DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS: A BLOW OUT AT BENTLEY'S

On Monday, the evening of the latest DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS, someone asked me why we organise these increasingly popular suppers.

I had to think for a moment, but in the end suggested that, in these days when every new restaurant has to come with a concept (think pop-up, think underground, think nuevo tapas) that it comes as a blessed relief just to sit down for a great meal with lots of interesting people with no other agenda than to have a bloody good time.

Judging by the e-mails, Facebook messages and Twitter DM's I received from the more well mannered of our guests after Monday's event, I think it is fair to say that everybody who attended the latest DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS had a very good time indeed. This is primarily thanks to the good folks of Bentley's, Richard Corrigan's excellent seafood restaurant on Swallow Street.

Head chef, Brendan Fyles, had taken the opportunity to go well above and beyond the call of duty and far exceeded my expectations for the £40 a head budget I set him, providing a meal which showed just how good a restaurant Bentley's is.

The meal began, as people arrived, with freshly shucked oysters served with Porterhouse Oyster Stout. These were accompanied by two superb canapes of Foie Gras with Apple Chutney and Deep Fried Chilli Shrimp. By the time we actually went to table, people were already nodding approvingly and continued their happy murmurs as the first course arrived.

HP and I like to make DWDH an famly style affair. It is easier on the kitchens and it promotes interaction, so important when we make sure that there are always a large number of new people at each event. So, when huge plates were placed on the table each carrying Sally Barnes smoked salmon,smoked tuna, smoked eel, smoked mackerel, soda bread, blinis and potted shrimp, the sight of everybody tucking in with gusto and passing the plates around was particularly pleasing.

Even more pleasing was yet another act of generosity on the apart of Head Chef, Brendan when he sent out plates of smoked herring roe on toast, coated with a silky bernaise sauce. Stunning.

A similar "wow" factor was gained by the arrival the two main courses. The first, a fish pie showed just how wonderful such a classic British dish can be when made well. Plumped out with haddock, scallops, salmon and prawns, it was layered with a bechamel sauce flavoured with the skins of smoked haddock and topped with a thick, buttery mashed potato. Just as delicious were large bowls of beef cheeks cooked down in more of the oyster stout. Astonishingly tender, they were probably my dish of the night.

It was a close call, however as no sooner had our main course plates been cleared than dessert arrived in the form of trays of rich sticky toffee pudding, served with jars of Roddas Clotted Cream and a thick toffee sauce.

I was having a dry night as I had to drive to the airport. Everyone else was very appreciative of the wines supplied by Nepenthe and Wines Unearthed, which were explained to everyone by the splendid Robert Macintosh.

At the end of the evening, Mr Corrigan made an appearance, to everybody's delight. But, more importantly so did Brendan to receive the round of applause his skills and generosity so richly deserved. An added round of applause went to events manager, Jane Sturgess, restaurant manager, King and his whole serving team who were faultless.

As people left, they stopped to collect the now legendary DWDH goody bags and a huge vote of thanks has to go out to Mathilde Delville who sourced the amazing contents of this event's offering. If you are wondering why the photographs on this post are a notch above our usual blurry DH snaps, they too are the result of her efforts

Each time we hold an event people tell me that it has been even better than the last. I don't know about that, they have all been fun for me. I am merely appreciative that so many wonderful chefs and restaurant staff have been so generous in supporting the single Dos Hermanos aim of helping Britain learn how to feast again. Long may it continue.

Dos Hermanos would like to thank the following without whom this event would not have been possible

BENTLEY'S


PORTERHOUSE OYSTER STOUT

NEPENTHE WINES


WINES UNEARTHED


SALLY BARNES

VIEW CARD

EASY TASTY MAGIC RANGE - TASTE No5 UMAMI PASTE

RUDE HEALTH

NUDO OLIVE OILS

FIRE & KNIVES MAGAZINE

CONRAN OCTOPUS

CANDIA


CASILLERO DEL DIABLO

LUCOZADE

MARMITE CEREAL BARS

DIVINE DARK CHOCOLATE

JORDANS CEREAL BARS

BURTS CHIPS

SWEET THINGS

BILLINGTON'S

CHARLIE BIGHAM

PULP FRUIT POUCHES

Dont forget, if you would like the chance to attend a future DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS event, please check out our Facebook group

DOS HERMANOS: HAVING US TEA

Our late Mum was a great baker and the smell of a loaf of bread, a big pie (mmm…pie) in the oven or of Welsh Teacakes cooking on the griddle remains with us to this day.

It’s a long time since I made any bread – a bit of pizza dough about a decade ago probably doesn’t count – but I had some of Sally Barnes wonderful Smoked Salmon which I needed to eat so some homemade Soda Bread to accompany it seemed like a good idea.

I really love the Soda Bread at Richard Corrigan’s joints: Bentley’s and Corrigan’s. It’s deep, it’s dark, it’s moreish. A quick Google found the recipe which consists of equal quantities of plain and wholemeal flour, bicarb, honey, black treacle, salt, buttermilk and oat flakes (for an interesting texture). Even for a klutz like me it’s easy peasy: mix it all together and bung it in a hot oven.

Forty-five minutes later and with a beautiful smell wafting around the DH crib the loaf was ready. It went onto a rack to cool but of course I couldn’t resist breaking a hunk off straight away and slathering it in unsalted butter. For a first attempt it was rather good (and I’m my own worst critic). The base was a bit too crisp but made for a good texture contrast. It didn’t come out as dark as the restaurant version which leads me to think they might use a secret recipe there.

With the bread I carved some thickish slices of the Smoked Salmon. This fish comes from the Woodcock Smokery in Cork. Founded and owned by Sally Barnes this is a truly artisanal product which unfortunately has limited availability – they only use wild fish – and is expensive. Although, given the superlatve quality it’s well worth it.

The flavour is fantastic with just the right amount of smoke and a lovely un-fatty texture and a taste that just goes on and on. All that was needed to complete us tea was some Cream Cheese and a bottle of Meantime’s London Stout.

And don’t worry HS, there’s plenty left over for you.

CORRIGAN'S: BRINGING HIS "A" GAME TO THE GROSVENOR

Be Any Good. You might think this would be the credo underlying The Dos Hermanos Philosophy of Restaurants™. Close, but no banana, my friend. Just Give A Damn would be a lot more accurate.

We’ve been to plenty of restaurants where the food has been objectively good but the atmosphere and welcome have been sticks-up-their-arses frosty. Conversely, there are many places where Michelin may not be visiting any time soon but, goddammit, there’s nowhere else you’d rather be right at that moment.

Even if the food at Corrigan’s, the eponymously named Mayfair restaurant wasn’t all that I’d still be inclined to like the place. How could I not ? The welcome and service was friendly: from the young lady serving me who wanted to bring me the excellent Soda Bread all through the meal, through to the sommelier who insisted on a little vertical tasting of artisanal grappas. The room is great too: very comfortable, lit just right and crucially, no music. Despite this being their first day of business (after a soft opening week) things appeared to be running as if they had been open for years. Always a good sign.

Fortunately, the food’s terrific too. The menu had me groaning with pleasure – not a nice sound, believe me – but then you don’t see dishes like Game Broth with Livers on Toast or Fried Chorizo, Fennel and Apple or a Salad of Game with Romesco Sauce every day. My starter was beyond workaday too, for in amongst the beautifully briny Colchester Native Oysters and sweet raw Clams was a comped dish of a Cerviche of Razor Clams: a lovely, zingy way to prepare that much underused bivalve.

There was more evidence of deft preparation with terrific ingredients in some slices of sweetly porky suckling pig sausages that were topped by a lightly cooked oyster and some slivers of crisp lamb tongue.

My long position on pork was entrenched with Crubeens: brined Pigs Trotters which had been shredded, coated in panko and deep fried to give a sort of Irish take on the croqueta. As a nod to the Iberian Peninsula and just in case you felt a little pork lite, there were some slices of Jamón from Jabugo draped over the top. A little relish of Horseradish and Beetroot provided the contrast to all that porcine richness.

The menu is game heavy, and why not when it’s one of the best food products from these isles. My benchmark for Venison had up until now been the excellent stuff at the Pot Kiln but the rack of Venison special at Corrigan’s was even better: seared on the outside and a beautifully rich red colour within, the meat also had that perfect gaminess which provides a complexity of taste that raises it above the level of just another hunk of protein.

On the side, and possibly one of the most indulgent yet delicious accompaniments you are likely to get in any restaurant, anywhere, was a small cottage pie which had been made with an oh-so-rich mixture of Venison meat and its offal. Believe me if it was any better it would be illegal.

That cottage pie should have been enough to finish me off but despite my advancing years I’m still an Hermano and somewhere North of abstemiousness but South of piggery lay the Lime and Cheese Souffle. A lot of places can’t really make this dish but happily for me Corrigan’s have a master Souffle maker in residence. It was supermodel light with none of that claggy egginess that afflicts lesser specimens. A light marscapone sauce, which added a bit of richness, was poured into the centre. A small scoop of Marscapone ice cream and an extra one of Sauternes (well if you don’t ask, you don’t get) book ended the Souffle.

What else ? Well, there were some good nibbles beforehand of cheesy, crispy things and olives that had been stuffed with goat’s cheese, bread crumbed and deep-fried (how could I have forgotten). Wine is usefully available by the carafe (250 or 500ml) and the staff will happily doggy bag your PFs in foil if you’ve been a fat bastard diner. Oh, and I’m definitely going back.