Begone arctic weather

This is my favourite menu so far.
Why?
1) It's all inspired by Spring
2) Spring is the inspiration
3) The Spring influence runs throughout

And to be honest, doesn't the food sound pretty good? We really are getting to grips with some amazing suppliers, Ashlyns, you truly are brilliant. KS Fisheries in Loughton, I could stand in your window for hours...

Do book now for our only April date - Saturday 13th griddleproject@gmail.com, we'd love you to try us out and enjoy all the beginnings of Spring, in our lovely dining room.

Remember, come on your own, in pairs, with a few mates, or book the whole table... we have space for 10 diners.

 

Saturday 13^th April, 2013

To welcome you

Rhubarb Fizz

Rocket Pesto on Crisp Breads

To start you off

Sharing Feast of: Goats Cheese and Wild Garlic Tart, Clams with Sherry and Rye Bread Mops, Ham Hock Salad with English Mustard Mayonnaise Dressing

Another teaser

Duck Egg and Soldiers

The main event

Chargrilled Leg of Lamb, Watercress and Grilled Spring Onion Salad, Miniature Roast Potatoes

If you want more

New Season Rhubarb Meringues, Ginger Snap Shavings

If you still want more

Freshly Ground Coffee, Assam Tea, Dark Chocolate Truffles

Suggested donation £25
griddleproject@gmail.com

Ooops...

Sorry to all those who tried to book a place at our table - we are full for March.

Now I am here, may as well share some recent photos from Griddle nights.

April menu will be up soon.

There is only one available date again, Saturday 13th April... 

Jerusalem Artichoke, Chicory and Toasted Hazelnut Salad

Clams with Garlic and Sherry 

Thank you Ashlyns for the best fillet of beef, ever...

March on down

There is only one date available for you in March (Saturday 2nd). We are not being lazy. We are just very busy.

On the 23rd we are very excited about hosting a table of 10 for a 40th (we love birthdays here), on another weekend we are celebrating our one year wedding anniversary (ridiculous - how does a year go that quickly?) and the rest are dedicated to running half marathons... Due to my recent excessive eating and lack of training, the thought of that starting line sends shivers down my spine!

Enough of me.

Back to you.

Email now to book your place on Saturday 2nd - griddleproject@gmail.com remember there are now places for 12 people, so come on your own, come with another or book the whole table

The Griddle Project

Saturday 2nd March, 2013 

To welcome you

Blood Orange Warmer

Savoury Choux Buns with Cream Cheese and Spring Onion 

To start you off

Sharing Feast of: Goats Cheese and Beetroot Salad, Ham Hock Terrine with Pickle, Grilled Sardines & Rye Toast

Another teaser

Red wine sorbet

The main event

Fillet of Beef with Slow Cooked Cheek, Creamed Potato, Honey Glazed Carrots

If you want more

Chocolate Torte, Greek Yoghurt, Ginger Snap Biscuit

If you still want more

Freshly Ground Coffee, Assam Tea, Short Bread Pieces  

Suggested donation £25

                                                         griddleproject@gmail.com        

Come dine with us in February...

I love eating over Christmas and I am not going to feel bad about that. 

The menu for February may seem like a lot to take on, especially after a heavy Christmas period, but really, come February, you’ll want an excellent night out to look forward to. And we say join us at the Griddle griddleproject@gmail.com  where you’ll have a jolly good old time (our neighbours think our social life is amazing) and will be very well fed indeed.

Be quick to book as we only have two nights available:

Saturday 2^nd February and Saturday 23^rd February.

February Menu

Suggested donation £25

 

To welcome you

Pear Warmer

Gentleman’s Relish on Toast

Kent Cheese Straws

 

To start you off

Sharing feast of: Rare Beef Salad, Mini Essex Onion Soup

 Goats Cheese, Blood Orange and Chicory

 

Another teaser

For the Brave: Bone Marrow, Cornichons, Rye Toast

For the not so Brave: Miniature Sausage Roll

 

The main event

8 Hour Slow Roast Shoulder of Pork, Baked Artichoke and Apples, Steamed Kale 

 

If you want more

Pear and Dark Chocolate Tart, White Chocolate Ice Cream

 

If you still want more

Freshly Ground Coffee, Assam Tea, Hazelnut Brittle

 

        griddleproject@gmail.com        

We’ve had some really fun nights fitting 12 of you in the dining room, so we are going to keep our configuration of two tables set like a squashed ‘L’ for a while... basically that means that you can come with 11 of your friends or meet lots of new random people.

I've just made the incredible Malbec sorbet for Saturday's griddle where 10 lovely guests will be dining at our table. I first had such a sorbet, though it was actually made with beaujolais at Paul Bocuse's restaurant near Lyon and it stayed with me until I finally made it last summer.

 

 

 

Your January fun and game

And so January beckons - and a delightful, seasonal feast awaits you...

Tell us you are in for:
Friday 4th January
or
Friday 11th January
or
Saturday 12th January
or
Friday 18th January

griddleproject@gmail.com

To welcome you

Blood Orange Warmer

Parsnip Crisps

 

To start you off

Sharing feast of: Jerusalem Artichoke Salad, Clams and Rye Bread Mops, Mini Essex Onion Soup

 

Another teaser

Red Wine Sorbet 

 

The main event

Slow Cooked Venison in Hepworth Bitter, Creamy Mashed Potato, Garlic Spiked Kale

 

If you want more

Satisfyingly Heavy Dark Chocolate Mousse, Blood Orange Parfait, Blood Orange Tuille

 

If you still want more

Freshly Ground Coffee, Assam Tea, Shortbread Bites

 

Suggested donation £25

griddleproject@gmail.com

 

 

I love January and the menu is perfect to warm you up and inject excitement into the start of your 2013. Come with your friends, come alone, or book the whole table.
We are always jealous of the fun you lot have while we are slaving away next door.


Er, although this is not a food blog (I cannot compete with the wondrous writing of so many other people out there), I had to tell you how much I have enjoyed this random magazine I picked up in The Farm, Farringdon
I literally spent all my Friday night and most of Saturday morning ploughing through the contents picking out amazing suppliers and foodie events happening all over London. Some people are really, really clever.
http://www.sustainweb.org/jelliedeel/

Take a look, it can only lead to good things.

Actually it's not chicken, it's capon...

When I went to see my lovely butcher for this weekend's Griddle nights, he had a plethora of chicken on display, one of them being 'capon', which of course, I had to try.

Now if you were to see capon in a supermarket, you just wouldn't buy it would you? It's not the most exciting sounding meat. Well, not that you would ever see it in a supermarket...

Googling 'capon' when I got home (the butcher only told me it was a larger, tastier chicken) I read that it is a castrated rooster... this website even describes it as 'boutique!http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-capon.htm apparently it's quite rare (only the best for our diners). The birds are bred for a longer time, so they develop fabulously tasting meat, yum.

And indeed, it is, very very tasty;  our guests got really stuck in. The capon's were poached first and then roasted with a thyme, almond and parmesan crust. So everyone got a good piece of crust, I premade heavily laden parmesan disks to rest on top of the capon before serving. Ugh, I really do hate that word 'capon'. From now on I will refer to it as 'chiquoir', just because I can; this is my blog, I can do what I like.

To give the plate some colour, I also dolloped (no chef smudges here) on some carrot and apple puree - which was lush and not like baby food at all. A sauce of mustard, cream and sage was poured over the chiquoir and diners could help themselves to as much mash and cabbage as they liked.

Oh and finally, we took some pictures... photography is not our forte - it's all about the food at this place.

Here are the two chiquoirs poaching...

 

Almond, thyme and parmesan crust

 

Our brilliant guests (this could be you... book now griddleproject@gmail.com)

 

Waiting for the guests... parsnip crisps and mature cheese pastry nibbles

Where does the time go?

Evening!
I've just finished making my lovely pork and brandy terrine for tomorrow's diners... the kitchen smells incredible.

Quick note to say we are now fully booked on 9th November, 16th November and 17th November.
Dates available for:
26th October
2nd November
3rd November Now gone!
30th November

Scroll down to view the menu now... (if you can't be bothered, rest assured, the menus are fabulous - fine British meat, seasonal veg, mmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhhh amazing puddings)

 

May be able to squeeze in two nights at the end of November, will update soon.

Still forgetting to take decent pictures of food - but had lots of fun with this lot last Friday...