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

Edible Paris

Hot Cross Buns

Isn't it tough getting back to work after a four day weekend? An ample supply of hot cross buns should help ease the transition back. These were made with Nigella's recipe, and are supposed to yield 16 smallish buns. I like big buns (and I cannot lie), so decided to make 8 larger ones instead. 

Another change - I didn't have proper mixed dried fruit, so indeed of running to the shops, I made do with dried cranberries, candied ginger, glace cherries and chocolate chips. Rather unorthodox, but tasty! I'd also like to point out that my crosses look much neater than Nigella's scraggly efforts. Piping bag, you have come in handy once again.

Glazing the bun with a sugar syrup.

Eat fresh out of the oven with lashings of butter. For older buns, slice one in half and toast it for a couple of minutes, then eat with lashings of butter. It helps make the following week much easier to bear. 

Click here for Nigella's recipe.

One Night In Paris (Part Deux)

Sorry to inundate you with more Paris photos, but well...maybe I'm not really sorry! It is impossible to go to Paris and not want to take a gazillion photos. And yes, of course gazillion is a proper number. The photo above was taken on the steps just outside the Sacre Coeur - there's a platform where you can see almost all of Paris. 

We also had escargots - it probably isn't to everyone's taste, but Shad and I loved it so we were looking forward to it all day. These ones were pretty good, served with lots of herby garlic butter and not overcooked. They came with some fancy forks and special escargot tongs, and we had to concentrate on handling the tongs to avoid a repeat of that scene in Pretty Woman. You know the one...she's in a fancy restaurant and has to use the tongs to pick up her snails and her dinner ends up flying off into a waiter's face. We were both too hungry to remember the name of the restaurant, but there are plenty of places around Montmartre serving them up if you want to have a go.

Shad and I also paid a visit to Shakespeare and Company - it's a haven for bibliophiles, and has been visited by writers including William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Henry Miller. There is an antiquarian section, as well as a lending library and some boxes outside containing a selection of curiosities you never knew you needed. 

One night is Paris simply isn't enough...

English's Of Brighton

A visit to Brighton isn't complete without some seafood, and we certainly indulged in our fair share while there. Manbacon and I had made a reservation for a table at English's of Brighton, but on a wintry Sunday night, there was more than enough space. We were one of only four couples dining at the restaurant that night (and the only ones under 35!). 

The cosy dining room has a lovely fin de siecle feel to it, with it's many mirrors and Toulouse-Lautrec-style paintings on the walls. It gets much narrower at the back, with red velvet banquettes lining the walls, and narrow little tables in front. The space is so tiny that guests have to sit side-by-side instead of facing each other. It was comfortable enough while we were there, with one other couple sitting diagonally across us (the table on the left in the photo above). However, I imagine it would get terribly claustrophobic on busy days, and you'd be trying to eat with someone else's elbow wedged into your shoulder.

Starter of brown bread, butter and mackerel pate

We started with a small basket of brown bread accompanied by butter and mackerel pate. It was tasty but not particularly memorable. The pate wasn't very mackerel-y tasting, just sort of a smoothly blended lump of fish paste.

Seafood platter - two levels of oysters, clams, mussels, prawns, crab and lobster

As you can see, we decided to splurge on the cold seafood platter - a massive two tiers of boiled prawns, mussels, clams, dressed crab, potted shrimp, lobster and raw oysters, as well as some smoked salmon on toast. The platter was accompanied by several lemon wedges, as well as a little ramekin of mayonnaise. 

Smoked salmon on bread, part of the seafood platter

Cthulhu arises from the deep

The platters are fairly expensive, but then again, you get a LOT of food. Most of the shellfish was wonderfully fresh and succulent, and the oysters were generously sized. My only (very slight) gripe was that the prawns were fairly dry and overcooked. The potted shrimps were encased in loads of butter, so much so that even butter-loving Manbacon had to give up after a couple of bites. We should have used the toast supporting our smoked salmon as a base for the potted shrimps, but we're always so much wiser in hindsight, arent' we? 

Dressed crab, partially undressed

Panna cotta on spiced fruit compote

There was no stomach space left for dessert at the end (in fact, Manbacon insisted he didn't want any - foolish human) but I managed to conjure up a second stomach to fit it in. I opted for the panna cotta, served with a spiced fruit compote, and suddenly Manbacon decided he could find some space for dessert, after all. It was a lovely, light end to the meal - the creamy treat slipped down very easily, and managed to leave me feeling refreshed for the short walk back to our hotel.

English's of Brighton

29-31 East Street

Brighton

BN1 1HL

Cranberry and Walnut Chocolate Muffin

No proper recipe yet - this is what happens when you wake up one morning and decide to throw some ingredients together. The result smells wonderfully chocolate-y, and weighs a ton due to amount of cranberries and walnuts stuffed inside. It came out rather dry though, which is why I'm going to redo it and add more moisture to it before I write down a recipe. A dollop of clotted cream on top certainly helps with the dryness though. 

Boutteau, Dunkirk

As I mentioned a couple of posts back, we took a daytrip to France two Saturdays ago. The ferry arrived in Dunkirk around lunchtime - perfect. After a quick sandwich, the three of us wandered around town and had a look at the market before we spotted Botteau. Time for dessert!

Its display cases were filled with dainty, delicious jewel-hued pastries, drawing us in like a siren song. What to choose? Everything looked too good, too colourful. It took me an age to decide on one, and even then I wanted more. 

Our travel companion J choose a flan, without really having a clue what it was. He seemed a bit disappointed by his choice, but I thought it was great. Creamy, slightly sweet, and rather light too. 

I finally decided on a frangipoire - a glazed frangipane tart with sliced pear, topped off with a chocolate button inscribed with 'Boutteau' in gold. It was wonderful, sweet and moreish, with a slight tartness provided by the glaze. 

Manbacon went with the chocolate bombe, a huge, round sugar grenade of a dessert. The meringue core was surrounded by a layer of chocolate, and coated with more chocolate, and finally dusted with icing sugar. Spectacular looking, but rather too sweet for me. 

Boutteau

19 Bart Jean Bart

59140 Dunkirk

France

Histoire Ancienne, Calais

So, you're not supposed to judge books by their covers, but sometimes, just sometimes, it's perfectly acceptable to judge restaurants by their exteriors. Especially when you turn out to be right. 

Historie Ancienne was easily the best-looking joint in town, especially when the rest of the town was in a fairly battered state due to roadworks when we were there. The restaurant was just as handsome inside, filled with plenty of leather and brass 1930s-style booths, and black and white photos and paintings of naked ladies. 

Bread basket with assorted breads, butter, sea salt, chilli flakes and taramasalata

Starter - monkfish tartare, herbs, and pipette with oil and flavourings

It was the first time I've had a dish with a plastic pipette in it - very exciting! The monkfish tartare was delicious and substantial, made even more interesting by the savoury herb-infused oil from the pipette. 

Starter - foie gras terrine

Little grunts of pleasure were coming from Manbacon's side of the table, so I took that as a sign that his foie gras starter was highly enjoyable. 

Main - White fish, rice and oysters

My main was another sculptural dish - don't the little sticks poking out of the rice oblong remind you of a robot head? Delicious fish again, but the oysters were the real winner here. 

Main - veal liver with root vegetable mash

Manbacon had no complains about his veal liver - in fact, he was too busy savouring it all to speak much. 

Although we were stuffed to the gills by the time we finished our mains, we had to get dessert too. The creamy, sweet sabayon was complemented with a cold, slightly tart raspberry (I think?) sorbet, not too heavy, but the perfect end to an already wonderful meal. 

Dessert - Sabayon with strawberries and sorbet

I'm saving my pennies and planning on another trip across the Channel soon, just to sample more of the menu. 

Histoire Ancienne

20 Rue Royale

62100 Calais 

France