Fine-dining Dolphin style

I have one rule when eating out, which some people think is really strange but I think makes perfect sense: Nobody can order the same as someone else at the table. Now obviously it’s not always feasible to apply this most important of rules,  and I’m not a total stickler for it in groups larger than 4, but,  if it’s just myself and Mr SHC then the rule is the rule. He thinks it’s a bit odd but he’s pretty well used to it now and in general it’s not an issue between the two of us as we don’t tend to order the same thing. Except when it comes to scallops (total aside but is it sc”a”llops or sc”o”llops?) which would both ordinarily have as our first choice starter. Due to my utterly loveliness I very often give in and let him have them to my own detriment and such was the intended situation when we headed down to The Dolphin in Betchworth recently to check out the new chef’s new menu.
Despite proximity to home we’ve not eaten at this pub very often, largely because the menu hasn’t really appealed. It isn’t that long ago that pies were being kept warm on the bar there. Things have progressed but the standard pub fayre on offer lacked excitement and frankly wasn’t worth the effort of leaving home, awesome though the chips admittedly were of late. If you check out the website you’ll perhaps see what I mean as, certainly last time I looked, it hadn’t been updated yet.
It’s with some glee therefore that I’ve been watching updates on the menu on social media and have been really quite excited by the amount of effort that’s gone in to creating something slightly different. Your classics are still there if that’s your thing, but there are some additional extras which are well worth a try.
So, back to the scallops. I had decided to indulge Mr SHC and once the waitress had sat us at our teeny tiny table with its unlit candle (no worries) he pounced on the trio of pan seared scallops with cauliflower puree and chorizo crisp, I mean, who wouldn’t? And is there a better test of a chef (cooking of eggs aside perhaps) than how they cook a scallop? In short, no. I’d been secretly hoping that he’d plunge for the braised rabbit and pistachio terrine (yes, I did say rabbit; yes, this is a pub menu; yes I know exciting isn’t it?) but the scallops won the day. Until he was told there weren’t any left and I chuckled a little inside muttering something alin to “serves you right” inaudible under my breath. So now we have a dilemma. Will he go for the terrine after all? Or will it be the crab, coriander and dill cake? Or will be be super cheeky like me and see if he too can have a half a salad as a starter.
Decisions decided, he went for the duck salad. I’d gone for the seafood salad, because second only to scallops is a prawn cocktail IMHO, particularly if you add the superfood that is avocado into the mix. I was promised a spicy Marie Rose and was not disappointed; it packed a real punch. I was a tad glum at the absence of the avocado and radish on my plate but really did appreciate that the kitchen did prepare both of us something that wasn’t really on the menu. The caramelised baby gem lettuce actually went really well with the juicy crayfish and prawns, I was concerned that it might be slightly bitter but it wasn’t at all and the pan fried king prawn which sat on top of the salad was lovely. Mr SHC’s duck was very well cooked indeed and we managed to get over our initial scallop-related disappointment. I do think the starter options could do with a tweak but we were ultimately both happy with our choices.

So, onto the Mains. Unless you’re a steak devotee or desperately want standard pub grub, then my top would be to ignore the Pub Classics section. Why? Because the next section is so much more exciting: Hake with chorizo, almonds and butter lemon dressing; twice-cooked Dingley Dell pork belly; butternut squash risotto with spinach, almonds and pecorino to name but a few. And then, there’s guinea fowl, which definitely appears to be making a resurgence at the moment which I, for one, am all for. I love everything about guinea fowl, including their awesome pre-plate appearance (google them if you’ve never seen a guinea fowl, you won’t be disappointed!)
The guinea fowl was prepared two ways: A pan-seared breast (there is quite a lot of “pan-searing” going on on the menu by the way); and little balls of confit leg mixed with potato into bon bons and served with garlicky spinach and a potato rosti. It was really rather good. The breast was a bit dry, not uncommon sadly as guinea fowl breast is a tricky customer in that regard. The bon bons though were cooked to perfection. Crispy on the outside, lovely and soft on the inside but they were far too salty which was a real shame. A very well executed rosti sat atop a pile of spinach which was the perfect accompaniment to it: Well cooked, vibrantly green and, most importantly, not at all soggy. I’m always impressed by a really good rosti as I just can’t get the hang of making them at all. The whole dish was superbly surrounded by a pool of a delectably smooth garlic butter. Why a handful of rocket was stuck on top of what was once crispy guinea fowl skin though I have absolutely no idea.

As for Mr SHC he, rather predictably I’m afraid, went for the steak which I’m told was excellent. Refreshing indeed for a “crisp salad garnish” to actually be a reasonable portion of salad and to be well-dressed. You’d be forgiven for not spotting it in the photograph below but, the steak was served with triple-cooked chips. Why these were going soggy underneath the steak really is beyond me. They just about survived the ordeal but what’s the point in going to all of the effort involved in thrice cooking and then covering them up. I just don’t get it.

I forced myself to try the lime posset for dessert as I really, really wanted couldn’t resist. I’d say that I was hoping for more help than I had but that wouldn’t be entirely honest!
It was absolutely delicious and I was genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed the crunchy pistachios on top. The incredibly sweet and juicy raspberries were the best of the season for me and the homemade shortbread was the ideal accompaniment. It was far less sweet than usual which meant it sat really well with the sharp citrus tang of the posset. It was just a shame *presentation moan klaxon again* that I had broken bits of biscuit on my plate.

All in all we really were impressed with what the new team are up to at The Dolphin. This is definitely not just pub grub. It is also very reasonably priced and the wine list is pretty good too. Don’t just take my word for it though, pop along and see for yourself!

Chicken, chorizo and butterbean stew

I came back from Dorking market today loaded with goodies some of which morphed into this dish which was so good I thought I’d share it with you.  You’re welcome, dear reader ☺

There are a couple of magic ingredients which make this dish sing. I’m not fibbing; I’m not just on a “go local” mission; they really do make a difference to the finished dish.

The first is Sussex Smokers’ oak smoked chorizo (I include the link as a point of reference, the site is somewhat lacking at the mo). This is nothing like the orange red sausage you probably think of when you think chorizo.  For starters, instead of being cured, it’s smoked (clue’s in the name) so the texture is more  sausage like than the chewy meat you’ll be used to. The next massive difference is that it’s not full of paprika, hence the colour. Instead it’s full of red chilli and is much hotter than “normal” chorizo. I’d recommend a taste test first, it’s ready to eat straight from the pack, and that you adjust the amount you use according to how much heat you can handle.

The second magic ingredient is Just One More Thing,  one of the brilliant spice blends from Redhill-based Little Spice. It’s full of smokey, peppery chilli flavours and the hint of cumin and fennel seeds really complement the chicken and sausage here. In addition to everything you see below you’ll also want some Pimentón picante (hot smoked Spanish paprika) and I added a courgette and a yellow pepper just to make it a bit more summery (and it means that the dish contains at least 3 of your 5 a day!)

Ingredients

2 free-range, preferably local, chicken supremes (mine came from the farmer’s market)
1/2 Sussex Smokers’ oak-smoked chorizo
1 onion
2 or 3 carrots
3 cloves garlic
Extra veg as desired
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin butterbeans
2 tsp Just One More Thing spice blend
1 tsp pimentón picante

Method

1. First up,  season and brown your chicken in a teaspoon of olive oil.  You can, of course, use whatever cut of chicken you like with this dish: Thighs or skinless and boneless breasts would work just as well, but don’t forget to adjust the cooking time accordingly (longer for thighs – you want the meat falling off the bone; shorter for breasts – you don’t want the meat to dry out). Remove the chicken from the pan once brown on both sides.

2. Next up, put your diced veg and garlic into the same pan – this is one of those dishes for which you should grab the big casserole out of the cupboard.  I know small, uniform diced veg look like a total faff but they’re not, honest. Practice makes perfect – work on your knife skills and you’ll be dicing away with ease in no time! Sweat the veg off over a medium heat for 10 minutes or so.

3. Once your veg has softened, add the sausage (chopped to roughly the same size as the veg), the spice blend and the smoked paprika and give it a good stir to coat the veg and meat in the spices. Then add the tomatoes and butterbeans and, depending on your veg to tomato juice ratio, some chicken stock. You want it to be wet enough so that there’s enough juice for you to be able to bubble it down at the end so that it thickens and the flavours intensify. Bring to the boil for 2 or 3 minutes, then reduce to a gently bubbling simmer.

4. Last up, rest the chicken on top. Don’t push it down into the stew as you want the skin to stay as crispy as possible. Stick the lid on and leave it simmering for 25 minutes or so.

5. Once your chicken’s cooked, remove it from the casserole and leave it to rest while you bring the dish back up to boil and thicken the sauce to meet your own preference. Check the seasoning,  I don’t think it’s a dish that needs black pepper but if you want to add some I won’t be all that cross.

6. Serve it in a gorgeous big bowl with some crusty bread and a chilled glass of Albariño for the authentic Spanish touch.

Stay chilled x

Dorking Farmers’ Market is back!

It’s been a long time coming but today saw the return of the Dorking Farmers’ Market and it’s definitely back with a bang! The sun was shining and Dorking was busy (yes, I did just say that Dorking was busy) and it was great to see so many local producers engaging with us, their enthusiasm for their wares shining through.
I’ll admit it, I’ve spent a small fortune but that’s a good thing as I’ve supported some lovely,  friendly people who have brought me some wonderful treats.
For me,  today’s highlights were some fabulous cheeses from Emilia (I know they’re London based but you know there’s only one cheese made in Surrey, right?); delicious Chalk Hills bread; fabulous sausages, pātés and smoked fish from Sussex Smokers, including Grandad’s awesome wild boar sausages,  and last, but definitely not least Jen’s fabulous cupcakes (and her why-did-nobody-else-think-of-this-already frownies!)
Next time I’m definitely going for a Chimney Cake, and the macarons looked soooo tempting.
As well as fruit and veg, plants, local meat and eggs, jams and chutneys, beautiful handmade wooden bits and bobs and fabulous pies and choccies, there’s also the lovely independent stores and cafés of St. Martin’s Walk to enjoy which makes this the perfect location for the market. I know the guys on South Street would have liked to have seen the market up in their neck of the wood but I don’t think it would work so well as the space just isn’t there. Surely though the point is that anything which brings people into Dorking, so often overshadowed by Reigate, Guildford and even Kingston has to be a good thing and the revival of the Farmers’ Market gives Dorking bragging rights over Reigate,  for a little while at least.
It would be great if some of our local breweries and vineyards could be there next time and maybe the dairies too. Norbury Blue and St  Joan’s Farm are both about to lose an outlet with the closure of The Jolly Farmer’s in Buckland – would be great to see them shouting out about their produce (I am officially addicted to Norbury Blue and there is no ice cream better than St. Joan’s’ IMHO).
One of the real issues for small local producers,  I believe the mot du jour is artisan, is getting their products to the people who want to buy them; it’s accessibility. What could be more accessible than a stall in the centre of town where you can actually talk to people about what you do, show them how passionate you are, let them have a little taster and tell you how good your sausage/cake/cheese actually is? Everyone’s a winner and I can’t wait ’til next month. For now though, I’m off to prepare a Surrey Chicken, Sussex Smoker’s oak smoked chorizo and butterbean stew which we’re going to eat with some crusty Chalk Hills bread. #keepitlocal

Local goodies!

            

Stay chilled x

Up the Junction

Compared to its neighbours, Redhill town centre is seriously lacking decent food. Fast food joints aside, you pretty much have a choice of Prezzo or Frankie and Benny’s unless you’re a ‘Spoons fan. We’ve never eaten at The Sun, but it has twice been described to me as “the worst Wetherspoons I’ve ever been to” by two people who don’t know each other, so it’s pretty unlikely we ever will.

I don’t think it’s unfair to say the centre of Redhill, while looking tidier these days, is still pretty uninspiring and Waitrose and the new cinema complex are still a very long way off. A relief then surely, to be able to say that there is in fact some seriously good food on offer and every single one of you should give it a try. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Junction, at the junction (clever huh?) of the High Street/London Road and Station Road, has been in the hands of the current team for a while now. We tried it on a Friday night when it was very quiet. So too though, was the town centre so don’t be put off if you’re from “the other place” by the idea of going into Redhill of an evening, the food will be worth it and there’s also some really good wines available at only £15 a bottle. The whites are properly chilled as well which is a bonus!

Keen to have a good try of the menu (which I’m sure will be available in full on the website soon) we opted for the admittedly super-unhealthy mixed appetisers.  Yes, I know, but it was a Friday night and a little bit of what you fancy every now and again won’t do you any harm right?

So impressed was I with the sesame prawn toast that I asked whether it was “homemade” as it was such a very far cry from the usual offering. I was reassured that it, like everything else, was made and fully prepared on site. I confess prawn toast is a bit of a weakness of mine, but, I’m usually horribly disappointed. I wasn’t at The Junction. It was filled with prawn flavour (as opposed to tasting predominantly of a minced pork filler), was cooked to the point of perfect goldenness and wasn’t even remotely greasy. It was fabulous, as was the rest of the appetiser apart, perhaps, from the salt and pepper squid which was lacking the eponymous flavours. Oh and by the way,  you won’t leave hungry, the portions are substantial to say the least:

We followed our appetisers with stir-fried garlic chicken and perfectly cooked rice;

and roast duck and noodles:

They look pretty good don’t they? Well, both meals were truly delicious. We were lucky enough to spend some time in Singapore and Hong Kong a couple of years ago, both culinary melting pots of Oriental cuisine and I tell you what, we haven’t eaten anything that came close to the lip-smacking flavours we enjoyed over there until we tried this. This meal was a million miles away from your average Chinese takeaway (Thai curries and other dishes, including “English” dishes are on the menu as well as these Cantonese style dishes by the way) and indubitably better than what’s on offer in Chinese restaurants in Dorking and the one left in Reigate.

If you’re more fussed about your surroundings than the food you’re eating then I know you won’t give this a try. You should,  but I know you won’t. If though, for example, you eat at The Venture Inn on Lesbourne Road in Reigate because of how tasty the Thai food there is, regardless of it “just” being a pub,  then I urge you to try The Junction. It’s a prime example of people working really hard to offer something different and I really hope they succeed. For that to happen you need to support them though. And ultimately, food should be about taste. There truly is nothing worse than a beautifully presented plate of wonderful ingredients which has no flavour at all.

They’re thinking of turning upstairs into a restaurant area which seems like a great idea, the food is certainly good enough and we got great service with a welcoming smile. Definitely Cool for Cats.

NB if the title and last line of this post leave you befuddled, then simply Squeeze…..

Stay chilled x

Bathtub Gin (no bathtub required)

World Gin Day is finally upon us, and I promise this will be the last of the ginspiration posts for a while. And what delight do I have for you today? Well, gin itself obviously.

You’ve probably never thought about making your own gin, for very sensible reasons, and of course what follows isn’t instructions for actually making gin from scratch. For a start you’re not actually allowed to do it. Plus, it’d be way too time-consuming and require loads of stuff so, legalities aside, it’s really not an option.

Essentially this is a “recipe” for gin-flavoured vodka, vodka not being a million miles away from the base spirit which is how commercial  gin starts out. The key to turning that spirit into gin is juniper which is what makes gin reminiscent of Christmas trees. As long as your base flavour is juniper you have gin. What makes every gin different is the choice of botanicals, all of the extra bits that go in and impart their flavour to the spirit.  The possibilities are pretty much limitless as far as I can see but you don’t want to overpower the base juniper flavour and you don’t want anything so harsh that it clashes with it.

I’ll be honest, the end result won’t look like the bottle you have on the shelf. You’re not going to be distilling your creation, or commercially filtering it, so it will be yellow as it takes on the colour pretty much as soon as the juniper goes in. Filtering through a water filter may help, so may sticking it in the freezer and then re-filtering through muslin but you’re not going to get a clear drink even with these additional processes. But who cares, right? You are going to get a great tasting bathtub gin, and one you can tailor it to your own specific tastes.

The better quality vodka you use, the smoother your end product will be and you’ll need a jar or bottle to steep your botanicals in as well as a piece of muslin for filtering.

INGREDIENTS

750 ml Vodka
2 tbsp juniper berries (at least)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
3 allspice berries
1 tsp coriander seeds
4 green cardamom pods
4 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of lavender
1 sprig of rosemary
A sliver of pink grapefruit peel
A sliver of lemon peel

METHOD

Give the juniper berries a bit of a bash to start the release process then put them in your jar or bottle. Fill it with the vodka,  seal and leave it for 12 hours. Taste it, if you want a bigger hit of juniper, add some more berries and leave it for a few more hours, up to 12 I’d say. When it’s right, strain it and discard the juniper berries, their work is done.

Juniper gone, the rest of your botanicals need to go into your bottle, then pour back your juniper-infused spirit. Now for patience. Leave it for 36 hours. After that though, you’re done. Filter, bottle, and enjoy.

Bet you didn’t think it would be that simple huh? Please don’t be put off by the colour, it really is just because of the lack of filtering, it doesn’t affect the taste in any way.

Experimenting with your botanicals is great fun. Why not try a Thai-inspired gin, with lemongrass, galangal, star anise, coriander root, lime peel and a dried chilli. Perhaps Moroccan; think cumin seeds, orange peel, cinnamon, maybe a tiny dash of rose water. Or, how about a Chai gin with green cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, peppercorns, lemon peel and ginger?

Just go for it and see what you get. And if you come up with a winning combination, don’t keep it to yourself!

Stay chilled x

Truly Inspirational

If you spend much time in Dorking you’ve probably, like me, walked across the mouth of Lyon’s Court hundreds of times. You’ve possibly driven up it in the hope of finding the elusive parking space. You’ve probably never noticed a little, unobtrusive shop in the corner, tucked away opposite The Hub. Next time, notice it. Next time, stop. Next time, pop in.

Inspirations is an enterprise serving so many purposes in one fell swoop. First of all, it’s a gift shop full of lovely handcrafted items and cards. Secondly, it’s an outlet for local craftspeople to display their talents and sell their wares. Thirdly, and undoubtedly most significantly, it’s raising funds for a charity which supports people with disabilities to live independently. It also has a fourth purpose in that it’s allowing some of those people it supports to work in the shop; to learn new skills, and to interact with customers.

When I walked into the shop for the first time I was met with the warmest of greetings. The items available for purchase are lovely, and extremely wide-ranging. From dog leads, to knitted dolls, via hand-embroidered cushions, hand-made soap and preserves, there are gifts for all occasions as well as a selection of beautifully creative greetings cards. Oh, and then there’s the fudge: Lots of different flavours of lovely, lovely fudge.

I was warned by Sue, who had put down her knitting to say hello when I walked in, that the fudge was really, really sweet and I mustn’t eat it all in go.  She had the insider info on this as she was on fudge-making duty last week and had helped to make the fudge I was buying; honeycomb flavoured by the way. She was right, it is ever so sweet, (reminds self to make dental appointment) but it’s pretty

The shop isn’t a commercial enterprise, it’s a social business.  A small amount is added onto the price the creator puts on the item which goes to The Grange, a charity which is really making a difference for people who need extra support to get on in life.

So next time you need a birthday card, try Inspirations rather than the chain stores on there a High Street. If you want a handmade gift; if you want to encourage local creativity; if you want to help people learn new skills; and if you want some of the warmest service imaginable, then please, try Inspirations for size. You’ll be glad you do it and you’ll probably save a penny or seven too.

If you can’t get into Dorking,  check out the website and pick up some fudge here. What’s not to love about the idea of Postie delivering delectable goodies through the letterbox any day now?

In case you were wondering: No, my fudge didn’t get eaten all in go, but no,  I’m so not sharing!

Stay chilled x

Gin and Tonic Cupcakes? Don’t mind if I do!

Conscious as I am that this appears to have become a blog about gin this week, I figured I may a well just carry on with this trend until Saturday which is the day the world celebrates gin in all its glory. I promise I will shut up about all things juniper thereafter (for a day or two at least).

Sometimes the best combinations can be surprising discoveries. If you love two things enough then there’s no harm in trying to find a way to combine the two. So, gin and tonic cupcakes. Why not?

In order to get as much fragrant flavour as the shelf would currently allow, I’ve gone for old faithful, Bombay Sapphire, in this recipe. It’s paired with Fentiman’s tonic which I think is slightly sweeter than some tonics. As I’m not a control freak though,  try it with what you have. These are G&T cupcakes so they’re going to be fab whatever combo you use!

The recipe makes 6 decent-sized cupcakes, would stretch to 9 though!

Ingredients

Cupcakes
90g unsalted butter
90g golden caster sugar
90g self-raising flour
2 medium (free-range!) eggs
3 tbs tonic
3 tbs gin

Frosting
125g unsalted butter, softened
250g icing sugar
4 tbsp gin
Juice of 1 lime

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add the flour and combine with the creamed butter and sugar.
3. Add each egg separately, then the tonic and gin,  binding the mixture until you have a sponge-like consistency.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between six (at least!) cupcake cases and either pop into your cupcake maker or into an oven pre-heated to 190°/Gas Mark 5 for 18-22 minutes, depending on the depth of your cakes.
5. Once cooked (stick a skewer in,  if it comes out clean, they’re cooked) leave on a wire rack to cool and make the frosting. If you want an extra hit of ginniness (that’s a word right? ) skewer each cake two or three times and drizzle with the spirit.
6. Frosting: Beat the softened butter and icing sugar together then add the gin and lime juice until fully incorporated into the mixture.
7. Once the cakes are completely cool (and I do mean completely cool!) pipe the frosting onto them and make them beautiful. A little slice of lime, perhaps some lime zest – up to you.

The frosting will harden up a little if you have the patience to allow it. Otherwise, just dig in, and don’t eat them all at once – these are not a healthy treat option!

   

Stay chilled x

What’s occurring Reigate?

One of South-east England’s jewels, Reigate and Reigatians are justifiably proud of this buzzing market town on the edge of the Surrey Hills. It’s bagged a spot in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live List for three successive years (that’s every year the list had been compiled by the way); its residents are supposedly the “most romantic” in Britain, although as this is calculated with reference to average on spend on Valentine’ Day this may be connected to the fact that the town is in the Top 10 for income tax receipts. Oh, and it also boasts the country’s only Windmill that’s been consecrated for religious worship (on the Heath in case you’re interested).

So with Twitter abuzz over the last week or so with tales of hovering helicopters and abandoned police cars in the Town Centre it’s lead us at SHCQC, and we know we’re not alone, to ask: What’s occurring Reigate?

Whilst I wouldn’t describe Reigate as a sleepy, rural idyll, it’s certainly not 1930s Chicago and crime is usually at a low level, certainly compared to much of the country, and indeed county. So much so, that when reports of a robbery at Lloyd’s Bank on the High Street emerged on the afternoon of May 29th, much mirth was had of the fact that the perpetrator was wearing a straw hat, the general view being that this wasn’t going to assist identification as every chap in Reigate has one. Mr SHC has two by the way.  A suspect has since been arrested for the robbery, as well as another a couple of days later in Guildford.

Most of us thought this was a one-off witness appeal for Surrey Police so were pretty horrified to hear of an alleged assault, by a group of young men leaving the victim requiring treatment for minor injuries, on Lesbourne Road at the weekend. This was followed by a fight, described as “violent” by Surrey police, near the Clock Tower on Monday afternoon. Yes, on a Monday afternoon, in June. Reports of a coffee shop’s outdoor seating being thrown, narrowly missing vehicles, as well as young males running through the town were rife. Five men have been arrested on suspicion of affray.

This sort of thing just doesn’t happen in Reigate. Why now?  Maybe the world is finally catching up with the Town? Maybe the bubble has burst? Maybe it’s the influence of Social Media which means we’re hearing about things in real-time and taking more of an interest.  But that’s not a phenomenon that occurred in the last fortnight. Do you have any ideas?

And did you know that there was another armed robbery this weekend? No, well it was just in Redhill (Coral Bookmakers) so seems like nobody cares…..

Stay chilled x

HelloFresh

I recently completed a 10 KM run and in the goody bag I received at the end, along with my medal, t-shirt and the all-important malt loaf was a £25 voucher redeemable against my first order with HelloFresh. Having caught their television adverts and been quite intrigued by the concept, and always keen to try something new, I thought I’d investigate. 

A box arrives, weekly if you wish (a subscription is required) full of all of the ingredients and recipes for, in the case of the £39 Classic box I ordered, 3 meals for 2 people. That works out at £6.50 per meal which doesn’t sound that much I suppose but it does equate to £90 per week just on dinners for 2 people so it’s quite a bit more than we’d usually spend here at SHCHQ. As I only had to pay £14 though I really wasn’t complaining. That’s only is £2.33 per person,  per meal, or 18p more than Surrey County Council charge for secondary school pupils to have a two course lunch.

The website’s reasonably easy to navigate which is always a good start. I would have liked a little more choice about the meal options, which change from week to week, but was happy with what was on offer so I bashed in my voucher code, coughed up my £14 and waited for delivery day.

The box arrived on the expected day and, eager with anticipation, I delved in to see what treats were inside. I was pretty impressed. The chilled items were still cold, having been well-insulated en-route:

The veg all looked like high-quality produce, although  none of the box contents are organic which may make a difference for some.

And in a little paper bag came all of the important bits, the flavour! I’ll be honest,  I’m reasonably at home in the kitchen. There was nothing in the bag that wasn’t already on my shelves, (you can take your pick of smoked paprika at SHCHQ!) but that’s obviously not the case with everybody so these little sachets of ketchup, vinegar and soy, although they made me think of airports and service stations, are actually a great of way encouraging less experienced cooks to try new flavours.

I sat down with a cup of Yorkshire Gold and had a read of the recipe cards:

The writing style is very Jamie-esque, which I suspect is entirely intentional, although they’re not quite as polished as Mr Oliver’s offerings.

There were a couple of points where it seemed to me they hadn’t got it quite right. For example, I have never been able to cook potato wedges, from raw potatoes (i.e. not par-boiled) in 25 minutes. I also was a bit concerned for the well-being of sea bream fillets up and down the country as although the recipe was very specific in instructing that it be cooked for 2 minutes on the skin side before being turned over, no guidance was given as to how long it should then be cooked for. As the fish turned out to be the best tasting prepared sea bream I think one ever had, to overcook out would be a real shame.

Personally I also had a bit of an issue with the instructions for cooking brown rice which I adore. I love its fabulous nuttiness and I swear that when I eat it, I can actually feel it doing me good, : but only if it’s cooked properly and it took a while to get it right. I’m a soaker. I’ve tried the cook for 40 minutes way, I’ve tried the cook rapidly for 25 minutes and leave it for 10 way. But, I find them hit-and-miss. For me, soaking never fails so, as far as I’m concerned, the instructions given (cook rapidly for 25 minutes) did not tell me how to cook brown rice so that it’s edible. They told me how to make the kinds of brown rice that makes 99% of people say “I hate brown rice, it’s inedible”. So I ignored them and did it my way.

We had the sea bream dish first. The recipe was easy to follow and the meal was delicious. The produce is clearly very high quality and truly, the fish was exceptional. I was also surprised at how tasty the concasse was,  being initially sceptical about the Asian twist (ginger, fish sauce and coriander). As a general rule,  I’m not really a fusion cook, or diner but I’ll definitely make this dish again.

I did add huge portions of broccoli as we were having this for dinner and at only 370 odd calories it simply wouldn’t have been enough for either of us to have as our main meal. There was a real difference in the calorie count for each of the dishes. This was the lowest, the chicken dish was less than 600 calories and the pork burgers just over 900.

The five-spice chicken was also yummy, as well as quick to prepare and super easy. The chicken itself, as with the fish, was superb. We haven’t got to the pork burgers yet but I suspect that we have another super tasty meal ahead.

Because I’m just a little bit sad, I did sit down with the Ocado app and calculate the cost of the ingredients I received. It came to around £19 so, having used my voucher it was a bargain. At full price, quality notwithstanding, bargain isn’t the word I’d use.

So would I order again? I don’t think so (although keep reading on this point): I’m really not their target customer as far as I can see and it is quite expensive, particularly if you already have large bottles of soy sauce and a tub of muscovado ready to be used. I like the idea though and if it gets more people in the kitchen mastering one of the most important life-skills without being thoroughly overwhelmed by meal planning, grocery shopping and sourcing harder to find ingredients that you only need a tiny amount of, then I’m all for it.

It did strike that it’s a scheme that could be rolled out locally, on a much smaller economy of scale, as a way to get people into the kitchen preparing fresh, healthy meals. Sort of a stepping-stone to star chef status if you will. Maybe this has been done. If it has, I guess Mr Oliver was behind it?

If you are interested in the idea, if not to polish off your own culinary skills then perhaps for delivery to a youngster just starting out on their own, you may want to check out the Original Supper Box Company who are based in Dorking. They source local ingredients and offer more of a choice of menu than HelloFresh do (the price is pretty much the same by the way). Interestingly,  and, this is something I may well try, they also offer a dinner party box.  Check the menus out – I’d be happy in a restaurant with that offering that’s for sure. I haven’t tried their boxes so can’t comment on the quality of the produce or the recipes but the local ethos works for me (no surprises there!) and I was quite impressed by the detail they give regarding their suppliers on the website. Watch this space for that one – Party at SHCQC coming up!

Stay chilled x

Ginspired again…

It’s a stunning afternoon up on the Hill and magical things are happening on the barbie (more on that later). Allowing the coals to do their thing in the corner has allowed me to have some fresh ginspiration.

I’ve been ginspired today by the colour of the sky so fancied something a little on the exotic side. It’s a super-simple take on a French 75, my all time favourite classic cocktail – it’s champagne, gin, lemon juice and syrup in case you’ve never tried it. Now you see why it’s my fave!

So, how to evoke today’s stunning sky with a French 75? Like this:

Gin, Champagne, Blue Curaçao

Three ingredients. That’s it, apart from a wee twist of orange peel. Prosecco would work just as well, world shortage aside, as would cava, or even better try an English sparkling white. If you’ve not been to Denbies yet – go
Now. Then make yourself a lovely smurfy cocktail.

The simple version of this recipe is 2 parts gin,  1 part blue curaçao and top up with your fizzy stuff of choice. You can stop reading now if you like.  But please don’t. Let me tell why the photo above features the bottles it does.

The Moët doesn’t have a very exciting story I’m afraid. It was a raffle prize and the Denbies shelf is sadly bare at the moment.

The Blue Bols should be obvious. Inspired by the sky today remember. Anything orangey would work in principle (cointreau, non-blue curaçao, triple sec for example) but obviously the colour would be totally different and way less exciting. So blue curaçao it is.

And then the choice of gin. Gin fans will know that every gin is different. Some are very dry,  some are very floral. Some are spicy. Some are herby. Any decent gin will change depending on the garnish you use. This is why most people prefer lime over lemon with a Bombay Sapphire. It’s not a rule. It’s a matter of personal preference.  But…..

On a recent trip to Cornwall I found this little beauty:

Tarquin's Handcrafted Cornish Dry Gin

Tarquin’s is a distillery in North Cornwall making pastis as well as gin. Every bottle gets the distiller’s personal touch with a note as to the character of the bottle in your hand.  Mine is zesty orange, a bit like my nails at the mo:

Tarquin uses orange zest in the process of creating this really rather lovely gin which is incredibly floral.  The smell of orange blossom is intense when you pop the cork.

Seemed to me like this would be the perfect gin for my Orange 75 – and it is. Finish it off with a twist of zest and you have a perfect summer sky in a glass:

Don’t believe me? Then give it a try.

Stay chilled x