Between the Years

hot buttered rum

December 31st, 2012

Once again my friend Sue hosted her annual festive lunch, between Christmas and New Year, for 16 people!

herring

We were greeted with a fantastic, warming, hot buttered rum (expertly made by Remy), containing rum, butter, spices and apple. This was followed by pickled herring on blinis with cream cheese

smoked salmon

and then more of the same with smoked salmon!

smoked duck and winter fattoush

Our starter was an outstanding smoked duck, from Richard Waller with a Winter Fattoush Salad, containing fried pita bread.

roast lamb

The main course was a tender, pink, roast leg of lamb, roast potatoes, red cabbage, peas and gravy. The pease are worth a special mention, containing pancetta, fried onions, wilted gem lettuce and chicken stock – Petits pois à la Française.

lemon tart

Pudding was a lovely sharp lemon tart – I was seriously impressed by the edge of the pastry, before I even got to the lemon.

sliced tart

I’m not big on desserts, but tarte au citron, crème brûlée and cheese cake get me every time.

tête de moine

The cheese course was something extra special – the Tête de Moine (Monk’s Head) had a special cutter/shaver,

girolle

called a girolle – it scrapes the cheese off, into beautiful little florets, looking somewhat like girolle mushrooms (chanterelles).

cheese board

…and there was more – Reblochon (pinch the cow’s udder again), Rosary Goats’ cheese and Colston Bassett Stilton,

cheese biscuits

with exceptional Scandinavian biscuits/crackers – somewhat like extra special Ryvita.

paper plane

Rick provided entertainments, with a polystyrene plane kit for everyone. We drank a considerable amount of Burgundy, Rioja, Jumilla and finally, coffee, tea and homemade Damson Gin.

Sue most definitely outdid herself!

I got home at about 19.30 and promptly fell asleep for two hours…