Sticky Walnut

Well the equinox has been and gone, so It no longer feels tight putting heavier more rich dishes on the menu. And of course, game.

Our game season is, without hyperbole, the envy of the culinary world, and we love to celebrate it in our humble bistro. This weekend we have the king of game gracing our menu, Triple H. Not really, it’s actually grouse. lol

We’ve gone kinda classic; think all the grouse offal turned into a super light but rich parfait, the legs have been confit - so they are actually edible, pearl barley & watercress. Possibly one of my favourite dishes if I’m honest. I’m kinda hoping that we don’t sell them all so I can take one home.

Also, new on the menu, we have the return of the Pâté en croute. This time round it’s laced with venison, red w**e, juniper & maderia, served with a smoked blackberry condiment.

Lots more autumnal friends are coming to the menu soon. But, we’ve got a couple of new fish dishes to tide you over in the meantime. Butter roast monkfish tail, peppercorn sauce & celeriac fondont. Also, Loch Durant salmon, warm tartare sauce, new potatoes & lettuce

See you soon

This months dessert selection on our bistro menu.

I can’t think of two more satisfying ways to end a lunch if I’m honest. Lightly set custard with loads of caramel juice or crispy creamy cherry. Both are winners in my eyes

Crème caramel & Eton mess’s last day with us will be 3rd October and we will be launching our fresh and even more autumnal menu bistro offering on the 7th October

Hope to see you soon

This weeks market fish plate: grilled plaice, new season ratte potatoes, vadouvan curry sauce, curried green bean condiment.

It’s more healthy version of fish, chips and curry sauce. Just missing the mushy peas tbh. What it lacks in fat, it makes up for in flavour. I think it’s another better, and quite frankly stupid value

As always there is a limited amount to be had, as it’s dead good value, so I don’t expect it to hang around for long.

Another week, another bistro main course introduction

Croque Monsieur and, if you like I can always make it a Madame

Or

Celeriac schnitzel, creamed spinach, brown butter, capers

As someone once remarked about the Monsieur, it’s just a ham and cheese sandwich, yes I suppose it is. In the same way the Roast chicken, morels, vin jaune sauce & pilaf rice from Noble Rot Soho is just chicken & rice. A ham and cheese sandwich it maybe be, but I’ll willing to bet it will be in your top 3 sandwiches of all time

Either option will be a massive serotonin hit on this grey day we have found our selves in. I say that like autumn is a massive surprise, comes around every year.

I for one welcome our new autumnal overlords with open arms

Quite possibly the most comforting selection of starters that’s ever been assembled.

Both happen to feature on our inflation busting bistro menu, where you can have 2 courses for 20£ or 3 courses for 23£

Enough of the sales pitch, but what are they? The first option needs no introduction as it’s been around longer than the Bayeux Tapestry, and it’s infinitely more delicious. An overnight beef stock, onions that have spent a couple of hours caramelising in butter, thyme and a cheesy brioche crouton. Simplistic perfection

Next up we’ve got a chickpea panisse. It’s a kinda deep fried crispy chip. But instead of potato it’s a gram flour mixture, made with a little chilli and veg stock. That’s it, it’s kinda chips and tangy tomato sauce all under a covering of aged pecorino

I am doing it a disservice if i am honest, there is a lot of work that goes into the tomato sauce. It’s been made with peak season Isle of Wright tomatoes, and emulsified with very good quality olive oil.

Both on till the end of the month.

Yummers

Ooh look at me going all arty with a photo making a salad and some videos. Oscar worthy my videography skills are not. Luckily I didn’t enter this game to create content, but here. We. Are. Lucky us

Alas, let’s take a closer look at this month’s bistro and early dinner set menu main course shall we?

Both absolute legends in the bistro world, albeit from differing countries. The bistro Messi & Ronaldo if you will.

In the meaty corner we have ‘chicken cordon bleu’ why it’s called that I don’t know, ridiculous name, if you ask me. But trust, it’s delicious. Black Forrest ham, wrapped in cheese, wrapped in a chicken sarcophagus then coated in bread crumbs and fried until crisp. Served with enough creamed spinach to keep Popeye off yer case for a while

In the Veggie corner, aubergine parm. Grilled and marinated aubergines get sauced up with a delectable tomato number, made with the market leading brand, Mutti (I’m open to sponsorship if anyone wants to get in touch.)We then top it all off with a mix of melty mozzarella, power Parmesan and a good glug of expensive olive oil.

Which ones the best? Well there’s only one way to settle this. FFFIIIIGGHTT. Or you could come and try them both.

Thiery Bon-oui, here she is, tonight’s market fish main course

A whole Scottish mackerel, butterflied and deboned, coated in my world famous inauthentic tempura batter, then deep fried. Served with a white cabbage and ranch dressing slaw, and a couple slow cooked tomatoes. NAWTY!!

Listen, I’m not saying ordering a portion of bread and having it as a heavy butty is the ultimate hack. But, I’m also not not saying that either

I was going to do fish and chips tonight but i bottled it, I think this is much better though.

On this evening only as part of our Wednesday fish night promo, where you can get 2 courses for 29 of your British pounds

Let’s take a moment to ogle our current bistro menu starters as they sit there in the great shop window in the cloud. Quite the pair they are too, don’t you think?

As always we’ve tried to keep it super seasonal and quite light, which given the upcoming apocalypse, has turned out to be a good thing. I thought we were done with the heat, especially as I’ve received my first grouse marketing text. Feels wrong to even be thinking about that in 30degree heat. But god would I love an expensive pinto noir with some game

Anyways as always I digress, back to the task in hand. Melon, mozzarella & isle of Wright tomato salad & smoked confit sardines, house ricotta on toast. Both on until the end of the month.

Is there any appetite for grouse, while i’m here? I’m sure it will be cardigan weather soon.

This weeks market fish main course is as follows…

Crispy haddock fillet, tomato à la crème sauce, hazelnut pesto & creamed spinach. A nice summery plate of food on tonight as part of our 2 courses for 29£ market fish deal.

If you don’t fancy cooking this evening and like the looks of this, give us a call on 01244 400 400

Peace & love
X

A new month has dawned, and with that, a new bistro menu has been spawned. Welcome to our August run though….

Summer is nearly over, surely? It has to be, right?? Good God, when will it end?? Well I’m already mentally in autumn, so let’s go and get it

First up, we have Isle of Wight tomato salad, honeydew melon, mozzarella & wild oregano. Super light and with English tomatoes at the height of their season, it would be rude not to showcase them simply to show them off. Luke’s got an infinite supply of wild oregano from his garden, so expect to see it everywhere, bringing a nice lemony herbal note to proceedings

Rubbish picture, but it’s been a runway success when we have run this dish on our Sunday menus: smoked sardines, ricotta, piquillo pepper on ushers sourdough toast. Smoked in-house to satiate our obsession with smoking things in hay. Props to Pets At Home for the supply of the herbal gear. you know it’s just a great dish of lots of nice things, the piquillos are some of the best I’ve ever had and have come from. This would be my pick

On to the mains and we have a bistro classic. Chicken cordon bleu with creamed spinach. I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, but the guys at hispi beat me to the punch a couple of months ago. But it’s my time to shine now, guys. The name doesn’t give much away about what it actually is….

Think smoked black forest ham, think melty Gruyère cheese all wrapped in a chicken breast, then breadcrumbed. Up there with the schnitzel for me as a death row meal. If you are thinking this is the heaviest meal around, you’re not wrong, but don’t worry, you get a wedge of lemon to lighten everything up.

My oozing cut through shot was awful, so I’ll leave that one to your imagination

I’ve plundered the thriving Italian bistro scene for this dish. Aubergine parmigiana, with wild rocket. Thin slices of aubergine have been fried in olive oil and then marinated with some wild oregano and lemon, then layered up with a rich tomato sauce made with the good tomatoes (Mutti, iykyk), all topped off with enough parmesan to make an Italian blush. I’ve added some mozzarella to the top as well I’ll be honest, because I’m basic and I love a stret