Snapshot: Broadway Market

I was completely charmed by Broadway Market, surprise surprise. Never mind the hike across town in the blustery wind, as I walked up Benjamin Close the heady aromas of spice, barbecue and coffee were enough to woo me. Sold! Broadway Market is an Aladdin's cave of culinary treats; it was tough even choosing what to try (1st world problems, much?)! The brilliant thing is that it's a bit more manageable in size (as opposed to the oppression of Borough Market) and has a more communal vibe. If you live down Hackney way, as more and more hipster gen-y types are favouring, Broadway Market is surely a highlight of the week. By the end of it I was barely mobile, but grinning ear to ear. 

As a photoessay of sorts, here are the providores worth a mention:

On a rare blue sky day, we rug up and take a stroll...

Climpson & Sons

67 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH

Now this is a sight to behold...empty space. I kid you not, the photo I actually took was just of the backs of about 20 heads. Not so good (but good for them!) Source: Two Lights

Climpson & Sons are perhaps a tad overrepresented at Broadway Market with both a stall and café in prime position. With little more than a stools by the window and a La Marzocco coffee machine running flat chat. Climpson & Sons is committed to delivering proper coffee to the Eastside masses. And in case you were wondering, yes they roast their beans. Grab a takeaway and make yourself cosy in London Fields for the people watching. Don't expect much in the way of nibblies though, but why would you when the market awaits!

An exceedingly frothy cappucino, and a pretty decent brew all things considered (the queues 4 deep in the café perhaps?). It ranks third on the list for me ;)

In their enthusiasm they have penned a sign for WILD GARLIG (yes, a 'Swedish' varietal of garlic shoots...)! But who cares when the going is this fresh. And a bunch you say? It's whatever you want it to be...

Cheese please: having a laff over the plenitude of cheese and happiness in this 2x2

F. Cooke

9 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH

Like a moth to a flame, I was there

Walking up to the immaculately polished front windows of F. Cooke, a rather comforting feeling comes over you, like the fold of a doona. This East London institution established in 1900 (no kidding) is still dishing up hot and jellied eels just like they used to. The floor is sprinkled with sawdust and the decor hasn't changed for eons, it certainly stands at odds to the modern hipster vibes everywhere else in Hackney. And another thing, how can you fault a recipe that has been perfected for more years than you've spent on the planet?! I used to be a stickler for Japanese style smoked eel but I might have been turned to the dark side. 

This dish changed all my preconceived notions about the goodness of eel, I have basically only eaten smoked or cooked Asian style so this was unexpectedly good. The eel was gorgeous and tender in a rather mild sauce so the meat is definitely the star of the show. And at that price in the most expensive city in the world? You'd be crazy not to come back

Fresh mushies from the aptly named Sporeboys (nailed it with the name alone!). If I had any room left after that scrumptious eel dish I would have demolished a mushroom sandwich. It looked fantastisch

Meringue Girls

After Sporeboys, come Meringue Girls. This cake looks suspiciously familiar - Black Star Pastry anyone? If those toppings are anything to go by, the things looks damned delicious!

For some random reason I chanced on Meringue Girls on the interwebs before I left for the UK. If there's one thing I've noticed, they certainly have a knack for presentation (and piping, apparently). With their signature droplet meringues in a multitude of pastel shades, they've now published a cookbook which is making small waves over at amazon.com. I mean who knew that meringues alone were marketable. They've created a sugared-egg-white fuelled frenzy over here (the kids have gone berserk).

More colour-ways than a Pantone flip book

Like a medieval smorgasbord the choice are abundant and heavy on the olives

Hansen & Lydersen

Hypnotising: they seem to know what they're doing around here...

Todd Selby smashed it out of the park with his video featuring Ole M Hansen of Hansen & Lydersen back in the day. I was so impressed I even did a post (#regram) about it over here. Hansen & Lydersen specialise in smoked salmon based on a recipe developed back in 1923. The salmon are farmed between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic and prepared within 48 hours of being caught to ensure (extreme) freshness. The end result after being cold smoked with juniper and beech wood is quite frankly, unbelievably good. The supermarket versions just don't cut the mustard.

A rather tiny and expensive morsel of some of the best salmon I've ever tasted. This version is oily, with a smoothness that lolls on the tongue. You can tell this is the good stuff because it doesn't have the pungency of 'fish'

Did I just hear/smell/see spit roast?! I think I did!!!

Violet

Smile, you're on candid camera! It's like bunting central over here...

Funny that, how I always gravitate to sweets. Violet Cakes was another feature in Todd Selby's 2nd book the Edible Selby. The range of baked goods here at the stall and their shop in Hackney is all rather impressive with enough cupcakes, cinnamon scrolls and whoopie pies to make your eyes water (they're happy tears). Cate Ptak and her team are a favourite at the market, with their sweet treats consistently selling out. Everything just looks so moreish!

A red velvet beauty of a cake in my hot little hand. Can I just say that I am properly stuffed at this point?! The cake was simply divine, nice and moist. The cream cheese icing, although delicious was probably a little bit too generous/heavy handed?

Again, I am astounded to find out this is actually a thing. Marshmallows sold in such a way, it completely blows my mind. Made by the London Marshmallow Company, no less! They took marshmallow flavour and texture to a whole other delightful (and squidgy) level

The Ginger Beer Engine: locally made in Hackney. If only it was about 20 degrees hotter, then it would have really hit the spot. Delicious and buzzy in the mouth nonetheless!

There's always room for the British classics. Scotch eggs and pork pies do a roaring trade at Finest Fayre. And who would have thought, there's even a market for a vegetarian version. It goes against everything a real Scotch egg stands for...MEAT

A classic basket-case, well that's what I felt like after I rolled out of the place

Thanks Broadway Market, it was fun :D

And thank you for reading!

xGourmand

Jackson + Rye

Dear Londoner,
I've got to hand it to you. Not only do you contend with the routine horrors of the Tube during rush hour day after day, but somehow have the stamina to go out after work; on a weeknight for god's sake. I mean, if it were me I'd be slumped in a half stupor on my couch with a cup of tea in hand come 6 o'clock. So well done, for leaving nothing to chance and booking everything weeks in advance. It's a killer of spontaneity for sure, but I'd rather be eating where I want thanks very much. The mental picture of oneself wandering the streets hungry, cold and clutching a paper cone of chestnuts (or worse, McDonald's) for sustenance is alarming to say the least. It really is survival of the fittest, and the fastest walkers (I was warned). 
Yours truly,
G

Swan past too quick On Wardour St and you'll miss it! Credit: Jackson + Rye

Thankfully, this time round one of us had the savvy to book online (and yes, punters were being turned away as we walked through the door). Jackson + Rye has been bitten by the hype bug pretty hard and it's still going strong after opening in Soho late 2013. It's premise is rather on-trend (darling) being an American style bar and diner seeking inspiration from 1920's New York. With suitably stylish interiors by Martin Brudnizki, Jackson + Rye looked like the place to be in and by that, I mean it was LOUD. Now I'm not a huge fan of shouting to communicate with my table companions but apparently, c'est très cool. Ugh.

This is it, you're pretty much guaranteed a full house 7 days a week. But look how happy they are! Credit: Jackson + Rye

The menu in all its cardboard glory falls just short of encyclopaedic. My head was spinning at one glance, I hadn't even reached the drinks menu yet. So I basically did what I always do,  and ordered a special. Can't go wrong, right? J+R seem to have forged a reputation for their steaks, a great option to please the lads who are looking for a slab of meat and no veg (well, almost). What's nice about the whole dealio is that the menu is all-day, they are literally open from 8am till after 11pm most days which is kind of nifty. But dinner service is where it's at ;)

Mesdames et messieurs, entrée is served...

Truffled mac & cheese with light parmesan sauce. The sauce was indeed very light, nigh unnoticeable. If I was at home, you'd be able to see that parmesan all gooey and sticking between tendrils of pasta, dammit

Shrimp & Grits: hot shrimp, chilli, garlic, spring onion. Excuse my ignorance but I was a bit perplexed here...what are grits?! Ground corn according to wiki - a feature of Southern American cooking. Well, there you go. I found the 'grits' to be quite gluggy, perhaps that was the desired effect but who knows...

And then for main:

Market fish: grilled swordfish with green beans, tomatoes and new potatoes. A very homestyle kind of dish but boy was the swordfish tasty. Gorgeously cooked and super succulent, delicious!

All up in my grill...200g of grass fed beef fillet. Yes, it looks rather sad and unloved on the plate but it also came with a house sauce of your choosing, fries and smoked garlic butter (that's better). By all accounts the steak was cooked well. The asterisk grill marks look great by the way (kidding)

DOLCE (= party time)
Why not do the obvious and order one of each? Duh?!

Baked cheesecake (left) and frozen white chocolate, raspberry soufflé (right). The general consensus was that the cheesecake was the best dessert (we have a winner!). The cheesecake itself was light and fluffy and when combined with the berry compôte = dynamite. The soufflé was a NOT a soufflé, don't make the rookie error of not reading the fine print. It is essentially a semifreddo moulded into a ramekin. I was wishing for Messina at that point...

In complete contradiction to my mostly kind words, Marina O'Loughlin from The Guardian gave J + R a proper ribbing describing the food as "bland and forgettable". Scathing. Our experience at the restaurant was a rather pleasant one, it looks as though a lot of the initial speed bumps have been ironed out now. The service that we received could not be faulted actually and the food was fairly decent. One day, I'll come back and order the grilled lobster (bring out the big guns). Yeeeaah :)

I think now is the time for some sage words from Apu, "Thank you come again!" Credit: Jackson + Rye

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

An Apple Cake for the Afternoon

There's nothing quite like settling down to a cup of tea at 3 in the afternoon with a wee slice of cake. Afternoon tea is an incredibly English institution (nothing wrong with that) which I've taken into my own hands. Here is a recipe adapted from The Real Food Companion by Matthew Evans a.k.a. The Gourmet Farmer. The result is a deliciously moist cake with a fine crumb that you don't have to do the hard yards for i.e. my kind of recipe. Enjoy this one, especially as the days get cooler.

"Just a small slice": the best thing about this cake is certainly the apples. Cut into generous cubes, they are the star of the show here. Land yourself some apples from you local farmer's markets, the growers can advise you on which are best to use

Ingredientsss

1kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1.5cm dice

200g raw sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

A few drops of vanilla extract

125ml extra virgin olive oil

200g walnuts, roughly chopped

250g self-raising flour

1.5 tspn ground cinnamon

A pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease and line a round 28cm cake tin (I've used a loaf tin out of convenience)

2. Mix apples in a bowl with sugar, egg, vanilla, oils and walnuts

3. Sift in flour, cinnamon and salt and stir

4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for ~45 minutes

5. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes until turning onto a wire rack to continue cooling

6. Serve that baby up!

Don't be alarmed by the apple to cake batter ratio, it does seem like an awful lot of fruit to be baking in there. Miraculously though, it just works with beautiful results!

This cake is just one of those recipes that are handy to have around, when friends drop by or you're craving something to tie you over until lunch time. It will keep for a good 3 days in a container  too. Can't go wrong with this one!

Thanks for reading and happy baking!

xGourmand

Rhubarb, Pistachio & Orange Cakes

This cake is a pocket rocket. With the last rhubarb of the year (in a surprisingly long season), I was scrounging for a new recipe. I'm usually asked to make the same old but I do get bored and decided to try something different. The even more amazing thing is that it worked and with spectacular results (others can attest)! This particular recipe is adapted from my old faithful, Gourmet Traveller magazine. Find the original link here.

The finished product: chuffed!

There are a couple of component bits to this recipe; one for the roasted rhubarb that tops each individual cake, the second for the cake batter. The roasted rhubarb will yield an incredible technicolour syrup with which to serve over the cakes for an extra dash of orange. 

Ingredientsss
6 egg whites
185g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
240g icing sugar (I used just over half this amount)
150g pistachio kernels, finely ground (I didn't quite have enough, so substituted in part with walnuts)
2/3 cup plain flour
1 orange, finely grated rind
To serve: crème fraîche

Roasted rhubarb with orange blossom
300g rhubarb (about 3 stalks), trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
1/4 cup golden caster sugar
1 orange, rind finely grated and juiced
1 tbsp orange blossom water

Shades of rhubarb

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. For roasted rhubarb, combine ingredients in a baking dish, cover with foil and roast for 10 minutes or until tender. Cool and reserve cooking juices (liquid gold, I tell you)



2. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy, add melted butter and whisk to combine. Add remaining dry ingredients and rind and stir to combine. Note: the mixture is supposed to be quite runny, I had a mini freak out when I saw how runny it was. But it works, trust me

3. Spoon mixture into 6 deep, lightly greased, 10cm diameter loose-bottomed flan tins (I used regular sized muffin tins). Arrange 3 pieces of rhubarb on top of each. 

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer withdraws clean (roughly 15 minutes for cupcake pan). Stand in pan for 5 minutes

Cakies fresh out of the oven

5. Serve warm, fizzled with reserved juices and crème fraîche

There's so much going for this, whether it be for tea or dessert - there are some nice little touches that give it an edge over your stock standard blueberry muffin or vanilla cupcake. The pistachio adds a subtle crunch and green tinge to the cake which is itself moist. The baked rhubarb and syrup are delicious in their own right

There's my little show and tell, now go forth and bake/prosper!

Thanks for reading

xGourmand

Cipro Pizza al Taglio

Okay, so my head is spinning. I think I've been staring at this pizza gif for too long. Hello! I'm writing about a little luncheon I had in Alexandria on the weekend. It was an unexpected dee-light. Yet another on the list, Alexandria seems to be gaining popularity of late; booming with cafés like Bread & Circus, Kitchen by Mike and the notorious Grounds of Alexandria - and 2x Bunnings (for all the DIY optimism that a weekend brings)! There's another kid in town, by the name of Cipro Pizza al Taglio. Opened by Khan Danis, Angel Fernandez and Catherine Adams, this trio are the kitchen alumni of some of Sydney's best including Rockpool and Flying Fish.

Oh yeah, pizza flashcards. I apologise for the crappy quality of this thing… Unfortunately I don't exactly have the technological prowess to come to grips with .gif creation! ;)

Cipro is housed in a rather large complex on Fountain St and is neighbours with Bread & Circus. In a light + lofty space, Ann Ronay from SFN Constructions has delivered the goods with a casual Australian spin on the Italian pizza joint. So perfect for all day dining - and now open for dinner (plug)! Greeted with cheery service and a long glass cabinet displaying their wares. Enter: pizza.

When in the area… grab a slice (or many) and run, or stay and soak this in. Photo credit: Broadsheet Sydney

If you want to buck the trend (or you're giving the Atkin's a crack) and order à la carte, there are a number of seasonal offerings including some mean salads as well as daily specials - like this one:

Fritto misto: fried seafood and vegetables with crispy polenta and aïoli. 

And now, back to the main event. Each pizza is pre-pared but baked to order. Here's the mini roll call:

Mushroom, artichoke, thyme, fontina and parmesan - I just had to show this one again. Xmas came early this year! My absolute favourite ingredients all on a hot slice. 

Whilst I'm re-living this, you should be living it. Capisce?

The rest (no slouch either):
Pork sausage, peppers and olives - peppery goodness. Heat tempered by the fontina from the previous. And ginger beer.

Pork ragù with ricotta salata finished with rocket - by all accounts this one was better than the pork sausage… check for yourself ;)

Pork and veal meatballs, eggplant, provolone and basil - pork again?! Yes. This one was pretty as a picture with the eggplant slice framing those meatballs.

DOLCE (unmissable, okay)

The ladies next to use ordered the Strawberry Mascarpone Tart, served up on a Wedgewood cake plate. I was swooning, and it looked incredible. However, I couldn't pass up the op to try Adams' flourless chocolate cake that every critic has raved to high heaven about. Challenge accepted (gleefully)!

Decidedly moussey, this choccie cake is ALL about texture and the dark chocolate pulls back the sweetness. It's hardly a cake at all, but something ethereal. The freshly whipped cream just seals the deal for me

Housemade gelato: vanilla, milk chocolate and passionfruit. Quite mellow in flavour the vanilla beat the others hands down. Not quite as good as Gelato Messina though ;)

You might be thinking, "No one wants to see that…" But may I just emphasise to you just how bloomin' amazing that cake was?

Despite a brilliant lunch at Cipro, I have a small axe to grind. Price hikes. Yes the food is good, in fact some bits were GREAT but is it justifiable to increase prices by 30% within months of opening? I know everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment, none more than the hospitality industry but I frown at the prospect of paying $12 per slice of pizza. That hurts. Winning best "Bang for Buck" in the 2013 Sydney Food Awards by Time Out Sydney was probably just very bad timing. Maybe a pizza happy hour could remedy this? ;) 

Signing off…!

With those misgivings, Cipro is still definitely a goer.  The crew have definitely got the formula down for excellent pizza and desserts for a rollicking good meal. Terry has awarded the place 14/20 in his Good Food piece which is a whole hearted thumbs up in his book. Better check in.

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

A Long Lunch with Matthew Evans

Sydney's Good Food Month has kicked off with a bang, and a spit roast. Oh yes, you read right. This momentous (and lamby) occasion was to mark the release of Matthew Evans' a.k.a. Gourmet Farmer new memoir, The Dirty Chef. His latest book documents his bold tree change from bustling Sydney to the tranquil of the Huon Valley in southern Tassie. And what better way to enjoy the October sunshine than a lamb spit roast and a long lunch? Warning: this post is not recommended for vegetarians.

Taming the Beast: this was our welcome. Hot fat drips into the coals and plumes of smoke puff back at you, tauntingly. Want a piece of me? [That was rhetorical, obviously]

Our luxuriously long lunch was hosted by The Commons, the 'local eating house' of Darlinghurst. A venue much suited because of their philosophy of sourcing food locally and knowing its origins. Ethical food choices are what they are all about and this is a message that Evans' also endeavours to get out there. Much of the produce from the lunch was sustainably sourced by providore Feather and Bone, whom you can find at Pyrmont Markets. I've written a bit about these ideas in a post that you can find here. Glass of La Zona prosecco in hand, you can't help but enjoy the surrounds!

The outdoor courtyard at The Commons, home to the spit roast lamb for this afternoon delight.

We were in for a looong lunch, 4 courses of a sharing style menu designed by Matthew in conjunction with the Commons kitchen. A veritable Spring feast i.e. the best. Here's my photographic rundown... Bon appetit!

Fried local zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and herbs. Plump and stuffed with creamy-as ricotta, these babies were a delicious and crispy starter

Charcuterie board (left) and Chicken liver crostini (right). The charcuterie by Feather and Bone included bresaola (a favourite amongst us), prosciutto and salami - cured meats that were surprisingly sweet and mellow. I'm a bit of a closet paté/terrine fan so this smooth liver crostini was lovely

Grilled mackerel stuffed with salsa verde. A sustainable fish course presenting a vibrant green hue. This was one of my personal favourites, with a squeeze of lemon and a smear of aïoli the little mackerel packs a punch

The mackerel (left, ain't it pretty?) and right, seasonal vegetables - a warm salad of asparagus (new in season), heirloom carrot and broad bean

Le pièce de résistance: whole 2 week dry-aged biodynamic White Suffolk lamb from Lynden Farm, Oberon NSW. Carved up with expertise by Matthew and Grant from Feather and Bone. Boom.

The lamb, in case you were wondering was the star. Rather tender, rather crispy skin, rather amazing. If we only had one plate for lunch, this would be more than enough. But no, we've gone for seconds and thirds and fourths...It makes me smile :)

For dessert we had a cheeseboard of Marrook farm biodynamic Brinawa (Tilsit style) cow's milk farmhouse cheese but this was the main event: blood orange, polenta & olive oil cake with mascarpone. Oh boy, this was a thing of beauty. The occasional crunch of the polenta grains was a nice textural touch.

Three glorious hours later we were nursing our food babies and listening to Matthew tell us about the highs and lows of working the land (he now has 2 farms to keep him busy) and a sneak peek into his upcoming project (which smells a bit fishy, hint hint). Evans is as down-to-earth and hospitable in real life as he seems on our TV screens. This afternoon was a wonderful feast of ideas, great food and good company. What more could you ask for?

Evans' new memoir, The Dirty Chef - a rather curious title indeed! I've got my signed copy next on the reading list ;)

Thanks for reading and Happy Long Weekend!

x Gourmand