Simple fish pate....twice

If you want flavour without much work then these are perfect. Ideal for throwing together if you get told last minute that you're responsible for some pre-starters for a dinner party as I was last week. On some sourdough bread with a little topping of creme fraiche or even caviar (a rare treat) if you're feeling really extravagant sets then off perfectly. Alternatively if you just fancy something on a big doorstep of toast before bed then these will do very nicely.

Hot smoked trout pate
1 fillet hot smoked trout coarsely chopped
2tbsp creme fraiche
2tsp gherkins finely chopped
2tsp dill finely chopped
Squeeze lemon juice

Kipper pate
1 kipper roasted for 10 minutes until cooked, flesh removed and cooled
1tsp sweet paprika
2tbsp creme fraiche
squeeze lemon

For both of these the method is the same. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix into a homogenous mixture with a bowl and serve whatever way the occasion demands. Lots of flavour, very little effort.

Queen's Park Farmers Market in pictures

On the first and third Saturday of every month the residents of Glasgow's south side can stroll to the beautiful Queen's Park to shop for a wonderful variety of meat, game, fish, fruit, vegetables, baked and cooked food. This is the perfect supermarket. All in one place, ethically produced and the farmer getting paid the going rate. Magic.

A flight of Scottish ales

The Scottish beer landscape is absolutely thriving. Everywhere you look, in pubs, supermarkets, offsales, beer festivals you have an overwhelming array of beers. From the big boys like Caledonian and Belhaven right down to the most micro micro-brewery that might well be two demi-johns in a garden shed. The point is, there's a lot of creative and ground breaking talent out there for beer making currently. So it was time to put some of these to the test and have a quiet boys Thursday night of sampling the wares from many of these purveyors of fine ales. We got as far as seven so this is by no means an exhaustive list of brewers. In fact it's probably an abridged version of the abridged version. However it was a school night and detention on Friday morning didn't seem a good idea. So here are the magnificent and slightly less than magnificent seven that were sampled.

Birds & Bees, Williams Brothers
This was truly a summer beer and a great start to the night. It's citrussy with a fruity sweetness. Light and summery and you wait and wait but the bitterness you expect on the finish just isn't there. A definite chilled by the barbie summer ale.





Twisted Thistle IPA, Belhaven
Another fruity flavoured beer. Slightly more robust, less citrus and more malt than the B&B with the sweet flavour of hops coming through. Very good light bitter finish. Definitely in the 'would drink again list'




Northern Light, Orkney Brewery
I'm a huge fan of the Orkney Brewery. I think Dark Island is a stunning beer and a real personal favourite, so was really looking forward to the next two offerings and was a little disappointed by both in different ways. To be fair to this beer I don't think I'd chilled enough. The palate was malty, hoppy and zesty and tasted like it should have been darker but then had that chewy slightly bitter finish you get with Pilsner style lagers. Definitely wouldn't have branded it as a summer beer but will definitely try again, better chilled and on its own.

Red MacGregor, Orkney Brewery
Intensely sweet, that was the overriding feeling from this beer. If it could just have had a slightly bitter finish it would have been wonderful. To some palates this will be delightful but I couldn't drink much more than the half bottle I had. There was almost too much going on as it filled your mouth with flavour but then the sweetness took over and washed it all away. The palate had spicy brambles with a hoppy note and a long warming finish. To be fair it did exactly as it said on the bottle but I slightly wish it hadn't.

Irish Whiskey cask Scottish Stout, Innis & Gunn
This is remarkably smooth for the alcohol it's hiding. Has that dandelion and burdock sweetness you sometimes get with strong stouts. The palate is complex with roasty and nutty notes competing with a vanilla smoothness. Quite typical of the rich way that Innis & Gunn handle oak finishing but then with a smoky finish that comes as a little bit of a surprise. This is a sipping beer.


Maverick, Fyne Ales
This was quite a nice easy drinking beer. Malty bitterness with a little bit of hoppiness that became more robustly bitter on the palate before the fruit hops came to the fore. Quite a long smooth finish. Would definitely drink this again although the name possibly sounds more like an American condom than a Scottish ale.



Cock o' the walk Red ale, Williams Brothers
Very easy drinking red ale, does exactly what it says on the bottle. Malty, hoppy, smooth with a little cirtus. Would be a great session beer.






So a really good line-up of Scottish ales and many many breweries and styles that weren't included. Brewdog, Isle of Skye and Harviestoun are three that spring to mind for the next time. It can be difficult to decide which order beers go and some may not have been done any favours by their predecessor. Certainly no 'throw doon the sink that's bowfin' in there and a couple of shining stars. Must be time for a whisky night next.

Cail Bruich West....in pictures and words

Cail Bruich West on Great Western Road has been a restaurant that I’ve wanted to go to since I moved back to Glasgow. When I first saw the menu it looked like my kind of food. Good quality ingredients cooked well. It looked like good family food as well so we booked for Sunday lunch with the children. The menu is strongly French influenced but with very Scottish ingredients. An Auld Alliance fusion. The kids menu is suitably stylish but suitably childish as well.

The prosecco we ordered as an aperitif, Casa Defra NV was delicious. A light stylish fizz with bags of crisp citrus fruit and a refreshing acidity on the finish. Delightful.

My starter of roasted beetroot, pear, chicory and walnut salad was a very pretty plate of food and individual elements were wonderful, the shallot dressing especially. However it and the blue cheese were a bit lost with the big earthy sweetness of the beetroot, with a bit more of both it would have been outstanding. My wife’s Cullen Skink with slow cooked hen’s egg was delicious. A lovely balance of sea, smoke, salt and cream.

We were then treated to an intermediate course by the chef. A salad of pickled vegetables with golden sultanas, goats cheese and capers. The plate looked like it came from Noma, the attention to detail and presentation being a delight. There were so many highlights in amongst these beautiful colours. Beautifully pickled tangy veg, little sweet jewels of golden sultanas and the wonderful flavour of baby sage leaves bringing everything together with a mellow fragrant earthiness. This to my mind was fine dining and from the first taste brought a huge smile to my face. I love food that makes me smile, that brings on an involuntary reflex of joy.

While all this was going on the children were tucking into fish and chips. A lovely chunk of fresh cod with a light batter, chunky chips and peas. With children you can normally tell how much they enjoyed by how full the plates are at the end. These ones were pretty clear and two little girls said yummy as they went back to colouring in.

The main course picked up where this left off. I’d ordered slow roast pork belly with roast potatoes and seasonal veg. The pork was roasted to perfection, the fat disappearing almost to nothing with only it’s sweetness left to enhance the flavour of the meat with a little tantalising crisp of crackling on top. The red wine just was laced with mustard and star anise, the latter of which was a jolt to the senses, a little Asian fusion perfectly offsetting what was essentially a Sunday roast dinner. This brought another smile and thoughts of ‘I wish I could come up with that’. The vegetables were wonderfully fresh and packed with flavour but I have to give special mention to the celeriac. It was quite simply the finest piece of vegetable I have ever tried. I have since had it’s cooking technique revealed  to me which includes a coating of salted eggwhite and then slow roasting in salt. For texture and flavour it was amazing, all the spiciness of celeriac but with a deep intense sweetness. Forgive my going on, but if vegetables can be sexy then this was the Kylie of veg.

The chef then experiemented on us with a further course, a pre-dessert. This was an intriguing concoction of sunshine flavour and citrus acidity. Roasted pineapple with a rich toffee caramelisation alongside a citrus gel, pineapple sorbet and lemon meringue crisp. Into this was poured a spiced pineapple soup. Garnished with a little aniseed flavoured leaf. This just sang with originality, sweetness, acidity, flavour and fun.

For dessert I can never resist rhubarb crumble, and when it comes with rhubarb ice cream I'm both excited and intrigued. This again came with an element of theatre. A little copper pan of ice cream placed onto the hot granola topped crumble made in a little rosti pan. The ice cream light and delicate, the topping rich and crunchy, the fruit delicious. I had this served with a Portuguese late harvest semillon dessert wine from Quinta de Ventozelo high up in the Douro. A beautiful combination of sweetness and acidity with honeyed fruit. A true treat of a wine to find.




This was a wonderful meal, full of surprises and new flavours and textures. A genuine dining experience. The service personal and informative. The children were also well looked after and happily left to their colouring pencils during a meal that lasted two hours. A restaurant that doesn't see children as an inconvenience and try to get them out the door quickly impresses me and Cail Bruich was certainly impressive.

Shimla Pinks, Glasgow

If you're the type of person who judges a book by its cover then you've probably not eaten in Shimla Pinks, a family run Indian restaurant on Pollokshaws Road. The paint is a bit peeling on the outside walls and you imagine it needs a little freshened up as a whole. These were my first impressions and it didn't inspire me to visit. However, my wife booked it, and so I went along. I'm glad I did. When you walk through the door the transformation from outside is amazing. A funkily decorated restaurant with a modern bar, low Indian background music and an airiness to it.

With ice cold Cobra duly delivered I set to taking in the menu. Deciding on sharing a mixed pakora I would have liked a little bit more meat than the two pieces of chicken and had hoped for some fish. But it was well cooked pakora with a light batter and there was quite a lot if it. The sauce really brought it to life, bags of chilli flavour and a fair bit of heat. This is the way I really like it. It always brings back memories of Saturday afternoon treats as a child, when we would go to Goodies 2 on Great Western Road.

The curries in the deal came with pilau rice but since coming back to Scotland I can't resist getting a proper naan. If you don't know what I mean then buy one on both sides of the border and you'll understand. What I wasn't prepared for was the weeks worth of carbohydrates that arrived on a plate. The naan here is quite simply HUGE. Don't get me wrong, this isn't some gimmicky nonsense, this is a fantastic, well cooked naan bread, it's just the super size equivalent.

The curries were both excellent, my wife's Lamb Patia especially. Wonderful spicing with a real tangy sweet and sour flavour from the tamarind. The kind of sauce that you would have on it's own mixed with rice and find delightful. My Lamb Parsee was also delicious, well spiced and with a thick black lentil dahl and a lemony finish to it. When we had finished (not the whole naan!) we both commented on how light the curries had been, there wasn't that uncomfortable fullness that you often get by clearing your plate in an Indian restaurant. When we spoke to the charming lady serving she told us it was because it was all cooked with oil and not ghee. Now some of you traditionalists may not like this, which is fine, but I thought it was excellent to have that freshness of flavour, tenderness of meat and lightness all together.

All in all it was a really good meal, the service was great, the food excellent and the atmosphere very relaxed and welcoming. I'd definitely recommend looking past the outside decor to the extensive and varied menu awaiting within. But don't get a naan each!

Wild rose el hanout lamb meatballs with aromatic tomato sauce

As you may know I've been finding out lots about spicing recently from lots of people to really find a new way to bring the wonderful fresh produce available at my local farmers market to life. I've also become really fascinated with all the foragers I'm 'meeting'. Foraging is something that I'd really love to be able to do and a major goal for 2012 is to get some practical experience of it so I can go beyond bramble and wild raspberry hunting. Wild garlic, seaweed, native fungi, dandelion, nettles, mussels, rowan and hawthorn berries are all names that conjure up exotic thoughts in my head and have me craving a better understanding of the free larder that grows and lives around us. Probably even in my garden.

One person who does know about these things is Liz Knight who is responsible for Forage and I decided that next best to collecting myself was to buy some of Liz's little pots of joy. One of my favourite 'spices' is ras el hanout (top of the shop in Arabic), the individualist fragrant mixture which gives a different flavour in every mouthful when you cook with it, sometimes sweet, spicy, hot, fragrant. So when I saw 'Wild rose el hanout' from forage I knew I had to try. The aroma of wild rose, lavender, cumin and cloves among others is heady and I used it as a rub on my lamb mince from Carmichael's to mix the Scottish countryside, English countryside and a little bit of North Africa in my meatballs.

For the tomato sauce I took the delicate flavours, (learned from Nisha and Leila in previous blog posts), of cumin, turmeric, lemon and coriander to give a delicate but earthy aromatic complement to the rich meat and spice patties. The result was a wonderful complex mix of flavours that I think worked really well. You could use any ras el hanout if you can't get it from Forage but if you can get it then do as it is English country garden meets medina.



This will serve 2 people

250g lamb mince
1.5 tsp wild rose el hanout
1 onion finely chopped
1 tin plum tomatoes
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 lemon zest and juice
Oilive oil
Handful chopped coriander
Splash sherry vinegar
1 dsp creme fraiche

To make the meatballs mix the mince well with the ras el hanout and leave to let the flavour permeate in one ball. In a pan heat a glug of olive oil and add the onions, cooking to soft golden brown. Add the cumin and fry for 30 seconds and then the turmeric, stir in and add the tomatoes, stirring with a splash of sherry vinegar. Add the zest of the lemon and allow to cook over a low heat until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes become quite homogenous. This is quite rustic so chunky bits of tomatoes are quite nice to find on your plate, you don't need to be pretty here.

While the sauce is reducing, heat the oven to 180C. Form the mince into little meatballs a little smaller than ping pong ball size. In a smaller pan brown the meatballs all over and add them to an ovenproof dish that they'll fit in nicely. Add the lemon juice and coriander to the sauce, stir well and pour over the meatballs making sure they're well covered. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve with boiled basmati rice, the sauce topped with a teaspoon sized dollop of creme fraiche and a few coriander leaves.

Fennel and Lemon Risotto

This is the time of year when winter turns into spring almost overnight as the clocks move forward and bulbs and buds start to appear. Then just as quickly we seem to descend back into winter again as the skies darken, the rain falls and the temperatures plummet again. It’s a huge dilemma when it comes to cooking and entertaining. Barbecue and Pimms or Stew and ale? Hold onto the springtime thoughts as you put the third layer on or wonder why you’re dishing up slow braised beef shin in 25 degree heat?

As the temperature in Glasgow dropped back to a balmy 5°C a couple of weeks ago I was faced with a fridge that said ‘Spring’ (pancetta, fennel and lemons) and a thermometer that said something different. What to do for a spring like feel with a winter warmth? So in my indecision I consulted the collective genius of my Twitter followers and the lovely @samuraijen of Pie in Soup came back with ‘how about fennel and lemon risotto’. Problems solved, I love risotto, love cooking it, love eating it, love experimenting with it. It’s just such a blank canvas of a cooking medium. So with my fennel bulb, lemon and rashers of pancetta tucked under my arm I took the ubiquitous bottle of wine with me to the kitchen.

Kind of making it up as I went along I came up with the following wintry springlike fresh and warming risotto. The runny poached egg on top just added a bit of unctuous luxury to the whole affair.

This will feed 2 people

 

6 thin slices of pancetta finely chopped (I use scissors, much easier)

Half a lemon sliced into 3 or 4 slices

1 fennel bulb, half chopped, half sliced

130g risotto rice

500ml light beef broth (beef or chicken stock is an adequate substitute)

100ml white wine

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

Handful chopped parsley

Grating of pecorino or bonnet (optional)

2 eggs

Caramelise the lemon in quite a hot pan to concentrate the flavours  and then remove from the pan. Lower the heat, add in a glug of olive oil then sweat the pancetta, garlic, onion and chopped fennel to soften the vegetables. Add the rice and stir to cover in the ingredients. Cook like this for 5 minutes. Add the caramelised lemon, the sliced fennel, stir, raise the heat and add the wine. Cook over this heat until evaporated and then add the broth ladelwise, stirring all the time until the rice is cooked al dente. Add in the parsley and optional cheese (it may be creamy enough for you but cheese will add a richness) and check for seasoning. 

Four minutes from the end of cooking the risotto add the eggs to a large pan of salted water at 80°C-85°C for four minutes to poach. Serve the risotto in a bowl with the soft poached egg on top to allow the yolk to cover the rice when broken.

If you’d prefer this as a vegetarian dish then omit the pancetta and use a vegetable stock. If you do this you may want to up the cheese at the end. I’d quite like to try this with preserved lemons too, if you do then let me know how you get on.

A flavour of Persia

I have met many people recently who have broadened my understanding of flavour through the tastes of their own country. Spanish, Indian, Pakistani dishes which bring the senses to life and a different dimension to the wonderful produce of Scotland. One of those people is Leila Jerman, who eulogises on the flavours and culture of her Iran through her beautiful blog and who brings Iranian family and flavour to life here.

I think it’s fair to say that producing a guest blog is never going to be easy, especially when writing for someone like Graeme who has such a love and vast knowledge of many types of foods and wines from all over the globe.  My experience is limited to mainly Iranian dishes and the odd Shepherd’s Pie or Roast dinner.  I haven’t even begun to attempt a homemade mac ‘n’ cheese yet let alone a Beef Wellington!  Also, being a mother of two, comforting, child friendly easy foods figure heavily in our home.

One of those comfort foods is rice.  Rice is a main staple for most Iranian households.  We just can’t live without it.  We have casseroles with rice, minced lamb kebabs or pan fried chicken breast with rice, we even have a variation on rice pudding that includes saffron, rosewater, cardamom and almonds!  On a day to day basis, with young children though, our food habits can be quite boring.  As long there is some kind of meat, chicken or fish and a big plate of rice, the children will eat it.  Little do they know that I have become the master of disguise and add delights such as dried plums, green lentils, aubergines, okra or other such variations to their food! And yes, they eat it ALL up!

Again, looking at the family angle, convenience is also a big issue.  Shopping for all your foodie requirements under one roof always seems to be the better option when you have little children but as a consequence, we have forgotten about how good and how much more healthier buying local produce can be.  In Iran, they haven’t been hit by massive corporations yet and the local store is king in the neighbourhood.  Pallets and boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables dominate the outside of the store whilst the butcher in the back prepares fresh locally reared meat and the insides of the stores are adorned with big open sacks of spices and nuts, wall to wall condiments and even cheesy puff crisps! If you look on the higher shelves, you’ll also see the odd rice cooker or shisha pipe for sale too!

I would like to think that my cooking is somewhat good, however, after *meeting* a certain few people on Twitter (including our very own Scotsman, Graeme), I am taking the passion and interest that I can feel from these fabulous people and will incorporate it into my cooking to take it one step further and use more locally produced goods in terms of fruits and vegetables to ensure that my cooking tastes even better!

Having spoken about convenience and comfort, I should point out that it isn’t the only thing Iran has to offer in terms of food.  To name but a few, a banquet can include a variety of stuffed vegetables, aubergine & lentil dips, chicken livers sautéed in pomegranate puree, dill and chilli shami kababs, succulent chicken with saffron soaked barberries, rice dishes with spoonfuls of orange zest & pistachio or mixed with morello cherries, leg of lamb infused with garlic cloves and cinnamon, baked fish with tamarind and so much more.

Hopefully I have made your mouths water and to round off, I’ll leave you with a recipe for a very quick and easy Iranian dish from the far south of Iran that can be made child friendly or very hot and spicy!

Saucisse Bandari

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, cut into small to medium squares (not peeled)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 5 large mushrooms, sliced
• *7 Frankfurters, chopped
• 2 heaped tbsp tomato puree
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp turmeric,
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp ground saffron
• salt and pepper to taste
• 200 mls water

 Method

• Heat the cooking oil in a deep lidded frying pan and add the potatoes.  Fry the potatoes for 5 minutes whilst stirring with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick to the pan.
• Add the onions and peppers, mix in for 5 minutes.
• Add the spices, mix thoroughly.
• Add the mushrooms and frankfurters. Fry for a further 5 minutes mixing thoroughly.
• Add the tomato puree and water and mix.  Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes with the lid *half on/half off the pan or until the potato has cooked all the way through.
• The water should reduce to give a nice thick consistency, if there is too much water, remove the lid and boil (whilst mixing) until the water has boiled off.

The red chilli powder makes this dish VERY hot so it can be removed from the recipe if cooking for children or sensitive stomachs.  Add thick Greek yogurt as a side to cool the flavour or you can also serve with very sharp and tangy pickles for an added crunch.

 

*I buy Herta frankfurters as they do the trick really well.  I would love to hear of any recommendations you may have!

 

I am Leila Jerman, a Persian *maman* of 2 & Wife to 1 Englishman, writing about Persian Food, Lifestyle and Culture for the 21st century woman & family.
Leila Jerman
leila@persianliving.co.uk
www.persianliving.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter @PersianLiving
*Like* my page on Facebook facebook.com/PersianLiving

Gamba, Glasgow....revisited

After numerous tweets with @Gamba_Glasgow since I recently discovered Twitter, I went back for dinner with my wife at their invite. And I have to say, as far as my dining experiences in Glasgow go, the bar has certainly been raised. Frequently I go to restaurants and wonder why I've ordered something I could cook better myself at home. In Gamba I discovered flavour that the home cook can only dream about and the diner rave about.

A little amuse bouche of shortcrust pastry biscuit topped with smoked mackerel pate and lumpfish caviar set the tone. There was more flavour in that little morsel than some can fit into a whole plate. The starter that my wife had of kipper spread with Thai jelly and creme fraiche was similarly packed with flavour but more delicate, perfectly offset by the well fired homemade oatcakes. Herring and oatmeal in a new guise. I had the legendary 'foup', a fish soup that is all at the same time soupe de poisson and tom yum. Perfectly balancing the richness of the mediterranean version with the aromatic spices of the south east Asian delight. Ginger so fresh to be citrus and crab meat shredded with the occasional delightful chunk enhancing the dish and not at all lost in all these flavours. If I could learn to cook one dish to perfection from the Gamba cookbook it would be this one.

The main course was the reason we had gone for the Spring Market Menu, Grey sole with thermidor sauce and chips. The a la carte menu looked amazing but grey sole is a fish I have never tried. I have now and I want it again and again. Richer and more meaty than it's lemon cousin we both chose this option. The fish was cooked to perfection as expected and the thermidor sauce offset it perfectly, rich with Montgomery cheddar and parmesan but not thick or overpowering, delicate with a balanced acidity and the brandy taking it to another level. The type of sauce that swims with the fish and complements it perfectly, that you mop up with your chips, then your bread, then contemplate licking the plate clean. Served with a side order of peas and spinach with cream. A rich, irony, hedonisitc variation on the fish and chips staple side of mushy peas.

Dessert for me was rhubarb with cream ice cream. Along with raspberries, rhubarb is my favourite fruit and brings back childhood memories. This was just as billed, a big warming bowl of sweet and tart reminiscence. The glass of Sauternes offsetting it nicely. My wife's white chocolate and passion fruit creme brulee was thick, sweet and delicious. Great coffees with several pieces of homemade tablet was a perfect end to the meal and always a good touch. If I had one very slight imperfection to the meal I'd like a sightly dryer wine than the Chilean sauvignon. But to be honest this is me looking for something rather than finding it and the wine itself is very very good. At £50 for two including the bottle of wine this is stunning value for tremendous food. When you also factor in the exquisite service from passionate and knowledgeable staff then you start to appreciate why every table was full and, after 13 years, how this restaurant continues to wow the Glasgow public.

I am now armed with the cookbook and the address of The Fish People where Gamba source all their sustainable fish and seafood. I'm off to the kitchen now and may be some time.....

4Foodies in a Fiat 500 - Final day. Barcelona

A 5am start isn't a lot of fun. Even less fun if you're G who had the 200ish mile drive to Barcelona. I was dreading the last day as our flight was late at night and I could see it dragging out in front whichever way I looked. Surprisingly amazing times are the best aren't they, and that was what was to follow? We hugged G&J goodbye at the airport, made our way to Estacio Sants and deposited our cases in left luggage. Now what to do?

Very early start!

All the times I've been to Barcelona I've never been to the Olympic area in Parc Montjuic. So it was here myself and M headed hoping to while away the hours. Contemplating food and with a little look at the guidebook we wandered the streets looking for somewhere that did food but didn't feel the need to advertise with a photograph of paella on a sandwich board or window. Then I saw the window full of bottles of olive oil with the Tickets logo. I'd been recommended Tickets on Twitter and wondered if this was it. The sign said Casa de Tapes Cañota (Carrer Lerida) and a quick internet trawl made things no clearer. It opened in 15 minutes so we decided on a San Miguel in a cafe across the road and wait to take our chances with it. The queue that started to form at the door told us it was a good decision and we got just about the last table and appeared to be the only non locals. Always a good sign.

Consomme

Croquetas

What followed was my idea of what food dreams are made of. A Sunday afternoon with a long slow lunch, full of flavour and new experiences and wonderful ideas. We ordered about ten dishes which proved to be a little much but well worth the slightly stretched stomach. Gallician tapas was the order of the day and the menu guided you in the style and order they would come. With a glass of very classy, delicate and well balanced cava each we waited for the performance to begin as plates were presented, and removed when empty, almost by telepathy, never overcrowded and never a wait for the next delight.

First up was an amuse of Iberico ham, thin slivers of acorn intense pork and sweet melt in the mouth fat, a perfect appetiser to whet the appetite.Then pan tostado served with an unpeeled clove of garlic and tomato in a basket. Simple yet stunning with intense garlic and sweet ripe tomato which was followed by anchoas and a small cup of clear beef consomme to accompany the meal. Two different croquetas followed. Iberico which was light and delicate, almost sweet and bacalao which had a wonderful well balanced taste of salt and sea. The obligatory Patatas bravas appeared also but not like I've tasted before, simply boiled potatoes, not fried and rich in tabasco with a wonderful creamy allioli.

Muslitos codorni

After these little appetisers the slightly more robust dishes followed. The first of these was Muslitos Codorniz which was the finest thing I tasted on the holiday. It was so different to anything else and had the intensity and complexity of clean flavours which I find enthralling. Muslitos are pickled quails thighs. The meat was meltingly tender and lightly gamey then the complex pickled flavour came through, all at once sweet and acidic with a little richness of oil and enticing pimenton. If you find yourself in Barcelona I would go here purely for these. I'm not sure whether they were brine cured or roasted before pickling but they were truly amazing.

Zorza lugo followed, minced pork ragu with a nest of rosti style potatoes and a soft fried egg. The last dish was the only disappointment, Costillas conejo. Little rabbit ribs with garlic which were amazing on first taste, but after two the saltiness took over and almost drowned out the rest of the meal. There were a few left at the end, partly due to having overeaten slightly and partly due to the unpalatable saltiness. However I can forgive them this little faux pas, maybe it was because we'd milked the one glass of cava for the whole meal!

After a little break watching the stylish and beautiful people of this chic district of Barcelona it was time for a little sweetness to cut through the rich flavours and begin the digestion process. Ordering Creme Catalane to share proved to be a good idea. As it was a sharing size portion, for more than two I would have said! Small fraises de bois, rich custard, lovely caramelised sugar topping with a mango coulis which had a great acidity that cut through the richness. This was comfort food with finesse.

I sat with a smile on my face through the whole meal. These are the experiences I live for and travel for and when they come around infrequently they are to be savoured. An amazing meal in an amazing city within a local setting and only 60 Euros. Perfection.

Suddenly the dreaded long day of waiting had come to life and an afternoon of wandering around the park before heading back to the airport and the flight to Scotland was a fitting conclusion to the Spanish adventure. I hope the 4Foodies will enjoy another Fiat 500 adventure. I strongly recommend it.

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