are to die for. The element of grease is particularly good if you have been on the sauce the night before too. 

These are probably the dishes I most often order and enjoy when having dim sum, but there are tons of others that often make up the selection, such as fried chickens feet (yes really), turnip paste and lots of other dumplings. If I go with a crowd, normally my family, then we might be likely to order Beef Ho Fun – flat, delicious fried noodles topped with tender beef in a black bean sauce, or crispy noodles with seafood to bulk up the order too.

One thing that I must mention, is the simple, but incredibly delicious dessert of dim sum – the egg custard tarts. An alarmingly yellow hued custard centre surrounded by sweet, flaky pastry these are an absolute must if you have a sweet tooth like me. 

Dim sum can vary in cost depending on how many of you there are and how hungry you are. But if you go in a two to Young Chen and order 4-5 dishes of the above you could expect change from £40 so it’s a reasonably, yet very enjoyable food experience.

 

Frith Street's Finest - Arbutus

Arbutus

Last Wednesday evening me and the boy were in Soho deciding where to grab some dinner when we stumbled across Arbutus. I'd been before but a good three years ago and as it was 730 and busy I doubted we'd get a table. I was right to doubt - however we were accommodated in the bar area on a high table for two.

Sitting right in the area that every diner had to walk through to get to their table meant I was able to enjoy my favourite sport - people watching. I marvelled immediately at the mixed bag that Arbutus attracts, there were the suited types, couples, groups of friends and real arty types - plenty to be nosy at. We were off to a good start.

I chose the squid and mackerel 'burger' with razor clams and sea purslane to start. The 'burger' was a small, moist and absolutely delicious patty full of wonderful sea flavours and very well seasoned. The razor clams were the first I've ever had and actually enjoyed - as well as the flavour they were devoid of that awful rubbery texture that I've come to expect. The plate was presented very prettily too which made it all the more appetizing.

The boy had the crispy pigs head with salad and again this was artfully presented and the flavours matched the presentation. The pork was chunky and had an exceptional, almost sweet flavour with some crispy, crunchy bits which were a delightful contrast. What was most surprising was how utterly gorgeous the salad was - sliver's of soft turnip and radish which I can only presume had been poached in something sweet, syruppy and lovely. Wonderfulness on a plate.

The boys' main was slow cooked lamb with cannelini beans, apricots and almonds. The lamb was apparently tasty and tender to the point of melting in the mouth (it certainly didn't last long). The accompaniments were good - however the boy decided this was a bit of a delicate plate for him and he said he'd have preferred something a bit heavier. This would be perfect for a smaller appetite though.

Mine was the opposite and the boy ended up finishing it anyway. I had the roast rabbit which was roasted with pancetta, artichokes and sweet, baby carrots in a the most delicious, garliccy juice - heaven. This came with a 'shoulder cottage pie' which was frankly the best comfort food - creamy mashed potato over tender shoulder of rabbit. A very satisfying, if filling dish.

Even though I was stuffed i couldn't resist ordering pudding. The dessert menu had me drooling, every single item on that menu sounded fabulous and it was eventually the waiter who twisted my arm, ever so easily into the cold chocolate fondant.

I've been lucky with desserts recently and it appears my luck continues - this was sensational. As well as looking fantastic the fondant itself had a richness of flavour but was as light as a feather. It came with crispy, caramelised chocolate wafers and a small helping of salted caramel ice cream, pure bliss. It was finished with a little shaving of pretty green pistachios. It really was a dessert to die for.

Throughout our meal the staff were incredibly attentive and friendly - the great thing which was so clearly obvious was that the staff here genuinely care about the food served. You can sense their pride and passion and it only adds to the overall dining experience.

The meal was around £75 without wine, but for this level of food I think it's reasonable - we didn't have a single complaint.

It's hard to believe Arbutus opened it's doors over five years ago as I seem to remember it and that would imply I'm getting on - however judging from our faultless meal and the swarms of mid-week diners rushing through the doors it's clear that Anthony Demetre and Will Smith continue to get it right. They really have managed to achieve that winning formula, what's more they have it down to a fine art - well-executed hearty classics, great service and a good balance between smart and casual dining. I certainly won't be leaving it another three years before I return.

http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/

Les Deux Salons

A Garlic Lover's Dream

There seems to be a constant stream of new restaurants opening in our fair capital and it can sometimes take a while to get around to visiting the ones you fancy. Last October when Anthony Demetre and Will Smith (not of Fresh Prince fame) opened their latest offering, Les Deux Salons, I was living and working in Bristol so I added this new brasserie to my ever expanding wish list.

Happily a couple of weeks back I got to visit Les Deux Salons for dinner on the evening of my birthday, a treat from Glen, who I will, from now on, refer to as 'the boy'.

My first thoughts on entering was how very, very Parisian the decor and atmosphere was. The black and white marbled floor, cosy leather seating, and low-hanging crystal style lighting. Not to mention that it was early on a Monday evening, around 730pm and the place was filled with diners, chatter and a general happy buzz - I was suitably impressed.

The waitress (not French) brought over some delicious, crusty bread, took our wine (a Loire Muscadet - dry, crisp, lovely) and water order and left us to ponder over the menu. I'd been for the unexpected afternoon tea at Bea's of Bloomsbury (see previous post) that day where I'd scoffed a plentiful selection of goodies so faced a dilemma - starter or dessert.

Both menus had tempting offerings which made me virtually salivate so I decided to go for a starter and hope that I'd be able to squeeze in a dessert at the end of the meal.

I chose to try the brandade, something I'd heard about but never tried. This is generally a combination of salt cod and olive oil with either bread or potatoes. In this case it was with mashed potato, sauteed squid and an interesting and clever parsley cromesqui.

This was the kind of food you could just imagine tucking into when feeling a bit low, truly a comfort dish served in a small, round ceramic dish. It was soft and very well seasoned mash potato with the squid and cod mixed in, both adding a salty deliciousness and with a huge hit of garlic. Alone this would have been quite tasty. But the essential item which elevated this dish to something wonderful was the cromesqui. A cromesqui is croquette-like, a small ball in breadcrumbs which acts as a container for a liquid - in this case parsley in a luminous greeny butter. As I cut into this little delight the vibrant green liquid oozed out over the brandade, it was a real treat for the eyes before the mouth. It gave the dish a new dimension and what was before tasty, became delicious.

The boy went for the Herefordshire Snail and Bacon pie, having never tried snails and being curious. It was a pot pie with a lovely, flaky puff pastry lid. The filling was in a creamy whitish sauce with yet more garlic. The snails were tender and almost the texture of a wild mushroom and like a mushroom they absorbed all of the flavours of the sauce like a sponge and were gorgeously flavoursome.. The pie went down well with the boy but personally I found that overall the sauce was a little too overpoweringly garlicy for me.

For mains the boy chose young chicken with lemon and garlic, which I complained was a boring order. However as is so often the case, this simplest of orders was actually very tasty indeed. Moist, well seasoned and flavourful chicken with a deliciously crispy skin.

I opted for the roast saddle of rabbit and was so, so glad I did - it was just exquisite. Wrapped in a cured ham and stuffed with a mixture of rabbit offal in what was almost a pate consistency, the combination put me in momentary food heaven every time I took a bite. The three different elements of the dish just worked perfectly.

The rabbit came with spring chard, which had been just wilted in a salty garlic butter, and a carrot puree. I'm not overly keen on purees - while I still have my teeth in tact I really prefer food that can be chewed, however this admittedly had a nice sweetness to it which complemented the dish well as a whole - just a shame about the texture.

We ordered dauphinoise potatoes as a side, because apparently I am unable to enter a French restaurant without ordering them, and the boy couldn't resist ordering some chips - both were good.

Unfortunately after this I couldn't have even squeezed in a chocolate, let alone a full dessert. I was gutted, but there's always next time.

We both enjoyed the meal, the food was of a very good quality, cooked well and also presented beautifully. We sadly took the lingering smell of excessive garlic away with us, but I guess this is to be expected when eating French food. Like it's sister restaurants Arbutus and Wild Honey, Les Deux Salons is good value for a restaurant so well positioned in the West End, just off of Covent Garden. The meal was around the £85 for two courses each and a bottle of wine.

It's well worth a visit and the type of place where you could go for a celebration, a quick bite or a long-drawn out meal. I imagine this is one brasserie that is here to stay.

http://www.lesdeuxsalons.co.uk/

Fino

A Spanish SensationAfter an incredibly glutinous week of celebrating my own birthday, it was time to pass the birthday baton over to someone else - my wonderful Dad. He's long been a fan of Spanish fare since his and my Mum's very first trip abroad together to Majorca nearly 30 years ago and has even gone to the trouble of purchasing an authentic and very large paella pan from a catering supplier. He has perfected a mixed meat and seafood paella which is only for special occasions and which I can vouch is quite sensational.
Fino on Charlotte Street was the allotted venue for our celebratory meal and we were booked in early last Saturday evening, 630, the earliest and in fact the only table we could get.
We were led down to the smart basement restaurant and invited to begin with a drink in the bar. We ordered a jug of their Cava Sangria and this was a refreshingly fruity and colourful affair, very pretty to look at and the kind of drink that would go down well all evening.
We were also brought over two little ramekins of plump, firm and very tasty green olives. They were divine and as two amongst our 6 detest olives, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit the other four of us demolished these in a couple of minutes flat. Happily these were soon replenished by the friendly Spanish barman.
We had ordered one of the specials, half a suckling piglet, prior to our visit, so our plan was to get a few little dishes or tapas to whet our appetite for the main event. However we found it difficult to resist ordering a lot of dishes, so many sounded great.
We began with a platter of cold Spanish meats, prawn croquettas and red pepper croquettas with bread and oil. The meats were all tasty, particularly the Serano and chorizo. Both croquettes were good but the red pepper ones won my flavour vote by a margin, these were sweet, hot and extremely moreish, I could have easily eaten a whole portion.

Vanessa, our impeccable waitress, was an excellent source of knowledge, she gladly advised us on the specials, her favourites, and explained what certain things were on the menu that we hadn't before experienced. Also when the bread arrived and we requested some aioli as well as the oils, she obliged quickly and approvingly.

Our next course was a medley of seafood, and if the first course was good, this was incredible. My family are real fish and seafood fans and this did not disappoint. We had clams, razor clams, sardines and squid and it is fair to say that when they arrived our mouths were collectively watering, not only did it look great, the smells were enticing too.

The clams were frankly the best I've ever had. They were slightly salty, but this was complemented by the rich and creamy garlicy butter that they'd been cooked and served in, it was an amazing taste and I'm not ashamed to admit I dipped bread straight into that sauce as if I were eating in the comfort of my own home, it was too good not to.
The squid was also good, it was crispy in a light batter and we agreed we thought it was very similar to the way squid is often prepared in Chinese cookery - with salt and pepper and a little chilli heat. These also had the hint of paprika which gave a lovely smokiness. They were great dipped in the aioli too.
I must confess sardines are one of my Dad's favourites, however I've generally found them to be far too bony and fiddly, with not very much meat on them to bother with, and never carrying much flavour. I've decided they deserve a second chance after tasting the juicy, garlicy wonders we were presented with. They were very easy to de-bone and quite big compared to others I've had - to be honest even if they were tiny the flavour of them would have been well worth the effort. As well as garlic there was a little parsley and some citrussy lemon and lime to. The simple flavour combination worked perfectly and this was yet another dish that didn't last very long at all.
Finally on the sea-front, we had razor clams. I'm afraid these were not for me, but I've never enjoyed these whenever I've had them before, despite them being a bit of a favourite in my family, especially in Chinese food. I find them too rubbery a texture to enjoy. General agreement around the table was that they were in fact excellent, so don't be deterred if you're a fan, its more personal preference than anything else.

Next up was our piece de resistance, the star attraction of the meal, our suckling piglet. At risk of sounding like an advert for the restaurant, this too was just fantastic. The crackling was gorgeously crispy - I always feel crackling's such a naughty indulgence anyway it almost adds to the enjoyment, like a guilty pleasure. The meat was pierced with sprigs of rosemary and there was mint and parsley present too which gave the tender meat and the beautiful juices it was cooked in some truly wonderful taste sensations. The mint was subtle enough to just enhance the flavour without overpowering as it can easily do.
Alongside the meat we had some olive oil mash - creamy and delicious if a little cooler in temperature than we'd have liked, some 'Fino Chips' which turned out to be just chips, nothing to write home about, a mixed green leaf salad which had a fabulously simple citrussy dressing on and some kale, which like the chips was a bit of a non-event. It was a good main course, although the half (£75), recommended for up to 6 people, was still quite large, and it's probable we'd have enjoyed more of it had we not had quite so many dishes leading up to it.

Only the ladies managed dessert and between us we had a crema catalina, a chocolate shot and chocolate soup. Mum had the crema catalina, and it was large enough for two people, which was good as we all got to try some. It was lovely with an orangey, Grand Marnier flavour. The chocolate soup was just that; dark chocolate, warm, runny and heavenly with a good dollop of vanilla chantilly cream for good measure. I'd opted for the white and dark chocolate shot, and while it was a taste treat to say the least, it was a mere mouthful and greedy me was left slightly disappointed and wanting more - nothing new there.

Some deliciously dry Spanish Moscatel sherry completed the superb meal for the men.

Fino is the rare London gem, a restaurant that is expert in one area and doesn't deviate or try to juggle too many balls. The food throughout was exceptional, and as I mentioned our waitress was a dream compared to many of her clueless contemporaries I have encountered in the capital.

The meal came in at just under the £300 mark, including a £31 service charge, so isn't cheap at around £50 per head, but we did order in excess of what was essential, after all this was a celebration. And Daddy picked up the bill - as I stated at the beginning of this post, he is wonderful!
Fino, 33 Charlotte St, London, W1T 1RR. 0207 813 8010

www.finorestaurant.com