Recipe List
Southwold Fried Whitebait with Tendring Hall Ketch Up
Each of the following cocktails will serve 2.
Named in honour of Sir George Gilbert Scott, this is a light and refreshing cocktail. The potato vodka, made by Chase in England, gives it a creamy texture and the Kümmel, infused with caraway, cumin and fennel, adds another dimension.
6 slices lemon
80ml Chase potato vodka
pinch of saffron threads
20ml peach schnapps
10ml Kümmel
30ml sugar syrup (see here)
ice cubes
soda water
Muddle the lemon slices with the vodka and saffron in a cocktail shaker or a Boston glass. Alternatively, use the end of a rolling pin in a larger container to gently pound the ingredients together. Add all remaining ingredients, except the soda water, and shake with ice. Strain into two flutes and top up with soda water.
This is one of our brunch cocktails and it does just what it says – awakens you! It is fresh, clean and easy drinking. Sample a few spiced rums until you find your favourite.
80ml spiced dark rum
20g fresh root ginger, peeled and freshly grated
50ml apple juice
30ml fresh lime juice
crushed ice
100ml ginger beer
Shake together all the ingredients, except the ginger beer. Strain into two tall glasses over crushed ice and top up with the ginger beer.
This fantastic cocktail was created by the talented Dav Eames, our current bar manager. It combines cucumber, elderflower and pear vodka to create a really refreshing drink that looks stunning.
50g cucumber, chopped
50ml Grey Goose La Poire vodka
50ml Bombay Sapphire gin
50ml elderflower cordial
50ml fresh lime juice
ice cubes
To garnish
2 long, thin strips cucumber
2 ice cubes
Muddle the cucumber with the vodka in a cocktail shaker. Alternatively, use the end of a rolling pin in a larger container to gently pound the cucumber and vodka together. Add the remaining ingredients, shake well and strain into two coupette glasses. Garnish each with a cucumber-wrapped ice cube.
One of the first cocktails we put on our list, this was created by our first bar manager, Oliver Blackburn, paying tribute to the very fine range of vodkas from Grey Goose. Combining orange vodka, honey and marmalade, topped up with English sparkling wine, it really is an elegant tipple.
50ml Grey Goose L’Orange vodka
40ml fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp marmalade
1 tbsp honey
4 dashes of orange bitters
ice cubes
80ml Ridgeview Blanc de Noirs
(English sparkling wine)
Put all the ingredients, except the sparkling wine, into a cocktail shaker or jar, cover and shake. Strain into two flutes, dividing evenly, then top up with the sparkling wine.
Paying homage to the revitalized King’s Cross/St Pancras area, this cocktail uses the wonderfully fragrant Hendrick’s gin. One of the botanicals used in this gin is cucumber, which makes it delightfully fresh. This is a colourful cocktail, great for a summer’s evening.
80ml Hendrick’s gin
20ml Cazadores Blanco tequila
40ml pomegranate juice
ice cubes
40ml fresh orange juice
80ml bitter lemon
2 twists of orange peel, to garnish
Shake the gin, tequila and pomegranate juice together with ice. Strain into two cut-crystal wine glasses. Slowly add the orange juice followed by the bitter lemon. Garnish each glass with an orange twist.
The late Queen Mother was rumoured to have enjoyed Dubonnet, a blend of fortified wine, herbs and spices, and this cocktail (pictured below), created by Oli Blackburn, is named for her. It also includes a great English sparkling wine, Nyetimber, which is produced in East Sussex.
20ml Chase marmalade vodka
20ml Chase potato vodka
40ml Dubonnet
50ml fresh lemon juice
10ml Benedictine
dash of orange bitters
ice cubes
80ml Nyetimber Classic Cuvée
(English sparkling wine)
Shake all the ingredients, except the sparkling wine, with ice. Strain into two Champagne saucers and top up with the sparkling wine.
We have sometimes served this tea-based cocktail with our afternoon tea offering. The bergamot in Earl Grey tea works very well with the richness of the Cognac, creating an elegant drink that is great as an after-dinner tipple too.
60ml Cognac
5g Earl Grey tea leaves
10ml crème d’abricots (apricot liqueur)
10ml Amaretto Disarronno (almond liqueur)
dash of apricot bitters
grated zest of ½ fresh bergamot orange
crushed ice
80ml ginger ale
Warm the Cognac slightly, then add the tea. Cover and leave to infuse for 2 hours. Strain through a fine sieve. Shake the Cognac with the other ingredients, except the ice and ginger ale, then strain into two rocks glasses over crushed ice. Top up with the ginger ale.
Made with fragrant ripe strawberries, fresh thyme, and vodka flavoured with the aromatic fruit feijoa, this cocktail is the essence of summer.
8 strawberries
4 sprigs thyme
80ml Tapatio Anéjo tequila
30ml fresh lime juice
25ml elderflower cordial
20ml 42 Below feijoa vodka
ice cubes
To garnish
1 strawberry, halved
2 sprigs thyme
Muddle the strawberries and thyme with the tequila in a cocktail shaker. Alternatively, use the end of a rolling pin in a larger container to gently pound these ingredients together. Add the lime juice, cordial and vodka, top up with ice and shake for 1 minute. Strain into a jug, then strain a second time into two coupe glasses. Garnish each with half a strawberry on the rim and a thyme sprig curled up the stem of the glass.
Makes about 200ml
70g caster sugar
30g liquid glucose
200ml water
Combine the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. This can be kept in the fridge in a screwtop jar for 2 weeks.
A ‘Countess Morphy’ wrote a book entitled Recipes of All Nations in the 1930s, which contained a fascinating collection of recipes from all around the world. These little croquettes make a good snack with drinks.
Serves 4
40g butter
½ onion, peeled and finely diced
25ml milk
225g plain mashed potatoes, at room temperature
50g self-raising flour
salt
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
lemon mayonnaise or Tendring Hall
Ketchup (see here), to serve
To coat
plain flour
2 free-range eggs, beaten
about 75g panko breadcrumbs
Heat 15g of the butter in a small pan and cook the onion until softened. Remove from the heat.
Beat the remaining butter and the milk into the mashed potatoes, then mix in the onion and self-raising flour. Season with a little salt. Roll into cylinders about 8cm long and 3cm in diameter. Dust with plain flour, then coat in beaten egg followed by panko crumbs. As the cylinders are coated, transfer to a tray. Cover and place in the fridge to chill and set for at least 25 minutes.
Heat oil for deep-frying to 175°C. Fry the croquettes, in batches, until golden brown all over and heated through (test by inserting the tip of a knife into the centre of a croquette, then touch the knife to check that it is hot). Serve the croquettes straightaway, with lemon mayonnaise or Tendring Hall ketchup.
Although not strictly a British dish by origin, this does make a great bar snack. The squid is not cooked in a batter, but is just dusted with aromatic pepper and a good dose of salt.
Serves 4
300g squid, cleaned
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbsp cornflour
oil for deep-frying
To prepare the squid, remove the tentacles and slice them into small bunches. Halve each squid body, then score in a criss-cross pattern using a sharp knife. Cut the squid bodies into pieces about 5cm square and set aside on kitchen paper.
Lightly pulse the salt and peppercorns together in a spice mill or coffee grinder until very fine. Mix with the cornflour in a shallow dish.
Heat oil for deep-frying to 170°C. When up to temperature, lightly coat the squid with the seasoned mix, then fry briefly, in batches, for no more than 30–45 seconds, until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and keep hot. Serve as soon as all the squid has been cooked.
Very easy to prepare, this is a wonderfully tasty bar snack. The crisp whitebait go so well with a tangy home-made tomato ketchup.
Serves 4
Tendring Hall ketchup
600g ripe tomatoes, halved lengthways
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
50ml olive oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
100ml white wine vinegar
Whitebait
5 tbsp plain flour
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
100ml milk
oil for deep-frying
250g whitebait (fresh or thawed frozen)
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. To make the ketchup, lay the tomato halves, cut side up, on a roasting tray. Season with the salt and pepper to taste, then scatter the onion and garlic over the tomatoes. Drizzle over the olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down to a pulp.
Put the chilli, sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Scrape the tomato mixture into the pan and stir to mix. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Push through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer again and cook for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary, then allow to cool. Store the ketchup, covered, in the fridge.
For the whitebait, mix together the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and some black pepper in a mixing bowl or plastic bag. Put the milk in another bowl, and have a sieve placed over a clean mixing bowl alongside. Heat oil for deep-frying to 170°C.
When the oil is up to temperature, put the whitebait into the seasoned flour and toss well to ensure all the fish are coated. Lift them into the sieve and shake over the clean bowl so the excess flour goes into it. Tip the fish into the milk and gently coat, then drain in the sieve, discarding the milk. Place back in the flour mix in the clean bowl, shaking and tossing to coat. Drop the fish into the hot oil, a few at a time to ensure they do not stick together, and fry for 2–3 minutes, until golden all over and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil, then serve immediately with the ketchup.
We source our mackerel from a supplier on the Cornish coast and it is delicious. This pâté keeps for a few days in the fridge, so you can use it in a number of ways – as a spread with crusty bread, in a toasted sandwich with a slice of melted Gruyère, or dolloped on a salad.
Serves 4
25g crème fraîche
50g cream cheese
25g home-made or good-quality purchased mayonnaise
grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
10 drops Tabasco sauce
½ tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
250g smoked mackerel fillet, skinned and flaked
Mix together the crème fraîche, cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice, Tabasco, salt and a few good turns of pepper. Add the mackerel and fold through the mix. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary before serving.
Cornish pasties, filled with beef, potato, turnip and onions, are deservedly popular. We created this vegetarian version with a rich mushroom filling to serve in our bar – perfect with a cocktail or two.
Makes 4
Pastry
340g plain flour
½ tsp salt
150g cold unsalted butter, diced
1 free-range egg, beaten a little milk
beaten free-range egg yolk, for glazing
Mushroom filling
2 tbsp vegetable oil
150g button mushrooms, quartered
150g field mushrooms, diced into 1cm pieces
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
25g butter
4 tbsp double cream
leaves from ¼ bunch of thyme
2 tbsp crème fraîche
For the pastry, put the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and enough milk to bind to a stiff dough, being careful not to over-mix. Shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the mushroom filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a pan, add the button mushrooms with a good pinch of salt and cook until golden and all of the liquid has evaporated. Tip the mushrooms into a colander and set aside. Repeat with the field mushrooms, using the remaining oil.
Add the vinegar to the pan and heat until it is bubbling, then about 1 minute later add the butter. Return all the mushrooms to the pan. Add the double cream and thyme, stirring to mix, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer half of the mushrooms to a blender or food processor and blend to a purée. Return this purée to the remaining mushrooms in the pan and add the crème fraîche with seasoning to taste. Transfer the mushroom mix to a shallow dish and cool, then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge to firm.
Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and divide into six equal portions. Roll out each portion on a floured work surface and cut out a 15cm diameter round.
Divide the mushroom mix among the six pastry rounds, spooning it on to one half and leaving a 2cm edge clear. Brush the pastry edge with egg yolk, then fold over the empty half to make a half moon shape and press the edges to seal well. Crimp together with your fingers. Chill for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Place the pasties on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and brush liberally with egg yolk. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden. Serve hot.
