Christmas Past

Happy New Year, kittens! It was a few weeks ago, but here are some photos from Christmas, when all I did was eat a lot and have marathon sessions of movie-and-TV-show-watching. 

A rather unfortunate gingerbread man fell into my coffee. 

We had homemade gingerbread biscuits for breakfast on Christmas morning, made with the recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I like my gingerbread really spicy, so I always add twice as much ginger to the recipe when making. 

La Table de Anges

Last night in Paris, and we were hoping for a great meal with end the trip with a bang. Trouble was, we'd left it until pretty late in the evening, and so decided an amble down Rue des Martyrs might turn up something. First impressions weren't too promising though, as most of the shops were shut. Just as we were about to give up and get a kebab from one of the many kebabs shops on Boulevard Clichy, we spotted a welcoming glow from La Table des Anges. Upon entering, we were greeted with a hearty 'Bonsoir!' and asked if we had a reservation. The place was heaving, and for a moment I thought we might have to resume our search for food. Fotunately, the friendly waiter asked us to wait, and in a couple of minutes, we were ushered to a little table between two large, boisterous groups. 

Complimentary plate of shaved ham

So, you're probably used to getting complimentary baskets of bread from restaurants. Well, this place went one better, and presented us with free ham! I don't even know even words to express how awesome that is, especially when it's freshly shaved, paper-thin, fluffy and just the right amount of salty. I didn't think to ask what kind of jambon it was, but there was a whole hunk of it in the corner of the restaurant, sitting on top of an industrial-looking meat-shaver machine (I don't actually know what those machines are called?). 

White asparagus and salad

We didn't have to wait to long for our starters to arrive. Manbacon's white asparagus was simply steamed, and topped with a fresh salad. The creamy-yellow spears were buttery soft, and a far cry from the limp disappointments you get in those supermarket tins. A great example of 'less is more' when it comes to good, fresh produce. 

My lobster bisque was surprisingly large - that bowl in the picture was as big as my face, and filled to the brim. In some poncy restaurants that would have been a rather pricey main course. Anyway, not a bad thing, since I was starving. The soup itself had a velvety texture, accompanied by a lovely marine taste from the shellfish. Like eating sea velvet. And then, of course, a generous parcel of ravioli at the bottom, plump and covered in a beautifully thin, almost translucent dough. I took my time with the soup so I could savour the taste as long as possible. 

Lobster bisque with crayfish ravioli

Alas, it wasn't a bottomless bowl of soup, so I eventually finished it rather than have it go cold. Because we'd had such a good experience with duck the night before, we both decided to chance it and ordered the duck again.

Magret de canard with potatoes and warm salad

The friendly waiter had asked how we wanted our duck cooked, to which we both replied 'pink'. Because overcooked duck is a culinary sin. If last night's dish was good, this was mindblowing! It came perfectly pink and juicy, with lightly seared skin and a (un)healthy layer of fat inbetween. Perfectly cooked duck like this is the reason I find it impossible for me to go vego. The dish came with a light, warm salad of shredded courgettes, carrots and mushrooms, which reminded me of those shredded salads you get in banh mi and Vietnamese noodle dishes. The only bit I didn't enjoy were the potatoes - just a bit too dry, and nowhere as fantastic as the dauphinoise I enjoyed the night before. 

No dessert, as even my dessert stomach was filled. However, the friendly barman did charm us into having a digestif, and chose a light, apple flavoured liqueur for me to try. Manbacon reckoned it was 'too girly' for his tastebuds (he had cognac instead), but I enjoyed it. Fully sated, we managed to exchange a few words in broken French and English with the lovely staff, and promised we would return the next time we were in Paris. Soon, I hope...

La Table de Anges

66 Rue des Martyrs

75009, Paris

France

Chez Pommette

On our third night in Paris, Manbacon and I decided to try out Chez Pommette, a little restaurant we'd seen the day before while exploring Montmartre. The red exterior and handwritten menu on blackboards made the place seem warm and inviting. However, a glance through the window showed only two people (a rather stern-faced middle-aged couple) in the restaurant, even though it was dinner time and other eateries nearby were packed. A bad meal at home is unpleasant but easily brushed off, but a bad meal on holiday, when you have so little time to try out all that a city has to offer, can feel devastating. I wasted stomach space on this? Still, it was getting late, and we were starving, so we entered with a little bit of trepidation...and received a warm welcome from the only waiter in the place, who told us to seat ourselves wherever we wanted. 

Carrot veloute (it's what fancy people call soup)

I was craving duck, but a perusal of the menu showed no such meat on offer...until the waiter set the specials board down, and there it was, the magic word - canard. 

We started with the carrot veloute - thick, rich and velvety, a world apart from lacklustre Tetrapack supermarket soups. It was intensely moreish, and went very nicely with the complimentary basket of crusty baguette slices on the side. I was trying very hard not to lick the bowl when I got to the bottom!

Duck breast with potato dauphinoise

Next up, the main event - a glistening magret de canard served with a rectangle of potato dauphinoise. We asked for the duck to be served pink, and it came out beautifully so, with the skin seared til crispy and a little layer of fat beneath it. It came with a sauce made with some little dark berries - not quite sure what they were exactly, juniper or sloe, maybe - the tartness of the berries helped lift the meatiness of the duck breast. Oh, and I'm pretty sure dauphinoise is my favourite way of eating potatoes (yes, even more than chips). This particular example was especially memorable, with the potatoes sliced thinly and evenly coated  with creamy goodness. We'd be eating them every other day if I wasn't so lazy. 

Ile flottante 

We were both completely stuffed, but there was dessert to be had. I love ile flottante, and it's easy enough to make, but it's just never really occurred to me to make it at home for a fancy dessert. Anyway, this version was slightly marred by the ratio of meringue to custard. Too big a blob of meringue (also a bit too toothachingly sweet), sitting in a sad, shadow little pool of custard. More iceberg in a puddle than the delicate floating islands they are meant to be. Please sir...I want some more (custard). 

Still, that wasn't enough to destroy what was overall a very enjoyable meal. One more thing - our little tip seemed to please the waiter inordinately. He smiled and waved to us so enthusiastically as we were walking out that I thought his hand might start a hurricane all on it's own. For a moment there, I thought I might have  accidentally left him a €50 note. Maybe he's just always this happy when customers leave the restaurant? Will you let me know if you happen to eat there too?

Chez Pommette

86 Rue Lepic

75018 Paris

France

Duck and Waffle

Happy New Year, peeps! Now that the festivities are over and we're back to our usual (grumpy) selves, let's rewind back a few weeks to the Friday before Christmas, when I met up with the Bake Club crew for an apocalyptic meal at Duck and Waffle. We decided on the venue purely because of it's status as London's highest restaurant - a good view of the proceedings is necessary if you're watching the world end.

Getting up to the venue was akin to being in a SuperMario game - first you have to get past the scary dragon (a Jonathan Ross-alike doorman without the rhotacism but armed with an enormous clipboard), then board the lift for the flight up to the 40th floor (rather exciting and earpopping), then get looked up and down by a black-clad, sylph-like figure, before finding your way through the labyrinth (of tables and much too cool and shiny diners) and finally ending up at the table where the rest of your motley crew awaits. Don't forget to collect your mushrooms on the way!

Spicy ox-cheek doughnut with apricot jam

Raw scallop with apple, lime and black truffle

Carlingford rock oysters served with lemon, Tabasco sauce and red wine vinaigrette 

Rosemary and garlic bread

Let us start with the starters. We were intrigued by the ox-cheek doughnut, which isn't something you see on menus everywhere. I don't remember much about the taste of the meat itself, except that it was tender and went very well with the sweet jam. I must try and seek out ox-cheek more often. The sliced scallop came beautifully presented on a block of pink Himalayan salt. However, the apple that came with the scallop was bland and had the texture of styrofoam. Styrofoam - good for finishing up school projects, not so much for eating. Fotunately, the generously-sized oysters helped redeem the seafood section's pride. Bread...I don't remember much about you, except that you looked like a focaccia and was nicely chewy.

Cornish fish stew - fish of the day with baby vegetables

Angus burger with Gruyere, onion jam and chips

I didn't taste the Angus burger, although the general reception from the others seemed to have been positive, so if you're the type who goes for burgers, go for it. It's probably a good choice. The fish stew was the priciest item on the menu, but was bountifully filled with fish and vegetables. I intend to revisit the place just so I can order it and have it all to myself.

Duck and waffle - confit of duck leg, waffle, duck egg and maple syrup

And now to the eponymous duck and waffle dish - a confit of duck leg, served with a waffle, fried sunny side  up duck egg, and ranekin of maple syrup. The skin was salty and crispy, just the way I like it. However, my enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I discovered the meat wasn't fall-off-the-bone tender. In fact, a knife had to be used to encourage it off the bone! (I know...how devastating.) My preference is towards a fork-tender confit - it means much less work for the lazy and is also much easier to handle for the clumsy. The egg was perfectly cooked though, and went nicely with the waffle and maple syrup. I've actually been thinking of getting myself a waffle iron after that meal, just so I can breakfast on fried eggs and maple syrup. It seems like it might be just the right meal for lazy weekend mornings.

Also, here's a view of the kitchen if you fancy that sort of stuff. Their waitstaff are generally on the goodlooking end of the spectrum, if that sort of thing interests you. You eat with your eyes, and all that...

Duck and Waffle

Heron Tower

110 Bishopsgate

London EC2N 4AY