Lamberts: Balhams best kept secret

Seared Venison, Crispy Shoulder and Hazelnut and Shallot dressing

The Sunday Times cheap[ish] eats came out not so long ago and Lamberts was listed under the South London section. I'd completely forgotten about this little gem on our doorstep. I last ate there about 3 or 4 years ago on a date and although I don't remember what I ate then,  I do remember coming away thinking I must go back with everyone I have ever known and loved. Then I promptly forgot about it and moved on. What a mistake to have made! This place should be on my 'go-to list when visitors come over from outside the UK or when friends ask where they should go to eat in South London. This place should be on my blog as it has the very best of British seasonal produce and the kind of food that everyone should be eating right now.

The restaurant is unassuming and low key - you may walk straight past it. It's just a few doors away from the station and the Balham traffic mayhem at the cross roads make this an unlikely location for a restaurant with such high standards of good looking food. The website is nice and simple and booking online was dead easy. The menu also reads like a dream and best of all it offers 3 courses for £30!! Bargain!

The decor inside is unfussy and the staff are knowledgable and friendly. They glided around us like a well choreographed chorus of dancers attending to everyones needs in a constant flow. And then they left us alone to enjoy and converse without interuptions. What more could you ask for? Well the food, of course!

Chargrilled Mackerel, Beetroot and Horseradish
 

I had the seared Venison for my starter. I wasn't sure what the crispy shoulder would entail and I was pleasently surprised to get a hot ball of venison, crunchy on the outside and soft and succulent pulled meat on the inside, bursting with flavour. The hazelnuts gave the necessary crunch and I was one happy bunny. Across the table, hubby dined on Mackerel, beetroot and horseradish - 3 strong flavour contenders but they make for the perfect menage a trois. They were all in perfect harmony - none overpowering the other.

Whole roasted Plaice, Spinach, Tenderstem Broccoli, Caper and Parsley Butter Sauce

My main was the most elegantly presented whole fish I have ever seen and someone went to a lot of bother to make sure the veg and the sauce served with this perfectly cooked fish was spot on. No complaints from me - I would eat it all over again this morning!

28 day aged Longhorn rump. braised oxtail, potato fondant and shallots

The hubbys main of rump and braised oxtail was tender and mouthwatering. I think the crispy onion rings on top was genius for a bit of crunch. I did have a pang of food envy when this plate arrived but then I got so absorbed by my fish that I didn't care. I have to try it next time!

Baby gem, fennel and black pudding
 

I also had to try a side dish of baby gem lettuce, fennel and black pudding as I had never seen this combination before. Hubby who actually doesn't like the individual components of this dish on their own, proclaimed that together, the dish worked and he would eat it again. I must make this at home - a side dish that was as good a treat as the mains!

I said no to pudding as usual but asked for just a slice of Chedder from their Cheese course [without the chutney or oatcakes] as I was too full for anything else. Hubby had the Thyme roasted plums - and wasn't pleased when I kept stealing his honey comb crumble [most delicious - especially delicious when stolen]. Now that master chef has taught us all how to make honeycomb in the technical test for professionals, this is something I may also try making at home for hubby.... then steal it from him again.

Thyme roasted plums, Honey Ice cream and honeycomb crumble

 

This satisfying 3 course dinner was accompanied by a very reasonably priced Spanish Verdejo [£18] which is a rare entity in most wine lists. I doff my greedy food hat to these guys at Lamberts. I shall return - with my nearest and dearest, as soon as possible. There are more things on the menu that I must sample!

 

Good eats in Zurich

Creamy Veal and Mushrooms with Rosti

I have just come back from a weekend in Zurich and I'd like to share my foodie experience and give my recommendations for those who may venture out there at some point.

I did not know what to expect, as Zurich has never been on my radar for a culinary experience. I thought it was all Swiss cheese or chocolate fondues. A friend [Thank you Natascha!] recommended some restaurants and emphasised that I should try her favourite Swiss dish called Zuercher-geschnetzeltes-mit-roesti [sorry I can't pronounce it either!]  -  a classic Swiss dish of Veal and Mushroom in a cream sauce with a very large potato rosti.

We decided that we had to try the food at Zeughaus Keller – a large rustic restaurant serving typical Swiss fare[ http://www.zeughauskeller.ch/] . Locals and tourists love it and it seems to always have a queue out the door – which I think is a good sign in any country! It’s huge inside with large wooden tables shared with other diners, crazy decor [a machine gun above the entrance door, lots of ski helmets on the walls and portraits of Bavarian warriors] and it has the delicious aroma of sizzling sausages. Sausages vary in every country. Nothing beats a British banger in my opinion but it all reflects on where you grew up. I find that sausages outside of the UK are all a bit too processed and plastic for my taste – like Hot Dogs/Savaloys or Frankfurters. Tasty but too rubbery and not meaty enough!

I tried the classic veal dish at Zeughause Keller and it was very good indeed. It may have been a tad too salty for even my savoury taste buds and there was a lot of cream with it but the veal was succulent and tender. I was also impressed that we got some fresh veggies like steamed spinach and green beans with onions to go with it. 

All the trolleys of food exiting the kitchen were basically large lumps of sizzling meat and potatoes of some form! The menu was a carnivores’ delight. The desserts coming out looked hefty and stodgy and I had no desire to sample any after the main as I was stuffed!

For dinner,  we tried a special occasion restaurant,  also recommended by the same friend, and this was a real treat. Veltliner Keller [http://www.veltlinerkeller.ch/ ] was shut during the day and the website says it’s closed all weekend but we got the hotel to ring for an evening slot and turned out they were open – perhaps they do that to keep the tourists out! It was an intimate dinner experience in a romantic old fashioned room with all local people. The menu was impressive as was the Swiss white wine we sampled. 

After the very filling lunch I decided to go for lighter options at dinner. So I had the tuna carpaccio for my starter followed by a whole grilled Sole with veggies. I was very happy to have been served one fillet then the other on another plate – it felt like I had 2 main courses! Hubby had Veal this time with what they call noodles but it looked exactly like pasta to me! He followed his main with lime sorbet with champagne. I would have happily gone here again to try more seasonal dishes. The couple next to us were having Venison and it looked spectacular. The service was sleek and the whole experience was very stylish.

Unfortunately for tourists of a foodie nature rather than the museum going type, the city is completely dead on a Sunday. Nothing is open – apart from a couple of places in Sihlcity. This area houses the Arena cinema and every one and their grandma was at the movies on this very wet and dreary sunday. Next door to the cinema is a great Pizza/Pasta joint which had rather an odd concept of dining. Its called Vapian [http://www.vapiano.de/frame.php?lang=de&section=home] and you get a card like a credit card when you go in. Then you go up to a different food stations to order and swipe your card at each one. There was a salad bar, a pizza bar, a pasta bar and a risotto bar. Despite the confusing system, the pizza we had was great – thin crust, no soggy bottoms and an array of lovely toppings. I must say pizza features heavily in this town and they are not bad at all. 

Atrio

There seems to be lots of sexy pizza houses here including one at the railway station – Atrio [ http://www.pizzeria-atrio.ch/e/pizzeria-atrio/pizzeria-atrio/seite540.html]: it's a pizzaria in a room that was for 1^st class passengers in the olden days. It’s a very impressive room with high ceilings and a feeling of 1940’s glamour and the pizzas are also 1^st class.

Another typical dish here seems to be steak tartare – I had a really spicy one at the hotel bar and was really delighted to get red hot chilli sauce with it. The meat was so fresh and well combined with flavours that it was a very smooth contender with lots of capers, pickles and onions for extra texture. Overall I had a good food experience in Zurich. It’s a nice city with a pretty lake and a lovely cobbled old town with interesting bars. If I had more time and any room in my belly I would have tried the raclette/fondue options although I would have to find someone else to go with as hubby hates cheese with a passion and won’t step foot in any of those places.

Zurich is easy to get to – it was 1.5hr on easyjet from Gatwick. There is a train that takes only 10min into the city centre and from there you can get trams everywhere. The tram pass also doubles up as a train pass and is valid for 24hrs. It’s nice to walk around – the lake is gorgeous as is the old town with the river, the churches and the drinking fountains. People are smart & well dressed and they speak a million languages. Everyone speaks English so there is no communication issues but they are a shy bunch so be prepared to put in some effort to get them chatting to you and to get them to stay out! Here's to the lovely randoms I met in Zurich and here's to the good grub I had this weekend. Natascha - I owe you a meal. Fancy coming round for some Veal?

Sharing the meat love - Part II

4kg Leg of lamb

Meat giving festivals!

Sharing food with people during celebrations and festivals is an age old tradition no matter what your religion or beliefs.  Once a year we feast on Turkey at Xmas. At Easter we gorge on chocolate. Then there is Eid twice a year. The most recent Eid festival for Muslims was the Eid that is known as the Festival of Sacrifice. During this occasion many immigrant families pay for the slaughter of a whole animal here in the UK and also back in the villages of the old country. The meat is then divided and distributed to friends, family and the poor in their home villages. This tradition of meat giving is awesome and I was lucky enough to receive a 4kg whole leg of lamb from my parents this weekend!

I researched many different recipes on line and Madhur Jaffrey’s version of spicy yogurt lamb got me excited. I read a few more similar recipes on line and came up with this creation which worked a treat. I would have liked to have marinated the leg for 24 hours but it was too big for the fridge and there were hungry people available to treat and feed!

Cinnamon, Cumin, Black peppercorns, Cloves and Cardamom pods

Garlic, Onion, Ginger

I made 2 marinades. The 1^st was smeared into slits made in the flesh of the lamb and left for an hour before the 2^nd one was applied. Ideally the meat would then be left overnight before slow roasting for 3-6hrs.

Marinade no.1

1 large onion - peeled and roughly chopped into chunks

8 cloves of garlic - peeled left whole

1 small knob of ginger - peeled

Garam Masala[translates to hot spice mix]: you can use powder but if you make your own you get more of a punch

To make your own Garam Masala dry roast the following:

1 small stick of Cinnamon,

10 whole black Peppercorns,

Seeds of 10 Cardamom pods

2 teaspoons of Cumin seeds  

6 Cloves

Then these are ground into a powder along with one or two teaspoons of

Dry red chilli flakes.

Zest and juice of a lemon

2-3 green chillies chopped up

Salt

Pop all of the above apart from the green chillies into a food processor and grind into a course paste – loosen up with a bit of water if it does not whizz up well in the machine. I added some powdered Garam Masala as well and added the chopped green chillies at the end.

Grinding the Garam Masala ingredients with red chilli flakes

Onion, garlic ginger and lemon paste with extra powdered Garam masala

Yogurt, Ground Almond, Tumeric powder, Nutmeg and Brown sugar

Marinade no.2

Ground almonds – 5/6 tablespoons

Plain fat free yogurt – 1 whole pot

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Grated nutmeg [very small quantity – just a couple of grates]

Brown sugar – 5/6 tablespoons

Mix all these into a thick paste

The 2 marinades ready

1st marinade on

Score the meat - I put deep cuts into the flesh and used a spoon to get the 1st marinade into the slits. The lemon in this paste will start tenderising the meat straight away. After a 1-2 hours smear it with the 2nd marinade so that the yogurt can get to work. Preheat the oven to maximum while the meat marinades and then cover the meat in foil and pop it in at 200 degrees C for 30min before turning down to 180 C for another 2.5hrs. Rest the meat for 30-45min before carving.

I served this with a Butternut Squash curry, Mashed Green Bean salsa and Parathas. The perfect alternative to a Sunday roast - asian style! 

Needless to say even for 5 of us eating that was way too much meat. The left over meat is going to be turned into a curried lamb saag [spinach] for tomorrow! Joy!

Salted Caramel Tarte Tatin

I’m doing dessert this Xmas for the family and I wanted to try something I had never made before and non-traditional. This recipe is courtesy of delicious magazine – the October issue claiming that it’s the best pudding in the world caught my eye. Normally I am not a dessert person, preferring options like cheese to end a meal, but the picture on the front cover made me salivate and I wanted to have a go. Often with dessert recipes I find they never turn out as well as I would hope for but this one worked and I am going to practice making it a few more times to get it absolutely perfect by December!

So here’s what you need:

8 Braeburn apples – peeled, cored and cut in half

200g of golden caster sugar

50g of unsalted butter

½ tsp of flaky sea salt

375 block all-butter puff pastry

Plain flour for dusting

You also need a flat based [about 20cm wide] oven proof frying pan with a handle

The recipe called for all butter puff pastry but I couldn’t find it in the supermarket so I got some puff pastry mix that had to be kneaded with water, folded and rolled out on a clean surface dusted with flour. I managed to follow the instructions and make the pastry but I will try the all butter puff pastry next time. I also only had caster sugar in the house so it wasn’t as golden as it could have been!

So here’s what you do:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C [fan]

Put the sugar in the pan on a low heat with a couple of tablespoons of water and stir to dissolve

Then put the heat up and bubble for 5 minutes and watch it like a hawk as it will turn golden quite quickly – swirl the pan around but don’t stir. Be very careful as the sugar is extremely hot like lava!

Go as dark as you can with the caramel without burning the sugar, before you take it off the heat

Pop the butter in and let it fizzle and melt then sprinkle over the salt

Place the apples cut side up in the pan snugly and fill in any gaps with any extra bits of apple you have

Place the pan back on the heat on low for another 5 minutes

Then remove it from the heat and allow the apples to cool completely

Meanwhile make the pastry or roll it out

Gently place over the pan and trim off the excess before tucking in the edges

Pop it in the oven for 30min and check to see if the crust have risen and turned golden

Rest the pan but drain off the excess liquid carefully into a small pan

Reduce the syrup down to a sticky consistency

Very carefully place a plate over the pan and invert over the sink away from you

Once the tart is turned out, dribble over the syrup and allow to rest

I think my tart turned out pretty similar to the picture in the magazine - it certainly tasted fantastic and was gone within minutes. I will be tweaking the recipe every time I practice - maybe with cinnamon next time and caramelising everything a bit more!

Cornish Hake & Samphire

Cornish Hake with a white bean sauce, potatoes and samphire

Cornish hake in white bean sauce and a side of samphire

Hake is very popular in Spain and after watching an old episode of Rick Steins Spanish tours, I got an idea to adapt the recipe for our Cornish Hake – which is a fab meaty fish with a great light texture. You can find it at supermarket fish counters and they are best on the bone for better flavour.

I was excited to be able to serve this dish up with a side of samphire which is also known as sea asparagus. I've had it in restaurants before and it has a lovely crunch and is as salty as the sea, so you don't need any seasoning for it and it goes very well with all kinds of fish. It can be eaten raw or fried or sauteed with some garlic. I was really pleased to find this being sold at the local supermarket and jumped at the chance to include it to this meal. Nutritionally it aids digestion, it is a diuretic and contains minerals, iodine and vitamins A, C and D. However if you can't find samphire you could always substitute it with a side of good old English asparagus if it is in season or justsome trusty green beans.

Ingredients:

Hake steaks on the bone : ask the fishmonger to scale them. Score them on both sides when you get them home, ready for cooking

For the White bean sauce:

Olive oil [about 2 tablespoons]

1 large onion – peeled and sliced finely
Sea salt and black pepper for seasoning
2 cloves of garlic – peeled and sliced into rounds
½ a lemon for juice
2 or 3 anchovies – finely chopped [canned anchovies in olive oil]
Can of white beans – Cannellini/Butter beans: drained and washed in cold water
½ litre of hot chicken stock with a sprinkle of saffron threads in: make out of stock cube and boiling water or even better if you have some home made stuff

Garnish: chopped up parsley and grated lemon zest

Samphire – washed and drained

Boiled new potatoes – get these on the boil as you cook the fish

Get everything prepared and ready including the hot stock then start the on the sauce for the fish:

 

Cornish Hake scored on each side

 

Lemon, Garlic slices, chopped parsley, lemon zest and chopped up anchovies

Soften the onions in olive oil

 

1.       Fry the onions in a little olive oil [about 2 tablespoons]

2.       When they are soft add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

3.       Add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes  

4.       Add the chopped up anchovies and turn the heat right down- allow them to melt away   

        gently into the onions

5.       Squeeze in some lemon juice

6.       Add the fish on the onions and chuck in the beans

7.       Top with the saffron and hot chicken stock so that the fish has enough liquid to poach in but

        don't drown them

8.       Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on [you may have to adjust the time depending on the

        size of your steaks

9.       Then turn the fish over and sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest

10.   Switch the cooker off and keep the fish covered for another 5 minutes before checking with

        a knife to see if it cooked through. If it isn’t then continue to cook for another 5min on low

        heat. It all depends on the thickness of your fish steaks. If it looks and feels cooked and

        opaque all the way to the bone then take off the heat and set aside. It’s better to slightly

        undercook the fish and allow it to continue gently poaching in its own hot liquid, off the

        heat.

11.   Now get a wok/frying pan really hot – pop in some olive oil and throw the samphire in

        quickly and turn over as fast as you can for just a minute or two and take off the heat

12.   Taste the fish for seasoning and adjust before serving up!