Heston Blumenthal's Meat Fruit

I recently had dinner at Dinner, by Heston Blumenthal. For various reasons the Hubby and I weren't actually going to order "Meat Fruit", but the kitchen sent us one, and we were completely blown away by the texture of the parfait, and the contrasting acidity of the jelly.  The dish is light, but rich, moreish, very slightly palate cleansing - and yes - I accept that those are complete contradictions.  It's the mandarin jelly - it really does release something in the palate that allows the very rich parfait to not become overly cloying.

Petit Fours: Pâtes de Fruits

Of all the petits fours presented at the end of the meal, I always have a soft spot for pâtes de fruits, the little cubes of fruit jelly.  A petite bite of acidic sweetness, it's always stuck me that it's the perfect way to combine sweet and sour, and intense fruitiness too.  This acidity is achieved by including citric or tartaric acid into the recipe, and the light mouthfeel is achieved by using pectin, rather than gelatine.  This allows the jelly to melt in your mouth, which releases both the sweet and acidic elements of the jelly at the same time.  Don't store the finished product in the fridge - the granulated sugar will begin to dissolve.

The Harwood Arms Venison Scotch Egg

The Harwood Arms Scotch Egg

I had lunch at the Harwood Arms recently, and arrived late :0) What a marvel - to arrive late and to be presented with a gorgeous Scotch egg within moments of being seated, and having spent nearly an hour in traffic to travel about four miles!  It was delicious, spicy, well flavoured and with a soft gorgeous yolk in the centre - yummy!