Hawksmoor Air Street London

The Hawksmoor Air Street only opened in November but is already attracting good reviews. Unlike the other Hawksmoor restaurants this one doesn't only do great steaks. They have included a nice selection of seafood but not in a 'tacked on' way; they have teamed up with Mitch Tonks from Dartmouth to develop a seafood menu of high quality. The result in my opinion is great meat and equally great seafood with no compromises.
We had the seared scallops which were cooked with white wine , herb butter and sea salt. They were delicious and cooked to perfection. Main course was the monkfish which was well seasoned and grilled over charcoal. The result was succulent and very tasty with sides of fries and spinach with lemon and garlic. Service was friendly and helpful thanks to our waitress Aleksandra who was very knowledgeable about the food. We will go again.

Fish Curry

I made this delicious fish curry today and it was simple to make so here are the basics. Cut Tilapia fillets into strips and lay in the bottom of an ovenproof dish with raw shelled prawns. Chop one onion and spread over the fish. Sprinkle with slices of fresh garlic, ginger and sweet pepper. Squeeze the juice of one fresh lime on the top. Add a large jar of Tikka Masala cook-in sauce and leave to marinade in a cool place for an hour or so. Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes then serve with brown rice, spinach and a slice of lime. Enjoy.

Wines to go with Oysters

Having completed an extensive but by no means comprehensive trial of various wines which go well with oysters (a tough job I know) here are my top 5 recommendations for 2012.

Rock oysters and Chablis

Chablis 2011, Vocoret (Majestic £10.99)  
This wine is produced in one of the northernmost wine growing areas in the world where a combination of cool weather, limestone soils and Kimmeridgian clay produces one of the most iconic wine styles. Steely and mineral aromas with citrus fruits, limestone and slate provide a crisp, fresh and vibrant palate.  

Domaine de Villargeau 2011, Coteaux du Giennois(Majestic £8.99) 
This small appellation has only 91 hectares planted with Sauvignon vines and as it lives in the shadow of its neighbour, Pouilly Fume, its wines often slip under the radar and are hence excellent value.  Classic goosebery on the nose is intense and leads to a palate bursting with lime and nettle delivered with a clean crisp finish. 


Sancerre 2011, Calvet (Waitrose £9.99)
One of the most famous white wines in France, the Sancerre appellation is produced in 15 villages. An aromatic bouquet with white flowers and citrus fruits with flinty notes which perfectly complements the minerality of oysters.

2011 Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux de Languedoc (M and S, £7.99) 
 Just a few miles from the Mediterranean coastline comes this crisp and zesty wine made from the Picpoul grape.  With a nose of lemon and lime, followed by green apple with a refreshingly dry and acidic finish.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Malborough Ragged Point (Majestic £5.99)
Typical Malborough characters of gooseberry, nettle and hints of tomato leaf on the nose.  Palate fruit is predominantly green apple and citrus with suggestions of melon, framed by intense acidity.

Crab Balchao

Soft shell crab is one of my favourite small dishes as a starter or appetiser.  I have eaten it in many different styles including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and American.  Having an Indian version was new to me so I jumped at the opportunity when it appeared on the menu at Meghdoots restaurant in Petworth.  The crab was prepared in a light batter with ginger, garlic, vinegar and crushed peppercorns, topped with mango chutney and served with a yoghurt dip and salad garnish.  This delicious starter was developed for Meghdoot's recent Goan Food Fiesta which featured a guest Goan chef and offered a range of speciality dishes including King Prawn Cafreal (king prawns in a mint and coriander sauce with coconut) and Fish Ambot Tik (roasted hot and sour fish served with traditional Goan spices and served dry). Owner Sanjay Jha heralded the fiesta a huge success which was sold out every night, so check out Meghdoots website.    

The Caxton Grill - London SW1

Hotel 41 is No1 on TripAdvisor for London and its easy to see why.  From the moment you arrive nothing is too much trouble and if you do have a problem you are compensated. It is a 5 star hotel which is situated on the top (5th) floor of the Rubens Hotel (4*) on Buckingham Palace Road (SW1).  An oasis of calm this small select hotel feels more like a private club with the central library (Executive Lounge) providing the hub.  Great personal service which included complimentary champagne (choice of four leading marques) and comfortable quiet rooms provided a wonderfully calm ambience.  However, they do not have a restaurant so after reading the reviews on Square Meal we headed to the Caxton Grill at the St. Ermin's Hotel which is about 10 minutes walk away. 

Squid Ink Raviola with Crab

 The hotel lobby at St Ermin's has an impressive array of grand terraces and chandeliers but initial impressions of the restaurant were that it is a bit 'ordinary' by comparison.  That was soon forgotten however as we were directed to our table and our Portuguese waiter, Ivo explained the menu choices.  He was fully informed about all of the dishes which we had questions about and was most helpful throughout the meal.  For starters I had the Squid Ink Raviolo which was stuffed with fresh Devon crabmeat and Sea Fennel, topped with Coriander Gremolata in Crab Bisque. Ivo told me it was his favourite and I think it will be mine too (once I have been back to try all the others !). 

Dover Sole

For main course we ordered the 'Catch of the Day' which was whole Dover Sole grilled in the Josper Grill. Of Spanish origin, the Josper is a charcoal based 'closed draught barbeque' that cooks super fast at incredibly hot temperatures and (as the argument goes) more thoroughly than any other option as the heat is distributed evenly from above, below, left and right of whatever’s been placed on the grill. In my opinion overcooking fish is the worst thing you can do so I was interested to see the results by this method.  I needn't have worried, Executive Chef, Hus Vedat, is a very talented.  The Dover Sole was skinned topside only then cooked upside down which allowed the fish to cook beneath the skin to the perfect result.  Dressed with burnt butter and lemon soaked almonds it was simply delicious.  

Fishing with Carlos

Spent a nice day at Zavial fishing with Carlos Ramos. We caught 4 fish, all too small to keep but it was lovely sunny weather. Carlos is the owner of O Cantinho Algarvio, a restaurant in Lagos which offers a range of fresh fish dishes. Thankfully Carlos doesn't rely on his catches but buys fresh fish from the local market every morning.

Spicy Seabass

The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, is primarily an oceanic fish which frequents the shores and estuaries of the UK in the summer months.  Often seen feeding with shoals of Mackerel they provide great sport for sea anglers, especially using lighter tackle.  On a recent fishing trip from Hayling Island I spotted a guy in waders fly-fishing for Bass at the entrance to the Langstone Harbour. What a great way to spend a few hours in the early morning sunshine on a beautiful calm day.

Much of the seabass we eat now is farmed. More than 100,000 tonnes of sea bass were farmed in 2008, compared to the total European wild catch of approximately 7,660 tonnes that year. Provided it is sourced from a well managed farm (check with your fishmonger), it is difficult to taste the difference between farmed and fresh although you will see a difference in price with wild being up to twice the the cost of farmed.  Wild fish vary more in size and tend to be larger. Also the flavour of wild fish is affected by their diet so that can vary depending on their location.

Seabass flesh is white, soft and has a delicate sweetness in flavour.  So, why would you want to upset this delicate balance by cooking a spicy version.  I would agree except that Meghdoots restaurant in Petworth is not your average curry house.  It is a restaurant with skilled chefs who prepare all of their dishes freshly to order. Owners Sanjay and Mili set very high standards and have never failed to impress me on any visit.  The 'special' last friday was Pudeena Machii, fresh seabass blended in a mint and spice marinade and finished in the Tandoor.  The fish retained its fresh moist texture and sweetness but it was combined perfectly with the spices to produce a well balanced dish.  Essentially this is a dry curry so I added a black lentil dal and Palak Chawal (spinach rice).  A great combination which resulted in  a light and very tasty meal.