From Small Farm to 'The Victoria.' Flying Visit 2.

Flying Visits ‘The Big Smoke!’
Wednesday 25th April took us to The Victoria at West Temple Sheen London, hosted by The Victoria’s very own Paul Merret (frequent guest chef on Saturday Kitchen.)
After the success of the first Flying Visit, Mark Hayward and his team were ready for a more ambitious menu and at one of London’s top restaurants. Five of the country’s leading chefs collaborated to produce a five course menu featuring one special ingredient – Dingley Dell Pork.
The evening kicked off with pink ‘piggy fizz’ and pork themed canapés consisting of Black Pudding Sausage Rolls, Crispy Manzanilla, Olives in Pork Meat and Smoked Ham Hock Croquettes. An entertaining introduction to the wine supporting each course by Steve Daniels (Hallgarten Druitt and Novum Wines) and a fantastic butchery demonstration from John Kent of Direct Meats. Lastly a brief talk on animal welfare supported by the RCPCA’s Freedom Food scheme and a farm-tour film of the beautiful Deben Valley of Suffolk – home to Dingley Dell Pork.. The guests were also treated to a live video cam link to the kitchen where all the chefs were busy preparing…
From tour on the screens to the restaurant.
Our five chefs, Paul Foster, Mark Poynton, Ross Pike, Madelene Bonvini-Asian and William Curley all joined The Victoria’s, Paul Merrit for a night of ‘inspirational cookery.’
The first course, cooked by Chef Paul Foster of Tuddenham Mill, Suffolk, was pig’s trotter carpaccio, charred broccoli, smoked garlic, peanut and burnt onion.
Chef Patron of Alimentum, Cambridge, Mark Poynton, cooked the second course of pork rillette, braised jowl, acorn praline, pineapple and chickweed.
Crispy pig’s head, ham hock Scotch egg, salsify, cauliflower & shallot piccalilli and nasturtium leaves was cooked by Madelene Bonvini-Hamel and Ross Pike of The British Larder, Suffolk.
The fourth course was cooked by Paul Merrett himself. Asian Dingley Dell pork, 12 hour belly vindaloo with coconut sambal, jungle style cheeks with soured mango noodles and dim suo with blood orange and fennel.
Lastly, William Curley, Pattissier Chocolatier, in Richmond, conjured up the finale, Amedei dark chocolate entremets centred with smoked bacon caramel and served with apricot compote and lemon thyme ice-cream.

It really was another extraordinary evening.

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