scandelights – Page 48

Classic food at The Gilbert Scott, St Pancras

Published on March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

When I meet up with my friend Helen there is always nice food involved, but as we usually meet on Sunday evenings (due to very different work schedules) there are a limited number of restaurants to choose from (most are open for Sunday lunch but not dinner).

Last time we met up in London we decided to have dinner at Marcus Wareing’s The Gilbert Scott in St Pancras Station. It’s a nice grande restaurant with a classic British and European menu.

We started with rosé champagne in the bar; we see each other so seldom every time is worth celebrating!

The bar is nice and cosy but the restaurant is a large room with plenty of ceiling height and a bar in the middle of the room. It was surprisingly busy this Sunday evening which contributed to the nice atmosphere.

We began our meal with a starter each. I had the Dorset crab with carrots, kohlrabi and cashews. A really fresh dish and very pretty on the plate.

Helen had the foie gras with figs, smoked almonds and crisp bread. Also very nice and pretty as a picture.

For the main course neither of us could resist the fillet of beef with truffle sauce (yum!) and chips. Absolutely delicious!

I have no idea how we had room for pudding, but we just couldn’t resist the chocolate praline tarte with vanilla ice cream. Yes, it was amazing!

We had a wonderful evening and the food was both elegant and perfectly cooked. Just what you expect from both Marcus Wareing and the beautiful St Pancras station. The service could have been a bit sharper, but all in all it was a great dinner.

The Gilbert Scott, St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, London NW1 2AR

Wonderful food at Honey & Co, Fitzrovia

Published on March 14, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

I’ve wanted to go to Honey & Co, a small all day restaurant on Warren Street, run by a seriously passionate couple, for ages now. It’s difficult to get a table, so book ahead.

I went here with my friend Daisy on a Friday night and the small space was filled to the brim with guests and staff. The atmosphere was nice and busy without being too loud.

We started our meal with three different types of mezze as they all sounded so nice! My favourite was the poached quince with curd cheese and hazelnuts (top), the flavour combination was just fantastic. The citrus and tomato salad with za’atar (above) was also nice, but not as amazing.

The hummus with fried mushrooms, crispy onions and pitta was one of the best hummuses I’ve ever eaten. The mushrooms worked so well with it, I feel the urge to instantly copy it at home.

The mezzes were all really big, so three was too mush for two people but we really wanted to try them all so ate as much as we could.

We decided to share two main courses as well. The barbecued aubergine with tahini crust and jewelled rice salad (above) was just amazing.

And the slow-cooked duck with clementines and apricots baked in kadaif pastry was tasted like nothing I’ve ever tried before. It was a little sweet and a little sour and just full of flavour. The meat was very tender and rich and the crispy pastry was a nice contrast.

Apart from the bad lighting (too white for an evening), I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here. The service could have been a little more switched on, but they did a decent job and besides the amazing food makes up for everything else.

Honey & Co, 25A Warren St, London W1T 5LZ

Fried gnocchi with wild garlic pesto and cherry tomatoes

Published on March 11, 2016March 11, 2016 by Hanna1 Comment

I received evidence from my mother last week that the wild garlic season has started in Sweden, and therefore probably in the UK as well. Hurrah!

I love these oniony garlicky green leaves so much, I keep a bundle of blanched ones in the freezer at all times. It feels comforting that I can make wild garlic mayo all year round. Or wild garlic pesto. It’s fab with fried gnocchi (it gives them a bit more texture), fresh cherry tomatoes and plenty of grated parmesan.

Fried gnocchi with wild garlic pesto and cherry tomatoes, serves 2

1 batch gnocchi

1 batch wild garlic pesto

150 g cherry tomatoes

finely grated parmesan

Make the pesto and put it aside. Make the gnocchi and cook them. Then fry in butter until golden. Mix with plenty of the pesto. Cut the cherry the tomatoes in half and mix with the gnocchi. Season to taste. Add olive oil if you want a looser consistency. Top with plenty of grated parmesan.

Chicken burger

Published on March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 by Hanna2 Comments

Whenever I have the choice of a regular beef burger or a chicken burger I always, always choose the beef version. Because most chicken burgers are either something covered in breadcrumbs and deep-fried or a whole (often dry) grilled chicken breast. No thanks.

But this homemade chicken burger, made of minced chicken thighs is a real treat. It has a similar texture to a regular beef burger, but feels so much lighter. I melted cheddar on top, served it with lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, nice buns (I used Heston for Waitrose burger brioche buns and they were very good!), and a good helping of my favourite burger sauce; the fake shack sauce ,and it was pure happiness. Will definitely make this again!

Chicken burgers, makes 2

3-4 chicken thigh fillets

1/2 egg

50-100 ml breadcrumbs

1 tsp onion powder

salt, white pepper

Mince the chicken thigh fillets in a food processor. Mix egg, spices and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and leave to swell for a few minutes. Add the chicken mince. If the mixture is too loose, add more bread crumbs until you can shape the mixture into two big burgers. Fry in butter until cooked through and serve.

Smith & Wollensky, The Strand

Published on March 9, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

When a famous New York restaurant opens its London restaurant a mere stone’s throw from the office you certainly want to check it out. In fact, I think everybody at the office have been there at least once.

Smith & Wollensky is a very good steak restaurant, which of course the prices reflect (in fact, I would be scared if the meat here was cheap!). But the lunch menu offers a few smaller steaks, as well as burgers, pork chops and plenty of other nice things, so it’s a good idea to go here for lunch.

I was here with my colleague Max, who likes meat, so we tend to go to steak restaurants of nice burger places for lunch. Max actually chose the burger here too, a huge one ground in house, with cheddar and bacon. Delicious!

I chose the steak on the lunch menu, fillet of beef, cooked to perfection, served with bearnaise sauce (very good), nice crispy fries and creamed spinach, that was also very good.

I really like this place, and I recommend going either for lunch or for a real splurge. And if you have room for pudding, the chocolate cake is pure perfection.

Smith & Wollensky, The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam St, London WC2N 6HT

Caramel tart

Published on March 8, 2016March 8, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

I made this lovely caramel tart ages ago for the office and although the pastry case looks a bit dark (I was so worried it would taste burnt, but it didn’t) everybody loved it. Phew! it’s very easy to make, just keep an eye on the pastry in the oven.

The original recipe calls for two chocolate truffles (one white, one brown) to be piped on top, but I just decorated it with whipped cream and it worked well too.

Caramel tart, serves 8

Adapted from Erik Lallerstedt’s recipe.

Pastry::

300 ml plain flour (180 g)

100 g butter

1-2 tbsp caster sugar

1 egg yolk

Filling:

100 ml double cream

45 g caster sugar

50 ml golden syrup

1/2 vanilla pod

3 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp orange blossom honey

100 g unsalted butter

Garnish:

whipped cream

Dark chocolate truffle:

100 g dark chocolate

150 g unsalted butter

White chocolate truffle:

100 g white chocolate

150 g unsalted butter

Make the pastry and cover a pie dish with it. Bake in 200C for 20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool. Place all the ingredients for the caramel, apart from the butter, in a saucepan and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod, add the pod as well and remove it later. Add the butter. Leave to cool and pour into the pastry case. Place somewhere cold.

Truffle: Break up the chocolate and melt in a bain marie with knobs of softened butter. Stir continuously until smooth. Leave to cool until good piping consistency, then pipe onto the set caramel.

Oaxen Krog & Slip pop-up

Published on March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

One of the best restaurants in Stockholm had a two week pop-up here in London a few weeks ago. I made sure to book tickets for me and my no 1. foodie friend Caroline.

The venue, Carousel, was a fairly small space with three long communal tables and every seat was taken. Our table neighbours were an American couple around the same age as us and an older Georgian couple who were regulars. The six of us got to share the food served on big platters.

But we started with a little snack. I have already forgotten what the deicious cream was but at least I can remember it was served on puffed rye.

The food was more or less what I had expected from Oaxen Krog & Slip; delicious (!) and relaxed, gourmet but not molecular gastronomy.

The first two dishes were served at the same time. Above is the amazing steak tartare of topside with mustard mayonnaise, soured cream and sourdough croutons. The cured herring with fried pickled shallots and a potato and leek purée was just as beautifully plated, I just forgot to take a picture of it. It was a little on the sharp side so not everyone at the table loved it, but it was a great dish even if the tartare was my favourite.

Next up was grilled celeriac baked in cheese whey with bleak roe and chives – just stunning!

An optional dish on the menu (i.e. not included in the set menu), was this smoked eel with broad bean tops, samphire and lemon butter, it was a nice combination of flavours and the eel was perfectly (not too much) smoked.

The main course was definitely the evening’s piece de resistance: knuckle of veal confit with roasted vegetables, purée and oxtail jus. So incredibly delicious!!

After all the heavy food a light pudding of salt fudge ice cream with cream of lingonberries and nut caramel was just what we wanted. This time we shared it two and two and it was a lovely end to our meal.

Oaxen Krog och Slip gästspel på Carousel London, 71 Blandford St, London W1U 8AB

Sashimi plate

Published on March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

This lovely sashimi plate with fresh vegetables, crispy onions and hot wasabi mayo is a great way to start the weekend. Just add bubbly.

Sashimi plate, per portion

2 shallots, sliced

oil for frying

1/2 avocado, sliced

10 cm cucumber, sliced and cut into sticks

a handful lambs lettuce

mayonnaise

wasabi powder

50 g super fresh salmon

50 g super fresh tuna

chopped coriander

2 lime wedges

Kikkoman soy

Heat up 2 cm neutral oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until golden. Drain on kitchen towel. Mix mayo with wasabi powder to your taste. Slice the fish and start plating everything. Scatter with coriander and serve with lime wedges and Japanese soy sauce.

Clams with sherry and potatoes

Published on March 1, 2016March 1, 2016 by HannaLeave a comment

Seafood for me is Friday food. Probably because we had Atlantic prawns every Friday of my childhood (it’s pretty normal in Sweden, actually). First of course, because it’s yummy and, second, it doesn’t take long to prepare, which is why my mother thought (and still thinks) it’s the ultimate way to start the weekend.

These clams with cream, sherry and potatoes are just amazing as a Friday evening dish. Serve with bread and maybe some aioli if you want a more elaborate meal. For me, this and a glass of bubbly is all I need.

Clams with sherry and potatoes, serves 2

500 g clams

3 medium potatoes

a knob of butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

50 ml dry sherry

100 ml cream

salt & pepper

chopped parsley

Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil until soft, approx 15 minutes. Drain.

Rinse the clams in a colander and discard any clams not closing. Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the onion for a few minutes on medium heat without browning. Add the sherry and let some of it evaporate. Add the cream and then the clams. Put the lid on and wait for a minute or two. Check that the clams have opened. (If not, put the lid on for another minute.) When the clams have opened, season the sauce and add the potatoes. Scatter with parsley and serve immediately.

Crunchy apple cake

Published on February 19, 2016 by Hanna2 Comments

Some people, like my wonderful mother, love apple pies and cakes. I actually think she could live on it alone. I, on the other hand, am a little harder to please. Raw apples – delicious. Mushy cooked ones – not so much. I want set cakes, that provide a nice contrast to the soft apples.

This cake has the Hanna seal of approval; it’s cake-y, has a nice crunchy top but is still apple-y enough for the likes of my mother. Happy days!

Crunchy apple cake, serves 8-10

3-6 apples, peeled and slices

1 tbsp caster sugar

a little (1/2 – 1 tsp) cinnamon

3 eggs

190 g caster sugar

70 g plain flour

Place the apple slices in a lined springform. Scatter with sugar and cinnamon. Beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy and mix in the flour. Pour into the tin. Bake for 60 minutes in 175C. Serve with lightly whipped cream.