The Food and Drinks of Marrakech - Indulge your senses

A trip to Marrakech allows you to indulge in a host of tastes and experiences in the small space of one City.  From shopping in the souks and eating street food to the extravagance of fine bars and restaurants and lazing by the pool, Marrakech truly is a city of contrasts.

Soaking up the sun, absorbing the smells of spices and the hustle and bustle of market trading in the souks is a  fascinating way to pass a day but for me, Marrakech comes to life at night.  As dusk settles, the main square is transformed into possibly the world’s largest street kitchen. 

 

 

With stall sellers pulling you this way and that to eat food at “one-one-seven the stairway to heaven” and so many stands specialising in sheep brain, it is difficult to know where to pitch your butt. 

 

Having a week in Marrakech allowed us to explore kebabs, sausages, tagines, cous cous, Moroccan sauce, flat breads, the works. 

 

The cous cous is particularly interesting.  It is much more simple than what you would buy in a packet in the UK.  The base is cous cous seasoned lightly and it is the stewed vegetables served on top which really add the flavour.

You could reinvent a similar dish by making cous cous in salt and water in much the same way you would boil and simmer rice – make sure you stop before it becomes gloopy!  For the vegetables, chop carrots, cabbage and onions into large chunks.  Place them in a pan covered with beef or chicken stock and add in chick peas.  Stew them in the stock with spices such a saffron, turmeric and paprika.  Serve the vegetables on top of a plate of the seasoned cous cous.

 To make similar kebabs and sausages to those on the Moroccan stalls, roll your meat (chicken, beef or lamb) in herbs and spices such as ground coriander, cumin, pepper, paprika, and mint.  Then spike it with a skewer.  These would be perfect cooked on a barbeque but an oven grill would work just as well.

Moroccan sauce (or so the street sellers call it!) is delightful as a dip with flat bread.  It is essentially a salsa of chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh coriander and mint and a little heat (a drop or two of tabasco sauce would work well here but a chopped chilli would do just as well).

My hunch is that you won’t be making your flat bread like this…

…so I suggest buying it readymade!

We ate endless tagines in Marrakech, we quite simply couldn’t get enough.  The basis of a tagine?  Well, with a tagine dish ideally or just a ceramic casserole dish, add chucks of meat, stock, vegetables and any herbs and spices you can get your hands on.  Pop the dish into the oven on a low heat for as long as you are happy to wait…

 

…that said, I definitely had a favourite tagine whilst we were in Marrakech…

 

To attempt to recreate this tagine:

(serving 2-3)

Ingredients:

600g of meat

2 medium onions

3 cloves of garlic

150g of almond flakes

2 pinches of saffron

Tsp of ground nutmeg

Tsp of ground pepper

2 star anise

1 large cinnamon stick

600ml of stock

250g of figs

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 160 °c.

Choose a meat, probably lamb but I would go for beef as I personally think Lamb tastes like the smell of sweaty men on the tube.  Depending on how many people you intend to feed, I’d suggest 600g of meat for two hearty portions or three people. 

Seal your meat in a frying pan with a little olive oil but be careful not to cook it.  Add the meat to a casserole dish or tagine pot.

Cut two medium onions into chunks and lightly fry in a tbsp of olive oil for around 3-4 minutes (or until starting to turn golden brown), to release the sweet onion flavours.  After the first 2 minutes add in three crushed cloves of garlic, which should give off a strong smell as it cooks through.  Pop the onions and garlic into your pot with the meat.

Lightly roast 150g of almond flakes in a clean frying pan.  To do this, put your frying pan over a medium heat and once hot add the flakes.  Leave the flakes to toast for a minute or so then continue toasting them on the heat stirring/flipping them continuously.  Once they have changed to a golden shade of brown and are smelling delicious, pop them into your casserole or tagine pot.

Add enough hot beef/lamb stock to your dish so that the contents is just covered.

Add 2 pinches of saffron (this will give your dish colour as well as flavour), 2 star anise, a tsp of ground nutmeg, a tsp of ground pepper, 1 large cinnamon stick and stir.

Pop the lid on your dish and cook it in the pre-heated oven for approximately 3 hours (most importantly, until the meat is tender and ready to melt in your mouth).  Check the dish hourly to make sure there is enough stock to prevent the meat from drying out. 

After the first 1.5-2 hours of your dish cooking, chop the figs into halves and stir them into the dish.  Then return the dish to the oven.

Serve immediately whilst still sizzling in your casserole dish/tagine with cous cous.

Good snacks in Marrakech:

The climate in Morocco means it is perfect for home grown nuts and figs.  These are sold by the barrel in the main square and on the streets of Marrakech.  Don’t miss out, they’re a perfect healthy snack (and no doubt great for moving along your digestive system!).

 

What not to eat in Marrakech:

Morocco isn’t really a great place for dessert, or at least not for a traditional British palate.  Whilst the fruits are wonderful and the mint exquisite, Moroccan desserts are spice based.  My biggest mistake of the trip (probably because I didn’t try the sheep brain) was trying what looked to me like a chocolate bomb in the Medina.  It was a pear shaped mass of dried spices which I did my utmost to swallow politely in front of the stall seller who had lovingly made the…well…yack ball, for want of better terminology.

Tipples:

Definitely, definitely do try real Moroccan mint tea.  The traditional method for making this tea is to soak crushed dates and add fresh mint leaves.  As the mint is so tasty, the less traditional, purely sugar based mint teas are still nice but the date juice tea is much better.

Many cafes around the souks have roof top terraces.  My suggestion would be to get their mint tea and when you’re weary from the hustle and bustle, watch the chaos of the markets from the top of the world.

Where not to get it from – carpet sellers…in exchange for one small cup of mint tea you WILL be expected to purchase a rug!

The oranges are incredibly sweet in Morocco and great for a sweet tooth like mine as well as a much needed refreshing cool drink in the warm climate.

And the street sellers are truly happy to serve you their juice…

DOMESTIC GODDESS OR A CARAMELISED DISASTER?

Taking advantage of being in Newcastle for a week and not rushing to jump on a train from London on a Friday night, I decided to invite the girls to my flat for nibbles and mulled wine ahead of the festive season.

Nibbles on the menu:

Caramelised fruit and nut tarts (Humming Bird Bakery Recipe)

Salmon and cheese baked tarts

Homemade sweet potato wedges with sweet chilli dip

Garlic mushrooms and twice baked rosemary oil ciabatta

Cheese board (brie, smoked bavarian, cranberry wensleydale, red grapes, apple, onion and garlic chutney, red onion chutney)

Popcorn

Tipple on the menu:

Homemade mulled wine

(for six people)

Oh so prepared, I made my trip to the supermarket and prepared my pastry to be refrigerated on Wednesday evening. This left me plenty of time to make as many of my nibbles as possible on Thursday evening (ready to be served or reheated on Friday after a dash home from work) and to spruce the flat...or so I thought!

Having slid out of the door passed my head of department at 5.05pm on Thursday evening, I threw on my sloggies and my fluffy boot slippers. All was going well; I rolled and baked 16 pastry tart bottoms and set them away baking.

6-8 of the tart bases were to be used for the caramelised fruit and nut tarts. Following the Hummingbird Bakery recipe, I measured 550g of fruit and nuts (peanuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, raising, apricots, cherries, cranberries, sultanas), 210g of caster sugar, got 6 tbsp of butter and 60ml of light double cream ready.

Then for the caramel disaster...I put the sugar into a pan with a shot glass of water and brought it to boil over a medium heat. I have previously made these tarts following this recipe and they worked perfectly, FIRST TIME!! After ten minutes of boiling, the water had evaporated from the pan and left me with (a slightly crustier version of) sugar! Perplexed, I dropped in a little more water, turned the heat up slightly and began again.

Ten minutes later...I was left with (now very very crusty) sugar AGAIN!

Annoyed, I scrapped the sugar, threw the pan into the sink (with water to try to dissolve the crust that had completely covered the bottom of the pan) and started again. I weighed out my sugar popped a little water into the pan and this time turned the heat lower and brought to boil. When the solution started to look like my first two attempts, I threw in a slab of butter to see if I could brown it with the butter in the pan.

NOPE!!!

Angry, I scrapped the runny butter with chunks of sugar and threw a second pan into the sink.

Dismayed, I moved on to another dish to take my mind of the caramel conundrum.

I made the filling for my Salmon and Cheese Baked Tarts. These were an idea dreamt up at work when I was hungry but they worked really well and, once the tart bases are prepared, they are really easy.

I mixed 200g of light soft cheese with a heap tbsp of wholegrain mustard. I chopped three spring onions and a handful and chives and mixed those in too. I cut 150g of smoked salmon into small pieces of 1-2cm x 1-2cm. I mixed in the salmon and added around 60ml of light double cream. The mix spread evenly between 7 tart cases (based on a mould approximately 10cm in diameter). I then grated matured cheddar cheese on top of each tart, ready to be baked just before serving for around 5-10 minutes (or until hot throughout) on 180c.

Having successfully completed one dish and placed it into the fridge, I still couldn't face the caramel fiasco again. I decided to chop two large sweet potatoes into wedges and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. I pre-heated the oven to 210c and baked the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, turning once to bake both sides. Once crisped on the outside, the wedges can be rebaked later.

Two dishes down, I STILL wasn't calm enough to attempt the caramel again. I decided to work on the Rosemary Oil Ciabatta. I sliced a part-baked ciabatta into wedges of 2-3cm. I mixed around half a cup full of olive oil with a whole stalk of rosemary until the oil became fragrant with rosemary. With my hands, I rubbed the rosemary oil into the wedges of ciabatta and baked for approximately 10 minutes on each side until crisp. These can be rebaked for 5 minutes each side before serving.

With Salmon tarts, wedges and the ciabatta prepared, I arranged my cheese board (apple slices to be cut just before guests arrive, otherwise that nasty shade of brown will appear!). With only mushrooms left to prepare, which are best prepared on the day to prevent reheating and mushroom shrinking, I knew what I had to do...

...THE caramel...

My last attempt. Attempt four and I was already scraping the barrel...quite literally, pulling together enough sugar intended for tea and coffee as I could find in various pots...

I turned the heat up to the highest I had yet, put the sugar and water into the pan and brought it to boil. Not believing my first attempt at making caramel could have been such a successful flook, whilst I was waiting for my sugar to caramelise, I re-read the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I was doing everything it said...then why?!?!? Please...why?!!?

After 10 minutes the sugar had a slight tinge of yellow...."this is it!" I excitedly shouted aloud to nobody..."this is it!”

But the brown never came..."please, sugar, just brown. Please, please, just for me!”

Sweating, flushed in the cheeks and downright livid, I threw the pan into the sink and slumped against the kitchen wall..."I don't underSTAND!" I screamed to nobody. At this point, life had lost all reason. Making caramel had become the biggest event of my life and it would be done!

After 10 deep breaths I switched my sloggies for jeans, jumped in the car and drove to the supermarket for more sugar and butter. As hubby-to-be has since pointed out, this would have been the perfect opportunity to buy ready made caramel and claim it as my own..."How COULD I POSSibly?!" was my response to that.

I would not be defeated!

I took a clean pan, 210g of sugar, a shot glass full of water and set about boiling my sugar. It boiled, it crystallised. It got thrown in the bin.

"One last time," I told hubby-to-be. "If this doesn't work, I promise I will come to bed." Time check 11.05pm.

I put my sugar and water in the pan, boiled and having a temper tantrum turned the heat up to full blast when the sugar was already to stiff to salvage.

Attempt six = pan in bin. Anger now becoming irrational distress. There may even have been a tear amongst my sweating cheeks.

"But what can I do?"

"Laura, please let me go to sleep," begged hubby-to-be.

"Right, fine, so I'll just throw out my pastry bases, should I?"

"Mmm.." he said, rolling over without a care.

NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! THIS IS SUGAR AND WATER FOR PEETS SAKE!!

So, in temper, I put the hob as high as it would go, threw some random amount of sugar in a pan and it boiled instantly...within 2 minutes I had a wonderful golden brown syrup. I added butter and light double cream until a beautiful caramel baby was born. I mixed it with the fruit and nuts, spooned it into seven tart bases and slept like a dream.

BUT was it a dream? When I woke at 6.50am on Friday morning, knowing I still had to clean the flat before work due to the escapades of the night before, I ran straight to the fridge and checked...IT WAS NOT A DREAM! There they were, my seven beautiful babies ready for a dollop of whipped cream before serving...

...and I managed to be sat at my desk for 9am...a caramel disaster will not defeat a TRUE domestic Goddess!!!

The tipple:

For my mulled wine I squeezed the juice of two medium juicy oranges into a large saucepan with around 200g of sugar.  I put the mixture over a medium-high heat and added the peel from both oranges, one large cinamon stick and three bay leaves.  I heated the mix until the juice had reduced and a viscous liquid was left - not quite a syrup.  I reduced the heat to low (you don't want to burn off too much alcohol ;-)) and add two bottles of decent tempranillo and two star anise.  Was the sugar mixture and the wine had incorporated I left the mulled wine to cool for a few hours to allow the flavours to incorporate.  I reheated the mulled wine very slowly on a low heat before serving and kept it on the lowest possible heat until the girls had drained the pan!

Cheats:

For the sake of time, on this occasion I bought the popcorn, chutney and sweet chilli dipping sauce ready made, although one of my favourite starters is a Mediterranean Vegetable and Goats Cheese Stack. I make my own red onion chutney with the stack so keep following and the chutney recipe will be revealed!

Until then...enjoy trying these recipes for your festive gatherings!

FRENCH COOKING IN HEELS

I have heard many times that putting on a pair of stiletto heels along with your pinny and baking attire makes you feel less frumpy, sexy even…so I thought I’d give it a go and give you an honest opinion!

Taking a sensible and much needed day off work after a friend’s wedding was much less fun once I’d gotten over gloating that everyone else was at work and realised that there was no one to play out with.  After a lazy morning and running a few errands, I decided to trial French cooking for two in stiletto heels. 

I drew up a list of ingredients for my take on a twice baked cheese soufflé, boeuf bourguignon and meringue roulade.  After a distracted stroll around the shops (the Christmas cake, chocolate and wine offers are all on now!), I popped on my pinny and my Ted Baker heels and set off preparing my boeuf bourguignon.

 

First thoughts…I was way too high for the bench!  My bench is usually the perfect height for chopping…not so much in heels BUT I persevered and I have to admit, I didn’t quite feel sexy but perhaps a little sassy and definitely less frumpy!

To make my simple boeuf bourguignon:

1)    Pre-heat your oven to 200°c.

2)    Seal 600g of lean braising steak (TIP: be careful not to overcook it, have your olive oil nice and hot before you put the meat into the frying pan).  Remove the meat and put it to rest in a bowl.

3)    In the beef juices brown off one sliced white onion, add two or three chopped cloves of garlic (to taste) and cook until fragrant.

4)    Return the beef to the pan and reduce the heat to medium.  If there are excess juices use a little flour (no more than a table spoonful) to soak them up.  Add approximately two large glasses of nice red wine, two bay leaves and two good-sized springs of rosemary. 

 

This wine worked very well in the boeuf bourguignon (despite it being of Italian origin, not French!) and made for a thick, rich, tasty sauce but it was less palatable to drink.  Any decent red wine could be used but I would suggest going for something relatively full-bodied like a cabernet-sauvignon or a shiraz.  Try to make it a bottle you are happy to finish alongside your meal too, these are times of austerity! 

5)    Once warmed through, transfer the contents of the pan into a medium-large casserole dish.  Add 8-10 baby carrots, making sure they’re just covered by the juices, and place the dish in the oven for 1.5-2 hours.  (TIP: Check the dish after 1 and 1.5 hours.  Add a little more red wine if necessary but you want a smooth sauce with depth at the end so don’t make it too runny!)

6)    After 1.5-2 hours, fry 140g of chopped pancetta pieces and 225g of small rounded shallots (to taste) until lightly browned.  Pour the contents of the pan and 250g of small button mushrooms into the casserole dish.

7)    Continue to cook for another 45 minutes to an hour.  This should provide 3 to 4 servings of boeuf bourguignon.

8)    I served this with green beans, boiled in salt water for 3-4 minutes and wild brown rice.

9)    For the rice, bring around 400ml of beef stock to boil.  Add two handfuls of brown rice, one bay leaf and two large springs of rosemary.  Bring back to boil then let simmer until just cooked (or to preference).  Drain, remove the herbs and serve.

Having put the boeuf bourguignon in the oven for the first round of cooking, my heels were starting to get on my nerves to be honest.  I didn’t feel chic, no one could see me, I felt utterly ridiculous!

I ploughed on and prepared my twice cooked cheese soufflé, ready to be baked again before serving.

To make my scrumptious cheese soufflé:

1)    The oven is already pre-heated to 200°c for the boeuf bourguignon, so try to use that heat or lower a little if your oven is particularly feisty!  Butter two ramekins and place a circle of baking paper on the bottom of each.  Set these to one side on a baking tray.

2)    Warm 100ml of skimmed milk in a pan.  Melt in a teaspoon of butter and 30-40g of grated cheese (TIP: cheddar works well but you could try another hard cheese, smoked or blue perhaps could make an interesting twist).

3)    Add in a handful of fresh chopped chives, three finely sliced spring onions, around a teaspoon of nutmeg and two level tablespoons of wholegrain mustard.

4)    Gradually add 15g of plain flour, stirring continuously.  Cook until a smooth cheese sauce is made. 

5)    Pour the sauce into a cool bowl and leave to one side.  Beat the white of one large egg until it forms stiff peaks.

6)    Once the sauce is cool, mix into it one large egg yolk. Then slowly fold in the beaten egg white, being careful to keep the volume in the egg whites (TIP: a metal spoon will work best for folding).

7)    Pour the soufflé mix into your pre-prepared ramekins and bake in the oven on a middle shelf for around 17 minutes.  Do not open the oven door until at least 12 minutes have passed (or you start to smell burning!).

8)    Once cooked, put the soufflés to one side, ready to bake before serving as a starter.

9)    For the second baking, remove the soufflés from the ramekins and place into a baking dish or tray.  Pour 30ml of light double cream over each soufflé and add one handful of grated cheese to the top (half a handful each).  Bake again for 8-10 minutes.

10) Serve on a bed of wild rocket and baby spinach.

After the first baking of my soufflés my feet were starting to hurt and quite frankly the kitchen was warm and I no longer cared to dress up for no-one to see!  I said goodbye to the shoes…

 

…and put on my preferred baking shoes…fluffy boot slippers!

With cosy feet, I moved onto my favourite…dessert!

To make my Raspberry and Almond Roulade:

1)    Your oven is already pre-heated if you’re cooking the boeuf bourguignon and soufflé but turn it down to 180°c or begin pre-heating your oven to this temperature.

2)    Beat 4 large egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks are formed.  Add 220g of caster sugar and continue beating until a stiff, shimmering, glossy meringue mix is formed.

3)    Cover a 25cm x 35cm (or similar) baking tray with baking paper and pour on the mixture.  Cook on a middle shelf for 20 minutes.

4)    Whilst the meringue is cooking, toast two handfuls of almond flakes (TIP: be careful not to overcook the almonds, keep them moving over a medium heat and keep popping your nose to the pan to smell.  When the almonds become fragrant and/or begin to turn a pale brown colour, remove them from the heat and pan and place to one side). 

5)    Whip around 300ml of double cream (TIP: although I prefer light double cream for the hips, it just won’t work as well as full fat…go on, treat yourself!).  Once whipped, beat into the cream two heap tablespoons of nutella (or some other) chocolate spread.  Add in the toasted almonds and 150-200g of fresh raspberries.

6)    Once the meringue is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Flip onto a piece of baking paper and remove the paper from baking gently from the meringue.

7)    Once the meringue has fully cooled, cover with the delightful, creamy mix (or what is left of it after you’ve dipped your fingers and spoons to taste!) and gently roll the meringue.

8)    Pop the roulade straight into the fridge.  To serve, place a wedge of roulade onto your plate, pour over a couple of tablespoons of cream and decorate as you wish with flaked almonds, raspberries or even a drizzle of melted chocolate.

Just in time for the hubby-to-be coming home from work I did a quick switch back to the stilettoes and gave my best aren’t-I-clever-I-can-do-French-cooking-in-heels smile!!!!

Verdict…the food was yummy!!!  BUT I know from experience now not to use light double cream in a roulade ;-)

It's all about meat - Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang's Barbecoa

As promised, a post about my evening at Barbecoa, One New Change, London. 

 

With weeks to go before my sister came to stay with me for her birthday weekend, I started scouting for restaurants to take her as a birthday treat.  I made reservations at various restaurants in the City and thought I’d pick between them closer to the time (is that greedy?!  Possibly, but I wanted to make sure we had a table at a great place!).

 

Having walked passed the Barbecoa butchery every morning and night going to and from work for months, I decided to take a closer look.  After all, the aging meat hanging in the butchery looked and smelled amazing…if you love meat!

 

http://www.barbecoa.com/

 

I popped into the restaurant and checked the menu.  Neither of us being vegetarians, I thought my sister will love this!  I booked the restaurant weeks in advance and requested a window seat, as I had heard the view of St Paul’s Cathedral was worth looking at.  I spoke to numerous friends about the restaurant.  Some had been and were very positive about the experience and others (perhaps because it is still relatively new) were in the I’ve been meaning to go there bracket. 

 

For those of you who have been meaning to go or for those looking for a special treat in the City, I’d say DO IT!!

After a day of fun, eating, drinking, shopping and visiting M&M World, we got dressed for 7.45pm and went for an aperitif in Searcy’s Champagne bar.

 

There are many great things about the location of Barbecoa, not just the fantastic view.  It cost less than £10 in a taxi from my flat and there are two champagne bars in the complex for pre- and post-dinner drinks, to save you a walk in the cold of Winter.

 

Searcy’s was a real treat.  The staff were wonderful, not giving us the usual blurb about what we should smell in the champagne or taste on our palates, instead telling us interesting stories about the champagne families.

My sister’s potion of choice was a Buck’s Fizz cocktail, whilst I went for a glass of the non-vintage Besserat Cuvee des Moines.  Both made us smile…

 

With a wet appetite we took the short walk to Barbecoa.  The front of house staff were great and the operation was smooth from walking in the door to paying the bill…full stars!

We were given seats in the window and were in awe of the spectacular view of St Paul’s Cathedral…my sister going so far as to snap it on her iPhone (not embarrassing at all!).

 

The atmosphere was vibrant, everyone seemingly enjoying themselves.  The menu was how I like it, not overly stretched but offering enough of a variety.  My sister had Texas smoked baby rack ribs with chilli and coriander to start.  I had crispy veal sweetbreads with celeriac puree, frisee and root beer glaze.  The ribs looked fantastic and my sister tells me they were fantastic.  Having ordered the Texas pit-smoked beef as a main course, I decided not to taste the ribs and ruin my main (also, if you follow my blogs, you’ll know…Joey doesn’t share food!!! ;-)). 

 

 

The veal sweetbreads were fantastic.  Small tender slices of veal with the sweetest accompaniments I have possibly ever tasted on a starter.  As a lady with a sweet tooth, the dish was perfect for me, although I don’t think you particularly need a sweet tooth to enjoy.

 

And then for the main dishes…

 

My texas pit-smoked beef was truly, utterly, fantabulous!  I don’t often eat a lot of red meat and consider it quite a treat…trust me, this red meat would be worth waiting for!  The two rounds of beef feel apart at the touch of my fork and melted in my mouth.  I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at what was in the sensational barbeque-esk sauce but if Mr. Oliver or Mr. Lang ever feel so inclined to share their secrets, I’d be an eager listener!  I have to admit, though, I’m not sure many could make the sauce the same, even following a recipe!  This has to be a Nanna-passed-down number...a total winner!

My sister had wood oven grilled and brined chicken with blackened sweetcorn salsa, guacamole and crispy tortilla.

 

I must confess, on reading the description of the dish on the menu, I thought she had selected something quite standard.  Chicken with guacamole and tortilla…you can get that at a local fast-food Mexican, can’t you?

 

Weeeell, actually, you can’t!  There was a certain finesse and twist to the dish which made it far from ordinary.  The flavours were strong and scrumptious.  The tortillas were made into small crisp twists and the chicken cooked to perfection.  When I do go back to Barbecoa, I probably won’t get the chicken but that is only because the pit-smoked beef was JUST TOOOOO GOOD!

 

I did a quick survey of the room and must say that all of the dishes looked wonderful and I did not see or hear one complaint.  From sight alone, I’d say the rib-eye for two would be worth a try.

 

My sister and I teamed our mains with a shared helping of garlic mash.  Half of it is still left in the bowl…it was delicious but the portions in Barbecoa are not for the feint hearted and unfortunately we were just too into the meat to squeeze in the potato.  This is something I do admire in Jamie Oliver’s cooking!

 

Sadly, nor could we fit in dessert (annoying really, as I’d asked the staff to prepare a birthday plate for my sister, which they were more than willing to do as an extra little touch – if only my sister had a second stomach!) but we were not rushed into deciding whether we could or couldn’t.  We asked for ten minutes after our mains (to think and will our digestion to begin!) and we were given that and more if we wanted it.  In the end we went for an after dinner drink instead, my sister having an Amaretto Coffee (also my favourite liqueur coffee – must be a sister thing!) and I had a glass of Grange Neuve Monbazillac 2007 (told you I have a sweet tooth).

 

After a long day of eating and drinking, we were slightly merry when we left the restaurant but I can honestly and soberly say…do go to Barbecoa!  AND if you try something different, let me know for next time!

 

Word to the wise, don’t go if you’re vegetarian, pescetarian or vegan.  Whilst I’m sure the staff would accommodate you, Barbecoa does what it says on the tin, so to speak.

 

The tipple

 

Having already decided to go for the Texas smoked beef (I won’t lie, I made my decision on the day I made a reservation), I selected a bottle of Syrah from the Languedoc region in France, which was a perfect accompaniment!

Cheers!

Looking for good Vietnamese food in the city?

If you’re looking for a good, authentic Vietnamese in the City, look no further than Com Viet.

I have been meaning to try Com Viet (http://www.comviet.co.uk/) for some time.  I walk passed the restaurant at least once per week on my way back from Zumba.  I could have been fooled by my rumbling stomach that the smells were incredible but my experience of the restaurant on Saturday showed me this was not the case!

After a wander along South Bank with a pit-stop at Borough Market, my sister and I developed quite an appetite for lunch.  This despite tasting every cheese, meat and chocolate indulgence in Borough Market at 11am.  Not to mention sipping on Mulled Wine at a rather uncouth time in the morning.

 

I have always looked at old men in grubby pubs with a pint of beer in their hand at 11am on a Saturday morning and tutted at their gluttonous ways.  “I would never do that!”, I have said.  I wouldn’t say I’ve gone so far as to become a grubby old man but it certainly felt a tad wrong to be drinking mulled wine at 11am!

Nevertheless, our flutter with Christmas in a cup and a hearty walk did leave us wanting something substantial for lunch.  With a reservation for Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang’s restaurant, Barbecoa (post to follow!), in the evening, we couldn’t afford to be overly calorific.

With a little shopping to do in Covent Garden, Com Viet was the perfect spot for lunch…”FINALLY!” my stomach yelled!

When we walked into the restaurant there were six or seven café style tables.  We didn’t mind this at all but when we were offered the opportunity to sit downstairs, curiosity sent us marching.

I would recommend sitting downstairs to anyone.  The décor is cosy and you have a view of the kitchen too (which to me tends to mean less grease and fewer cockroaches than the average kitchen – joking!).  Despite making my sister descend the staircase with her blistered feet (I did tell her to wear flat shoes, I’m not a one for the tube!), she was pleased to have taken a seat downstairs too.

The menu is small enough to convince you that there is love and care behind the dishes but large enough to give you a good choice.  The dishes seem to focus on one or two big flavours and, having been to Vietnam, I can say they are true to Vietnamese style.

I ordered a dish of slow-cooked chicken in chilli and lemongrass, which was recommended by our helpful waitress.  My sister ordered stir fried duck with ginger and spring onions.  We shared a bowl of Jasmine rice, which was more than enough for two.

My chicken was absolutely delicious, tender, moist and plenty of it.  It had obviously been marinating in the sauce for long enough to take on the intense flavour of the lemongrass.  The waitress told me the dish was hot (spicy hot, not hot hot), which made me reluctant to go for it, as I am far from a queen of spice.  The heat was pleasant in actual fact, not too overpowering at all.

If I have one reservation about the dish, it is that it can get tiresome and a little samey by the end (in part because there is so much of it, not that I’m complaining) but it would be a great dish to pick as part of a selection to share with others.  If you aren’t out with Joey Tribbiani that is…

 

Photograph taken from fyeahfriendsgifs.tumblr.com.

The recipe - If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say the chicken was cooked in chicken stock with a drop of fish sauce, mirin, soy, a couple of tablespoons of sugar and garlic, with the obvious additions of lemongrass and chilli.  If you try to make it yourself be careful not to overpower the dish with lemongrass. 

My tips: Consider adding a bay leaf for an extra dimension and try mixing the side of Jasmine rice with spring onions and soya beans to add a little more texture and variety to the dish.

As for the duck dish, I found the forkful I was allowed before my hand was slapped away, very tasty…I have it on good authority that the duck was “mmm nice!”!

The tipple

For me, selecting a drink in a Vietnamese is a tricky one.  To try and find a drink that goes with the strong flavours of ginger, spring onion, chilli and lemongrass is difficult.  Given it was a birthday celebration and the drink itself is highly inoffensive, sitting relatively easily with almost anything, I decided on two glasses of prosecco.  It wasn’t a great match for the food but it was more than palatable.

But what about dessert?

In order to give you the complete picture, I can tell you I proceeded to drag my sister walking for miles further (cruel I know!).  She did perk up on seeing M&M World and the Rainforest Café (nope, she isn’t five years old either!) but her eyes really brightened when we walked passed a small French patisserie on Shaftesbury Avenue (sorry I have tried to Google and just can’t find the name but it had a rather nice chandelier if that helps).  Needless to say we wandered back to the little French Patisserie and continued our flirt with prosecco over a delightful MilleFuille and Black Forest Gateaux…I also tend to shy away from Vietnamese desserts…perhaps MilleFuilles and Black Forest Gateaux are the reasons why!

Happy visiting!