In this edition: French pastry, Dorset crab and a lorra lorra lamb
The French – Adam Reid’s Lamb
You wait all your life for a definitive book on English sheep and then two come along. Last year delivered Philip Walling’s breed by breed exploration Counting Sheep, and, more personal, James Rebanks’ best-selling The Shepherd’s Life about rearing Herdwicks in the Lakes. The Herdwicks’ wool is acclaimed but the flesh is better, especially when given a masterpiece treatment by Adam Reid, exec chef at Simon Rogan at The French, where the tender lamb loin with its sweet fat sat pinkly beautiful in its jus amid spring greenery of grilled courgette and broad bean with a ramson dressing. A deep-fried sweetbread was a succulent counterpoint. Neil Sowerby
The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS. Tel: 0161 236 3333.
The Church Green - Pea Soup and Ham Hock £6
This is a proper pea soup. Thick, textured, rugged, so solid you could walk an army over it. It comes with a generous hunk of ham hock which is as muscular as the soup but delivers a rich meaty blast, never overwhelming the flavours but always bolstering them. Simple dishes can be unexpectedly complex and easy to spoil. Aiden Byrne's team here deliver simplicity to perfection. Jonathan Schofield
The Church Green, Church Green, Warburton, Lymm, WA13 9SS. Tel: 01925 752068
Tapeo & Wine - Grilled Veggies
It’s clear to Gordo that the Spanish have been festering for the past 428 years since Queen Elizabeth I whipped King Phillip II of Spain’s arse by sending Drake and Howard to demolish The Spanish Armada. Now the shifty, shiny ones are invading by stealth, through restaurants rather than Galleons. With about three hundred and eighty now open around Deansgate, don’t be surprised if you wake up one day and see the Spanish flag flying over Town Hall (to be fair, Gordo for one would welcome such a thing. Madrid isn’t so adverse to cars, for one, and a storm on the castle is probably the only way we'll ever get Sir Richard 'Tricky' Leese out of office).
However, let's get to the point. The new Spanish boy in town, Tapeo, is open. Gordo, during dinner and as an afterthought, ordered a plate of grilled veggies for a laugh. Oh dear. He really liked them. Chargrilled aubergine, asparagus, tomatoes and peppers, brushed with some top olive oil and sprinkled with crunchy sea salt and cracked pepper along with a few herbs made the whole thing magical. Gordo
209 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3NW. Tel: 0161 832 2770
Lunya – Morcilla
There was once a heated kerfuffle over a certain Manchester hotel restaurant using Stornoway black pudding instead of our own native Bury breed. Well, we’re all European now (for the moment anyway) and can appreciate the charms of Spanish blood pudding, of which Morcilla de Burgos is the king. Lunya have served it me before but substituted a Catalan version for one of their new summer menu dishes. The moist and toothsome morcilla was rolled in cornflakes, deep-fried and served with an orange and honey syrup with pomegranate molasses. As you may gauge from the flavourings, its roots are in Andalucia. Owners Peter and Kinsella discovered its like on a trip to Ronda. Neil Sowerby
Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BB.
The Garden - Earth Bowl
The so-called ‘clean eating’ trend has passed Manchester (and our offices) by a little bit, as we can’t imagine a life without our favourite food groups - butter, cheese or wine. However, if you are in mood for something cosy and nourishing, then you could do a lot worse that the earth bowl with maca marinated chicken from The Garden in Hale. Not, it’s not a big bowl of soil, but a comforting, lightly spiced tagine with herby quinoa (formerly a curse word round these parts) and a zingy citrus yoghurt. The chicken is marinated in trendy maca, reputed to be ‘nature’s viagra’. We’ll leave it up to you whether you think that is taking ’bursting with health’ a bit too far. Lucy Tomlinson
154 Ashley Rd, Hale, Altrincham WA15 9SA. Tel: 0161 941 6702
Bisou Bisou - Millefueille
Gordo walked into Bisou Bisou in Didsbury last week, the patisserie of his proper French pal, Alex Moreau (of 63 degrees fame). He opened this place around twelve months ago, and should probably, looking at his expanding waistline, take a job at the excellent fruit and veg shop across the road, such is the swelling of his waistline. Still a handsome boy mind you.
Anyway, this place is good. And this from a man whom, working in Paris for six months in the eighties, still remembers his daily lunch from Fauchon, arguably the greatest patisserie in the world. The millefueille were awesome. Moreau’s here are every bit as good, if not a little better. The pastry crunches all the way through, whilst a fantastically light back taste of burnt caramel and cream is so lush it tastes like angel tears on the tongue. Go eat one right f***ing now. Gordo
663 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester M20 6RA. Tel: 0161 222 4480
Hawksmoor – Tamworth Pork Belly Ribs
The pigopedia Hog by Richard Turner does go the whole hog in celebrating the rare breed porcine plateful. This author, chef, butcher and barbecue buff is responsible for many of Hawksmoor’s signature dishes, celebrated in the current six course Hawksmoor Classics menu, marking the upmarket chain’s decade of carnivorous existence. My favourite dish has to be the ultra-unctuous Tamworth Belly Ribs. Most ribs you get served are the dry, skinny back variety. Dickie Turner cooks this fattier cut (sourced from The Ginger Pig, where else?) low and slow until the meat is starting to pull away from the bone. Re-basted, it is finished at a high heat. What makes it such a treat is the marinade of spices, mustard, maple syrup, molasses, smoked chipotle Tabasco, anchovies, apples and much more. Neil Sowerby
184-186 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WB. Tel: 0161 836 6980
Milk Jam (and Deliveroo) - Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
I swore, when I was asked to go to the first ‘pop up’ dessert and cocktail collaboration between Milk Jam and Deliveroo, that I would only take one bite of each of the six pudding courses. That way, I could get the general gist of each dish without having to pay for it later with a painful 10k run. All was going well until my plan spectacularly failed with course three: ‘Double chocolate clementine brownie ice cream sandwich with a caramel puddle, sea salted chocolate crumble and warm chocolate sauce’.
This one dish was a perfect example of the harmonious relationship between Charlotte ‘Bakeorama’ O’Toole, Claire ‘Ginger’s Comfort’ Kelsey and Nicki ‘Lush Brownies’ Griffiths and a promise of what’s to come when they open permanent premises later this month. One bite put me in a heavenly meditative state only to wake up minutes later with a face full of chocolate crumbs and chocolate sauce smeared all down my front. No change there then. Deanna Thomas
Milkjam will open on Oxford Street later this month.
Salvi’s – Fried Pizza
Though you’d imagine lobbing junk food in the fryer to be a unique preserve of the Scots, many Neapolitans (a mecca for any serious pizza pilgrim) maintain deep-fried pizza to be the classic method. Now Manchester’s favourite adopted Neapolitan, Maurizio Cecco of Salvi’s fame, is serving up bona-fried pizza out of his fifth and newly opened restaurant in Rochdale – in the old Norden Arms. No way near as filthy as it sounds, Salvi’s fried pizza is surprisingly bloated, chewy and light with that beautiful Neapolitan char to the edge. David Blake
The Norden Arms, 539 Edenfield Road, Rochdale OL11 5XH. Tel: 01706 650946
Pot Kettle Black - 'Nduja Baked Eggs
This breakfast creation is the perfect hangover cure… and perfectly healthy. Well, what else would you expect from the rugby pros behind the newly expanded PKB? The basic ingredients are tinned tomatoes, poached eggs, cheese and spicy Italian ‘nduja sausage. The result? A smoky feast that’s even better spooned over sourdough. Ruth Allan
14, Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BW
Stretford Canteen - Onglet Steak
Onglet (or hangar) steak is often ignored cut, except by those sneaky butchers who have obviously been hiding it for themselves. Bursting with a flavour the more expensive cuts often lack, find it at Stretford Canteen served still mooing and accompanied by a simple salad and homemade mustard mayonnaise. Order with a side of triple cooked chips and you have yourself a Sunday night treat. Lucy Tomlinson
16 Moss Rd, Stretford, Manchester M32 0AH
Tapeo & Wine - Secreto Iberico
I just love this. It’s a cut of pork taken from between the shoulder and the loin of the acorn-fed Iberico pig, served chargrilled yet pink in the middle at new tapas restaurant, Tapeo and Wine. The surroundings are as elegant as Madrid’s city streets - and the ‘secret muscle’ goes perfectly with a bottle of earthy Valencian red (Pago de Tharsys Nuestro Bobal, for example). Ruth Allan
209 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3NW. Tel: 0161 832 2770
Sugo - Calamari Ripieni alla Siciliana
I’m really torn having to choose between the two dishes I had at Sugo Pasta Kitchen this month, as both filled me with utter joy. Since the list of ingredients alone take up my allotted word count, I’m going to shelve the excellent seafood broth with Cavatelli I had for main course and mention the stand out starter of Calamari Ripieni alla Siciliana. This was so good I swear I could hear my taste buds sing as I picked up the bowl and drank all the remaining juices – much to the embarrassment of my friends, who you’d think would be used to this sort of behaviour by now.
It translates as baby squid stuffed with fennel, anchovy, pine nuts, garlic, chilli and spinach with pane gratato (crispy breadcrumbs) topped with fresh spring like fennel tops and it was the finest, most balanced dish of perfection I’ve had all year. Deanna Thomas
22 Shaw's Rd, Altrincham WA14 1QU. Tel: 0161 929 7706
Harvey Nichols - Dorset Crab
Chef Matthew Horsfield is on to a winner here. This elegant crab dish is simply beautiful, packed with flavours, including some delightful slender crisps cum fries. This is such a finely crafted plate of food it could double up as a dessert as much as a starter. Sat in the window watching the world go by beneath and chugging on the cracking Austrian Riesling makes for a happy afternoon. Jonathan Schofield
Harvey Nichols, New Cathedral Street, Manchester, M1 1 AD. Tel: 0161 828 8898
Finally… For The Love Of Lamb
The second week in June was a big one for Gordo on the eating front, even by his standards. Included was a dinner at The French, with head chef Adam Reid producing his six hundred and twenty eight course taster menu; Losehill Manor's exec chef, Darren Goodwin, showing off his stuff (another 12 courses) for new gaff, Grafene, opening in the old Brasserie Blanc site just off King Street; and a fit-looking and remarkably laid-back Aiden Byrne at Manchester House.
Each delivered a fine lamb chop course, which, at this time of year (when the good guys are sourcing their produce well), is the best time for this meat. Well, Gordo thinks so. Others may well disagree.
Goodwin's lamb chopThere are two tricks with lamb. Firstly, don’t overcook the meat - it really does need to be pink and juicy. Then, it needs fat, certainly on the chop. The fat delivers good ‘mouth feel’ as well as flavour. Though it needs to be crisp on the outside for texture. Slimy has no place here.
One lamb scored a perfect 10/10 (Adam Reid with a clear move away from test-tubery), Aiden Byrne a 9.5 (jus not quite reduced enough, a minor problem and usually unnoticed) and Chef Goodwin a 9. The Goodwin chop was as good as Reid’s when it came to the jus, but Reid included sweetbreads dealt with in a masterful way, delivering a silk purse and not a pigs ear. Chef Goodwin had added on some, er, lamb confit? Gordo’s advice is fuck that off, add either black pudding or home made haggis (but not Scottish black pudding, work of the devil that) and leave an extra couple of centimetres on the bone. All three showed great pedigree, with fat trimmed (but not too much - it gives the dish flavour people) and perfectly crispy. Yum. Gordo
Byrne's lamb chopThe French, The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS. Tel: 0161 236 3333 / Manchester House, 18-22 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BZ. Tel: 0161 835 2557 / Losehill House, Lose Hill Lane, Derbyshire S33 6AF. Tel: 01433 621219.
