WHAT IS IT LIKE TO JUDGE THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS?

THE JOY OF RESTAURANT WALK-INS & COUNTER DINING & THE ONLY WHITE BEAN DIP YOU WILL EVER NEED

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO JUDGE THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS?

Have you noticed those little gold stars on everything from soy sauce to smoked haddock that are a very good indication of what food products are worth a little splurge on? Three star winners this past year have included incredible Karobi grass-fed ghee, La Maritxu Basque Cheesecake and Morelli pistachio swirl ice cream

Have you wondered how the stars get awarded? I can reveal it involves a bizarre barrage of flavours and foods tasted somewhat randomly one after another in a way that no one would usually eat. 

Think smoked venison, brie, rare breed pork sausages with black pudding and apple, long doughnuts with rose and lychee, glazed pecan nuts, honey, white chocolate sauce and back to curry sauce and that’s just a small snapshot tasted in quick succession with a five minute thorough assessment, both positive and critical on each and a decision on whether to award a star or not. Speed tasting.  

Us food obsessives who are journalists, producers and chefs are put in small groups and need to go through this furiously eclectic “tasting menu” with our critical antennae on full alert. We are looking for enticing good looks, a glossy sausage without bursting skins and just the right kind of coarseness and memorable flavour that makes you unable to resist a second bite. Or a cake that achieves the fine balance of homemade yet not sloppy perhaps with a visually arresting and original decoration as well as beautifully balanced flavour.  OK, if you must I will just have a sliver more …

 

We ask how it cuts, does it have a good bite and mouthfeel; is it clean, crumbly, squishy, pungent, overly sweet, harmonious?.  Do we want another slurp?  A resounding  yes to the astonishingly good unhomogenised Guernsey milk and the exquisitely fragrant, creamy Singaporean kaya (coconut curd). Everything matters, the taste, the length of finish, the aftertaste and, most importantly, do we furtively reach for another spoonful?  We feel a bit like we are on ‘Strictly’ in deciding on a crushing no award, which must have some constructive criticism. Each product is assessed by at least two tables of tasters, more still, if it is looking like a potential ratified two or three star.  We do like ‘a referral’.

When it finally happens, it is obvious. It tastes so outrageously, unmistakably good that we cannot find a single fault.  Even us jaded foodies get a little buzz and we have to taste again to make sure it truly is that exhilaratingly exceptional.  Then, as a taste coordinator, I have to put into words what gives it that wow star appeal.  3 stars are rarely given so the product with such potential will need at least three more three star award referrals. If they do, a bell is rung, all the judges applaud and rush to taste the outstanding product if they haven’t already and there happens to be a morsel or sip left.

https://gff.co.uk

A QUICK FIX SENSATIONAL & HEALTHY BEAN DIP

This is the recipe to try when you’re short of time and bored of hummus, tarama and guacamole dips.   

Heat a little extra virgin olive oil, add 2 crushed garlic cloves, a dozen sage leaves smashed and heat gently for a few minutes.  Add a jar of superb butter or judion or cannellini beans 400g keeping about half their juice in the pan, bring to a simmer, cook for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cool and mash up. Mix 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt, zest of half a lemon and 2tbsp lemon juice.  Season well with black pepper and stir into the beans.

Serve with young carrots, red chicory and lentil crisps.

Recipe adapted from the superb ‘The Midlife Kitchen’ by Mimi Spencer and Sam Rice

THE JOY OF A RESTAURANT WALK-IN & COUNTER DINING

There’s nothing like a bit of daredevil spontaneity to pep up the soul. Earlier today, we went to a brilliant lunchtime concert in Oxford Circus, two virtuoso soloists: violinist Mabelle Young-Eun Park and pianist Qianqian Zhou, both currently studying at Royal Academy of Music performing Grieg, Poulenc and Clara Schumann.  It is absolutely free with a voluntary donation to The Salvation Army whose Regent Hall, 275 Oxford St (close to Oxford Circus) is the venue.

Then, in search of nourishment (the sconeman had been up since 4AM) we found ourselves walking past Mountain restaurant on Beak Street.  It was after 2pm, why not we thought as we’ve wanted to go since it opened to unanimous acclaim.  I rarely do walk-ins as there is such pressure to plan and book often weeks ahead, when you really don’t know what you crave eating.  But we did, and joy of joys, there was room at the counter for lunch, and, actually a counter facing into the restaurant to enjoy its full and lively theatre, so busy that it took real choreography to keep food from the massive woodfire oven circulating at impressive speed.  Better still the counter stools had rungs so I could rest my feet comfortably, and not feel like one gesticulation too much and I would tumble. Apparently, the vast restaurant has a history. The building was once home to Murray’s, a private cabaret club where Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies were hostesses.

What a feast, with great menu guidance by sommelier Marianna whom we recognised from her previous role at Quo Vadis. We started with a housemade soft cheese and perfect, glossy, plump anchovy on grilled bread, before the famed spider crab omelette made with vividly yellow eggs.  It was good but not epoch-making.  A slightly more runny texture and more crab would have impressed me more. Still with billowy pitta bread generously doused with parsley oil, it was gloriously, indulgently comforting.  One of the star dishes for us was the fire cooked rice braised in chicken stock with a most impressive crunchy top.  We ate this with a superlative grilled Dover Sole with a sauce made with an emulsion of the fish bones with saffron, revelling in its deep, embracing flavour.  A side order of grilled summer vegetables ranging from Swiss chard to red peppers made lunch complete with an outstanding, crisp Greek white wine.

I adore custard whether savoury as in Japanese chawanmushi or sweet with crumble or, best of all, in a take, Mallorquin in influence perhaps as chef-owner Tomas Perry has a family home in Majorca, on creme caramel, a why custard with three perfect sticks of poached rhubarb.  Better still, this was a long relaxed Friday afternoon into almost early evening meal where we felt unrushed, a friend was able to join us for an impressive cheese platter and the staff around us seemed cool, exceptionally well-informed, and almost as happy to be there as us.

https://mountainbeakstreet.com