Stella Hartnett Holder and Co 14 April 2013

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Couture dresses of
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The unblushlng
beouly blogger
One woman's
all -too-public descent
into drug addiction
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iFlartnett Holder & Co
' Angela Hartnett's plush but unpretentious new venture wins
over ZoeWilliams before she's even set eyes on the food
I fell in love with the diningI room atLimeWood Hotel
I in ttre slightly ashamed way
that you might realise the
Beatles are your favourite
band - it is so obviously
plush, so plainly inviting, just
so unambiguously lovely. The
stools around a horseshoe
bar are orange leather and
the size of old-world cinema
seats, sat on elegantwooden
stems like giantpawns. On
the deepest brocade sofa are
cushions so comforting and
soft it's like lying on alurcher.
The look is r98os moneyedintellectual, the menu
timeless Harhett ltalian.
There's nothing scary on it probablythe biggest
challenge it poses to the timid
palate is oyster mayonnaise.
3.;
The niblets to startwith are
original, though - an egg cup
of balsamic vinegar as thick
andsympyasteacle, and
only a bit less sweet; four
chalky chunla of parmesan
with underlying squidge; an
egg cup of silvery anchovies;
another of pickled vegetables
(ez.5o each). Theywere all
simple and transportingly
good; itwas like stumbling
into a Venetian bar, but much
friendlier. I had duck hearts
with a duck egg (eg.so),
mainly so I could pass on my
second favourite bird-gender
fact: you can't eat the drake's
lime Wood Holel, Bequlieu Rood,
Lyndhurst, Hompshire (023 @28 71 67)
Three courses:135
Food:
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heart, onlythe duck's. The
males are too bitter The egg
worked wonderft:lly against
the hearts, which were t}le
size ofwalnuts and the
consistenry of kidneys, and
had a wonderfirl flavour, the
meatiness of a kidney without
the uric topnote that puts
people off. There were baby
hrrnips round the edge, on
a tumip ptrr6e. Theywere
dainty, buttery and mellow,
and I forgot my implacable
prejudice against them. T had
lobster spaghetti (er+) with
chilli, parsley and tomato,
and it didn't look a million
1!
m
dollars - the pasta appeared
a bit stidq and solid, and it
wasn't obvious where the
lobsterwas. Of course, what
you couldn't tell bylooking
was thatttre balance of chilli
and everything else was so
perfect that the whole world
appeared momentarily in
harmony. In an understated
way it was a bit spectacular.
T carried on with a glorious
rose-veal chop with a
pannesan crust (ezO) on top
of it, like a hat You don't
realise what a boon a crunchy
hat is to an inch-thick chop
until you're eatingit; thenyou
think every chop deserves
one. Amazingpannesan,
again, and a chargrilled
artichoke on the side, the
simplest and most stylish
!
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Drink
What to quaffwith quinoa?
Susy Athins has a few suggestions
for this week's recipes..
accessory. I had pigt cheek
(er6) with a braised-celeriac
base and baby leeks, which
packed a chargrilled punch.
The cheeks had that moreish,
savoury, with acrisp and
braised ham, but a much less
salty, subtler fl avour. The
table fu miture is profoundly
attractive, bytheway,
coppery dishes hol.ling
professional chocolate pastry.
T had banana parfait wittr
chocolate sauce (ez); the
consistencywas a bit
confusing- there was nothing
to getyour teeth into, and it
all danced onthe borderof
solid and liquid - but the taste
was clear and powerfirl.
This is event-eating; the
environs, the eryansive,
eryensive c-uts of meat, the
Italian languor... It would all
conspire to makeyou feel
self-indulgent on an average
Ti.resday, but acremely special
on a special occasion. O
o
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attractive but unprettifi ed
food. I have a weakness for
deep-fried courgette (eg.zs),
but they didn't really work
against*ris rich and meaty
table; we should have had
something sprucer and more
salady.
Nottoworry.
There's so much going on
in
the pud deparmrentthatl had
the impression you could
erain ingredients, however fashionable and tasty,
just don't boss you around when it comes to a wine
match; theyleave thatto the otheringredienB on
the plate. Rice, couscous, pasta, potatoes - they tend to form
the background on to wtrich brighte4 stronger flavours are
splashed. So it is with quinoa Diana Henry's right about its
subtle nuttiness and distinctive texnrre (page 58), but the
wine has to go withthe more powerfirlingredients in her
wonderful dishes this week
For the quinoa salad with roast
chocolate and hazelnut tart
(e7), simFle but exceptionat
rich and appealing$ sweet-
flakingtocure of along-
gleaning dramatically
i
withinreason, havehad
anything you wanted. I had
DUAL DELIGHTS
Willioms & Brown Topos
48 Harbour Stret, Whitstable, Kent
(O1 227 273373) lfs almost a decade
since two friends opened this busy Spanish
bar nearthe seaside. Today diners are still
encouraged to share tapas (baked chorizo
perhaps,9725, and manchego with
membrillo, S5.95) over a sherry or two
d
r ..
llpplg llp
tomatoesandchorizgthere's
"... limejuiceandcrirmefratche
N
Pl N K OF PE R FECTIO
1.. to take on. Up to the
As we srrving into ros6 seasaa,
the exuberantblast
be sure lo picktfie youngest
::
pinkwinesyoucanfind- i
(zotzorz6l1 vintages),and i
drink them within two days of
j
::il:P.-1:::::Y.P"
its fresh aroma and fruity
...
taskis
of
cilusandgooseberry
ttratisNewZealand
sauvignon blanc. I,ve had
.; alotolsuccessmatching
saw blanc to zingily
flavour, so use up slightly
-lfZ
flavoured,
sometimes
lettovers in cooking, p€rLaps
for poacfiing salmon steaks,
spicy, even creamy dishes
or in a sauce for prawns
lately and I am convinced that
tired ';
.;
...'
....."
this is
a
a
food wine, rather than
qu:fhng, or ap6ritif, white.
The quinoa with mango, chicken and an Indian dressing
needs something a little lightea with a fresh herbaceousness
to marrywith mint and watercress and firm acidityfor the
tangy mango. Italian rvhites, especially very slightly off-dry
examples, hit the mark; gavi, vemaccia and premium
soave are best As for the quinoa pilafr, let's bring on Aesh,
spring-like red. A good beaujolais (Beaujolais-Villages or
one of the 'crus' such as Brouilly or Moulin ir Vent, please)
is lowin tannin, won't clash with the yogurt, and has
a stawberry tang for the red pepper. And, best of all, it
goes with that nutty bite of the quino4 too.
Jem&l
lcSchool Lane, Didsbury Manchester
(o161 445 3996) Choosing lots of
small plates (94.25 each) is the way to
go at Jem O'Sullivan's smart bistro, where
there's a Mediterranean flavour to the
menu. Try courgette fritters drizled
with honey, and king-prawn croquettes
with tanagon crdme fraiche
Jon & Fernondo's
TRY THESE
l, ltaly (Tesco, €6.99)
Not as bone-dry as some ltalian whites, this tastes
of ripe pears, with a herby note and lemon-fresh
finish. Manies nicely with the minl watercress and
mango in the chicken quinoa dish
Flnesl Soove Closslco 201
Glesen Souvlgnon Blqnc 2012
Marlborough, New Zealand (Maiestic,
34 High Street, Auchterarder, Perthshire
69.99 orf,6.99 when you buy tvvo until 29 Apri)
(O1764 662442)While Jon adds a port
and rosemary jus to his signature sevenhour-roasted lamb shank (a staple on
the classic British menu), his wife Femanda
makes everyone feel at home in their
relaxing, romantic dining-room (929.95
for three courses)
A more subtle Madborough sauvignon than
some, this still has plenty of lime and passion
fruit and a grassy hint Delicious wiih cooked
tomaloes and citrus dressings
Henry Fessy Etouilly 201l, Beaujolais, France
UVailrose, €10.99) Aline example from the largest ol
the beaujolais crus, tasting ol fresh redcurrants and
wild strawbenies. Ripe by beaujolais standards,
it is still light enough for Diana's pilaff
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