Tonight's Menu - Spanish Tapas

Starter

Leek Pancakes with Watercress and Anchovy Sauce

Main

Paella

Side Dishes

Tapas

Chorizo and Cheese Tortilla
Tiny Meatballs with Tomato Salsa
Traditional Catalan Salt Cod Salad
Tuna Rolls
Feisty Potatoes with Chilli Oil and Aioli

Dessert

Creamy Chocolate and Lemon Grass Mousse

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A low calorie dish topped with Edam cheese. The filling included leeks, mushrooms and chives and a scattering of sunflower seeds

       Classic Spanish Paella with juicy prawns and garlic chicken, always a firm favourite

                                          
              

Lamb meatballs with red onion, mint, cumin, lemon juice and cayenne pepper and a spicy tomato and pepper dip to finish them off

Great combination of Chorizo and cheese with tomatoes, red peppers and potatoes

This salt cod salad tasted amazing and was marinated with spring onions, olive oil, sherry vinegar and lemon juice. Served on a bed of tomatoes

The feisty potatoes are small chunks of fried potatoes with a generous helping of aioli (a garlicky homemade mayonnaise)  and a fiery kick of chilli oil

Flaked tuna and capers  rolled up in a grilled slice of red pepper which were soaked in olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, sugar and dried chilli flakes, yum yum yum yum

Milk infused with lemongrass makes this a creamy chocolate mousse with a very refreshing after taste

Lots of empty plates once again

Tonight's Menu - Old Persia, India & Carrot Cake

Starter

Persi Eggs

Main

Rasedaar Murghi Taangen

(Chicken curry in spicy onion sauce)

Side Dishes

Dum Aloo

(Bombay Potatoes)

Dessert

Carrot Cake

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Parsi Eggs is an ancient Persian recipe made with chilli and tomatoes. I've added little Chappati rolls to the dish

Damian made the main and side dishes this evening. The main dish, Rasedaar Murghi Taangen, is chicken curry from the north of India. The fried onion sauce was thickened slightly

Damian's Dum Aloo is Bombay potatoes, another dish from north Indian. The ingredients include onion, tomato, ginger, green peppers and chilli

Served with white rice and naan bread

The home made Carrot Cake was not heavy, quite light and tasted lovely. A rind of a whole orange, tablespoon of orange juice, walnuts as well as grated carrots were the main ingredients of the cake itself. The topping was made with cream cheese and icing sugar





A close up of the Carrot Cake

Everyone's thoughts on tonight's meal:

Seven clean plates out of seven!

Tonight's Menu - Drambuie Custard

Starter

Vermicelli Wrapped Prawns with Lemon Basil Mayonnaise

Main

Semur Ayam
(Fried chicken stewed in sweet soy sauce)

Side Dishes

Sayur Keri
(Curried vegetables)

Dessert

Three Chimneys Hot Orange Pudding with Drambuie Custard

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Prawns fried in virgin olive oil, individually wrapped in a basil leaf then wrapped up in Vermicelli, resting on lemon basil mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is home made

This is an Indonesian dish. The chicken is fried and then stewed in sweet soy sauce

An Indonesian side dish to go with the Semur Ayam, the main ingredients are cauliflower, green beans and potato

 



Each person had three individual steamed puddings. The recipe asked for only an oz. of flour and a whole jar of marmalade. The Drambuie custard is home made. Drambuie is a liqueur made from malted whiskey, honey from heather flowers and mixed with herbs and spices.

Tonight's verdict:

Seven thumbs up! Or is that 14? How much Drambuie did I put in that custard...

Tonight's Menu - Vive la France!

Starter

Willi's Wine Bar Grilled River Cobbler with Red Peppers, Capers and Cumin

Main

Auberge de la Madone's Beef Stew with Wild Mushrooms and Orange

Side Dishes

Madam Laracine's Potato Gratin and Garlic Herb Bread

Dessert

Madam Cartet's Lemon Tart with Cream

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River Cobbler (Pangasius hypophthalmus) is a fish from Vietnam or Thailand. It is a white meaty fish, very tender. Grilled for a few minutes and dressed in red peppers and capers in virgin olive oil.

This French beef stew used a one whole bottle of red wine, brandy and the zest and juice of oranges. Never tasted anything like it before. A unique and delicious flavor.



The crusty Gruyère cheese top Potato Gratin.

Garlic and herb bread along side the main dish

Everyone got their own individual lemon tart with cream served separately.

Cut through the lemon tart



This evening's verdict on tonight's French dinner:

Fantastique!

Tonight's Menu - The Banana Bomb

Starter

Asparagus, Mozzarella & Prosciutto Parcels

Main

Red Thai Chicken Curry with Bamboo Shoots

Dessert

The Banana Bomb

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Asparagus nestled between Mozzarella wrapped in Italian Prosciutto ham, with a light vinaigrette dressing to start

Slicing it through the centre

Red Thai Chicken Curry made from scratch. No onions, garlic or ginger in this dish

The dessert had to be built in seven separate sections. Started this yesterday afternoon. This is the top of the Banana Bomb (with a lit sparkling fuse)!

The first layer is thick chocolate poured over the top of the bomb, sprinkled with chopped up Pistachios

Cutting through the middle revealed the rest of layers. From the top: vanilla cream, banana chocolate, home made Pistachio ice cream, sliced banana, chocolate mousse and banana cake

Number of empty plates at the end of dinner:

Seven out of seven

Brilliant!

Tonight's Menu - Swordfish

Starter

Griddled Swordfish with Fennel and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Main

Beef Stroganoff

Dessert

Mango Napoleons with Caramel and Minted Cream

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Griddled Sword Fish for starter

Creamy Beef Strogonaff with Mushrooms on a bed of white rice

Between three layers of filo pastry was mango, lime, home made caramel and mint cream, dusted with sugar and decorated with a mint leaf

The verdict from the six family members at the table...

Six thumbs up!

Tonight's Menu - Prawns and Papaya

Starter

Vietnamese Salad of Grilled Prawns with Papaya

Main

American Style Chicken

(Renamed at the table to 'Awesome Saucesome Chicken')

Side Dishes

Courgette & Tomato Tien with Spicy Potato Wedges

Dessert

Tuile Cups with Chocolate Swirls

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For the starter, we had a Vietnamese dish. The prawns were grilled.



The Awesome Saucesome Chicken (from America) sauce is made up of different everyday sauces

The Courgette & Tomato Tien with Gouda cheese topping, red peppers and rice, is a French dish

Home made Spicy Potato Wedges

Back to France with the Tuile Cups





The verdict for tonight's menu is in:

They loved it!