The Tasting Menu at the Compleat Angler, designed by Head Chef Tim O'Shea, is a cornucopia of all the ingredients I would choose in designing my own perfect tasting menu. So, when some friends suggested a wine and dine lunch, we were quick to get our table booked.
On Saturday 13th April, the date was set for a lovely lunch by the Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Sitting in the bar awaiting our friends, I enjoyed a nicely chilled Tio Pepe Fino as an aperitif, while Mr Purple Teeth when for his usual G&T. It's so gratifying to find at least one place in the region that knows how to serve a sherry.
The gastronomic delights were kicked off with an extremely tasty amuse-bouche of Leek and Potato Soup topped off with a Garlic Foam. It was served in a shot glass and certainly awakened the palate ready for the meal ahead. It's also provided plenty of guessing game failures on my Facebook page!
On Saturday 13th April, the date was set for a lovely lunch by the Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Sitting in the bar awaiting our friends, I enjoyed a nicely chilled Tio Pepe Fino as an aperitif, while Mr Purple Teeth when for his usual G&T. It's so gratifying to find at least one place in the region that knows how to serve a sherry.
The gastronomic delights were kicked off with an extremely tasty amuse-bouche of Leek and Potato Soup topped off with a Garlic Foam. It was served in a shot glass and certainly awakened the palate ready for the meal ahead. It's also provided plenty of guessing game failures on my Facebook page!
The first course of the Tasting Menu (£55 per head, to be taken by the whole table) is Crab. Cornish Crab is served with an Avocado Mousse, Avruga Caviar, Hay Baked Turnip, Sea Purslane and a rather interesting Negroni Jelly. The matching wines suggested are offered for £40 per head and this dish was to be paired with a Bourgogne, Domaine Pierre Morey, 2008, a biodynamic Chardonnay (available from Davy's Wine Merchants for £18.95 a bottle). I loved this dish, fresh, zingy flavours, and a cute presentation. It was a real taste of spring and the sea which I chose to pair instead, with a bottle of Pazo Señoráns Albariño from Rias Baixas in Spain. I thought it would also help us through the second course. It's got green apple and citrus notes along with some hints of floral and mineral notes. My dining companions were new to Albariño and this one was a nice introduction which they agreed complemented the dish. It's available from Paul Adams Fine Wines for £15.75 a bottle. Regular readers know that I love Albariño and it's a great match for any kind of fish. I cannot urge you enough to try this grape next time you have fish, if you haven't already.
Our second dish was Pan Seared Scallop served on a Butternut Squash Purée with a thin slice of Slow-Cooked Pork Belly, Lemon Gel, & Sage Foam. Again the Albariño worked quite well here though we moved onto our second bottle (designed to pair with the third dish) and drunk them side by side to test which worked best. Both worked pretty well in different ways, though I'd stick with the Albariño for scallops in future. The scallop was tender and perfectly seared with just the right amount of crispiness, and the presentation was again colourful and appetising. The suggested wine pairing was a citrussy Verdejo "Quintaluna 2010" from Spain's Rueda region. At Justerini and Brooks, a case will set you back less than £5 a bottle. While we didn't drink that wine, I'm sure it would match reasonably well and, if you've never tried Verdejo from Rueda, it's also worth a try. It's a very refreshing, citrus lemon wine, which I'm pleased to see is being served in mini bottles aboard British Airways internal flights at the moment. Yum!
Our next wine was another new one for my dining companions - Brumont Gros Manseng (2008), and if I'm honest, it probably was for me, though I had some clue what to expect as I've had several Petit Manseng based wines. It's an indigenous grape from the south west of France, and given that it's frequently made into sweet wines, I thought its dry expression may make a nice blend between the scallop and our next dish of Sauté Foie Gras. Despite being "old" for a dry white Vin de Pays, this still had plenty of gratifying tropical fruit flavours alongside floral notes, apricots, hints of lychee and some spice. It doesn't seem to be easily available by retail though there is a version blended with Sauvignon Blanc which you should find more freely and probably has some fresher green fruit flavours. In this case, I think my choice was inspired compared to the Dornfelder Gau-Odenheimer Petesrberg 2008 (A German red with strawberry and raspberry flavours). The Foie Gras was served with a rhubarb compote, ginger jelly and hazelnut biscotti, all of which went really well with the aromatic, floral and spicy notes in the Gros Manseng. I was beginning to feel like a real wine buff as each dish seemed to be made to match the wines I'd chosen, and we were all tasting something new and interesting which we'd add to our regular drinks lists.
Our main course dish was a Roast Loin of Venison served with Cocoa Nib, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Red Cabbage, Parsnip & Venison Jus.
Our main course dish was a Roast Loin of Venison served with Cocoa Nib, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Red Cabbage, Parsnip & Venison Jus.
Oh Venison, how I love thee! I love thee as slow cooked haunch, in pasta and in stew, but especially as rarely cooked loin, paired with sweet trimmings such as chocolate or red berries. Sorry Bambi!
It's perhaps a surprising menu choice for a spring menu, but I was glad of it's hearty warming flavours given the downpour which met us for most of April. I decided to pair this with Amarone della Valpolicella, a 2005 Riserva Le Viole by Accordini. My guests expressed a preference for this wine, and who am I to deny them? After all, I realised I'd already blown the £40 a head wine budget we'd have spent on the matched wines. This is a wine I'd always choose to put with a red meat dish served with sweet sides such as red cabbage and parsnip, but in this case, the addition of chocolate made it a real winner. Why? Because it's made from semi dried grapes and has some residual sweetness. The sommelier's suggestion was a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Colchagua Valley. I can't imagine how a dry tannic cabernet would match this dish, but I've never tasted this one, and the critics' descriptions are rather alluring, so perhaps it works. We also added a cheese course, and Amarone is a red which can cope with the extra-strong cheeses I love. The Cheese Course is an optional £10 supplement, a lot on top of a £55 meal. We cannot see past a good strong cheese, however, so we opted just to have cheese for two and share it between 4, which the restaurant were happy with. Again, the cheeseboard felt like it had been designed around us with an amazing selection of pungent dairy produce such as Brie de Meaux, Epoisses and Comté from France and a more local Barkham Blue. The cheeses were served with crackers, bread, grapes and truffle or saffron honey as well as quince paste. Why does cheese have to be so fattening? I would eat a plate like that every day for breakfast if my arteries wouldn't harden within the week.
For the dessert wine, I reviewed the choices available, and compared the sommelier's selection and in this case, went with the suggestion.
I love Jurançon dessert wines, and this one "Clos Thou - Supreme de Thou 2010" was just as pleasing as I'd anticipated, and a great match for both the pre-dessert, and the actual dessert on the menu.
In a strange kind of symmetry, the wine is a blend of Gros Manseng (our second wine) and Petit Manseng (a grape which is thought to be related to Albariño.
The pre-dessert (which isn't listed on the menu) was, from what I can recall under alcohol soaked conditions, some kind of lychee sorbet. There is a foam and a jelly but memories are sketchy aside from the fact that it was refreshing and got the palate ready for the ultimate in desserts, the Passion Fruit Soufflé served with a delicious creamy White Chocolate Ice Cream. Heaven on a plate.
I simply can't imagine a better match for the wine, or a better dish to finish off a menu that could have been made just for me. As for value, at £55 for 5 courses plus the amuse bouche and pre dessert, I think it's well worth the money. I spent a little more than the sommelier would have on the wines, but from the feedback of my dining companions, it seems to have been appreciated. I've had 3 tasting menus at The Compleat Angler now, and this one was my favourite, and I much preferred these wines to the ones they've recommended before. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe, I actually do know a thing or two.
I love Jurançon dessert wines, and this one "Clos Thou - Supreme de Thou 2010" was just as pleasing as I'd anticipated, and a great match for both the pre-dessert, and the actual dessert on the menu.
In a strange kind of symmetry, the wine is a blend of Gros Manseng (our second wine) and Petit Manseng (a grape which is thought to be related to Albariño.
The pre-dessert (which isn't listed on the menu) was, from what I can recall under alcohol soaked conditions, some kind of lychee sorbet. There is a foam and a jelly but memories are sketchy aside from the fact that it was refreshing and got the palate ready for the ultimate in desserts, the Passion Fruit Soufflé served with a delicious creamy White Chocolate Ice Cream. Heaven on a plate.
I simply can't imagine a better match for the wine, or a better dish to finish off a menu that could have been made just for me. As for value, at £55 for 5 courses plus the amuse bouche and pre dessert, I think it's well worth the money. I spent a little more than the sommelier would have on the wines, but from the feedback of my dining companions, it seems to have been appreciated. I've had 3 tasting menus at The Compleat Angler now, and this one was my favourite, and I much preferred these wines to the ones they've recommended before. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe, I actually do know a thing or two.
Finally, because we never seem to know when we've had enough, we retired to the bar for a post-dinner drink. I was excited by the prospect of one of the several fresh berry cocktails on the list, thinking these would continue the fruit flavours of the dessert course. Sadly, none of them were available - a bit of an oversight, and just a slight blot on the review for the restaurant. Instead, I consoled myself with a Midori-fuelled blast from the past, the Apple & Melon Martini. The Midori flavour set the tone for a really retro evening of BBC4's homage to the 80s synth pop era, about all I was good for after such an amazing day!
Remember folks, drinking this much with lunch, is not recommended on a regular basis, but for occasional splurges, just make sure you enjoy it as much as I did.
Remember folks, drinking this much with lunch, is not recommended on a regular basis, but for occasional splurges, just make sure you enjoy it as much as I did.
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