Review: Roast, Borough Market

Touch the roast side

Roast in Borough Market had been on the “to eat at” list for several years, but one thing or the other had made it unfeasible.  My first thought when we entered the hall was relief.  We were finally going to have some respite from the madness of Borough Market.  I had been in a surly mood as we meandered through the tourists. I almost expected to look over at the river and spy a cruise ship forcing its way up the Thames.  Lawrence Keogh’s Roast was the lunchtime sanctuary we required. 

We got off to a rocky start when we were shown to our seats and we requested a view overlooking the market by the window instead.  The Maître d’ seemed unable to comprehend and I pointed to the four vacant tables.  She explained that those tables were reserved for groups of four.  I pointed out there was a table laid for two. Her reply was that it was reserved for “guests”.  Incredulous and slightly appalled we took our seats, resolving to not let the first impressions destroy the rest of the meal.

It is undeniable that the elegant Roast dining hall is impressive with its high ceilings, oversized windows, white washed walls and classic auburn wood tones.  Never mind the views across bustling Borough Market.  As it was a glorious day, sunlight bounced off the opaque walls adding to the conservatory feel of the room.

The service at the beginning of the meal was very attentive, perhaps a little over done. Our cocktails were slow to arrive and yet our waiter approached us several times to ask us if we were ready to order.  This was despite us stating we were waiting for our aperitifs. The service throughout the meal never really synched with our leisurely lunch tempo, except at the end when it dropped off altogether.

For starters, I chose the game and juniper scotch eggs (£8.00) and Keith picked the Dorset Crab with Berkswell Cheese (£14.00).  My egg had a thick, coarse meaty layer followed by a golden crisp outer shell. They were tremendously good.  The accompanying chutney was too Branston pickle and sweet. I ended up leaving most of it.  

Keith’s Dorset crab had a creamy texture. The natural sweetness of the crab was still very much present.  It was well seasoned and the cheese accompanied the crab rather than overwhelmed it.

For the main I chose the slow-braised pig’s cheeks with parsnip mash and butcher’s sauce (£19.50) and Keith selected the buttermilk fried rabbit with Worcestershire apple salad and devilled sauce (£22.00). My pig’s cheeks were tender and soft.  They were a joy to eat and the serving was a decent portion.  The sauce was average, nothing to speak about at length.  Unfortunately, the parsnip puree was impressive visually, but that’s where it ended. It was quite dense and textureless.  I opted instead to eat our side orders; grilled field mushrooms with garlic butter (£5.50) and Roast potatoes in Britannia beef dripping (£4.50).  We sent both back to the kitchen.  First the mushroom were stone cold. When they came back piping hot with the garlic butter they were amazing. The roast potatoes were both uncooked and solid.  Immensely disappointing and I’m very unforgiving when it comes to wronged potatoes of any cooked variety. When they returned from what we assumed was the abyss of a deep fat fryer, they were super. Crisp.  Golden.   Fluffy.  Everything you expect in a roast potato.

 Keith’s rabbit deserves a drum roll, because it has been a long time since I have walked away from a meal thinking, “I can’t get you out of my mind”. The rabbit was succulent and had a full flavour. The buttermilk batter was light and crispy.  Plus there was plenty of it, but I still strangely sensed some resistance from Keith to share (ignore our vows why don’t you Keith).

The generous portions for mains (and none of the tasters we had in Borough Market) meant that we were bursting at the seams by the end of the meal.  For the sake of the blog we forced ourselves to eat a rather delicious Apple, blackberry and almond crumble with a dollop of ice cream.  We enjoyed the sharpness of the stewed autumnal fruit, coupled with the buttery, crunchy almond topping.  Lovely.

Roast was good but not without its fault.  The meal cost circa £120 and that was with a Top Table deal (£40 voucher which we paid £20 for), so yes it is quite expensive.  The service was patchier than a quilt cover. By the end of the meal I had imagined that our waiter had been sucked into Borough Market through a kitchen vent and ingested by the tourists. He was nowhere to be seen. Our advice; rock up with a tupper ware, put a foreign accent on and ask for two helpings of the rabbit.  The temporary embarrassment will be worth it. 

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Recipe: Hare Pie - in Honour of British Pie Week 2011

Hare today, gone tomorrow

It is British Pie Week 2011 folks (7th to 13th March) and we decided to commemorate this event by baking a succulent hare pie cooked with garlic, bouquet garni, bacon lardons, onion and a glass of brandy.

Hare, like most game, can be a tricky to cook well, as wild animals are less sedentary than farm livestock and therefore carry more muscle. For this reason, the tenderising process is of the utmost importance to prevent the meat from becoming tough and chewy.

Of course, you can obviously buy pre-made pastry in the shops if you are short on time.

We served the hare pie with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Ingredients

For the filling

• 900g Hare meat, diced
• 150g Bacon lardons
• 2 medium onions
• 1 glass brandy
• 3 cloves garlic
• A bouquet garni of 2 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme and a sprig of rosemary
• 400ml boiling water
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and black pepper

For the pastry

• 200g butter, cut into 1cm cubes and stored in the freezer for a couple of hours before using
• 200g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp ice cold water
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Add some seasoning to the flour and coat the hare meat with the flour in a bowl.
2. Heat a pot to a medium to high heat, add the oil and then the meat and cook for two minutes until it has browned.
3. Add the lardons and cook for a further minute then remove from the heat.
4. Add the onions, garlic, bouquet garni, brandy and water.
5. Return the pot to the heat and bring to a gentle boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer and place a lid on the pot and leave for an hour.
6. Whilst it is simmering, tip the flour for the pastry onto a clean dry work surface and add the butter to it.
7. Using a fork, “cut in” the butter into the flour until it is mixed together and there are no pieces larger than a pea. Be careful not to touch dough with your hands as the key is keeping the butter cold.
8. Collect the flour and butter mixture together and form a well in the middle. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time and mix to form a dough.
9. Carefully bring it together with your hands into a ball and try not to knead it or hold it more than you need to. Wrap in cling film and place into the fridge for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the pie filling from the heat and use a colander to drain the excess liquid into a saucepan. Heat the liquid on a gentle simmer until it has reduced by half.
11. Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it to about 3/4cm thick. Line the bottom of an oven proof dish with the rolled pastry.
12. Cut the excess from the edge, collect together and leave to one side as this will form the top of the pie.
13. Add the meat mixture to the dish and pour over half of the reduced cooking liquid.
14. Roll the remainder of the pastry and place on top of the meat. Use a knife to cut a couple of slits for the steam to vent as it cooks in the oven. Crimp the edges to form a seal and brush over with the egg wash.
15. Place into a preheated oven at 200C/350F for 20 minutes until the crust is golden.

Wine Paring

St Hallett Gamekeeper's Reserve 2009 Barossa Valley, South Australia (£8.54 from Waitrose) The spicy nature of the Shiraz combined with the ripe fruitiness of the Grenache and Touriga grapes provide a perfect blend for the rich flavour of the hare.

I'll stop rabbiting on now and allow you to enjoy the pie!