Monday, October 10, 2011

Scotch Eggs, Cheese and the Queen?

I have been told many times by my British friends,  that I need to try a Scotch Egg.  The thought of it made my stomach turn and I didn't even know what it was.  I was imagining  a raw egg covered in something...but I wasn't sure what.  I had the amazing opportunity/invite to dine at The Hinds Head Pub in Bray this past Saturday.  This isn't just any pub,...it was voted Pub of the Year in 2011 and its sister restaurant is the Michelin 3-star rated The Fat Duck.  The chef, Heston Blumenthal,  is known around the world for his slow cooking methods and, as a result,  AMAZING food!  THIS WAS WHERE I WAS HAVING MY SCOTCH EGG!!!


Scotch Eggs are hard boiled eggs (in this case, a quail's egg I think as it was quite small)  surrounded by ground sausage and finished with bread crumbs and then deep fried.   They can be served cold on salads or hot.  For all of my American peeps,  you can get them on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair!!!  Check it out! 


I can now make it official...I'm a HUGE fan!  I'm going to have to learn to make these (fairly easy I would imagine) as I don't think anywhere will top The Hinds Head!!!!

My fellow diners (our friends from up the road and The Tester/my boyfriend) also had beautiful starters.  Check them out! 


Above is the Soused Mackerel with Beetroot and Horseradish.  


The tester had the Ham Hock and Foie Gras Terrine with Piccalilli.  It was pretty fantastic and extremely rich!  

...ON TO THE MAIN COURSES!!!!!  


I had the Poached Cod (above) with Celeriac, Beetroot, Smoked Fennel and Brown Shrimp (which I learned are mini-me shrimp).  It was flaky, light and full of flavor...the perfect portion size!


My friend had the Free-range Pork Belly with Pearl Barley and Wheat Beer.  I didn't try this one but she said the Lentils were AMAZING.


This is the "BEFORE" of the Oxtail and Kidney Pudding.  I tried it and it was SO RICH...I didn't think I could handle more than a few bites.  My friend, on the other hand........


Yeah, THIS is the "after" photo.  It was his birthday...I say "GO FOR IT!"

I'm full just writing about it!  I do have enough room for dessert though!!


The men had the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Orange Mamalade Ice Cream (above) while the women enjoyed the CHEESE PLATE SELECTION (My favorite no matter where I am!!!)


We got to enjoy some fine British Cheeses along with some oatcakes,  fruit bread and fig chutney.  My favorite was the stilton cheese spread on an oatcake with fig.  The perfect salty/stinky cheese/sweet combination!  You can get fig spread at most grocery stores.  I highly recommend blending it with stilton.  


I could eat only cheese for the rest of my life and be completely happy!  The lunch at The Hinds Head was such a beautiful meal that I will remember for a long time.  I hope you enjoyed the photos.  If you know of other amazing spots in England...let me know about them!

ONE MORE THING on The Hinds Head!!!  If you know my blog at all,  you know I am obsessed with coffee cups and (strangely) bathrooms.  Check out the beautiful photos of a young Queen Elizabeth that were on display in the bathroom at The Hinds Head!  


This one I have seen a few times before and it never gets old.  She was a stunning young queen.


This one I haven't seen.  My friend pointed out (and I also think it's fantastic) the beautiful brooch/corsage.  This makes me look forward to more postings on the blog about what Kate is wearing!!  She is the new generation and I love that this blog follows her every wardrobe success, failure and malfunction!!!

That's all for now...Have a great week everyone!



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