English Food Part III

Great English Food Experiences:


Tea is as much an institution in England as beer. One of the several dozen great 'High Tea' experiences is at Fortnum and Mason of Piccadilly. It is an afternoon must.



http://www.fortnumandmason.com/




The Savoy





Another great 'High Tea' experience is at the Savoy. While expensive it is a wonderful London tradition. I recommend the 'Champagne Tea.'

Afternoon Tea has been served at The Savoy throughout its entire history. Served in the famous Thames Foyer and accompanied by the sounds of the resident pianist, Afternoon Tea consists of a mouth-watering array of sandwiches with a variety of fresh fillings, delicate pastries, teacakes and scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve.

Petrus at the Berkeley Hotel





The Petrus Restaurant in the Berkeley (pronounced Barkeley) Hotel is operated by Marcus Wareing under the umbrella of the the Gordon Ramsey Group.


http://www.gordonramsay.com/petrus/




Marcus Wareing - Petrus Chef



Gordon Ramsey




Catherine and I had the 'tasting menu' at Petrus which I've listed below. Foams are big right now in the world of haute cuisine. For example, the carrot soup is put in a tall shot glass (orange in colour) with the coriander foam floating on top (green in colour). To drink the soup you must pass the carrot soup through the coriander foam giving a perfect combination of flavours to the palette. An extraordinary culinary experience and that was just the beginning.

Petrus Tasting Menu

Amuse bouche *

Carrot soup with a coriander foam

~

Pan fried foie grad with fig compote,

spiced pears, almond purée

~

Scottish scallop, carrot a l`orange,

toasted sesame seeds

~

Roasted partridge, sweetcorn,

fresh cobnuts, tarragon jus

~

Pan fried halibut with scallop ragout,

parsnip puree

~

Best end of salt marsh lamb

braised shoulder, carmelised shallot and fennel

pommery mustard

or

Entrecote veal

green aspragus, courgette flower salad,

veal vinigrette

~

Cheese from the trolley

(£10.00 supplement)

Pre dessert

~

Vanilla crème, honey poached plums,

Spiced plum sorbet

* Amuses-bouche, also called amuses-gueule, are tiny bite-sized morsels served before the hors d'œuvre or first course of a meal. These, often accompanied by a proper complementing wine, are served as an excitement of taste buds to both prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach to cooking.

The word is French, literally translated to "mouth amuser" [for bouche = mouth; amuser = to amuse, to please]. The original French word, more frequently employed, is amuse-