RECIPE #5: Leek & Potato Soup

Leek and Potato Soup is such a classic dish. Whether as a velvety puree of potato, leek, onion and cream or as a broth with a medley of veggies in, it is firm favourite.  It is claimed as a national dish by both Wales and Ireland and is recommended to be eaten on their respective Saints’ days. The Scottish have their own version titled Tattie-and-Leekie and then again there is the vichyssoise version that is linked with Vichy in France too.      ~ Source: Wikireferenda

 

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If you thought my recipe for butternut squash soup was easy, then this one is positively child's play!

 

 

Serves 4 - 6

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 x large leeks, sliced
• 3 x potatoes, cubed
• 2 x cubes vegetable stock
• Tablespoon of creme fraiché
• Handful of chives 
• Salt & pepper

Method:

1. In a large pot, add the leeks, potato and enough stock to just cover.
2. Bring to the boil and cook until the vegetables are soft.
3. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Place into a blender and blitz until smooth.
5. Check the seasoning again.
6. Stir in the creme fraiché.
7. Serve with a handful of chopped chives sprinkled over the top.

If you want something a little more substantial, you can always add some pre-cooked sliced chicken.

 

New Street Grill

 

 

During my last girl’s dinner club, one of the team requested that we choose a restaurant near to the station that she travels from. The only problem with that is that there are relatively slim-pickings around that area that aren’t either wallet-busting or fast food or that we haven’t been to before.  

New Street Grill is part of the D&D London group of restaurants (formerly Conran) and is situated on a little side street bordering Spitalfields Market, in a converted warehouse considered to be the City's oldest surviving warehouse built by the East India Company; The Old Bengal Warehouse. In the same development there is also a bar, a wine shop and a fish restaurant.

While we waited for everyone to arrive, we took a seat in the Old Bengal Bar attached to the restaurant, but also with its own separate entrance. I loved it. The bar was low-lit and the bare brick walls and exposed lights reminded you that you were in a former warehouse. It is very trendy and the clientele were all young Shoreditch types. I expected a few more City boys, but I don’t think I saw a single suit in the bar. Although drinks were priced at City boy prices and we paid £11 for a single vodka and tonic. That aside, I thought it was a really vibey bar and I’ll definitely be back to try out the amazing outside terrace when summer finally decides to join us!

We were taken through to the restaurant and I immediately fell in love with the room. Big half-moon windows let the light flood in, beautiful parquet flooring and a huge flower arrangement in the middle of the room to soften the look up. I liked that we were seated at a round table, it makes for a much more sociable evening where everyone can talk to everyone in the group.

The wine list is extensive and quite pricey, but we opted for a carafe of Malbec at a more reasonable £21.50, as not everyone in the group was drinking.  A huge trolley was rolled in with a few different loaves of bread on it that they cut at your table, depending on your choice. It looked great, but to be honest the bread wasn’t the freshest I have ever had and I wonder if it was because it was out in the open like that.

To start I had the Cream of Cauliflower soup with pinenuts and sultanas (£7.50). The soup was creamy and rich, but I had to add a lot of salt to really make the flavour pop. I liked the texture that the pinenuts added and I thought that the sweetness that the sultanas brought to the dish was a really great idea.  

 

 

As this is a grill restaurant, I opted for a 350g Sirloin steak (£29.00) for my main meal. You get a choice of 3 sauces to go with your steak – peppercorn, béarnaise and Stichelton blue cheese. In my opinion, a good steak doesn’t need a sauce, but I chose the peppercorn sauce to dip my chips in! As a table, we also chose the Heritage tomato salad with red onion and balsamic (£5.00), Spinach (£4.00) and Chips (£4.00). 

 

The steak came as I had asked for it. Medium. The fat was nicely charred, but I found the meat a little chewy.  The Heritage tomato salad was refreshing and I really enjoyed the flavours of the different tomatoes. We opted for creamed spinach over steamed and this was delicious, but a pretty small portion. I wish we’d ordered two. The chips were fat and crunchy and fluffy on the inside. As far as chips go, these were amongst the nicest I have had for a while.

 

I was pretty satisfied after my meal so I didn’t order dessert. 

Service was a little slow at times, but everyone was friendly and happy to help. I thought that having the waiting staff in white shirts and black trousers was a little old fashioned and they didn’t fit in with the cool vibe going on next door at the bar. Maybe that was the intention though. All in all, it was a pretty pleasant experience. I still think that Hawksmoor do the best steaks in London, but I will definitely be back to try the fish restaurant and have a few drinks in the bar. 

The bill came to £225.28 which included 2 vodka & tonics, 1 carafe of wine, 1 dessert wine, 1 coffee and Tia Maria, 3 starters, 3 mains and 1 dessert. Service was also included. 

My next meal is another new steak restaurant to hit the capital, but this one aimed at the ladies market!

  

Until we eat again!

 

New Street Grill

http://www.newstreetgrill.co.uk/

16a New Street, EC2M 4TR

 

RECIPE #4: Chicken a la king

The name of William King is not listed among the great ones of the earth. No monuments will ever be erected to his memory, for he was only a cook. Yet what a cook! In him blazed the fire of genius which, at the white heat of inspiration, drove him one day, in the old Bellevue, in Philadelphia, to combine bits of chicken, mushrooms, truffles, red and green peppers and cream in that delight-some mixture which ever after has been known as "Chicken a la King."  ~ source: Wikipedia

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This is my mom's take on the classic and a firm family favourite! There is a lot of chopping and general faffing around with this one, but the end result is worth it. Every family has their own recipe it would seem, so I hope you like our version.

 Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

• 4 x boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 x red and green pepper, diced
• 1 x large onion, diced
• 1 x garlic clove, crushed
• A handful of button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 x single cream
• 1 x sachet cream of chicken soup powder
• 1 x chicken stock cube
• 1 x teaspoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper

 

Method: 

1. Dissolve the stock cube in some boiling water. Add the chicken breasts ensuring that the liquid just covers the breasts. Poach gently until the chicken is cooked through. About 15 minutes.
2. Once the chicken is cooked through, set aside and reserve the poaching liquid.
3. In a measuring jug, mix the soup powder with the cream and add the poaching liquor to make up 1 pint (600ml) of liquid.
4. Once the chicken has cooled, shred finely. (This is really time consuming, so you could just chop into thin slices if you're feeling lazy!) Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic, onions and peppers until the onions are translucent but not browned. Then add the mushrooms.
5. Once the mushrooms start to soften, add the shredded chicken and the liquid.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Stir well until the sauce has thickened. If the sauce doesn’t thicken enough add a bit more soup powder.
8. Check the seasoning again and serve.

 

This goes well with some plain boiled rice. 

 

 

Pitt Cue Co. (Soho)

Pitt Cue Co. started life as a trailer parked under the Hungerford Bridge on London's South Bank, serving their now famous pulled pork buns amongst other things. You can still find the van there during the summer, but it is the restaurant in Soho that I will be writing about today.

Located on a side street just off of Carnaby street, the restaurant is absolutely tiny, seating about 30 covers. They have a no-reservations policy, saying on their website that there is no fairer system than 'First come, first served'. I've read that the queues can often snake down the road and when TBH and I arrived at around 1pm, I fully expected a lengthy wait. It was a pretty miserable day and it seemed that it had kept most sensible people at home, so we were fortunate enough to walk straight in. The bar was crammed full of people and we were told we could wait up to 45 minutes to be seated.

Initially, I thought the staff seemed a little harassed and I didn't hold high hopes for what was to come. It was for this reason that I only ordered a diet coke. I didn't recognise any of the cocktails and I didn't want to take up any of the bar lady's time by asking what each cocktail comprised of. It seems silly when I am paying. Saying that though, I was proved wrong and actually when we engaged the staff they couldn't have been more helpful and the all-round service was great! TBH ordered the house lager - 'Whatever'. Called this because the house lager is 'whatever they have in at the time'. Usually it's Meantime, as it was in this case, but it means that they are not committed to one brewery. How clever!

As I’ve said, the restaurant is absolutely tiny and this could create the buzz that is in the atmosphere. The net curtains on the windows softens it all and the Johnny Cash soundtrack reminds you that you are in a very cool place indeed. I haven’t written about toilets in previous reviews, but I thought this little toilet was so pretty (if that’s even possible?) with its floral wallpaper and fresh flowers. Another small touch to soften the cramped space.

Fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a counter by the window in the bar. As this was our first visit we asked the waitress to make recommendations. We went with every single one of those recommendations and every single one of them was wonderful! First up, we had Chicken Oysters (£5.50). Little nuggets of deliciousness! They were made with chicken thigh meat, coated in a slightly smoky batter, deep fried and topped with a hot sauce. The meat was moist and the batter seasoned perfectly. They were ever so slightly greasy, but tasted so good that I didn't mind too much.

I chose the special of brisket bun meal (£12.50) and a side dish of bone marrow mash.

To. Die. For. The beef had been slow cooked for 28 hours, so it was melt-in-the-mouth tender.  The sweet brioche bun soaked up all the sauce and stayed firm. The slaw in the bun was tangy and cut through the rich meat. The side dish of mash topped with bone marrow gravy was smooth and really buttery and up there with one of the best mashed potatoes I've had. It looked like a huge portion, but I got through it easily and didn't feel overly full afterwards. At the time of ordering, I was seriously contemplating getting the ribs too which is another really well known dish of theirs, but when I saw the mammoth portion that the guys next to us got I was glad I didn’t. Next time though!

 

 

TBH had the famous pulled pork bun with a side of beans (£9.75). Famous for a reason. As with my meal, the meat was tender and the bun held firm. The beans were a mixed variety in a BBQ sauce and big chunks of meat in it, so much nicer than the tinned variety!

 

 

We shared a dessert and it was another recommendation from the waitress. Sticky toffee pudding with a salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (£5.00). It was comforting and perfect for such a grey day. Like getting a sweet kiss at the end of a very enjoyable first date!

For the chicken oysters, 2 bun meals, dessert, 2 diet cokes and 2 beers the bill came to £50.34 including service.

There isn't a lot of competition for proper American BBQ food in London, but 12 months after opening, Pitt Cue Co. still have people queuing out the door for their offering, so they're clearly doing something right!  The food isn't pretty or elegant but it is 'dang good!

Off to the gym now to work off this spectacular meat feast!

 

Until we eat again!

 

Pitt Cue Co. (Soho)

http://www.pittcue.co.uk/home/

1 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RB

 

 

Burger & Lobster - Bread Street

Burger& Lobster's Mayfair opening in January 2012 was one of the hottest tickets in town and three more branches quickly followed; Soho, Farringdon and the City. The City branch just happens to be within spitting distance of my office, so when we arranged to meet friends earlier this week, it was this outpost we decided to try.
 

Like Ronseal, it does exactly as it says on the tin. For £20 you can choose half a lobster, or a burger or a lobster roll and they all come with a side salad and a portion of chips. There is also a choice of larger lobsters (for an extra charge) chalked up on a specials board. I chose a grilled lobster with lemon butter sauce. You could also have your lobster steamed and served with a garlic sauce.

Before our food came out, those of us having lobster, were brought plastic bibs and lobster forks. It added to the fun atmosphere and I thought that this was going to get really messy. The food was brought out not long after that on big metal trays lined with grease-proof paper and it all looked great. The half lobster was a decent size and it came with both claws. I thought this was really good value! It was cooked very well and I really enjoyed the slight charr from the grill. The lemon garlic butter sauce  I had was creamy and rich and not overpowered by garlic.

 

Others in the party chose the lobster roll and the burger. I thought that for £20 the lobster roll was a pretty measly portion. I also think that you can get far better burgers for less than £20 at any one of the burger joints that have popped up in recent months. The chips were a generous serving though and the salad, dressed with Parmesan cheese, was a refreshing side dish.

 

 

The waitress taking our dinner order was friendly without being over-familiar, although cleared some plates before others had finished. A pet peeve of mine! We also had a bit of a shock when we received the bill and saw the price of the bottle of wine we ordered at the bar before sitting down. We probably should've been specific, but when ordering "a bottle of rosé", we assumed we were getting the house wine, so imagine the shock when the bill came for £48! I think we should've been made aware, but hindsight is a wonderful thing!

The total bill for 3 grilled lobsters, a lobster roll, a burger, 5 beers, 2 glasses of red wine and 1 bottle of rosé came to £210.09, including service.

All in all, I found the whole experience pretty underwhelming. Parts of it were good, but for all the hype, I really think there is better food to be had out there.

 

Until we eat again!

Burger & Lobster

http://www.burgerandlobster.com/

1 Bread Street, EC4M 8SH

 

RECIPE #3: Chickpea & Chorizo stew

As a child I remember my mom soaking chickpeas for what seemed like days on end. Today we have the convenience of tinned chickpeas that just require you to find a can opener et voila! This recipe is one of my mom's that I've adapted slightly to make it into more of a meal.

You could also omit the sausages to make this a hearty side dish.

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

• 2 x tinned chickpeas
• 2 x tinned chopped tomatoes
• 150ml water
• 1 x large onion, diced
• 2 x medium carrots, diced
• 2 x medium potatoes, diced
• 2 x garlic cloves, crushed
• 80g x chorizo sliced
• 1 x pack pork sausages
• 1 x tbsp olive oil
• 1 x tbsp tomato paste
• Chilli flakes
• Parsley
• Salt & pepper
• Pinch of sugar

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish and fry the sausages until they are browned but not cooked through. Remove, cut into bite sized pieces and put to one side.
2. In the same pot fry the sliced chorizo until it starts releasing its smoky, red oil.
3. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add the carrots, potatoes and chickpeas and mix well.
5. Then add the tinned tomato, tomato paste, water and as much chilli flakes as you can handle. Season with salt and pepper and a small pinch of sugar to reduce the sour tomato taste.
6. Add the sausages and mix well.
7. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 45 minutes or until all the veg is soft. The dish should be quite saucy, so add more water if it appears too dry.
8. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle over the top to serve.