171 replies to this topic

[macrosan]

Salt lamb and caper sauce on the menu this evening :sob:

That was the very first dish I ever ate at StJ. Ah memories .... :rolleyes:

[ngatti]

Fergus's USA book tour

[Slapsie Maxie]

Fuck sake that was amazing!! Probably the best of all the pig fests.

I had been feeling gyp all day but soon perked up with a drink inside. I did not go to The Match Bar, but a few did and turned up lots of sheets to the wind

The assorted throng, me, Pim, asst uber Geeks, Robin, Gavin, Anny, Jay, Vanessa and Old Man Naughton were soon polishing off a huge feast while trying to avoid the stars at the other tables ( David Hare, Nicole Fahri and Fat tongue )

To begin, langustines with mayo. Wonderful. There is a piccie somewhere of the huge plate of achingly fresh seafood with the best mayo in history, Jay finished the best part of a bowl with his bread. No atkins he and how it shows

With this some Mussels and cabbage. A paucity of mussels but great flavour

Then to the main event. A fricking HUGE pig. It fed 14 of us with 8 doggy bags to spare. Moist, fatty, crisp skin, beautiful. I can't wait to see the photo.

With it some potatoes swimming in butter, greens and monksbeard, a grass blanched and tossed in lemon juice and capers. Also a watercress salad which everyone adored.

Then a comp course. A sour lemon sorbet with a shot O Vodka. Nice cleanser

Puds were a stunning rhubarb fool with little beignet and a carb lovers delight of a seville maramlade B& B pudding.

The bill for all was £62 inc service

I think it will be a hard job to beat this one.

Pictures please

S

[Kikujiro]

The bill for all was £62 inc service

Bloody hell. Were you all abstemious?

[Vanessa]

The bill for all was £62 inc service

Bloody hell. Were you all abstemious?

Weren't you meant to be there :unsure:

v

[Vital Information]

I'm curious what others think about a thread involving a Fergus Henderson meal in Chicago, organized as part of his USA book tour. The thread in question is here. In the thread, you can see the cookbook tour meal, done in conjunction with Paul Kahn, owner of two prominent restaurants in Chicago, Blackbird and Avec (as well as satisfied reports of said meal).

Now, I could not eat at said meal as I was busy leading a bunch of fressers on a walk up Milwaulkee Ave in Chicago, forsaking roasted pork belly and fried lambs brains for white borsht, Equadorian roast pig, an assortment of Polish sausages and a Whoopercheesie. Still, I feel willing to make a statement on the meal, and my statement is that even if the dinner was way delicious, it did not seem in the spirt of Fergus Henderson and St. John.

Yes, there were many dishes from his cookbook, but the net effect of the menu was in line with the Medeterannian influences that Paul Kahn works from. To me, the meal could have been 1) a recreation of what one could find in London or 2) even better, a meal cooked in Chicago based on the time and place principles expounded by Fergus Henderson. Instead, they got a third choice, a Fergus inspired pan-Euro dinner.

What do you all think?

Rob

[Slapsie Maxie]

Rob

Thanks for the link

I think it is representative of the St J menu without truly capturing its spirit. I suspect two things come into play

1) The availability of the ingredients
2) The tastebuds of a US audience ( see the note about brains being "challenging" )

That being said, I am not sure that fergus cooks "rural" english food. That is a bit of a myth. I am not sure food in England was ever how it is at St J. what it does represent is the best of English produce presented in a season way

S

[Vital Information]

Simon, thanx for the response. I agree with all your points. The difference in ingredients, a lot of our "spring vegetables" are not gonna be around for a while still in this part of the world, is one reason I contend that it would be more Fergus to use Midwestern stuff that he would not necessarily use instead of faithfully trying to mimic his menu. To following his approach rather than his recipes would have been cooler. On the other hand, the chef, Paul Kahn, just sourced from the international supply chain, ingredients from Spain and France, that to me, gave the menu not an appearance of St. John OR Chicago, but of somewhere along the Riviera or thereabouts.

As to the stuff being challenging, if you show up for a Fergus Henderson meal, especially on his book tour, are not you expecting to be challenged? Caveat emptor?

Rob

[Vanessa]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Just look at the ads this thread has thrown up

:lol: :lol: :lol:

v

[Vanessa]

Another excellent meal at St John Saturday night, enhanced by Ranitidine's demonstration of his wine drinking skills and, above all, the opportunity to meet the unforgettable Omni. Tip: when sitting between Ranitidine and Omni at the dinner table it is advisable to bring earplugs :lol: Other highlights included witnessing Omni's consumption of whole langoustines in the shell :ouch: and attempting to hold a conversation with a pair of eyebrows, apparently the beau's main means of communication.

Splendid food as well, including my langoustines, and arbroath smokie, served whole in a sea of Jersey cream sauce. In fact our dinner was really an ode to thick, yellow Jersey cream and thick, yellow mayonnaise. The veal neck braised with fresh garlic, ordered for the whole table, I found agreeable but unexciting. Desserts, shared round the whole table were simply dreamy :wub: rhubarb, meringue & cream; apple crumble; blood orange jelly with madeleines; eccles cake with Lancashire cheese and probably more that I don't remember.

v

[Kikujiro]

... baked cheescake with Marc, warm chocolate pudding ...

[Vanessa]

... baked cheescake with Marc

How could I have forgotten :o :wub:

v

[Slapsie Maxie]

The desserts were the best part for me :o

I did also love the lamb faggots.

S

[Kikujiro]

I rather think the desserts are the best part.