Blog - Flying Fourchette

Burger & Lobster, London

January 1, 2013

Simple and good has always been a winning formula for many restaurants and what you’ll get at Burger & Lobster is exactly that. With only 3 choices on the menu – burger, lobster or lobster roll – people like me who gets overwhelmed with too many options are in heaven. Whatever you choose will be fantastic and at £20 each is a superb deal, especially for the amount of lobster you’re getting.

The pub-like eatery is packed every night and the long queues have become famous. It’s fun, casual, and noisy inside with people wearing adult-sized bibs and licking all that goodness from their fingers. Go for a quick and easy night out with straightforward and delicious food.

There are no starters and only a few simple desserts but the wine and cocktail lists are pretty good to get you started. The whole reason to visit anyway is for the mains and you’ll be surprised at how quick they arrive at your table, which makes sense considering the very limited menu! They all come accompanied by a mini bucket of chips (those perfectly salted skinny ones) and a side salad.

I’ve heard the burger was phenomenal though I was really here just for the lobster and let me tell you it really didn’t disappoint! The live lobsters are imported from Canada and held by the tons in tanks in the basement. Weighing about a kilo each, they can be served steamed or grilled and come with hot lemon-garlic butter for dipping. My friend and I both went for the grilled option and thought it was divine, the char grill adding a nice smokey flavor to the tender meat.

From there it’s just pure enjoyment as you start digging into the super fresh white meat, coming out effortlessly from the already cracked shell. It’s sweet-tasting and tender, and the large juicy and meaty forkful you dip into the hot butter sauce is as seductive as it’s going to get. For £20, this is one bargain meal you know you’ll be coming back for!

Burger & Lobster

36 Dean Street

Soho, London

W1D 4PS

T: +44 20 7432 4800

map (+ other locations in Mayfair and Farringdon)

Dessert Recipes

Baracky Road Ice Cream

December 27, 2012

A creatively titled version of America’s favorite ice cream flavor Rocky Road, Baracky Road was born out of the visionaries at Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco as a nod to, you guessed it, the President. It’s your fairly traditional genius mix of rich chocolate base, sweet mini marshmallows and crunchy nuts which has never failed to please, and here it manages to taste even more decadent than all previous versions I’ve had before.

The amazing chocolate base is what does it I think, as it’s one of the richest I’ve tried. It starts as a caramel first before mixing in the chocolate, giving it a deep and super sweet flavor. You could honestly stop there and call it an insanely good chocolate ice cream, but in these times of treats and excess, why would you! You can throw in a bunch of mini marshmallows which add a pleasant chewy texture and a handful of walnuts for the crunch like the recipe calls for, classic and perfect as it is. Or you can get creative and toss in any number of random pantry items like coconut, dried cherries, almonds, … with such a base all your combos are sure to be good.

The richness, as insanely luscious as it is, is quite intense and I found that a ramekin serving size was more than enough to curb my cravings, but that’s just me! Enjoy the sugar rush…

Baracky Road Ice Cream

Adapted from Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream Book

Active time: 1 hour

Total time: 3+ hours

Makes about 1 quart

1¾ cups sugar

½ cup water

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 tsp salt

3 egg yolks

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 oz dark chocolate (70%); 4 oz chopped, 2 oz melted

½ cup mini marshmallows

½ cup chopped walnuts

In a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, melt ¾ cup of the sugar, stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula and watching constantly. Continue cooking until the caramel takes on a deep amber color and is a smooth liquid, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn it, because it goes from being perfect to burnt very quickly.

Immediately add the water to stop the cooking – but be careful because it will splatter. Reduce the heat to medium and stir until smooth. Add the cream, milk, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot but not boiling.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Place a large, clean bowl in the ice bath and fit the bowl with a fine-mesh strainer.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup sugar until well blended.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Slowly pour about half of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer the yolk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture and return it to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and being sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan so it doesn’t scorch, until the liquid begins to steam and you can feel the spatula scrape against the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.

Just toward the end of cooking the custard, whisk in the cocoa powder. At this point, whisk constantly until finished, because cocoa burns very easily. When the custard is done, remove from the heat.

Put the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the hot custard over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the clean bowl you set up in the ice bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally.

When the custard has totally cooled, cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. When you are ready to freeze the custard, transfer it to an ice cream maker and spin according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Right after spinning, fold in the marshmallows and walnuts.

Drizzle in the melted chocolate and stir it vigorously to create chocolate chips.

Eat immediately (it’ll be really soft), or transfer to an airtight container, cover, and freeze for up to one week.

[print_link]

Recipes Side dish Vegetarian

Brussels Sprout Salad with Pepitas and Dates

December 23, 2012

Brussels sprouts sold on the stem are irresistible to me. Not only do they make a dashing centerpiece for your table during these festive times, getting them still attached to their stalk means you get the freshest ones possible since the sprouts continue to absorb the nutrients in the stem. As soon as I got my hands on the first stalk I knew I had to make something simple to highlight what I love most about these cutesy leafy globes – a nice crunch followed by a slightly pungent and spicy taste.

Brussels sprouts have sadly always had a bad reputation, one of the veggies you feared most as a child due to your parents overcooking them to depressing, soggy, and smelly things. When cooked right though, they’re pleasingly firm and tender at the same time and are a favorite side dish of mine.

Whether roasted, raw shredded, sautéed or boiled, Brussels sprouts are a common sight on every Holiday tables this time of year and this simple salad is a healthy alternative over the usual bacon-loaded ones. Here they are boiled to perfection which should convinced the ‘roasted purists’ that there are other ways to get tasty Brussels sprouts, and healthier too. You get layers of flavor and texture between the slightly crispy sprouts, crunchy pumpkin seeds, plump dried dates and a tangy dressing that wakes everything up.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Pepitas and Dates

Adapted from Food and Wine magazine

Total Time: 35 min.
Makes 10 to 12 servings

3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Kosher salt
Ice
3 pounds brussels sprouts, quartered
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper
7 Medjool dates, finely chopped

In a skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; season with salt.

Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook half of the Brussels sprouts until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts to the ice water bath to cool. Repeat with the remaining Brussels sprouts. Drain well and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, vinegar, shallots and mustard. Add the brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Stir in the pumpkin seeds and dates and serve.

[print_link]

2 Comments

Atlanta Restaurants

Weekend in Atlanta

December 19, 2012

Weekends away are one of those precious things that make your stressful city life a lot more bearable, especially when they involve a warmer destination! I finally decided last week to visit my friend who moved to Atlanta and can say that the food, springlike weather, and southern hospitality made for a very pleasant time-off.

For those who think long brunch lines are synonymous with New Yorkers willing to wait hours for a filling hangover cure and decent eggs Benedict, I can say the trend as far outstretched the city limits. Both times we had to queue to get in a space that’s usually twice the size of what you’d find in NYC. Granted, we had picked the best spots in Atlanta for our morning cravings, my top favorite one being Ria’s Bluebird (421 Memorial Drive Southeast). A hippie diner opposite beautiful Oakland cemetery, Ria’s Bluebird would be well at home in Williamsburg, NYC with its quirky charm and comfort food for the masses.

We were smart enough to show up early (i.e. 9:30am!) as the long lines when we exited are probably the only negative point I can say about the place. They’re known to serve the world’s best pancakes so we obviously had to oblige and order a stack. While you can have them plain or topped with caramelized bananas or chocolate chips, we went for the daily special (specials are always worth ordering apparently at Ria’s). Today, the warm and wonderfully fluffy confection was filled with mini white chocolate chips and orange zest and topped with chai whipped cream…god!

To balance things out, we also shared the usual breakfast called here Early Bird Special which comes with two eggs, a sweet potato cake (my pick and it was fantastic, highly recommend over the other sides), biscuit and bacon. Everything just perfectly executed, the mix of salty and sweet hitting all the right notes – this is a brunch worth queuing for!

The real highlight of my weekend though was dinner at Holeman & Finch (2277 Peachtree Road Northeast), a gastropub of sorts which packs in crowds everyday and offers a refreshingly unique spin on American comfort food with amazing success. As you can expect, the no reservation policy means you’ll inevitably have to wait for a table though the chic and buzzing bar makes it almost enjoyable. The cocktails are top-notch and you’ll soon find yourself sipping happily in the middle of the packed room, staring in awe at the dishes coming out of the even tinier kitchen right in front of you. The smell of all this meat and sinful goodness is pure torture…

The meat heavy menu is filled with small plates meant for sharing and the expansive selection means you can have any kind of night you want – light nibbles for a reasonable fee or an all out dinner you’ll remember for a long time. Go with a group as you’ll want to try as many dishes as you can, a few of which are presented below. The winners for us were the hot dog (yes, amazing combo of taste and texture here!), the fried kale (with candied bacon…intense and definitely not light but one of the best side dishes), the salad (again, sounds so simple on the menu but everything was just crazy good from the dressing to the local goat cheese), the country gentlemen (think of a spin on a croque-monsieur) and the sticky toffee pudding.

Bread co. soft pretzel with ballpark mustard and Shrimp roll – georgia white shrimp, bacon, bread & butter pickle

Mixed greens salad – croutons, breakfast radishes, buttermilk dressing, goat cheese

Crunchy gentlemen – black forest ham, gruyere, dijon

Hot dog – pickled jalapeno peppers & ballpark mustard

Veal cheeks – bourbon barrel miso, carrots, turnips, potatoes

Lamb fries – mustard greens, apple marmalade, mint, warm vinaigrette

Fried kale – sunchoke pickle, candied bacon, buttermilk dressing

Sticky toffee pudding with whipped cream

Bacon-caramel popcorn

One of the best dinners I’ve had lately and definitely makes me want to come back and try their famous burger. They sell it in ‘limited quantities’ of 24 every night at 10pm…which people line up for around 9pm…talk about creating a craze, and it’s working! If you’re not a late night burger kinda guy, they serve it all day on Sundays, but what’s the fun in that! 😉

Another brunch we add was at Highland Bakery (655 Highland Avenue Northeast #10), an institution in Atlanta for awesome breakfasts and baked goods. The vibe and menu were distinctly more Southern than at Ria’s and the heaping portions at low prices makes it an obvious favorite amongst locals.

Although I wasn’t as impressed here as I was with Ria’s, it’s well worth filling your belly with huge plates of eggs, beans, grits and other favorites such as the sweet potato pancakes and french toasts.

Cowboy Benedict – Two quesadillas, with seasoned black beans, eggs poached medium and Hollandaise with a spicy corn relish

Cilantro Corn Pancakes – Served over black beans and topped with 2 eggs fried medium, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, and cilantro

Fried Chicken Benedict – Eggs poached medium with fried chicken topped with jalapeno cheddar cheese sauce on a toasted biscuit, with grits

Peanut Butter French Toast – Challah bread filled with peanut butter, dipped in batter, encrusted with bran flakes and topped with caramelized bananas…yes, as crazy as it looks, and a bit too sweet for our friend who could barely eat 1/3 of it… but the images sure are worth it!

I had high hopes for my dinner at The Spence (75 5th Street Northwest), the newish restaurant from Top Chef’s fourth season runner-up Richard Blais, but was left on my appetite a bit, sadly. One can definitely have a superb night here – ambiance is happening, lighting is perfect, bar area has the best views of the room, and the open kitchen brings an exciting energy throughout. It was just one of those nights where we didn’t order the best things…voila! It happens, that’s why getting some recommendations come handy sometimes… hint!

Fresh house rolls arrived at our table with a generous smear of butter mixed with freshly shredded coconut – a surprising and delicious take on the usual bread & butter. Then came our appetizer of beets, soft boiled egg, blue cheese, and wasabi, probably the most balanced and accomplished dish of the night. Next came the smoked rigatoni with octopus and bottarga, pretty tasty though you wished you had more of the octopus and bottarga, wasn’t as powerful as it could be but good enough. The big letdown was in the only main dish we ordered: pork belly with sweet potato, bacon and radish. Everything sounded so good about it, it’s shocking we got served a piece that was really only a huge slab of fat with barely any meat on…worst pork belly I’ve ever had and I do like fat from time to time. Thankfully the sides of bacon and sweet potato outshone the pile of fat which we left half eaten on the plate. We finished with a pecan treacle tart with milk jam ice cream, another ‘quite good but not impressive’ menu item, think I was craving biting into big chunks of pecans and was surprised by the ground treatment here, just not as satisfying. All in all, a cool place to try but you might want to sit at the bar and snack on appetizers which wouldn’t be so bad…

With only a few hours left to my foodie weekend in Atlanta, I was fortunate enough to hit the farmers market at Grant Park which was soon closing for the winter season.

We got in just in time for the weekly Chef Demo, today showcasing Steven Satterfield from Miller Union, another restaurant I would have loved to try. He prepared a seasonal market salad and roasted butternut squash toasts which we all got to try…and yes this was right after a big brunch!

The setting was beautiful on the edge of the park with colorful leaves coloring the grounds and a crowd of happy shoppers and hungry snackers taking in the unusually warm weather. It even got some jumping for joy barefoot in a rain puddle for the greatest pleasure of the passersby…

I couldn’t really do my grocery shopping there but I did get a tub of that bacon-caramel popcorn we ate the night before at Holeman & Finch. They just happened to have a stand and I had to restrain myself from getting a lot more…

Right, so I had my snack for the flight back to New York in a few hours and plans to come back here in the heat of summer to try all these terraces I’ve seen spread all over the city and try a few more Southern specialties. So far so good Atlanta, but now I need to get back to my crazy New York, healthier habits and cooler temps…

Main course Recipes

Tuna with Couscous and Moroccan Spices

December 13, 2012

Moroccan couscous can take hours to prepare the traditional way, time that very few of us have on our hands. For once, cutting corners and grabbing a box of quick-cooking couscous barely feels like cheating if it means having an elaborate exotic meal and filling your home with the smell of aromatic spices.

While you usually see couscous topped with lamb or chicken, this version showcases top quality tuna, an incredibly savory fish I’m constantly looking for ways to ingest. As a sushi lover, there’s only one way I would eat it and it’s rare, bright pink flesh in the centre with just a small searing crust outside. Here it gets even better with a generous coating of Moroccan spices which gives the already flavourful fish a surprisingly deep and spectacular taste. Added to a healthy mix of couscous, fall vegetables and fresh mint, the end result is a protein and vitamin packed meal, as beneficial to your body and well-being as to your wanderlust…

Tuna with Couscous and Moroccan Spices

Adapted from Gourmet magazine

Active time: 1¼ hr

Total time: 1¼ hr

Makes 6 servings

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups fish stock

2 tablespoons mild honey

¼ cup olive oil, divided

1 medium white onion, finely diced

1 medium zucchini, finely diced

2 cups finely diced eggplant (about 6oz)

1½ cups finely diced peeled butternut squash

1½ cups finely diced peeled daikon radish

½ cup veal stock, or 1 tablespoon Demi-Glace concentrate diluted with ½ cup water

1 (10 oz) box couscous

½ cup finely chopped mint

2 lbs 1½-inch-thick pieces finest-quality center-cut tuna

Finely grind Sichuan peppercorns in a coffee or spice grinder, then stir together with allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Briskly simmer fish stock and honey in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about ½ cup, 30 to 35 minutes. Keep honey syrup warm, covered.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onion with ¾ teaspoon salt until softened. Add diced vegetables and sauté until very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Bring chicken and veal stocks to a boil with ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and stir in couscous. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Stir the couscous into the vegetables along with mint. Season with salt and keep warm, covered.

Pat tuna dry and coat with spice mixture. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in cleaned skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then sear tuna on all sides, about 6 minutes total for rare.