Champagne bar on ice but gelateria to open this week

PLANS to open a new champagne bar in Greenwich town centre have been put on ice but the owners say they remain “committed” to the concept.

Black Vanilla Champagne Bar & Gelateria planned to open in College Approach but the council turned down their application for a premises license.

The owners announced they would appeal against the decision and gathered almost 150 signatures on a petition of support, but no appeal was lodged before the deadline expired last week.

After a series of delays to the opening, the owners say the new ground floor gelateria will open this week while plans for a fresh premises licence application are prepared. A spokesperson told Greenwich.co.uk:

“Black Vanilla SE10 will be opening for business on Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 5 College Approach. Following Greenwich Council’s decision not to grant them an alcohol licence, the owners have decided to proceed in opening without alcohol on the menu for the time being.

“Black Vanilla remains committed to Greenwich and their original concept, and will be exploring all options to deliver a full service in the future.”

Black Vanilla also run a gelateria and “boutique bakery” in Blackheath.

Guy Awford’s Food Column: April

The early spring is a great time for eating seafood. Fish and shellfish are in peak condition, and the warmer weather makes us crave something light and simple. Top of the list for the spring must be wild salmon and wild sea bass. These are expensive ingredients, so due care and attention is needed. If you are poaching wild salmon cook at a gentle heat, around 70C, until it is cooked to your liking. Boiling it at 100C will do little to enhance the qualities of this beautiful fish.

Similarly when pan frying wild sea bass the trick is to get a crispy golden skin without drying out the delicate flesh. First score the fillet by cutting 3 shallow slashes through the skin and just into the flesh. This will help to keep the fillet flat during cooking. The next step is to dry the skin. You want the skin to fry in the oil, not stew in its own juices. That means there should be no moisture at all on the skin. Pat it dry with absorbent kitchen paper and then lay it onto a fresh piece of kitchen paper whilst you heat the pan (use a non-stick pan). Get the pan fairly hot then add just enough oil to cover the base. Let it heat then season with fine salt. Turn the heat to medium. Gently lay the fish into the pan, letting it fall away from you (in case any oil splashes out). Press down firmly with a fish slice. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until the skin becomes crisp and golden. Don’t touch it, fuss over it, or in any way fiddle with it. Let it form a crust.

Now turn the fish over, turn the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Your fish will be crispy and moist.

Seasonal Ingredients

Guy Awford’s Food Column: March

Scottish lobsters are renowned for their firm, plump flesh, and delicate sweet flavour. At their peak right now they are available from The Fishmonger on Circus Street. Be warned though, they are very expensive.

Choose lively lobsters that are between 1Ib and 3 Ib. Keep them covered with damp newspaper and leave them in a cool, dark place. Killing a live lobster can be upsetting, so buying a freshly cooked one from a good source is a sensible solution. If you do want to cook it yourself place the lobster in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will put it to sleep. Then plunge it into a large pot of rapidly boiling water.

Having spent so lavishly on the lobster you may as well splurge on the wine; Daniel, from The Theatre of Wine, recommends a great Burgundy, such as a Meursault or perhaps a Puligny-Montrachet.

The recipe below is a simplified version of a starter from my new restaurant – Guy Awford at the Guildford.

Scottish Lobster & Avocado Cocktail with Cos, Lime & Sweet Paprika – serves 4

• Freeze the lobster for 20 minutes, then plunge into a large pot of rapidly boiling, well salted, water. Bring the water back to the boil and cook for 10 minutes for the first pound and then 3 minutes for each additional pound.
• Remove the lobster and plunge into iced water.
• Mix 2 tablespoon of tomato ketchup with 8 tablespoons of mayonnaise, adding a squeeze of lime juice & 1 finely chopped red chilli.
• Crack the lobster and remove the flesh, cutting it into bite sized pieces.
• Peel & slice 2 avocadoes, mix with the lobster, and bind with the sauce.
• Serve on top of some finely sliced cos, dusting the top with a little sweet paprika.

Wine Suggestion: Domaine Bouzereau, Meursault, Les Grands Charrons, 2008. From the heart of the Cote d’Or in Burgundy this is a wine that balances mouth watering fresh citrus flavours with sensual roasted nut and exotic fruit.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:         Avocado, Beetroot, Sprouts, Cape Broccoli, Carrots, Celeriac, Jerusalem Artichoke,

Fish:                       Sea Bass, Oysters, Clams, Cockles, Halibut, Lobster, Brill

Fruit & Nuts:      Forced Rhubarb & Outdoor

Meat:                     Vension

Guy Awford’s Food Column: December

Unless you are planning on eating your Christmas lunch in a restaurant it is highly likely that, come Christmas morning, you will be up early, fretting over a large turkey.  At a time when all you want to do is relax with family and friends, the responsibility for cooking such a large bird can hang like an albatross around your neck, causing stress and apprehension. Well, if that’s the case, maybe I can help.

Your first obstacle is a mental one. Any resentment over your role will inevitably spill out, souring the atmosphere and tainting the food, so you must give yourself willingly and lovingly to the task. Try to relax. Occasionally I get roped into playing golf. If I try too hard, I get uptight, and I’m rubbish. If, however, I take a deep breath, drop my shoulders, and think “who gives a ****”, then more often than not, I hit the ball relatively straight. It’s not an ideal metaphor, but I’m sure you get my point.

The second obstacle is logistics. Can I really cook for all these people? Will it be ready on time? Cooking for a large number of people is pretty much the same as cooking for two; it just takes longer to prepare. Break down your menu into small tasks. List them in the order that you need to tackle them, then methodically work your way through it, giving yourself plenty of time.

Your first job is to make the stuffing, which can be done the day before, as on Christmas morning your priority is cooking the turkey; once that is in the oven all other timings relate to that. I always remove the legs, bone and roll them, and cook them separately. This reduces the cooking time, ensuring the breast meat doesn’t dry out. It’s also a good idea to remove the wishbone, as this makes it much easier to carve. Your butcher should happily do all this for you. Weigh the breast crown and roast for 20 minutes per 500g at 180C, putting the legs in at the same time. Stuff the crown at the neck end, pulling the skin down to hold it in place. Butter and season the turkey, then pop into a preheated oven at 180C.

Now you can turn your attention to the trimmings. For perfect roast potatoes use King Edward or Desiree. Peel, quarter and place into cold water, bring to the boil and cook until a skewer can be pushed through. Drain in a colander, and gently shake to rough up the surfaces. Place them, curved side down, into hot vegetable oil and roast for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes. Whilst they are cooking wrap the chipolatas in bacon and peel the Brussel sprouts. Cutting a cross in the base helps them to cook evenly.

When the turkey is cooked remove from the roasting tray and insert a sharp knife into the thickest part by the wing joint (the juices should run clear, if they still look pink return to the oven for a little longer). Leave to rest for 20 minutes, covered with foil. Whilst it rests, pop the bacon wrapped chipolatas in the oven, cook the sprouts, and make your gravy in the roasting tray.

Have a great Christmas.

Chestnut, Onion & Sage Stuffing

• Finely dice 1 large onion and simmer in milk for 5 minutes.
• Process half a loaf of white bread to make coarse breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the onions, a teaspoon of mustard, a tablespoon of chopped sage, and 250g of roughly chopped cooked chestnuts.
• Mix in 100g of soft butter & 1 egg. Season to taste.
• Push the stuffing together and push into the neck cavity.

Vegetables:      Jerusalem Artichokes, Red Cabbage, Celery, Parsnips

Fish:                 Black Bream, Herring, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Native Oysters, Turbot

Fruit & Nuts:      Apples, Pears

Meat:                Partridge, pheasant, Turkey, Mallard

Guy Awford’s Food Column: November

There is plenty to choose from this month. Game is at its peak, as are mussels, oysters and scallops. In the farmers market root vegetables dominate, begging to be boiled and mashed with plenty of butter and black pepper. Fruit wise, apples, pears and quinces are pretty much it; so pies, tart and crumbles are your best bet.

With the chilly autumn evenings drawing in now is the time to lift the spirits with a rich and satisfying venison casserole. Cooked slowly for an hour or two, its wonderful aroma will fill the house, banishing the winter blues.

The trick to producing a deeply satisfying casserole is gentle cooking, which allows the meat to become tender and the individual flavours to develop and harmonise. Browning the meat first will intensify the flavour and improve the colour. Unlike many dishes reducing the wine first is not necessary, as the slow cooking will do that for you.

Serve the casserole with mashed potatoes, to soak up the rich sauce, or a puree of potato, swede and carrot. For something a little more interesting you could try rosemary infused celeriac mash. Peel and cube a large celeriac and simmer until soft with a tied bunch of rosemary and a few cardamom seeds. Drain thoroughly and remove the rosemary and cardamom. Mash in some butter and season generously.

Venison “Bourguignon” Casserole with Celeriac Mash – serves 4

• Pre-heat the oven to 160C
• Season 600g of diced venison and fry in a little oil in a hot pan until golden brown. Cook in batches if necessary.
• In a large pot sweat 300g of baby onions in butter until they begin to colour.
• Add 100g of streaky bacon lardons and 15 button mushrooms, which have been cut in half.
• Cook until browned then stir in a tablespoon of plain flour.
• Add the venison (and any juices) and 1 tablespoon of tomato puree. Stir to mix it all together.
• Pour in half a bottle of red wine and enough water to just cover.
• Bring to the boil and add a bouquet garni of thyme, bay and rosemary.
• Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours – or until tender.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:     Celeriac, sprouts, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beetroot, red cabbage, pumpkin

Fish:  Mussels, cod, Dover sole, mackerel, oysters, plaice, sea bass, skate, turbot

Fruit & Nuts:  Almonds, apples, brazil nuts, chestnuts, pears, quince, walnuts

Meat:  Partridge, pheasant, pigeon, rabbit, snipe, venison

Guy Awford’s Food Column: October

Now is a great time for cooking game; wild duck, pheasants and venison are at their best. I managed to pick up a dozen rabbits and partridge from Piddinghoe farm shop for Inside restaurant and after a lot of skinning and plucking (thank you Michael) they were ready for cooking. We stuffed the rabbit leg with a rich, sherry soaked Spanish stuffing, and then roasted them until they were golden brown. We roasted the partridge whole with a lot of butter and served with Puy lentils, braised red cabbage and crispy parsnips. When roasting game birds you must take care that the meat doesn’t dry out. So, cook with lots of butter, baste regularly and remove when they are still quite rare. The residual heat will complete the cooking as they rest.

If you are in the mood for some fresh fish Julian at the Fishmongers on Circus Street is particularly excited about wild sea bass and plump diver caught scallops. They are admittedly quite pricey, but for a special treat they are ideal.

Seasonal fruit is not quite so abundant; British berries have all but gone and any strawberries on offer are likely to have made a very long journey indeed. If you want to eat British then apples, pears and quinces are pretty much it. Don’t be discouraged though; there is a great deal that can be rustled up from this humble trio.

For the ultimate comfort food you could use any, or all, of those fruit in a delicious crumble. Just rub 150g of butter into 250g of flour until sandy. Mix in 140g of caster sugar and chill in the fridge. Peel, dice and cook the chosen fruit until soft (but not mushy) in butter sweetened to taste with a little sugar. Top with the crumble mix and bake in a hot oven until the top is golden and the filling is just bubbling through. For a more sophisticated dessert try poaching some pears in an aromatic broth until meltingly soft; once cooled they are fantastic served with a dollop of crème Fraiche or a delicately flavoured ice cream.

Vanilla & Saffron Poached Pears with Ginger Ice Cream

• Peel 4 pears leaving the stalk intact. Cut a slice from the base and carefully scoop out the core. Place straight into lemon water so they don’t discolour.
• Place the pears in a large heavy bottom pot and cover with water.
• Add 250g of caster sugar, a pinch of saffron, 1 vanilla pod, 3 star anise, an inch of ginger, an inch of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until soft – not collapsing.
• Allow to cool in the syrup.
• Serve with crème Fraiche or a scoop of ginger ice cream.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:    Wild mushrooms, leeks, celeriac, pumpkin, salsify, cabbage, kale, swede

Fruit:               Apples, pears

Fish:               Mussels, native oysters, scallop, sea bass

Meat:              Pheasant, partridge, venison, wild duck

Guy Awford’s Food Column: September

September is a great month for oysters. The warmer summer months have passed, the spawning period is over and the waters are colder. Juicy, plump and spankingly fresh, oysters are at their peak.

Eating oysters is a uniquely invigorating experience. No other food conjures up the essence of the sea as potently. As you take it into your mouth you are hit by a briny rush, it can be quite intoxicating. Its mineral elements are evident and you can clearly taste zinc, calcium, copper and magnesium. This really is food for grownups.

Oysters must be alive when you buy them so buy from a reputable source. I can thoroughly recommend Julian at the fishmongers on Circus Street. His Rock and Fin de Clair oysters are sensational. If you are feeling adventurous you can also buy some Sea Urchins from him, but that’s another column.

Shucking oysters is a bit of an ordeal, but I am sure your fishmonger would be only too happy to help; either by opening them, or with a quick demonstration. You will need a strong oyster knife and a bit of patience. To help preserve the precious juices you must store your oysters on a tray in the refrigerator with the flat side up, keeping them covered with a damp cloth.

I prefer my oysters au natural but if an intense marine hit is not to your taste a little sweet and sour Chinese sauce is a great way to balance the powerful flavour.

Native Oysters with Sweet & Sour Shallots

• Finely dice 2 medium shallots. Bring a ½ cup of rice wine vinegar and a ½ cup of caster sugar to the boil. Add the shallots and cool completely. Once cool stir in some chopped coriander and spoon a little over each opened oyster. Eat immediately.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables:  Wild mushrooms, Sweet corn, Tomatoes

Fruit:  Blackberries, plums, greengages, raspberries

Fish:  Eel, mussels, native oysters

Meat:  Goose, rabbit, partridge, mallard

Guy Awford’s Food Column: June

With a bit of luck this June will be a month for barbeques and celebrations; the sun will be shinning and England will be confidently marching their way through the group stages of the world cup.

There are many delicious things to cook on the barbeque, so don’t be afraid to venture beyond burgers and chicken drumsticks. Drings do a lovely Marquez sausage, perfect with a bowl of couscous and some spicy tomato sauce. For a larger gathering you could cook a whole butterflied leg of West Country lamb. Marinade overnight with chopped rosemary, garlic, black pepper and olive oil, then grill, covered with the lid, for about 30-40 minutes, depending how you like it cooked. If you fancy some fish then mackerel and sardines are relatively cheap and in great condition right now. Make a couple of deep incisions on each side of the fish and rub with salt, chopped thyme and olive oil. Grill on both sides and serve with a lemon wedge and crisp green salad.

One dish that is sure to delight your guest is lamb Kofte kebab with couscous and grilled flatbread. Use very lean lamb to ensure the kebabs aren’t greasy and the coals don’t burst into flames during the cooking. Pounding the meat with all the flavourings will bind the kebab together, improving the texture and preventing it from collapsing during cooking.

Spiced Lamb Kofte Kebab with Couscous and Flatbread – serves 4

• Pound 1kg of lean lamb mince with 2 pinches of salt, 2 teaspoons of ground spices (cumin, coriander and fennel), the zest from 1 lemon, a grated clove of garlic, 2 finely diced (seeds removed) red chillies and a generous amount of chopped parsley, mint and coriander. Divide into 8 and form into log shapes around the skewers.
• Pour 370 ml of boiling water over 500g of couscous and rub together with your fingers (use rubber gloves to avoid burning your fingers). Rub in 50g of butter. Add lemon juice, spices, herbs and salt to suit your taste.
• For the flat bread mix 165ml of warm water with a pinch of sugar and a small lump of yeast. Sift 300g of strong flour into a large bowl, adding a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of yoghurt, a splash of olive oil and the yeasty water. Knead for 10 minutes and then cover with oiled clingfilm. Leave in a warm place to rise until double in size.
• Divide into 4 balls and roll out into thin circles. Flour & place on a plate with some greaseproof between each one. Refrigerate until needed.
• Lightly oil and season the kebabs and cook for about 4 minutes each side (or until cooked to your liking).
• Grill the flatbread on each side until lightly charred.
• Serve 2 kebabs per person with couscous, flatbread, rocket and a minty yoghurt seasoned with a little lemon juice, garlic and salt.

Seasonal Ingredients

Vegetables: Beetroot, broad beans, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, courgettes, aubergines, artichokes

Fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, peaches, apricots, melons

Fish: Salmon, sea & river trout, haddock, mackerel, red mullet, prawns, sardines

Meat: New Season lamb, Guinea fowl

Daily Photo: 14/06/2010 – Ethiopian Food

Ethiopian Food stall in Greenwich Market.

Mouse infestation forces temporary San Miguel closure

Greenwich Council forced the temporary closure of a tapas bar in Greenwich last week.

San Miguel in Greenwich Church Street was closed for three days after evidence of mouse and cockroach infestations were found by Environmental Officers from Greenwich Council.

Council officers initially found evidence of the infestation in an unannounced visit on May 4th, and then found that there was still evidence of mice and cockroaches in the basement, kitchen and food preparation area when they returned a week later.

Greenwich Magistrates Court issued an emergency prohibition order on May 10th, and San Miguel was allowed to reopen again last Thursday after undertaking the improvements required.

Councillor Maureen O’ Mara, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Services, said: “The majority of food businesses in Greenwich comply with the law but there is a minority that despite our guidance continue to put their customers’ health at risk. The Council is urging food businesses to take advantage of the free advice available to them in order to protect public health and safety. We also want residents to enjoy their leisure time in the borough without putting their health at risk.”

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