Magpie Cafe, Whitby, North Yorks

The English fondness for standing in queues and fish 'n' chips is well documented.  Put them both together and you get the Magpie Cafe, popular purveyors of seafood and a Whitby institution since 1937.

My aunt and uncle had confirmed the Magpie's reputation while we were staying with them a few days before our trip.  They had also confirmed the need for some pre-planning to beat the crowds.  While the Ewing was making the most of the glorious weather, and enjoying the stunning moorland scenery on the drive to Whitby, I was focused on one thing, being outside when they opened the doors at 11.30.  Yes, I know how to relax and have fun on holiday.

For possibly the first time ever we arrived at our destination in plenty of time and could enjoy a jaunt along the pier to work some of our full English off before our early lunch.  Luckily the sea air sharpened our appetites and I was pleased to see that when we got down to the harbourside, fifteen minutes before opening time, that only a small queue had formed in front of us.

In the height of summer the Magpie can expect to see up to a thousand visitors through their doors every day, and they certainly have the efficient service down pat.  A friendly waitress showed us to a little corner table, bathed in bright sunlight, and gave us probably the biggest menu I have ever seen.  'Don't forget the specials board' she called out before returning approximately seven seconds later to take our order.  

We managed to delay her for a for another minute or two by ordering two Slipway ales from the local Captain Cook Brewery, but sensing the queues growing outside we were soon ready to order; to start a Whitby crab salad to share, followed by two haddock, chips and mushy peas.  I was disappointed to miss out on the kippers, smoked by Fortune's in Whitby.  Here they are served with bread, butter and strawberry jam (designed to take the smoky taste away ready for the next course).  Happily I later found a 'kippers by post' stall, down by the fish market, who will deliver vacuum packed pairs of fish all over the country.  

The menu also features a multitude of grilled and poached fish and seafood, stews, pies and soups, as well as a few token meat and veggie dishes for the uninitiated.  For those who can't face the queueing, or prefer to share their spoils with the gulls, an equally busy and good value takeaway has now opened up next door.

The crab was simple and tasty.  Lots of lovely white and brown meat, well picked and served simply with lemon, salad, bread and butter.  Light and refreshing and, as with all things fishy, tastes even better when you can see the sea.

The 'small' haddock followed quickly after.  The Ewing's piece in particular resembled a battered whale, rising up from a great sea of potato.  The fish was super; hot, crisp batter breaking open in a cloud of steam to reveal the big, pearly white flakes of succulent fish.  The chips were decent, although I only managed a paltry few after all the fish, but the mushy peas were fabulous.  The Ewing, not normally a fan of the processed pea, tucked straight in, making me thankful for the generous Yorkshire portions.

Stuffed to the gills after our fish feast we had to pass up on desert.  This was hard as they had all my favourite steamed suspects, including an interesting simnel version which seemed very apt at Easter time.  They also offer the traditional Northern snack of fruit cake/gingerbread and a slice of Wensleydale cheese.  Best enjoyed with a pot of strong Yorkshire tea to wash it all down. 

Overall the Magpie is an institution that manages to live up to its reputation.  Despite dealing with throngs of tourists and locals alike the service was well organised, fast and friendly.  And, while perhaps not the place for a long and lingering lunch, the fish is still fabulous and well worth that wait.

Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton, East Yorks

After spending a relaxing few days with family in Leeds we set off for a few days in sunny Scarborough.  As it was only a small detour I persuaded the Ewing to swing by the East Riding of Yorkshire for lunch at The Pipe and Glass Inn. 

East Yorkshire's first Michelin star holder, the Inn is set in the lovely village of South Dalton, easily seen from miles away by the towering spire of St Mary's church.   Arriving slightly early we received a warm welcome in the front bar, and after ordering a couple of pints of I Will, local brewery Wold Top's Royal wedding tribute, went to sit outside in the sun to browse the menu.

The menu reads very well and features a few 'classic' pub grub type dishes, given a bit of a modern twist, such as soup of the day, prawn cocktail and braised beef.   There was also a large specials board inside, chalked up with some lovely sounding spring dishes, many of which could be chosen as either a starter or main. I was also pleased to see a good use of local ingredients, including lots of lovely East Coast fish and shellfish.

The pub is deceptively large, with a bar and lounge area at the front leading through to a dining area, split into two rooms, and a big conservatory.  There is also benches at the front of the pub and a lovely big garden to the rear.

Fresh bread was either white, and flavoured with wild garlic, or brown with walnuts.  Both were good, with the wild garlic being especially moreish.  It was served warm, and when buttered it became a sort of instant garlic bread.

To start I went for the jar of Gloucester Old Spot potted pork served with a apple and crackling salad and spelt toast.  The potted meat had a sweet porky flavour, cut through with the piquancy of capers and cornichons and a musky note of sage.  The contrast between the crackling and apple was good with lovely little nuggets of sweet and crunchy.

The Ewing chose the wild sea trout tartare with a hot smoked salmon scotch quail's egg, pickled samphire and fennel pollen. This was a cracking dish; the tartare had a layer of herbed cream cheese, which complimented the spankingly fresh fish; the quail's egg was nicely soft in the centre and the Ewing enjoyed the smokey salmon coating.  Fennel pollen was interesting addition and added a aniseed note.

My main was fillet of wild halibut with salsify, wild garlic and cockle stew and a monkfish cheek fritter.  The fish was tasty, but the fritter, while having a wonderfully crispy carapace, was slightly tough inside.  The salsify was sweet and lovely and the rich cream sauce was nicely lifted with the freshness from the dill, cockles and garlic.  I particularly enjoyed the way that the light and delicate flavours came together to create a hearty plate of food.

The Ewing had Hornsea crab, with niçoise salad and brown crab 'sticks'.  The crab was plentiful, but was let down by the proliferation of shell.  Even when carefully picked shell is an accepted hazard in crab dishes, but four or five pieces, including the top of a claw is disappointing in a dish costing nearly twenty pounds. The crab sticks were fun, crispy pastry with nuggets of brown meat, and the niçoise salad added a nice flavour punch.

For desert I chose the Yorkshire rhubarb trifle with ginger wine and parkin.  This was standout dish of the day.  Mounds of sweet cream, sharp, tangy rhubarb, sticky parkin and smooth custard. Topped with the the nutty crunch of bright green pistachio this was a glorious bowl of spicy, fruity, gooey loveliness.

The Ewing went for the chocolate tasting plate, an assortment of different mini choc-based deserts.  This was a bit of a mixed bag; highlights included a gorgeous white chocolate and raspberry creme brulee and a smooth chocolate sorbet.  The coffee mousse was light, but the chocolate layers had set too hard to eat easily and a chocolate cone contained a lovely layer of sponge and orange jelly, but might have been better without the heavy ganache filling.

The Pipe and Glass is clearly a popular pub; when we visited on a Wednesday lunchtime there wasn't a free seat in the large dining room and conservatory, and plenty of people were drinking in the lounge and beer garden.  Service was friendly, but seemed absent and a bit rushed on occasions. The menu is inventive and interesting, and the food was, in the most part, tasty and well judged.  I liked seeing the use of local ingredients and there is even a small 'shop' area in the restaurant with various condiments and chocolates for sale. 

While eating lunch I saw some lovely big steak sandwiches, piled high with crispy onions, leaving the kitchen.  On my next visit to this lovely part of the country I think I'd be quite happy with a pint and a sarnie in the cosy bar area, accompanied by a big bowl of that marvelous trifle for afters.

Easter Brownies with White Chocolate and Walnuts

The Ewing is the normally the baker in this household, but since since I've been writing this blog I seem to have gone a bit cake crazy.  I needed to make something tasty, suitable for a Spring celebration with  friends, and that could weather a long, hot journey on the tube. There's not many people who would turn down a chocolate brownie, crispy on the outside and dense and fudgy in the middle, especially when topped with a handful of mini eggs.

Although the Ewing left her much loved Gary Rhodes recipe out to me follow I ended up going a bit off piste, adapting a Good Food recipe with a few touches of my own for good measure.  I used white chocolate for the chunks in the brownie batter, and added a handful of walnuts for some crunch.  I also added a touch of cinnamon, aping the lovely Hepburn brownie I enjoyed from Outsider Tart a few weeks ago. The spice adds a nice, woodsy note to the chocolate, without being too overwhelming.

Walnut and White Chocolate Brownies

185g Unsalted Butter

185g Dark Chocolate

50g White Chocolate

50g Walnut Pieces

3 Large Eggs

275g Golden Caster Sugar

1tsp Cinnamon

85g Plain Flour

40g Cocoa Powder

Mini chocolate eggs to decorate

-Preheat the oven to 160c and line a 20cm squared tin with baking parchment.

-Break plan chocolate into chunks and place in a bowl with the diced butter. Melt over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

-Break the eggs into a large bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon and whisk with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. (About 5 minutes)

-Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar.

-Sift the flour and cocoa into the bowl, and fold in lightly.

-Chop the white chocolate and walnuts and add to the mixture.  (Do not overwork the batter, or the brownies will be too heavy.)

-Pour into the lined tin and cook for 25-35 minutes.  It is ready a papery crust has formed on top and there is no 'wobble' in the middle when you gently shake the tin.

-Allow to cool completely before turning out the tin and cutting into squares.

-Decorate with chocolate eggs, affixed with a little melted chocolate or glace icing , if desired

These are a piece of cake, for want of a better phrase, to make.  The only difficult part is judging when they are perfectly cooked.  The whole point of a brownie is the dense, fudgy crumb.  Overcook it and it will become dry and crumbly, under cook it and it will be sticky and soggy.  I ended up cooking these for a bit longer than the recipe suggested, checking on them after every five minutes, and they were perfectly gooey in the middle when I cut them into squares.

They seemed to go down very well with the girls, and there were only a few solitary crumbs left in the tin by the next morning.  They are good with morning coffee, or afternoon tea, and fabulous served slightly warm, with fresh raspberries and smothered in thick cream or ice cream.  Another advantage is they improve with keeping, for up to a fortnight, wrapped up in foil or in an air tight tin.  That's if you can resist their chewy, chocolatey charms long enough...

Artisan du Chocolat- English Breakfast Eggs

I saw these rather unconventional eggs mentioned in a review of the Chocolate Festival on London's South Bank, and knew I'd have to track a bag down before Easter.  Made exclusively in the UK for Selfridges (I think they're available in Artisan's stores too) They combine favourite breakfast flavours with fine chocolate.  The question was: would they be worth the braving a Saturday afternoon trip to Oxford Street to pick them up?

Although excited I was still a bit wary of trying these.  So often I get seduced by interesting flavours and packaging, only to be let down by what's inside.  There isn't much information on the packet, it doesn't even say which egg is which flavour, but on opening the packet I could definitely smell the faint notes of fry up, mixed with sweet milk and cocoa.  Odd, but not unpleasant.

White Chocolate with Cepes Mushroom

This had a pretty strong aroma, not unlike the porcini stock cubes I bought back from Italy recently.  Although I didn't find out the flavour combinations from the website until after I had tasted the eggs this one was clearly fungi.  I know white chocolate isn't 'proper' chocolate, but sometimes I really enjoy it's creamy, vanilla notes. This was more like eating plain cocoa butter.  It was slightly greasy in the mouth, and not very sweet.  The absence of vanilla let the mushroom flavours shine through, but the background chocolate tasted a bit waxy, and wasn't interesting enough to make this very enjoyable.

Milk Chocolate and Bacon - 35% Cocoa Solids

The bacon smell was immediately noticeable, and there was also a sweet, rich cocoa note.  The flavour was exactly like eating a Frazzle bacon flavoured crisp with a square of milk chocolate.  Strange, and really quite nice.  The quality of the chocolate saved this from being too sickly, as the meaty, savoury bacon flavour worked with the malty, slightly bitter edge.  I enjoyed this, and it was good fun, although it's not something you would want to eat too much of.

Dark Chocolate and Tomato - 72% Cocoa Solids

This egg had a lovely, slightly smoky aroma with the ferrous note of tinned tomatoes.  Again, that may sound quite unpleasant, but I found combination worked very well.  The tomato flavour was sweet and slightly metallic, and combined nicely with the fruity notes of the dark chocolate.  The strength was in the quality of the chocolate and the subtlety of the flavour.  Just enough to notice, but not enough to over power, or for the overall effect to become too cloying.

Overall these are pretty good fun, and a nice idea for those who are looking for something a bit  different this Sunday. I found the white chocolate disappointing, but the milk and dark versions were tasty and unusual. At £7.50 for three small eggs they're not especially cheap, but would certainly be a interesting gift from the Easter Bunny.

Quex Barn, Birchington, Kent

With all the recent burger, BBQ and chocolate escapades the latest Farm Shop Friday write up has been a bit delayed.  Although it already feels like an age since my Kentish jaunt I couldn't leave out the lovely Quex Park in Birchington, home of Quex Barn.

Quex Barn is a farmers’ market and restaurant owned by local farmer Ian Matheson.  Most of the meat sold at Quex Barn is reared locally on the Quex Estate, and they also produce cold pressed rapeseed oils and, just launched last month, a range of Kentish crisps in local flavours.

As you enter there is a counter, selling cakes and drinks, in the main shop area, and then the restaurant through double doors to the right.  When we visited on a grey Friday afternoon there were plenty of diners still enjoying lunch, and a stream of people calling in for coffee.  These included two men who arrived clutching bunches of freshly picked asparagus, which were put straight into a bucket by the till, who stopped for a chat and to warm their fingers on mugs of hot chocolate.

Any place that greets their customers with a wooden board of warm, freshly made sausage rolls is alright in book.  These resembled my favourites from The Ginger Pig, but at bargain £1.75 a pop, they didn't mirror the price.  They were pretty much piggy perfection.  A highly seasoned, dense, meaty core, I'm guessing a good half a pound of sausage, covered in a thin, flaky carapace of pastry.  They really need no other accompaniment, but I found they also went very nicely with a smidgen of apple and chilli chutney.

As mentioned above, the meat sold at Quex is all reared locally and the butchery make their own sausages and pies.  Local fish and seafood is available as well as a large range of condiments, spices, pickles and jams.  There is a range of fresh fruit and veg, and they even have keen allotment holders bringing produce to sell if they have a glut on their hands. Local ciders, juice and wines are sold and we bought some of the Biddenden Strong Dry Kentish Cider; a lovely, clear and fruity tipple, perfect for a sunny day, but at 8% deceptively strong!

There is a small antipasti bar, where we picked up some feta stuffed peppers and patty pan squash in olive oil and a selection of, very garlicky, olives.  Those with a sweet tooth can buy cakes, fudge (the coffee and walnut we took home had a buttery taste and a crumbly, tablet like texture) and chocolates.  There are also  large freezers containing frozen vegetables, berries, danish pastries, fish and locally made 'ready meals' that even tell you the name of the chef who prepared them.

The cheese selection included a unpasteurised Kentish Blue, which the very helpful assistant encouraged us to sample before we bought.  This is a fairly hard cheese with a subtle blue flavour and a rich finish.  As there was a problem with the scales printing the label for our purchase we had the opportunity to try several other cheeses and chutneys while waiting including Stilcheton, a smoked cheddar and some lovely damson chutney.

A special mention must go to the Kent Crisps, made with 100% Kentish potatoes and available in a range of flavours designed to showcase the Garden of England.  I saw that these were too be launched just before our visit and was keen to try some, especially the Oyster and Vinegar which are claimed to be a flavour first.  On hunting them down we were not disappointed.  The crisps had a very light, almost 'baked' taste, and had been cut nice and thick for a good crunch.  As a bit of a crisp connoisseur I enjoyed the punch of Sea Salt and Biddenden Cider Vinegar and the tangy, rich Ashmore Cheese and Onion.  The Oyster crisps were pleasantly unusual, with the slight tang of the sea and a moreish flavour that made me wish that were are available in larger bags.

Quex is a great little place to pick up some local produce, stop for a coffee or stay for dinner.  They offer cookery courses, and host yoga, pilates classes and a healthy eating group, details of which are advertised on their website. On leaving we noticed that even the birds are catered for with their own feed centre. 

In the summer months you can combine it with a trip to the Powell Cotton Museum, and Quex House and Gardens, but it's worth a visit at any time for those sensational sausage rolls alone.

Atomic Burger, Oxford

City of dreamy Sci-fries.

Atomic Burgers in Oxford has been on my radar for a while now, and I finally got around to visiting by combining it with a trip to Oxford's inaugural Chocolate Festival.  Situated on the hip Cowley Road, where the independent is still thriving, from the outside it sums up everything that's good about being a bit different.  From the rocket logo sign, to the Astro Turf grass and the Gremlin in the window you know that this isn't any old identikit burger bar.  You can also see it's going to be buzzing inside by all the bikes piled up against the white picket fence.

The inside is no different.  It's a bright space, with small wooden tables laden with the ubiquitous squeezy tomato shaped ketchup bottles, (they also have a yellow tomato containing, somewhat controversially, french mustard) and metal cans full of cutlery.  The walls are adorned with space murals and there are plastic tubes full of plastic 80's toys.  At the back of the restaurant the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man guards the till.

 After being shown to our seats, and given the lo down on the new menu by our very friendly waiter, we were faced with the difficult choice of deciding which meaty marvel to order.  In keeping with the cult vibe the burgers have all have quirky names.  The Jake and Elwood is a burger with blue cheese, the Fat Tony has meatballs and pizza sauce, and the Dolly Parton features a double stack.  Each burger can be ordered as beef, chicken or veggie pattie, and there are also some tasty looking alternatives such as ribs, dogs and pulled pork.

If you feel really brave you can take on the infamous Godzilla Challenge. Here you must attempt to finish a monster burger and fries, doused in Godzilla Triple XXX sauce, within one hour . Winners, and losers, are immortalised on the mirrored wall that runs down one side of the room and you get a T-shirt (and probably a dose of heartburn) for your efforts.   

The amazing chocolate peanut butter shake, with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.  This was thick, creamy, nutty and spot on.  I was very sad we didn't get one of those battered metal beakers, containing some more shake, as this was slurped far too quickly.  Along with the good old choc malt this is must be the pinnacle of milkshake flavours.  They also do a Sugar Puff version, which looks pretty interesting.

My Dead Elvis, in all it's gooey glory.  This comes with grilled onions, swiss and cheddar cheese and bacon.  I ordered mine with gherkins, which came as a solitary DIY style pickle rather than pickle slices in the bun I was hoping for.  Gherkin gripes aside this is a fab burger.  Melty cheese, salty bacon and a juicy, nicely charred patty that was still a little pink in the centre. The bun has been toasted on the grill, and soaked up all the meaty juices admirably. 

For personal preference I've decided that if a burger has salad it also needs mayo/some sort of 'burger' sauce too.  In the case of the Dead Elvis I'd be quite happy to ditch the rabbit food all together and just enjoy the triple protein hit from all that delicious beef, cheese and bacon.

The Big Kahuna burger.  This comes loaded with swiss cheese, pineapple and teriyaki sauce, and the Ewing pimped it with some extra American cheese.  Can pineapple ever a good idea with a burger?  Well reader, while good taste and common decency may dictate otherwise, (i.e. not in my opinion) there certainly wasn't much evidence left on the Ewing's plate.  When asked about how it tasted later her comment was;  'Juicy and pinappley.  I think there might have been a bit of salad in it, I can't really remember...'  So there you go.

Both our Atomic burgers were really good, no nonsense, diner style fare. Just how I want my burger to be.  The beef was smoky and full of flavour, the bun held together well and the fillings were generous.  Next on the wish list is a Pee Bee and Jay.  Another divisive number, featuring peanut butter, onion marmalade and bacon, which I think sounds pretty awesome.

We both ordered the Sci-fries, but mine arrived looking distinctly down to earth.  Luckily they were far too spicy for the Ewing, so she was more than happy to swap with me.  Sci or not these are wonderful skin on chips, with the sci version liberally sprinkled with a garlic chilli seasoning.  The garlic flavour was quite subtle, but they were certainly fiery!  They were crisp and greaseless with a good 'potatoey' flavour that is often absent from lesser frites. The onion rings being eaten on the table next to us also looked great, and are on the 'to do' list.

After that blow out we barely had the energy to eat the jelly babies that accompanied the, pleasingly small, bill. I'm certainly planning to come back very soon, and next time want to leave room to try the homemade pies and the wicked looking ice cream sundaes.  In fact it may take several more return journeys to sample everything I want to on their menu.

Atomic Burgers serves some very tasty food in some very cool surroundings, and is certainly worth a trip.  The only sad thing about our visit was knowing there isn't one closer to my house to satisfy those big, bad burger cravings. That, and the fact they only serve there fabulous looking breakfasts before noon, when I'm at work or still buried deep under the duvet. 

So if you're looking for an out of this world burger, at a down to earth burger joint, then, as they say on their website, it's time to get your buns down to the real thing and go Atomic. 

Atomic Burger