The London Foodie Goes to Croatia - Rovinj

Croatia has been on my radar for some years - stories of great beaches, stunning Mediterranean islands and pretty towns were somewhat intriguing but whenever it came to choosing a holiday, I always ended up elsewhere.

That was until a few weeks ago, when I finally made it to the picturesque town of Rovinj, in the Istrian Peninsula, North-West of Croatia. Having spent a fantastic 4-day trip there, my only regret is not having visited it earlier.

Rovinj has a rich history dating back to Roman times, and was part of the Republic of Venice for over 500 years until 1797. Unsurprisingly, the old town has a very Italian feel to it, with similar architecture, narrow pedestrianised alleyways, clothing hanging out to dry from many windows, and a buzzing coffee culture with many cafes serving excellent espresso dotted around the town.

The harbour is beautiful, mooring many private yachts and other boats, but it is still very much used by local fishermen, many of whom I saw repairing their nets at the harbour's edge during my visit.

The town is dominated by the 18th century church of St Euphemia, and the weekend I visited was the saint's festival, so the place was heaving with locals and visitors. The town can be easily visited on foot, and is a stone's throw along the lovely harbour from the hotel Monte Mulini, where I stayed.

Where to Stay

Opened in 2009, Hotel Monte Mulini is one of the finest 5 star hotels in Croatia. The hotel's location is dramatic, overlooking the bay, and set into a forested hillside, with a sleek modern design featuring a glass wall over three levels with stunning views of the poolside and sea below. The hotel's interiors have a warm, soothing luxury created by the tasteful use of colours, fabrics, bespoke furniture and Croatian artwork throughout.

My room was elegant and spacious, with plenty of natural light and a huge bathroom. I loved the very discreet kitchen concealed inside a cupboard (so discrete I didn't find it until day 2). My room had a lovely view of the sea, and in fact all the bedrooms have a sea view.

The focal point of the hotel, though, is undoubtedly its infinity pool, which overlooks the Istrian sea. A good place to soak up the sun, read a book and relax after the hotel's sumptuous breakfast. 

The breakfast buffet is offered alongside cooked options including fried steak and eggs, all washed down with local sparkling Malvasia wine - an unusual breakfast treat typical of the region, which I really took a shine to! Croatians also love their cold meats and hams, and these were offered in abundance along with fresh cheeses, fish, fruit, and cereals.

The hotel's Art Wellness Spa offers a wide range of treatments including hot body wraps, vinotherapy tonification and various massage options. I was lucky enough to be able to try their holistic traditional massage one morning. It left me in a state of utter relaxation for the next few days, and I would highly recommend it.

The hotel has two different restaurants. Mediterraneo serves a la carte meals al fresco on the terrace or indoors. The Wine Vault restaurant in the hotel cellars offers Croatian fine dining, and is where I had one of the best meals of my stay.

Where to Eat

Hotel Monte Mulini's Wine Vault Restaurant

I knew very little about Croatian food before this trip, but suspected it consisted mainly of simple grilled meat and fish dishes. This latest trip has certainly taught me a great deal! Hotel Monte Mulini's resident chef Tomislav Gretic is leading a new wave in fine-dining on a par with many top notch restaurants in Paris and London. His repertoire is primarily French-Mediterranean, using good quality local ingredients, well made and beautifully presented. I would not be surprised were he to be awarded the first Michelin star in Croatia.

Tomaslav put together an impressive tasting menu to illustrate the region's top produce, including truffles, fish, crustacea and olive oil for our first dinner in Croatia. These were expertly paired with Croatian wines selected by Tom Harrow, The Wine Chap, who presented each wine during the dinner - a Herculean task, given that the hotel's list has more than 600 wines, of which over 90% are Croatian!

After an aperitif of Misal Rosé Sec (a fine blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Malvasia) , we had our first starter of Tuna and Avocado Puree, served with a glass of Malvasia, Istarska 2011, Vina Polleti, Istra, Hrvatska. Rather like a Japanese tataki, the tuna was seared on the outside but raw in the centre, served with semi-dried baby plum tomatoes and caramelised onions. It was ultra-fresh and delectable.

Next was Sea Bass Fillet with a Ragout of Cuttlefish, served with a glass of Posip 2009, Vinarija Grgic, Peljesac, Hrvatska. The fish was perfectly cooked, and judging by its fine texture and presentation, I suspect it was prepared sous vide.

The star of the dinner, for me however, was the Risotto with Black Truffles and Foie Gras, served with a raw egg yolk, and partnered with Cuvee Nevina 2009, Saints Hills Winery, Istra, Hrvatska. I loved the unctuous creaminess of the risotto and egg yolk, and the heady flavour of the black truffle combined wonderfully with the top quality foie gras.

I thought the presentation of the main course of Duck Breast, Cream of Potato and Mushrooms was dramatic and creative. The duck was tender and beautifully cooked, and I also enjoyed what the waiter described as 'edible earth' - I suspect this was toasted, ground rye bread or at least I hope so, as I cleaned my plate. To accompany our main, we had a glass of Modri Pinot 2003, Vina Movia, Gorkska Brda, Slovenia.

For dessert, we had Chef Tomaslav's take on the French classic Tarte Tatin, but using local Istrian plums rather than apples. Described as 'Plum and Butter', this was a light and refreshing dessert, partnered very appropriately with a glass of "Allegro" Muscat 2009, Vina Dobravac, Istra, Hrvatska.

Lone Hotel's Restaurant

Another great meal on this trip was at the Lone Hotel, sister to the Hotel Monte Mulini. The hotel opened in July 2011, and is Croatia's first member of the exclusive lifestyle brand Design Hotel AG. It is a strikingly modern building in the shape of an ocean liner, a playful reference to its Adriatic location.

Its restaurant offers a mixture of traditional Croatian and Mediterranean fusion-style food, with an impressive local wine list. The executive chef is Tomislav's wife, Priska Thuring. The restaurant has an a la carte section, and a seafood bar, as well as a Vinoteca offering wine and olive oil tastings and sales.

For our meal, we started with a trio - tempura asparagus, grilled scallop on black lentils, and pan-seared tuna on a salad of julienned peaches and radish. Next, we had a deliciously creamy but light bowl of cauliflower foam, with local truffle shavings and sashimi scampi which were totally delectable.

For main course, we had a fillet of dentex (a Mediterranean and Baltic deep-water fish), polenta with sun-dried tomatoes, prawn souffle and a brochette of monkfish wrapped in pancetta and spinach. I enjoyed the many elements on this plate - a pleasing array of small eats.

The dessert was mascarpone cream topped with fresh figs in a red wine reduction. It was light, refreshing and a delicious end to a tip-top meal.

Zigante Restaurant (specialises in truffles)

Following an afternoon of truffle hunting, we headed to Zigante, a local restaurant that specialises in truffle dishes. I am a sucker for truffles, so enjoyed this meal tremendously. I had a four-course dinner, each one with a truffle element. I kicked off with a quenelle of soft cheese seasoned with truffles, followed by a plate of fettucini pasta served with a cream and truffle sauce. The waiter was very generous with the sliced truffle topping, and for me this was the best dish of the evening.

The main course was, unfortunately, disappointing. We had chicken stuffed with truffles, wrapped in ham and roasted, with Parisienne potatoes and pan-fried mushrooms. Sadly, the chicken was a little dry, and the strong flavour combinations overwhelmed the fresh truffle. Dessert was an oddity of vanilla ice cream with truffles. I personally did not think this was a successful combination, although my dining companions seemed to have enjoyed it.

What to Do

Wine Tastings (Roxanich and Trapan Vineyards)

With so much to do in Istria, if you like your food and wine, it may be hard to find time to do anything else. I was only there for four days, and got to do a lot, but still felt I only scraped the surface. Croatia is a sizeable producer of quality wines, using interesting native grapes such as Croatian Malvasia and Teran. I was lucky to be with Tom Harrow, The Wine Chap, who took us to a couple of his favourite local wine producers.

Roxanich (www.roxanich.hr) is a biodynamic wine producer in the nearby town of Nova Vas. The founder, Mladen Rozanic, was kind enough to show us around, and give us an extensive barrel tasting of his latest vintages. His wines are aged for at least 3 years (whites) to 4 years (reds). According to Mladen, the white wines they make are orange wines due to their long maceration period (the time in which the skin has contact with the grape juice while fermentation begins), and in addition, being a biodynamic producer, his wines undergo no filtering or fining which give them a lightly cloudy finish. I really enjoyed these wines, his white Malvasia was stunning, but my favourites were the reds - particularly the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2008 Super-Istrian (a witty reference to the 'Super-Tuscan' label that indicates a blend of classic French - in this case, Merlot & Cabernet). Mladen is happy to accept private bookings for wine tours.

Trapan (www.trapan.hr) is run by a young producer, Bruno Trapan, who barely ages his wines. His wines are well made, and more immediately appealing, being made in a modern, international, easy-drinking style. His reds are made from the native Teran grape, or from 100% Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Teran. Trapan's whites as well as roses are made from Croatian Malvasia and Chardonnay.

Truffle hunting (Livade)

Besides wine tasting, there are some other interesting foodie activities to be experienced. One of these is truffle hunting in the nearby town of Livade. The registered truffle hunter and his dog took us deep into the forest, and we (or should I say the dog) were lucky enough to find two sizeable truffles within the first hour. The Hotel Monte Mulini can arrange a truffle hunting trip for you during the season. We followed this truffle hunting with dinner at a restaurant specialising in truffles, Zigante, as reviewed above.

Olive Oil tasting (Chiavalon)

We were treated to a very educational olive oil tasting at Chiavalon. Interestingly, there are many similarities between the techniques of olive oil and wine tasting. Bouquet, flavour characteristics and length are also considered when tasting olive oil. However, unlike with wine, colour is no guide to the quality of the oil, because this is predominantly determined by the colour of the earth. We learned that olive oil cannot be kept for more than two years from production, otherwise it will go rancid. Top quality Istrian olive oil does not come cheap, and the ones we tried at Chiavalon retail at £13 for 500ml.

Non-foodie activities not to be missed while in the region include a boat trip to nearby Lim Fiord, visiting or cycling around Rovinj, visiting the neighbouring town of Pula and its magnificent Roman amphitheatre, and one of the many spa treatments at Hotel Monte Mulini.

Having spent a fantastic 4 days in Rovinj, Istria, I cannot believe it has taken me so long to visit this country. Four days are really not enough to take in all that there is in this north-western corner of Croatia. I cannot wait to return but next time for a week or two. Highly recommended.

Travel Essentials

Hotel Monte Mulini - room rates from €276 including breakfast and VAT for a premium double room, including free WiFi, complimentary parking, use of spa facilities, and complimentary refreshments on arrival. For further information or reservations, please visit www.montemulinihotel.com or call +385 (0)52 636 000

Hotel Lone - room rates start at €150 for a double room, including breakfast and VAT. For further information or reservations, please visit www.lonehotel.com or call +385 (0)52 632 000

Restaurant Zigante, Livade 7, Livade is at www.restaurantzigante.com

Roxanich D.O.O (Mladen Rozanic) is at Kosinozici 26, 52446 Nova Vas, HR. Website www.roxanich.hr

Trapan Winery (Bruno Trapan) is at Giordano Dobran 63, Sisan 52100, Croatia. Website www.trapah.hr

Truffle hunting costs €120 per hour, or €350 per half day, and participants get to keep the truffles

The Art Wellness Spa at Hotel Monte Mulini has an extensive menu of treatments, but for example the holistic traditional massage I had lasts 60 minutes, and costs 420kn (approximately £42).

Hotel Monte Mulini organises a wide variety of half or full day private tours in the area, including Pula and its amphitheatre, the Roman colony at Porec, day trips to Venice by car, boat or hydrofoil, the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, and a full day motor boat tour of the Brijuni Islands National Park. Prices are available direct from the hotel. If you have your own or a hire car, you can do many of these trips by yourself.

Rovinj can be reached from the UK, by flying to Trieste, Ljubljana, Zagreb or Rijeka, but the closest airport is Pula (served by Ryanair), an easy half-hour transfer from Hotel Monte Mulini.

Many thanks to Louise Rogers of Quatro PR and Tom Harrow (The WineChap) for their kind invitation and hospitality in Croatia.

London Supper Club Review - Two Hungry Girls

Words & Photography by Simeen Kadi

Leigh and Shuwen are the Two Hungry Girls and they are on a mission. Since their first supper club launched in February this year they have brought their own take on Modern Chinese and South East Asian cuisine to the London dining scene. With supper clubs hosted about once a month at their home in North London, and occasionally at other venues, tickets sell fast and the quality of their cooking is the main reason why. And, as the Two Hungry Girls also host dinners in aid of the charity Action Against Hunger, helping bring nutrition and hygiene to poor communities in Africa, it is a double-win for diners.

The venue seats two tables of eight which allows you to get to know your fellow diners and is also buzzy enough to feel like a convivial dinner party. The food is mostly served ‘home style’, meaning large platters and bowls are passed around the table and shared.

To start, we were served a Lychee Liqueur, a shot glass containing a peeled lychee filled with lychee wine and lemongrass - a refreshing and aromatic aperitif.

Then came the Cold Silken Tofu with Century Egg Sauce, an ingenious dish offering the intense flavour of Century egg as a sauce, rather than the slightly scary vision of a sliced green and black boiled egg  – the most common way this Chinese delicacy is served. The sauce was smooth and rich, combined with sesame paste, poured over the silken tofu and then studded with chillies.

Poached Chicken with Two Hungry Girls Sauce was chicken delicately cooked in stock and annointed with a sauce zinging with ginger and spring onions. Lettuce came alongside to make our own fresh wraps.

The Two Hungry Girls were determined none of their guests would go hungry and delivered a third starter, 5-spiced Sichuan Peppercorn Gressingham Duck Mantou Buns. Mantou is the Chinese word for steamed buns, says Wikipedia, and these were pillow-soft and stuffed with tender shreds of duck confit. It was Gressingham duck, known for its low fat and tender meat, owing to the free range treatment the birds get on farms in Suffolk and Norfolk. And, as Gressingham is a cross-breed of Wild Mallard and Pekin, it is perfect for Chinese roast and braised duck dishes. The shredded duck legs in the buns were rich with five spice, Sichuan pepper, ginger and garlic and the slices ofGranny Smith apple stuffed into the buns provided the perfect contrast. Another classic Chinese dish executed with a great twist.



For me, the highlight of the savoury courses was the Slow-Braised Pork Belly, rich nuggets of meat which were sticky with a reduction of soy. The meat was dense and unctuous with the sweetness of caramelisation contrasting the salty soy. I could have eaten a lot more of it.

Photo courtesy of Edible Experiences

Shrimp, Cabbage and Vermicelli was fine, with a light sauce and perfectly cooked shrimps. I think probably one dish too many and the one I would sacrifice to save guests from feeling overly full.

Next came the Teochew-style Braised Gressingham Duck which was tender slices of whole duck which had been slow braised in light soy, five spice and ginger. The meat was delicate and beautifully aromatic and came with boiled egg halves dipped in soy sauce.



Aubergine and Bamboo with Dried Shrimp and Garlic Vinaigrette came next. Known as Brinjal in Malay and Indian cooking, the aubergine was yielding and well flavoured with chilli and garlic and a dipping sauce of garlic and vinegar came alongside.



The final main dish did not disappoint, even though we were all dangerously full by now. Deep Fried Mackerel with Lemongrass Sambal delivered nuggets of fleshy mackerel wrapped in a banana leaf with a zesty and spicy sambal and slices of lime. The sambal was a perfect foil for the mackerel, lightening its rich fishiness and providing a sharp contrast.



Both the desserts were superb and beautifully presented. This might have something to do with the fact that Leigh is a trained patissiere and has worked at some of the city's most respected restaurants before setting up her own cake and pastry making classes. The Soya Bean Milk Pannacotta and Black  Sesame Sauce was one of the creamiest, silkiest pannacottas I have tasted and came surrounded by the earthy sesame sauce and a croquant of caramelised peanuts.



And the profiteroles were even better –  light pastry filled with fragrant coconut ice cream and covered with salted caramel fondant. This was a delicious fusion of East and West and a beautiful ending to the meal.



Details: Look for Two Hungry Girls on www.edibleexperiences.com and Facebook

Cost: £29 per head of which £12 went to Action Against Hunger http://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk. BYO wine with pairing suggestions from www.Grogger.co.uk

Likes: Delicious and well executed cooking served in an informal, dinner party setting. Plus a chance to do some good for world hunger.

Dislikes: None.

Verdict: Expertly cooked Chinese and Malay cooking at a very reasonable price by two passionate and lovely cooks (and their helpers!) at a very reasonable price, especially when a donation to charity is included.


A guest post by Simeen Kadi
Simeen Kadi is a technology marketer and a bonne vivante. She has recently begun sharing her dining and drinking exploits as a guest reviewer, writing about food, cocktails and fun times from around the world. Simeen lives in and is in love with London.

Cocktails and Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea at The Royal Horseguards

Words by Karen Yates

How could a girl resist an invitation to an afternoon of cocktails and cakes at The Royal Horseguards hotel? I couldn’t, which is why I found myself at the Equus bar in this historically fascinating and recently refurbished five-star hotel on the Thames, sipping cocktails named after former residents and locals including Lord Kitchener, Gladstone, Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill, who frequented the hotel during the war and even after becoming a Conservative continued to be welcomed into The National Liberal Club, still homed here. What would he have made of today’s coalition, one wonders?

Apropos of nothing but brilliant nonetheless, it was a young Churchill, then a rising politician, who came up with what is arguably the best-ever food review. Asked about his supper the previous night, he said: “It would have been splendid… if the wine had been as cold as the soup, the beef as rare as the service, the brandy as old as the fish, and the maid as willing as the duchess.” 

Indeed one of the highlights of the event was, for me, the Churchill cocktail, made with homemade Cuban cigar tobacco syrup, bourbon and aromatic bitters, which we savoured with a teacup of creamy haddock broth with a pea foam and a potato crisp. “It’s like fish and chips in a cup,” someone said, and so it was, the smoked fish flavours melding beautifully with the deep, dark, peaty smokiness of the cocktail.

But cakes as well as cocktails was the theme of the afternoon and those who like sweet things will love the rainbow of imaginative treats dreamed up here. Spanish pastry chef Jacobo made lollipops using his does-what-it-says-on-the-tin Antigriddle machine, the top of which sets liquid fruits at -2C to create lollipops that instantly melt in the mouth.

Jacobo had also made exquisite strawberry daiquiri macaroons filled with a rum-infused white chocolate ganache, and plain mini cupcakes topped with violet butter cream and passion fruit tapioca. Both tasted as delightful as they looked.

Executive Chef Ben Purton made the savoury bites. As he created very popular canapés – gone as soon as he put them down – from ingredients including Parma ham, rocket, sundried tomatoes, smoked salmon, rye bread, capers and his favourite Sussex Charmer cheese, he told us how the kitchen had been insanely busy during the Olympics. Speaking of heroic performances and busy kitchens, MasterChef fans should keep an eye out for Ben and his team in the next series, the bit where contestants have to work in real kitchens. “I can’t say any more than that,” said Ben, after he’d told us pretty much all we need to know. 

On to the cocktails, let’s face it the real reason most of us were here. Canadian mixologist Adrian Murfin made gin-based cocktails for us (the house is Tanqueray; he also recommends Sipsmith), starting with the apricot cocktail (£12.95), followed by the super-dry, Martini-style Lord Kitchener (£13.50, as are all the signature cocktails). Other eponymous tipples are the previously mentioned Churchill, the Gladstone (four-time prime minister and founder of The National Liberal Club), the Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming (leader of the secret intelligence service, based here during the First World War), and the George Bernard Shaw, who often met fellow scribe HG Wells here. Or try the cavalry cocktail, created by Andy Pearson for Help For Heroes; all profits go to the charity.

The Cocktail and Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea menu is available until 14 October 2012. To book, or to find out about other events at the hotel, visit their website here.

Photographs by Karen Yates and Sophie Draper
Freelance food writer and editor Karen Yates has written numerous features, reviews and interviews for glossy magazines including Country Living, Coast, Food and Travel, Fork and BBC Good Food. See more of her cuttings here.

London Restaurant Festival Giveaway - **Win a 3-Course Dinner for Two at Axis at One Aldwych**

As part of the 2012 London Restaurant Festival, The London Foodie has teamed up with the 5-star luxury hotel One Aldwych to offer you the chance to win a fantastic three-course dinner specially devised by their new Executive Chef Dominic Teague for LRF2012.

One Aldwych is one of my favourite London Hotels, and I had the pleasure of reviewing Axis at One Aldwych for last year's LRF, see review here.

Judging by Chef Dominic Teauge's impressive career to date, you will be well looked after!

As a young chef in the 1990s, Dominic apprenticed at the Lanesborough Hotel, London and Bishopstrow House, Wiltshire. Following a period at the Regal Hotel, Hong Kong, he returned to the Lanesborough Hotel, then joined Marco Pierre White first at the Oak Room then at L’Escargot. Here he progressed from Sous Chef to Head Chef to Executive Chef and maintained one Michelin star for six consecutive years. From 2006 to 2010 he was Head Chef at Aurora restaurant at Andaz Hotel, London. From 2010 to May 2012 Dominic was Executive Sous Chef at the acclaimed luxury resort Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados where he oversaw seven food outlets.

HOW TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION

To enter the competition to win a 3-course dinner for two plus a bottle of wine at Axis at One Aldwych on Friday, the 12th October 2012, simply leave a comment in this post stating your NAME and E-MAIL address as MrBloggs(at)gmail(dot)com by midday on Wednesday, the 10th October 2012. 

The lucky winner will be randomly selected using random.org and his/her name will be announced via Twitter (follow @thelondonfoodie) at 1pm on that same day.

To increase your chances of winning (every tweet/retweet will count as an additional entry - up to 1 tweet per follower), follow and tweet me on @thelondonfoodie for @OneAldwych competition by midday on Wednesday, the 10th October.

If you do not use Twitter, I will also be publishing the winner's name here on Friday, the 12th October 2012.

GOOD LUCK!

THE LUCKY WINNER OF THIS COMPETITION, RANDOMLY SELECTED BY RANDOM.ORG, WAS ENTRANT 51 JESSICA BENSON-EGGLENTON, CONGRATULATIONS JESS!

Foraging Weekend at Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, Sussex

Words & Photographs by Karen Yates

Pull on your wellies and head for the nearest outdoor space, whether it’s a garden, park, playground or common. October is the perfect time to forage, and even the tiniest green space can be home to mushrooms and other edible foods, according to those in the know at Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa in Sussex, just 1 hour 40 minutes from London.

What appears to be a medieval manor with outbuildings was, in fact, built in late 1920s and early 1930s using materials salvaged from historic buildings. The result is a luxurious hotel frequented, for those in need of a celeb fix, by Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson before their split, Russell Crowe and David Jason, who I’m told arrives by helicopter. Even Charlie Chaplin has stayed here. My room, Sheeplands, was the size of a suite and charmingly old-fashioned with 15th-century beams, four-poster bed, bath and shower, all mod cons (internet access, TV), fluffy white towels and gorgeous-smelling spa goodies. So far, so luxe. 

A stroll across the grounds, past wandering resident peacocks and cages of hams curing in the trees (not to be confused), for canapés including little glasses of nutty-tasting warm nettle soup and Barkham Blue cheese and pear chutney on toasts, with homemade elderflower sparkling wine or local Ridgeview sparkling wine.

Next was a talk by Debra Wood, otherwise known as the Sussex forager, before a supper of, where possible, foraged and local produce. “I started foraging as a child with my mother,” explained Debra. “I have scars on my forehead after falling out of trees picking mistletoe.” Debra is clearly a passionate forager, but she stresses the importance of knowing what you are doing. “Eat a death cap or panther cap and you’ll be on dialysis for the rest of your life. Or worse,” she added ominously. To avoid eating killer a mushroom, you’ll need a good book, with photographs rather than illustrations. Roger Phillips is Debra’s favourite, and she also recommends the River Cottage series and Food for Free by Richard Mabey (Collins, £4.99).

Debra’s foraging year starts in March, when she finds wild garlic in damp woodlands; eat the long leaves and white flowers, not the bulbs. Next she sources sea kale, which is protected so never help yourself from a site of scientific interest and then take only a little from each plant to allow regrowth. Next she collects marsh samphire; cut with kitchen scissors and never pull from the ground. A little later in the year, Debra finds wild fennel (again, eat the fronds, not the bulb), followed by sea purslane, which is salty and crunchy, a bit like samphire. “If you have a garden,” she continued, “young dandelion leaves are delicious in a mixed salad with vinaigrette. Peppery ground elder, loathed by gardeners, is also great tossed in a salad – it tastes like celery.”

As for mushrooms, these have arrived very late this year (but now, the first weekend October, a week after I visited Bailiffscourt, is set to be the best mushrooming weekend of 2012). Mushrooming is legal only if you are a mushroom-picker, which you can prove by having a mushroom knife – look for one with a blade at one end (always cut, never pull the stems) and a brush at the other. Debra’s remaining kit comprises a broom handle with a nail through the top used for hooking elderberries in trees, and washing-up gloves for picking nettles. I suspect this lady is fairly low-maintenance. 

Our table of serious foodies was enjoying her talk, but other tables were becoming rowdy with hunger. So Debra decided to quit while she was ahead – no matter, we had her to ourselves for our foraging tomorrow morning, and could learn more then. 

Our starter was Ashdown-forest-foraged mushrooms on toasted brioche with wood sorrel and crème fraiche, accompanied by Blandy’s Sercial 10-Year-Old Dry Madeira. The meaty-tasting mushrooms worked well with the Madeira.

Next up was fillet of south coast sea bream with marsh samphire and seaweed tempura, served with a glass of La Segreta Bianco 2011, Planeta, Sicily. This peachy white was a good match for the fish.

The main course was fabulous local venison Wellington with roasted crab apples and elderberry with a port sauce, accompanied by Los Caminos Merlot 2010, Chile. A delight, and everyone agreed the dish of the night.

Dessert was quince crème brûlée with blackberry sorbet and rosehip cordial ‘bellini’. Refreshingly good, and despite everyone saying they couldn’t possibly eat dessert we all did a marvellous job.

The following morning, our group headed off with executive chef Martin Hadden and Debra (pictured below, with foraged leaves) to seek out our lunch. “I’ve got back-up, just in case,” said Martin reassuringly. In the forest, which you can spot from the road by looking out for leather-clad bikers tucking into bacon sarnies outside their favourite local cafe, we walked on fern-carpeted ground, the sun streaming through leaves above our head, and soon found some pied de mouton, or hedgehog mushrooms, a much-coveted edible mushroom that hadn’t been munched by squirrels, slugs or snails. We also found several edible but not so delicious mushrooms, which Debra tasted but Martin rejected. “If it’s not great to eat, don’t bother,” he said. So we didn’t.

Back to the hotel and while Martin prepared lunch, we walked 100 or so metres though a wooded path to the beach, tasting hogweed, described by Debra as “poor man’s asparagus”, and elderberries, which had paired so well with last night’s venison, as we walked. On the pebble beach, we found seaweed galore, none of which is poisonous in the UK according to Debra, sea beet (also know as sea spinach), ground elder and sea kale (pictured below).

Back to the hotel, and for the final part of the foraging weekend Martin showed us how to create a dish from our foraged finds, with a little help from his back-up supplies.

As we tucked into smoked salmon – Martin smokes his own salmon in a shed in the hotel’s vast grounds – and cucumber sandwiches, he made a cep and sea spinach tart, with an accompanying cep sauce by the celebrated Nico Ladenis, with whom Martin trained in the early 1990s.

Martin Hadden’s cep and sea spinach tart with a fried egg and cep sauce 
Serves 6 

450g rough puff pastry 
450g sea (or normal) spinach 
garlic butter 
12 ceps (or porcini mushrooms; you can also use foraged, fresh or frozen ones)
6 eggs 
cep sauce 
wood sorrel, to garnish (optional)

Roll out the pastry into discs and prick with a fork. Preheat the oven to 180C. Gently cook the spinach in garlic butter and set aside. Fry the ceps in garlic butter. Arrange the spinach and ceps on the pastry and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. 
In a large saucepan, gently fry all the eggs in garlic butter and put one on top of each tart. To finish, spoon a little warm cep sauce over the top of each tart, garnish with wood sorrel if using and serve immediately. 

For the rough puff pastry 
(Shop bought is fine, but choose one made with butter)
500g strong white flour 
500g butter 
150ml cold water

Sift the flour with a pinch of salt, chop the butter into small chunks and loosely run them into the flour. Add the water and mix to a rough dough, then refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll out into a rectangle and put in one puff paste turn, give a quarter turn and then another puff paste turn. Chill for 20 minutes, then use.

For the cep sauce
100g very finely chopped ceps 
1 shallot, very finely chopped 
50g butter 
1 tsp tomato purée 
1 bay leaf 
125ml Noilly Prat 
125ml Madeira 
100ml jus (reduced stock, optional) 
250ml double cream 
250ml water

Gently fry the ceps and shallot in the butter until completely caramelised. Add the tomato purée, bay leaf, Noilly Prat, Madeira and jus. Allow to reduce by two thirds.
Add the cream, bring to the boil, add the water and check the seasoning. Cover the pan with clingfilm and leave to infuse until cool. Pass through a double muslin cloth. Serve warm with the cep tarts.

Travel Essentials

Rooms start at £210 per night for two people sharing a standard room, including breakfast and full use of spa facilities. For more information visit www.hshotels.co.uk, or call 01903 723511.

To arrange foraging outings in Sussex, email Debra at debra-wood@hotmail.co.uk

The London Foodie travelled from London Victoria to Littlehampton on Southern Trains; www.southernrailway.com

Words and photographs by Karen Yates
Freelance food writer and editor Karen Yates has written numerous features, reviews and interviews for glossy magazines including Country Living, Coast, Food and Travel, Fork and BBC Good Food. See more of her cuttings at here.

Cooking Sous-Vide at Home & a Recipe for Tamago Onsen (Sous-Vide Duck Egg with Silken Tofu, Katsuoboshi Flakes and Ponzu Dressing)

One of my latest and most exciting acquisitions, the Sous-Vide Supreme is the first water bath device designed specifically for the home cook. I have been experimenting with it for a few weeks now, using it to cook a number of dishes at home and for my Japanese Supper Club with really good results.

Pronounced "soo veed", sous-vide is the French term for "under vacuum" and refers to a method of cooking in vacuum-sealed plastic pouches at low temperatures for long periods of time.

The idea is to cook food at precisely the same temperature that it will be served so that it is perfectly cooked throughout. For example, medium-rare steak is about 55°C in the centre. In sous-vide cooking, the entire piece of meat is cooked at 55°C, for as long as it takes for the heat to slowly penetrate to the centre. The whole steak, from edge to edge, reaches 55°C and cannot overcook, because the water temperature does not go any higher. In more conventional cooking methods, the same steak will normally end up with a well done ring on the outside, a medium ring inside and a rare ring in its centre.

I have spent many an-hour probing meat, fish and other food wondering about their doneness, inspecting the juices of roast chickens, using my senses of smell and touch to ensure an appropriate internal temperature and hoping that the food I cook is indeed thoroughly cooked. This fundamental step for any cook is much reduced if not eliminated with sous-vide cooking.

In addition to the above benefits, one of the most important aspects of sous-vide cooking is that you don’t have to watch the time. Since there is little risk of overcooking, you can leave the food in the Sous Vide Supreme for a few hours at the desired temperature and it will not be over-cooked.

Slow cooking also allows for better integration of flavours and creates tender textures. When spices, herbs or marinades are vacuum-sealed with meat, fish or vegetables, the vacuum helps the flavours to penetrate deeply into the food. The food literally stews in its own juices: no air, no water, no evaporation, just total concentration of flavour.

Since sous-vide is essentially a very controlled and precise poach, most food cooked in this way has the appearance of being poached. So foods like shellfish, fish, eggs, and some skinless poultry can be served as they are, or straight from their pouches. Steaks and pork chops however are not traditionally poached and will require searing. Searing is important when cooking meat because of the Maillard Reaction (the browning of meat) as it adds considerable flavour to cooked meat. More about the Maillard Reaction here.

One drawback of sous-vide cooking is therefore the need to sear meat before serving. Other snags which you should be aware of before making a purchase are the need to buy a vacuum sealer (£99) and vacuum pouches, the fact that two dishes cannot be cooked simultaneously if they require different temperatures, and the lengthy cooking times which require forward planning.

So, if sous-vide is so  successful as a method of cooking, why have we not been using it for years?  In fact, this technique has been used for many years in professional kitchens, by the likes of Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria.  It is only now that a domestic appliance (Sous Vide Supreme) is available that sous-vide cooking is accessible at home.  

The machines come in two sizes - standard and demi.  The standard version retails at £349 in John Lewis (£370 in Amazon) and the Sous-vide Vacuum Sealer will set you back £99.95 also from John Lewis.

I have been using my standard Sous-Vide Supreme device (SVS 10LS) to cook some of the dishes at my Japanese Supper Club for a number of weeks now and was very impressed by how easy it is to use and how consistently good the results were.

One of the dishes I made was Onsen Tamago (Japanese Hot-Spring Poached Egg). Onsens are popular throughout Japan as a family day out but in Kyushu Island, which has a great density of onsens, a whole cuisine has been created around cooking fish, vegetables and egg using the natural steam from the springs. 

Jigoku-Mushi is the method of cooking food by geothermal steam which has been traditional in the region for over 400 years. It was in Kyushu Island that I first came across onsen tamago (reviewed here), and I was thrilled to be able to cook this dish at my Japanese Supper Club using my Sous-Vide Supreme.

The beauty of cooking eggs using the Sous-Vide Supreme is that rather than getting a runny yolk, the final result is luscious, creamy yolk like nothing I have experienced before! Compared with conventional egg poaching (a nightmare even for the most experienced cooks), with Sous-Vide Supreme, my poached eggs are perfectly cooked every time, even when I am catering for more than 20 people.

Poached Egg vs Sous-Vide Egg

To sous-vide an egg, set the water temperature to 64C and poach between 45 and 90 minutes. As the eggs have their own protective shell, they do not require to be vacuum packed.

Sous-Vide egg has a creamy and luscious yolk like extra-thick double cream!

And traditionally poached egg.... in comparison.....

....has a runny yolk..... and is not nearly as exciting as the one on the right (Sous-Vide Egg)

Traditionally poached egg vs Sous-Vide egg

In a small bowl, place a 1cm slice of silken tofu, wide enough to accommodate the sous-vide egg. Gently shell the egg and place it over the tofu. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of ponzu dressing over it (or simply soy sauce), and top with some katsuoboshi flakes if available. Sprinkle a little chopped chives and black sesame seeds on top and serve immediately. It couldn't be simpler. I love the combination of extra soft tofu and creamy duck egg yolk and it goes down a storm with my guests.

Tamago Onsen (Sous-Vide Duck Egg with Silken Tofu, Katsuoboshi Flakes and Ponzu Dressing) 

In the following weeks, I will be using my Sous-Vide Supreme for other Japanese dishes and will be posting my findings here.