A Cornish Culinary Adventure- Parts 4 & 5

Well, well, well. I guess I got caught up in the hoo-hah of Halloween. I neglected to update my tour of the south-west. So with apologies, here you go!

Day 4-

I awoke to the smell of traditional Cornish Hog’s pudding sizzling in the frying pan. The crackle of bacon, got me salivating straight away. A cup of freshly brewed coffee set the tone for this ‘Full Cornish’ ; scrambled eggs, hog’s pudding, westcountry smoked bacon and sausages from a local farm.

Unfortunately, this meat heavy breakfast left no room whatsoever for lunch... so no pasties for me today.

Later on, after no lunch, and despite having had fish and chips before, I simply couldn’t refuse the offer of Becks fish and chips! Just a stone’s throw away from my father’s house in Carbis Bay, Becks has been a family favourite for years- always a real treat!

The portion sizes at this place are simply astonishing, a piece of fish, and a portion of chips could easily feed two hungry people. With this in mind, I ordered the Haddock which in true Becks form, arrived in its polystyrene casing golden, crisp and bubbling.

It was as good as I remember it. You know how people have a romanticised idea about food, the kind of nostalgia which reminds them of being a child, and can often be quite sickening? Well this is my memory. Fish and chips on the beach, gritty sand between my toes, the sharp acid vinegar cutting through the fluffy potato... bliss.

Day 5-

Sunday at my house, is a very traditional occasion-and my father never scrimps on portions, always buying a whole chicken, or a whole joint of meat even if he’s only feeding himself! He often curries leftover chicken, which is a quick fix if you work late etc.

The hearty meal consisted of Organic chicken roasted with onions, lemon, garlic and herbs. It was beautifully moist without being soggy, and the skin was crisped to perfection (until I soaked it in gravy!) The roasties had a herb crust, and were lovely with their skins on. Carrot, Broccoli and roasted Parsnips made the perfect accompaniment to my favourite British institution.

As usual, I couldn’t resist having a sweet. So I popped across the road to the local shop, and I have to say- I’m no food snob. I do prefer making my own desserts, but I put my trust in the nation’s favourite relative- Aunt Bessie.

Her Bramley Apple Pie had a crisp, almost biscuity crust. Not too sweet, as you often find with shop bought puds, and a lovely bite to the filling (you could actually recognise the chunks of apple!) I was impressed! Smothered in Rodda’s Clotted Cream- you can’t go wrong.

A Cornish Culinary Adventure- Part 3

Today, we promised to meet with my great aunt, who lives in a rather remote area of Cornwall, Portscatho. We took the King Harry Ferry across the water to avoid a long road trip around the peninsular. Upon recommendation from various friends and locals, we endeavoured to find the elusive Smugglers Inn which my mother repeatedly said was a ‘16^th century inn, with a great

reputation’, which is all well and good, if you can actually find the place!

We did however, drive past a very interesting pub called the Roseland Inn. With an outside seating area and pergola with vines creeping up the sides, this pub was a real find. Never mind gastro-pub, this was a fine dining experience. The proprietors pride themselves on sourcing local ingredients, and plan to hold art and craft workshops for local children in the very near future.

After ordering from the specials board, we were informed that three of our orders needed to be made again, as they’d run out of the steak and ale pie. Very disappointing indeed. Especially considering the ‘High as a kite’ ale in the pie was made within the microbrewery in the pub itself.

I decided to go for the fish and chips with homemade tartar sauce, and mushy peas. Upon talking to the one of the friendly owners in the adjoiing farm shop, I was informed that the resident chef had previously worked in a three rosette kitchen not far from the location itself.

That would explain the ‘nouvelle cuisine’ style menu, the starters of wood pigeon and goats cheese, stunning, but small in stature, complete with towers and drizzles. Not the kind of thing you’d expect in a country pub.

The fish itself was beautifully cooked, although a little greasy, the chips were nicely cooked and the peas had a good texture to them, with chunks of onion breaking up the green puree. The tartar sauce was fresh and zingy, with crunchy capers breaking through the herby dill.

My mother and I decided to share a dessert, chocolate delice with mandarin sorbet and honeycomb. It was simply delightful, rather like a posh jaffa cake!

Presented in a similar style to the starters, the delice was surrounded with a swirl of orange syrup which offset the deep brown chocolate of the dessert. Very rich and dense, the sharp tang of the orange cutting through the bitter pudding beautifully. The crisp, bubbly honeycomb brought some more textures to the table as we raised our spoons to fight for the last mouthful.

So, if you don't mind going a bit off the beaten track, this place is definately worth a visit. Get there early to avoid dissappoinment and do try some of their in-house real ale!