THEGAYUK

Category: Food And Drink

  • PRODUCT REVIEW: Ice Cream Makers

    If like us, you enjoy a scoop of something sweet in the summer sun, then here are our top two ice cream machines to help you complete your creamy cravings!

    Both machines have been picked for their simplicity and quality of ice creams they produce.

    Magimix Le Glacier – from £40 for a 1.1 ltr / £55 for a 1.5 ltr

    For around an extra £15 it’s definitely worth opting for the 1.5ltr, even then the price is still reasonable- and why wouldn’t you want more ice cream? The machine itself is extremely compact so makes great for those with limited space.

    When comparing to the other machine I’ve picked, the Le Glacier’s only downfall is having to have pre-freeze the bowl. Although you could just keep the bowl in the freezer ready for when you want to use it. This machine is marginally noisier than the Cuisinart, I would give noise level 7/10.

    Putting together the parts of the product can be a little bit fiddly to begin with, but

    the quality of ice cream the machine makes is fab and some recipes you only have to churn for 20 minutes.

    Cuisinart Gelato & Ice Cream Professional- from £200

    Probably my favourite out of the two. Requires a larger space in the kitchen as it is a bit chunky, but the reason for that is that it freezes and cools whilst churning and no pre-freezing is required, meaning it is good to go whenever you are!

    The machine is durable as I made three ice creams in one go, with the product only requiring a 10 minute cooling time after the second was made. If you wanted to do that with the other machine (Magimix), you would have had to re-freeze the bowl for each ice cream.

    Some appliances can be daunting from the point you open the box and see all the contraptions that come with it, but Cuisinart have kept this minimal and simple.

    Pretty much a plug and play product and has a timer you can set for how long you want to churn with an auto-off function.

    It comes with a cute little ice cream pail and two different paddles (one for normal ice cream and the other gelato/sorbet) and the quality is seriously superior.

  • JUICERS: Battle of the Budget Buys

    Our Food and Drinks expert Jordan Lohan takes a look at two juicers this month.

    Both of these juicers have the same amount of parts that come with the product (being seven, six of which require cleaning and are dishwasher safe).

    This also makes both machines a little fiddly when first getting to grips with what goes where. This is pretty much universal throughout other juicers out there so those points will not be considered in the comparison.

     

    Russell Hobbs- Aura Juice Extractor

    Available from £60

    Its clunky exterior means you are able to add whole fruits which reduces time preparing fruit and vegetables for juicing as opposed to the other machine.

    The manual is extremely user-friendly and comprehensive, kitted with a list of certain ingredients and how to prepare them (I found this really useful), even encouraging you to utilize the extracted pulp in composting or even to thicken soups etc. 35 recipes were included which a few had nice introductions to as to why they were included (stress busting/energizing / beautiful skin etc.)

    2 speed settings for the motor dependent on if you’re using soft / hard ingredients, and although I found this a bit annoying, it does mean you are supposed to get more out of the ingredients used.

    This was the noisier out of the two machines tested and I found that there was more pulpy bits and less juice extracted compared to the other. The cord was a good length enabling you to position freely on your worktop.

    Overall, the juices that the Russell Hobbs made came out clean and of good quality, although I felt a little “short-changed” with the amount of produce I had put into the machine.

     

    Cuisinart Compact Juicer

    Available from £70

    A lovely looking compact product perfect for smaller spaces, although the cable is extremely short meaning you’re limited to where you can place it in your kitchen if yours is gadget-laden like mine.

    A glossy manual, although wasted as no ingredient guidelines like the other product. Simple recipes just listing ingredients, although I do like their more innovative approach to using the machine with recipes for a dressing and even pineapple muffins.

    Simple on and off function with one speed setting, although this would suggest you are compromising the quality of juice extracted, and there is also more preparation involved (chopping down in size)- however out of the two, this product produced less “waste”. I had to clean the path for the pulp as it had a lot of build up throughout juicing. This was also the more difficult of the products to clean.

    Like the Russell Hobbs product, I enjoyed the juices I was able to create. Probably more so as I was aware how much less waste there was in comparison. Its good points are it’s aesthetics, size, lower noise level and less waste than the other machine tested.

    In conclusion, it would appear you’re likely to see the same traits amongst budget juicers, with various pros and cons out weighing each other making it difficult to decide on the ultimate budget juicer. If you can afford it, you want to find a juicer that uses the cold-press method and one you can make “milks” out of from nuts etc for optimum nutritional / functional use.

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Rocket Holborn

    Were there fireworks at Rocket Holborn?

    Holborn is the home to the British Museum, the ancient Guild Church and was once a haunt for Charles Dickens. Back in the early 20s Kingsway’s neoclassical and neo-Baroque streets would have shared the smoggy air with the likes of Virginia Woolf and John Maynard Keynes. Nowadays, the smart architecture of Kingsway is riddled with chain eateries, coffee shops and boozers – there’s no Great Expectations that a current-day Bloomsbury Group aren’t hangin in Holborn, or would even want A Room of One’s Own is this borough. A clear case of Macroeconomics.

    The Gay UK were invited to try the wares of Rocket’s 5th sibling and newest venture on Kingsway, Holborn, to see if their Food, is Glorious Food, with the view that we’d be asking “please sir, can we have some more”.

    We sidled up at 7pm on Friday: it was like a Bleak House that had fallen on Hard Times – empty. Kingsway’s pavements are well trampled during daylight, but it’s like the City at the weekend after dusk. A warm welcome nevertheless. We perched in the bar area and were offered pre-supper cocktails.

    On recommendation, a Summer Tonic: Martin Miller’s Cointreau, elderflower, fresh lime, grapefruit and orange juice topped with tonic. Apparently, this orangy little tinker has a trophy cabinet. The elderflower gave a good measure of tartness and a floral bouquet – it was blooming good.

    Negtroni: Beefeater, Martini Rosso, Campari, orange zest and a dash of angostura bitter. A powerful glass of resonant mouthwash, a high-end one at that – delish.

    A bowl of home-made salty popcorn was constantly replenished while we were serenaded by Boney M and the Bee Gees.

    Rocket’s décor: Eero Aarnio Abstract luminous Dogs, dark wooden walls, tables and chairs, mixed with pink and orange cushions – struggling to find an identity? The lighting was bright enough for makeup reapplication and to notice the imperfections in some of the tired furniture.

    One pre-dinner sharpener is never enough: next up, a Spiced Pear Mojito: Rebellion spiced rum, Xante pear cognac, fresh mint, lime and sugar topped with apple juice. Potent, and rampant with ripe pears – it was like Christmas compressed in a tumbler. The best Mojito ever.

    Tropical Wave: Koko Kanu, Passoâ, fresh watermelon and lemon juice, topped with pressed apple. We had a sudden desire to be horizontal and surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Fresh, and slipped down like a still bottle of San Pellegrino.

    It was as though we were dining on a well-manned ship – the timings were impeccable between courses and we needed for diddly. By now a few other diners had come aboard.

    For the starters we opted for: Panko Crumb and coconut King Prawns with warm green and yellow zucchini ribbons, red chilli and mango dressing. They looked like they’d arrived straight from Thailand, but tasted as though they were bought from Iceland. The coconut seemed to have jumped ship – bland.

    Seared beef fillet “Carpaccio” rolled in cracked black pepper and topped with dressed rocket, shaved parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. The snappy leaves and pungent cheese elevated the tender, amply-sized cuts of moreish meat.

    To encourage metabolism we lubricated with a bottle of Campo Nuevo Tempranillo 2014. Full-bodied, sturdy structure with a raspberry perfume and a truffle tease.

    For our mains: Rocket’s famous rare beef and chip salad with rocket, green beans, red onion, radishes, crispy garlic, fried chilli, black bean dressing and ginger-mustard mayonnaise. This reads beautifully – if we’d guzzled black Sambuccas until 5am, this dish would be great to soak up the aftermath. The black bean dressing is genius, but the dish as a whole, cumbersome – slight overkill.

    For our mains: Rocket’s famous rare beef and chip salad with rocket, green beans, red onion, radishes, crispy garlic, fried chilli, black bean dressing and ginger-mustard mayonnaise. This reads beautifully – if we’d guzzled black Sambuccas until 5am, this dish would be great to soak up the aftermath. The black bean dressing is genius, but the dish as a whole, cumbersome – slight overkill.

    The Rocket Calzone, filled with chorizo, king prawns, roasted tomato, olives, red onion, jalapeños and mozzarella. A fusion of indigenous Mesoamerican and Italian cooking. Not for the faint-tongued – spicy, porky, hints of paprika – garlicky and smoky. Reminiscent of a stone bake oven.

    While we pondered over the pudding menu it was as though we’d been momentarily transported to Monaco during a sluggish Grand Prix, minus the glamour: three wheelie bins were inexplicably wheeled past our table, and we were still nowhere near the finish line.

    Puds: Affogato, Amaretto, espresso & vanilla ice cream with amaretti biscuit. The ice cream was nondescript – pleasant.

    Sticky Toffee Pudding with salted caramel ice cream: much like Channing Tatum in Magic Mike XXL – tacky, but with the right amount of sweet.

    Our digestifs: Espresso Martini’s: Thunder toffee vodka, Khalua, sugar and shot of espresso. Syrupy-coffee with an alcoholic implication – superb. Rocket’s mixologist would fit nicely at the Savoy.

    Should you risk The Voyage Out to Holborn to experience their culinary fare, you can be reassured that they’re not Scrooge when it comes to portion sizes and the service is Oom-Pah-Pah perfect. A meal for two won’t blow the purse strings, even on a Bob Cratchit wage.

     

    REVIEWED BY: Thabian Sutherland

    Rocket Holborn

    36-38 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6EY

    Tel: 0207 242 8070

    Email: holbornbookings@rocketrestaurants.co.uk

    Nearest tube: Holborn

    Star rating; ★★★ (explained)

    Price Rating: ££ (explained)

     

     

     

  • What Makes The Perfect Dinner Party? 5 Compliments And Smoked Salmon

    Four alcoholic drinks, three couples, two choice pieces of gossip and a dash of Bublé – those are among the key ingredients for the perfect dinner party.

    For a winning evening, add two singletons, chat about the latest films, and a menu featuring smoked salmon and steak, according to a survey of 2,000 UK adults.

    Guests should flatter their hosts with five compliments, while 40 per cent said that requests for second helpings was the ultimate sign of success.

    Jane Rylands, a spokeswoman for Range Cookers by Stoves, who conducted the research, said: “The findings suggest the key to a well-received dinner party is to keep it simple and focus on easy to eat dishes that are full of flavour over trying to impress with expensive or over-elaborate servings.

    “The menu should be nicely balanced – appetising without being tricky to prepare or too fussy to eat and clearly thinking about the atmosphere you create and the dynamics of who you’re inviting are worth putting thought into.

    “It’s natural for anyone hosting to feel a little exposed or at risk of being judged but there are steps that can be taken to give the best chances of success. Putting in the preparation time, having confidence in your oven and plenty of space to prepare will always put a host at ease.”

    Canadian crooner Michael Bublé was number one choice for background music followed by Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Emilie Sandé, while over a quarter said they preferred no music at all.

    Guests are expected to spend about £7 on a bottle of wine, while they shouldn’t consume any more than four glasses of wine or any other alcoholic beverage.

    Travel tales are considered the best conversation topic, while discussions about current affairs, TV shows or movies were also considered a safe bet.

    NO SEX: One of the off-limit talking points.

    The number one off-limit topic was sex, followed by politics, money and relationships.

    Four in 10 people named smoked salmon as their favoured starter, ahead of bruschetta and the old faithful prawn cocktail.

    Steak was the number one main, followed by beef bourguignon, beef wellington and lamb shank.

    Cheesecake was named most popular pudding, pipping Pavlova and profiteroles.

    Four in 10 said board games should remain in the cupboard, although a quarter were in favour of perennial favourites, charades and Trivial Pursuit.

    According to the poll, having confidence in the oven, having enough space in the kitchen and having a well-considered guest list are all advantages in hosting a top notch dinner party.

    Jane added: “Hosting a dinner party comes with a little bit of pressure but there are lots of ways to make it a little easier.

    “Reliable kitchen equipment helps massively – the last thing you want is an undercooked pork belly or dried out crème Brule.

    “Having games on standby is a worthwhile move, but guests shouldn’t be forced into playing them. The host should let the evening take shape naturally without being too imposing.”

    Stoves commissioned the research to celebrate its British-made collection of range cookers, perfect for dinner party hosts and dedicated home cooks and available in sizes to suit every type of kitchen.

    THE PERFECT DINNER PARTY

    START: 7PM

    STARTER: Smoked salmon

    MAIN: Steak

    DESSERT: Cheesecake

    DRINKS – 4 alcoholic drinks for guests

    MUSIC: Michael Buble, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Emile Sande, Paolo Nutini

    GOOD CONVERSATION TOPICS: Travel, films, news

    BAD CONVERSATION TOPICS: Sex, politics, money

    FINISH EATING: 9PM

    BEST GAMES: Trivial pursuit, charades

    OTHER REQUIREMENTS – Compliment the host 5 times over the night

    END NIGHT: 11.30P

  • RECIPE | Lemon And Garlic Roasted Halloumi

    Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 30 mins

    The flavours of this summon fond memories of visiting family in Cyprus when I was younger. The marriage of flavours is perfection. Sweet, salty, lemony, garlicky, and herby. For my palette it ticks every box for a simple starter. This could easily become a main by having quinoa or couscous along side it. As a starter, just a plain green salad with cucumber slices, and spring onion goes perfectly. You could even add some pistachios to the salad for extra texture.

    HALLOUMI- A reduced fat or lighter halloumi will provide you with more protein within the cheese. Around 30g of the cheese provides you with 20% of your recommended intake of calcium. Usually made from goat’s or sheep’s milk, all milk contains tryptophans. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that cannot be manufactured within our body. Tryptophan is what we are able to produce serotonin out of, which encourages positive mood and better sleep.

    Ingredients.

    2 tsp herbes de Provence

    2 tbsp olive oil

    1 block light Halloumi, Sliced into 4

    1 tbsp honey

    1 garlic clove, finely chopped

    1 lemon

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6

     

    1. Use a quarter of the lemon to slice into 4 rounds that will sit on top of the halloumi pieces.
    2. Squeeze the remainder of the lemon into a bowl and mix with the garlic, honey, olive oil and herbs.
    3. Sit the halloumi pieces in the bowl and toss gently in the marinade.
    4. Place the halloumi pieces in a baking dish, top with a lemon round each and drizzle over any marinade from the bowl.
    5. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes and turn each halloumi piece over.
    6. Roast for a further 10-15 minutes until the edges of the cheese start to turn golden.
    7. Remove from the oven and using a spatula to remove the halloumi, flip over onto plates so they are served lemon side up.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Metropolitan, Moreish Morsels At M Restaurant

    Hanging out with Hugos, Alistairs and Tarquins in the confines of the trader’s square mile doesn’t grab one immediately when choosing a venue for supper.

    (more…)

  • RECIPE | Baked Sweet Potato Burgers

    Makes 4 burgers |  Prep 10 mins  Cook 1 hour

    Smoky sweet potato burgers that are packed with antioxidant power. It may seem like a while to cook, but these delicate patties will pay you back in health benefits, as opposed to a normal beef burger. I make a simple garlic mayo for these using 1 garlic clove finely chopped, 3 tbsp light mayo and a handful of chopped parsley. These are also beautiful with my Fennel & Red Cabbage Slaw.

    You could follow the recipe up to step 5 and then keep the patties in the fridge to be cooked the next day.

    SWEET POTATO – One medium (200g) of sweet potato will provide the following DRI; 213% vitamin A, 52% vitamin C, 49% manganese (bone production & skin integrity), 35% copper (immune system), 35% B5 (good for acne / oily skin), 33% B6 (the “good mood” vitamin, brain function), 28% biotin (good for hair loss, nails, healthy skin, supports metabolism and could aid weight loss, lowers cholesterol, regulate blood sugar), 27% potassium (counteracts sodium, lowers blood pressure, healthy digestion), 26% fibre, 18% B3, 17% B1, 16% B2, 15% phosphorous. (SOURCE: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64 )

     

    RED ONION – The red onion contains a bioflavanoid called Quercetin. Quercetin has been found to contain anti : fungal / bacterial / inflammatory, and cancer fighting properties. One study suggests that half an onion a day could reduce the risk of stomach cancer by 50%. (SOURCE: http://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/eating-red-onions.php )

     

    Ingredients.

    1 red onion, chopped

    ½ large sweet potato, peeled and in small cubes

    1 garlic

    ¼ tsp cumin

    ½ tsp herbes de Provence or Italian herbs

    1 tsp smoked paprika

    3 tbsp sweetcorn (frozen is fine)

    4 tbsp kidney beans, cooked

    6 tbsp breadcrumbs (I used a gluten-free seeded brown bread)

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 230 c / 210c (fan) / Gas Mark 8

     

    1. In a large saucepan heat two tablespoons of olive oil and fry the onion, garlic and sweet potato over a low heat for 15-20 mins or until soft.
    2. Transfer the onion, garlic and sweet potato into a large bowl where you will now mash together along with all the spices. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
    3. Stir in the sweetcorn, kidney beans, and breadcrumbs and mix well to combine.
    4. Wet your hands for the next bit. Mould the burger mix into 4 equally shaped patties.
    5. Put a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking sheet, and then put your patties on top.
    6. Put in the oven for 15 minutes.
    7. Remove from the oven and carefully flip with a spatula. Put back in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes.
    8. Serve on buns with salad, tomato, onion rings, or however you wish to dress it.

     

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Q-Grill, Camden

    Around five minutes stroll from either Chalk Farm or Camden tube is the Q-Grill, and no introduction necessary with the main method of cooking here. Plenty of smoky dishes on the menu using their house smoker, in fact they have a special smoked beer ‘Rib Tickler’ designed to be paired with one of the rib dishes on the menu. I had a small sip of the beer just to try, and could have easily had a pint of the stuff.

    The vibe is very Camden, the décor channelling a beach bbq shack, and has an open kitchen on view. Our waiter, Armand, had impeccable customer service and clearly knew the menu well, he suggested his favourites for the starters – to which we had all 3 between us both.
    Baked Butternut Hummus (£6.00), not the usual hummus as not a chickpea in sight! A vivid orange pool of spicy thick butternut puree, adorned with fat feta chunks lightly charred, and some cubed butternut too. Homemade flatbreads charred & chewy make good for mopping up all that nutrition in neon.

    The Seabass Ceviche (£9.75) was so lovely, it couldn’t have been any fresher. A healthily herbed dish spiked with flecks of chilli. So many ceviche can be spoiled by being overly acidic, but the proportions here were spot on. This dish also came served with golden boat-like shaped strips of fried plantain which provided some texture contrast against the silky sea bass.
    Our final starter was rather odd, but totally moreish. The Spiced Cornbread Waffle (£3.50) which was screaming out “WHERE DO I BELONG”, being served with an absolutely heavenly scoop of maple syrup whipped butter, but then all of a sudden the chilli kicks in and the whole dish makes perfect sense. I will be dreaming about that naughty dirty maple butter for the foreseeable future.
    For our mains we decided to maintain sharing (there is a separate menu for sharing platters but we wanted to make our own up!). Chargrilled Tiger Prawns (£19.75) came in a generous portion, although the unnecessary inclusion of the heads on the plate gave the impression there were more. Lovely lime and chilli notes, and prawns perfectly plump and cooked beautifully. For me this was the star of the meal. This really did make me feel like I was on a beach, and then wish that I was.

    What should have been the star of the meal, was the Rare Breed Pork Baby Back Ribs (£15.00) off the specials menu. Even though the flesh was as you’d like ribs to be, flaky, falling and soft- its spice rubbed exterior had been burnt leaving a bitter taste on your palette. Even the chipotle sauce served alongside the ribs could not act as flavour saviour, unfortunately being watery and tasteless. Again, like the sauce, the pot of ‘slaw tasted tired and far from the freshness we had experienced from everything else on the table. Such a shame!
    Parmesan Truffled Fries (£4.00), served beautifully crisp, smoky, and with a heavy shaving of parmesan- I don’t normally have fries so to have a touch of truffle in there too was a total treat. Green Beans (£3.75) – sadly these were extremely greasy, I’m not entirely confident how these were cooked, as the smoked aioli they were smothered in made it all overly oily. I think it would be received better if the aioli was in a pot on the side.

    After the waffle as a starter and the fries, we were struggling for room for dessert. Our waiter suggested the peanut butter cookie stack but a stack at that point felt like our Everest. But there is always room for ice cream, right? Homemade delights, (£1.50 per scoop) we chose firstly the peanut butter, which was really well balanced with just the right amount of peanuts. Overdoing the PB can make dishes claggy. Lastly, a G&T sorbet which would have been a crime not to have picked. Refreshing, icy and strong in citrus, you could definitely detect the gin! An odd combination peanut butter and gin, but we didn’t even care.

    It’s such a shame that our ribs were ruined by being overcooked on the outside, and the ribs dish as a whole being a little underwhelming with flavour (other than burnt). The starters were fantastic and the homemade ice cream were both winners, and I wish we did have room for the peanut butter cookie stack as I’m sure it would have been cookie monster heaven.

    The food was delivered to the table at a good speed and with stupendous service. I would definitely eat here again, especially as you are also presented with a £20 gift card off your next visit (you must register the card online initially). Q-Grill also has another restaurant opening this Summer, check their website for details. Home delivery is also available through Deliveroo.

    Reviewed by @LohanJordan
    ADDRESS: 29 – 33 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AJ
    PHONE: 020 7267 2678
    PRICE: ££££ (explained)
    STAR RATING: *** (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: http://q-grill.co.uk/camden

  • RECIPE | Pork Carnitas

    Serves 3 (or two cavemen) | Cook 3 ½ hours | Prep minimum marinade time of 1 hour, overnight would be great

    Slow Cook

    Deliciously sticky, sweet pulled pork can really be a show stopper at the table. Its slow cooking creates such a depth of flavour enhanced with the marinade spices that this meat does not require any effort to “dress up”. Serve alongside simple accompaniments, shredded lettuce, different coloured sliced tomatoes, grated local cheese, flour tortillas etc. Keep it simple, let the meat do the talking. The key is in the length of time you marinate your meat for.

     

    Ingredients.

    Marinade:

    650g pork belly, cubed into small pieces

    300ml apple juice

    1 tbsp garlic powder

    1 tbsp oregano

    1 tsp cumin

    2 bay leaves

    300ml ham stock (you could use pork or chicken)

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 180c / 160c (fan) / Gas Mark 4

     

    1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, except the ham stock, in a large bowl with the pork pieces and leave to marinade as long as possible, up to 1 day.
    2. Transfer the pork and marinade, and add the ham stock, into either a large oven-proof casserole dish with a lid, or a deep baking tray with foil wrapped over the top.
    3. Cook the pork in the oven, covered, for the next two hours.
    4. After two hours, remove the foil / lid and continue to cook for another hour.
    5. Remove from the oven and spoon out the pork pieces with some of their oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat.
    6. Remaining marinade juices can now be put into a small saucepan and simmered to reduce down to a sticky sauce to tip over the pork for serving.
    7. Cook the pork in the frying pan for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly.
    8. Transfer the pork to a dish where you can begin to shred the meat using two forks.
    9. Tip over the reduced sauce and serve alongside tortillas, pita breads, fresh salad, cooked onions etc.

     

  • RECIPE | Baked Apples in Cider

    Serves 2 |  Prep 10 mins | Cook 40-50 mins

    Literally golden and delicious. Apples baked in a dark, vanilla, cider syrup with a hint of nutmeg. A lovely, no fuss dessert paying homage to the apple by saucing it in a sweet nectar of itself. To serve with cream is a must.

    Ingredient.

    2 apples (I used Braeburn variety)

    250ml cider

    1 tablespoon salted butter, room temp

    2 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar

    1 tsp vanilla flavouring or extract

    grating of whole nutmeg

    Double cream to serve

    Ingredients.

    Preheat your oven to 210c / 190c (fan) / Gas Mark 6-7

     

    1. In a large deep frying pan, add the cider and boil over a high heat for about ten minutes until it has reduced by at least half and appears syrupy. Meanwhile…
    2. You want to now remove the core of each apple but keeping the base of the apple intact. I simply cut a circle out by the stem of each and used a teaspoon to scoop the core / seeds out. Place in a small baking dish.
    3. Now remove the apple skin using a peeler.
    4. Back to your cider syrup. Whisk in the butter, sugar and vanilla and pour into the wells you have made in the apples until they overflow. Spoon over the sauce to coat the apples entirely.
    5. Give a small grating of whole nutmeg over the top.
    6. Place in the oven for the next 40-50 minutes until they have cooked through, I basted mine three times throughout. Serve.

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Darwin Brasserie, The Sky Garden

    Dining up at the Sky Garden sounds exciting doesn’t it? A little novel? Darwin’s menu boasts being “inspired by the very best of British”, but in reality means they have no imagination, catering for tourists that expect British food to be bad, and will charge what they like (extortionately).

    A prime example of somewhere relying on what and where it is, rather than what it does. The setting of the Sky Garden is also spoiled by this familiar airport lounge look with an underlying sense that they don’t want you hanging around for too long. Having to put on sunglasses as the sun sets in your eyes is also where the novelty of dining in a glorified conservatory began to wear off.

    Darwin’s décor comprises of creams, pastels, greys (perhaps symbolising shades of clouds), and cute little succulent plants on each table. I liked the way the cocktail menu was set out, in that it would describe each one’s composition and then break it down into two/three of its dominant flavours, enabling (and potentially persuading) swift decisions.

    Their wines start at around £24 for a bottle of white. With so many lovely and popular roses around it was a little disappointing to only find one on the menu and priced at £39 (2014). Our waitress was on the ball and everything seemed okay at this point. That was until our food came- at a concerning speed consistently through courses (again feeling like another “please leave” nudge).

    To start I had the Ham Hock & Parsley Terrine (£9.50). There wasn’t much to the actual terrine, and the amount of parsley was depressing with only a few flecks. The sourdough bread served was over oily and felt more like fried bread than grilled. However, the sharp and fresh veg piccalilli that came with the dish was really lovely and packed flavour where the ham lacked. Altogether the plate needs more oomph and cannot solely rely on the pickle as its star.

    Also to start, English Aparagus (£14.50)- not entirely sure where the price for this dish was plucked from (literally from the Sky it would seem, sorryboutit). Bearing in mind asparagus is in season, and the pot of sauce that came with it is basically made from cream, egg, and lemon- all relatively minimal costing. The dish was served a little too cold and verging on undercooked.

    For my main, Cornish Lamb Rump (£26), and I’m baffled as to how the classically strong lamby flavours of the flesh had been utterly eradicated. The “aromatic” couscous was screaming with colossal amounts of cumin and the “ras el hanout jus” tasted more like just jus, which actually suited me after taste bud apocalypse via the couscous. On the plus side, the lamb was not stringy fatty.

    Roast Chicken Breast (£17.50) – A dish laden with errors for me. Its fricassee of cocoa beans, peas, broad beans & rosemary- lacked even the most subtle of cocoa notes and its gravy tasted a little akin to my “ras el hanout jus”. Cold tomatoes were laced through the dish, and came served in a bowl. Confusing as it resembled a warm salad, but we didn’t want a salad- otherwise, we would have ordered off the separate salad menu. Whatever it was- this dish was limp.

    A sad affair for the sides of Tenderstem Broccoli (with chilli & preserved lemon), and Steamed Spinach (both priced at £5 each). They both tasted rather odd and almost metallic. I did bring this up and was advised that one of the dishes was cooked in a steamer so possibly that is where the metallic-y thing is coming from. Oh.

    Choosing from a dessert menu comprising of tediously boring dishes, we went for the Chocolate Pudding with hazelnut praline, and the Champagne Strawberry Jelly with pannacotta and lime (Both @ £7.50) To detract from the dishes plain titles (all I read was ‘cake & jelly’), it would only take a bit of re-jigging to sound a little more exciting. i.e. Hazelnut Praline Pudding / Lime & Panna Cotta with Champagne Jelly. Perhaps its over simplicity again is a reach out to the tourists.

    The chocolate pudding was singed and there’s nothing worse than bitter, burnt, dry cake. The jelly dish was served in a martini glass, yes really. Jelly, fruit, pannacotta and a meringue which was literally egg froth with a blow torched top. It would have been nice to have a crumbly meringue to give texture amongst the different wet consistencies of the dish.

    Darwin also has a cheeseboard (£9) on the menu with cheese from Neal’s Yard. This was probably the best part of the meal. Climaxes came from the Brie, the blue and goats. So if you do visit the Sky Garden and find yourself dining at the Darwin, I’d recommend you have the cheeseboard.

    I must firstly say as I conclude, that the service we received from our waitress was consistently caring- she was wonderful. I can totally understand when venues and menus are designed with tourists in mind, so I never would expect five-star dining from the Darwin. But with high prices and low levelled execution you really feel like they just don’t care, reinforcing that going to the Sky Garden is probably something you would only ever do once in your life- tourist or not. Perhaps being on level 36, they have spent too much time with their head in the clouds.

    REVIEWED BY: Jordan Lohan
    ADDRESS: Darwin Brasserie- Floor 36
    Sky Garden
    20 Fenchurch Street
    London
    EC3M 3BY
    PHONE: 0333 772 0020
    PRICE: £££££ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: http://skygarden.london/darwin