22 August 2011

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

“Your 2010 Christmas present is 12 memorable meals out over the next 12 months, featuring:
Michelin Stars
Celebrity Chefs
Spanish Tapas
Modern Seafood
Modern Italian Cuisine
High Class Dim Sum
in London, Surrey and farther afield.”

“On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” lunch at Drakes on the Pond, in lovely Abinger Hammer, Surrey.

Head Chef John Morris and his chef partner Tracey Honeysett created Drakes on the Pond about ten years ago and since then have been using quality ingredients to enthral their customers. Our recent lunch at Drakes paid tribute to this credo, with quality ingredients showcased in expertly crafted dishes combining to create an outstanding meal.

Light and fluffy chicken liver pâté went well with our Champagne

One of my first impressions was that John and Tracey really know how to cook. The chicken liver pâté we were served with our bread was delightfully light and fluffy with a deep flavour and showed a deft hand and a delicate palate. Our first course was a soft shell crab tempura which was enveloped in a light batter that was a tad greasy but the crab flesh was moist and flavoursome. It was accompanied by a sweet chilli and mayonnaise dipping sauce and a lovely baby leaf salad which was just dressed so all the flavour of the leaves came through. If you haven’t experienced soft shell crab, it’s one of those wondrous foods that take a tiny bit of courage to eat for the first time – sort of like oysters – but once you’ve tried it, you can’t resist eating again and again.

Soft Shell Crab starter at Drakes on the Pond

We chose the chef’s signature dish for our mains, the Slow Cooked Belly of Pork, Fondant Potato, Pancetta Cream Sauce, Crackling, and Black Pudding. This was a good sized portion of soft, flavourful and unctuous pork that was not too fatty. Slow cooked in a water bath for 72 hours, it was served on top of a savoy cabbage base of just cooked and slightly crunchy cabbage which was really delicious. The accompanying celeriac cubes were tasty and crisp, while the crackling was absolutely divine. It wasn’t hard which meant that you could actually chew it and enjoy it instead of mindlessly gnawing at it as is too often the case. The fondant potato melted into the black pudding to make a buttery, earthy combination. The individual tastes were set off by the underlying sweetness of the pancetta cream sauce which tied the dish together. This was really good, unpretentious yet expert cooking.

Slow Cooked Belly of Pork, Fondant Potato, Pancetta Cream Sauce, Crackling, Black Pudding

The Rich Chocolate Brûlée was irresistible

For dessert I made no attempt to resist the Rich Chocolate Brûlée. Basically a chocolate mousse with a brûlée crust, it showed a brilliant balance of chocolate and cream. John chose the Lemon Possett whose sustained lemon and cream flavours were delightfully punctuated by a heady raspberry sorbet.

Creamy Lemon Possett with raspberry sorbet

Handmade chocolates at Drakes on the Pond

And as we would have expected from chefs like John and Tracey, our coffee was accompanied by handmade chocolates which rounded off a wonderful meal in a welcoming restaurant.