The Mucky Badger

My radio alarm clock woke me this morning to an interesting article about one of the worlds rarest plants.

The Middlemist’s Red is currently in bloom at Chiswick House hot house and is one of only two in the world. Curious, I took a look at the plant on the website.

BBC

Guardian

And I thought to myself “Hang on! That looks like the one we have at Gnomepants Manor”

The one we have is not in bloom yet as it is growing out doors. But here are a few pictures I took last year.

I’m probably very wrong and the camellia I have is probably some common variety…but still…

Location & Photo

Marton Road
Long Itchington,
Southam,
Warwickshire CV47
01926 633 233

Review

When you’re driving through the lovely Warwickshire countryside, possibly the last thing you expect to see is a Chinese restaurant. Unless, of course, you’re looking for that particular place.

The Water Margin has been a long time favourite of both my companion and mine. We spent New Year’s eve there in 2009 and whenever stuck on making a decision about what we’re to eat of an evening, the Water Margin is often our first choice.

Their menu is extensive and reasonably priced; the decor simple and clean. The staff always pleasant; The food? Well the food is more than delicious.

Having failed to have our Chinese food desire fulfilled at the Emperor’s restaurant (see previous review) we decided that the following night we would go to the Water Margin and compare.

Price wise, for about the same as we’d spent in the Emperor’s, we managed to get a substantial feast to share. The Water Margin’s set banquets do have a wide variation but when catering for two people the selections on the set meals are a little uninspiring. Don’t get me wrong though, they are delicious but my critical mind looks for a little bit more in the way of options. Indeed, had we been a group of three or four then the set meals for larger parties do come with much more choice. I guess the trick is to bring your chums to this one.

Anyway, we opted for:

• Prawn toast (6)
• Salt and pepper spare ribs – deliciously succulent and large, most of the Chinese restaurants I have been to in Warwickshire tend to have those tiny little riblets that consist mostly of gristle.
• Salt and Pepper Chicken wings in Honey – Again, another winner for both of us
• Chicken in Peking Sauce – A sweet and tangy sauce with fair sized chicken pieces
• Pork in Black Bean Sauce – A fantastic salty feast
• Yueng Chow Fried Rice – Much more than the mouthful  at the Emperor’s

The whole selection came to just under £35 which was a similar price to that paid at the Emperor’s but this time we left feeling full. In fact, I could not finish and my companion Zoe, had to finish what was left over despite my appeal for a doggy bag.

The staff were thoughtful and pleasant; the surroundings, again pleasant; the food first rate. Now if the Emperor’s portions were this size I’d have been pleased but when you find smaller relatively off the beaten track restaurants that do comparatively excellent food but with much more portion wise, you wonder why you left the more expensive place feeling hungry.

Conclusion

If you are in the Leamington Spa area I can thoroughly recommend the Water Margin to fulfil your Chinese food fix. If you’re feeling daring why not nip in on a Sunday afternoon when you can have an all you can eat buffet or just pop in on an evening. They also do take away but as the Warwickshire base is a bit far out our take away meal would be cold by the time we’d got it home. Besides, its such an ace place, you’ll definitely want to go back with your chums.

Score – 87% – A Forbidden Palace of a restaurant worthy of a title such as Emperor. Well worth the visit.

Location and Photos

Bath Place,
Leamington Spa.
Warwickshire.
CV31 3BP.
Tel: 01926 313030 

Review

Tucked away in a quiet unsuspecting part of Leamington Spa I’d not been to before, hides the Emperor’s Restaurant. I’m a big fan of Chinese food and I rarely find a menu without something I like.

As with all international cuisine restaurants, I try to go for the specials or for a dish I’ve not seen before as I believe that is the best way to see the incumbent chef’s talents. Often this works out well and I leave impressed other times I leave thinking “And that was supposed to be special?”

My companion and I decided to take a break from our usual Chinese of choice and venture to unknown territory after reading some rave reviews of the Emperor on Google. We eventually found it and were pleased to also discover another pay and display car park near by that we had no idea about.

On entering, the first thing that we noticed was how well decorated it was. Subdued lighting, a small bar area and a friendly greeting welcomed us. We hadn’t booked as often we decide to go for something to eat on the spur of the moment and, as it was early, we thought we would be likely to get a table. We were ok for a table except we were asked to make sure we had finished by 8.30pm. This was fine as 2 hours dining was more than ample.

We were shown to some seats. At first I thought “Oh no! They really are expecting a coach load” as we seemed to have been seated at a precarious round table with not much elbow room. But we were given a basket of prawn crackers to munch while we perused the menu.

The menu was extensive and slightly expensive too. However we carried on hoping that the prices reflected the good reviews and the plethora of awards adorning the the wall. We opted for a mixed starter, two main courses and some yung chow fried rice. I can’t recall if this was one of the set menus or not but that is what we got.

Before long we were shown into the equally beautifully decorated main part of the restaurant and seated at a proper table. Our first course arrived and was quickly munched. As with most Chinese restaurants I’ve been to in Warwickshire they are a bit stingey on the dipping sauce but I’ve had enough practice at rationing what we get so was able to stretch it further.

The mains arrived. Considering the price of the meals the portions were a bit on the measly side. I’m sorry but Nouvelle Cuisine went the way of the dodo in the mid nineties. None the less, the meals were delicious and we had room for desert, mine consisted of banoffee pie while my companion went for the lemon sorbet.

Conclusion

A delightful little place and a hidden gem in Leamington Spa. In all the meal was delicious but the small portions let the place down. If you’re going to charge upwards of £16 per person you’ve got to provide more than just a light snack. I’m sorry to be so harsh. The staff were wonderful, the surroundings immaculate but all this is nothing if the portions leave me wanting more.

Scoring 68% – Bigger portions please! Even the Plough at Eathorpe does more for less.

For this you will need

750g of stewing beef
2 Beef stock cubes
2 Onions
2 carrots
4 Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper to season
Mixed herbs
A bottle of Manns Brown ale or Guinness
A tin of chopped tomatoes
A good handful of mushrooms

Chop your onions, carrot and your garlic

Pop them into a flameproof casserole dish or large pan and sauté gently until onions soften

Gradually the bottom of your pan will turn brown. Don’t worry! This is all the excellent flavour which will go to making your gravy.

At this point remove the onion/carrot/garlic mix to a separate container and add your beef.

Brown your beef.

Pop the mix back into the pan/casserole and add the mixed herbs, the mushrooms and season well

Pour in your beer.

At this point I like to save a mouthful of the beer…just to make sure it hasn’t gone off.

Add your beef stock cubes and top up with a bit of water (not loads though or it will be too watery)

Bring to the boil.

If you are using a flame proof casserole transfer it to an oven set at 160°C.

If you are using a pan, transfer the contents to an ovenproof casserole or slow cooker. Put the ovenproof casserole in the oven at 160°C. Slow cooker? Well you wouldn’t want to put that in the oven so use your noggin and plug it in as per the instruction manual.

Leave to cook for at least 3 hours. The longer you leave it the more succulent the meat will be. Keep tasting every half hour or so to make sure the flavour is rich and flavoursome. Sometimes it doesn’t taste right to me so I like to put a few drops of either Hendersons Relish (if you can get it) or Worcestershire sauce

Serve with either mashed potato, chipped potatoes or boiled potatoes.

Enjoy!

I believe I have got to a point in my life were the scams supermarkets use against their unsuspecting loyal customers no longer surprise me.

As a treat I thought I would treat myself to a doughnut for lunch. Sadly as the majority of businesses serving lunches in my area are the usual chip butties, cheese and jacket potato merchants; I thought I would nip into my local Tesco.

I abhor supermarkets. I don’t like the power they hold over customers and suppliers and I certainly am not happy with their ethics. However since most of the local farmshops decided that they can actually charge what they like these days because the people that use farmshops tend to be able to not bat an eyelid at £4 for 4 sausages. In my capacity as a poor student I reluctantly part with my hard earned cash to Mr Tesco to fund his amazing golfing holidays.

So there I was, in Tesco, looking for doughnuts and I saw them. Individual doughnuts…55p.

Fifty Five pence.

Ok…that seems alright….except on the shelf underneath…bags of 5 custard filled doughnuts 65p (2 bags for £1). The bag got it.

It reminded me of the tinned tomato con I saw the other week. 4 packs of tinned choppped tomatoes in rich sauce – £3.95. Or individual ones 65p each. A fine example of the true cost of convenience.

While I’m on the matter…check your supermarket’s scales. Do you know where they are? When was the last time you weighed something in them?

I’ve not posted for almost a month. Not because I’ve given up. More because at the moment I am wrestling with the final year of my Honours degree in Television and Media at the University of Huddersfield.

So that’s kind of taking up the majority of my time for the next two months.

All this hard academic work has given me a craving. No, not for jam or sweets or beer. A craving for something a lot more substantial.

A plate of grilled meat.

Yes. A plate of grilled meat. Not just any plate of grilled meat. A mixed selection of grilled meat.

  A MIXED GRILL

The hunt for a good mixed grill is on. I’ve toured many a place over the past few years, dining here and there. Checking this menu and that menu. The constant being, observing the selection on offer at an establishment for their mixed grill.

Possibly the best mixed grill I’ve ever eaten has been at the New Wheatsheaf in Altofts near Wakefield. A massive plate of glorious grilled meat including: Steak, sausage, liver, kidney, lamb chops and gammon steak topped with a fried egg and served with onion rings, mushrooms and grilled tomatoes. Of course you get chips with that if you want AND a visit to the veg section at the carvery to boot. If that wasn’t enough to cause you to put on 10 inches, the meal comes with a side salad. Just so you feel like you’re having something healthy with all that meat. All for the bargain price of……wait for it……..£15.80

The only other pretender to the throne was at the Three Horseshoes in Brierley near Barnsley. However they have changed hands and chef since then and I have no idea if they still do the mixed grills.

Of course I vaguely remember The Plough at Eathorpe having a mixed grill on their evening menu too but as I was there for lunch and not in a mixed grill mood, I’m afraid I’ll just have to imagine.

So yes. Hard academic study wanting a meal to harden the arteries. As I’d say to my mum, if I was to have a mixed grill every evening then yes…be concerned. But the odd one now and then shouldn’t cause too much lasting damage.

Anyway. to me. A mixed grill should contain:

1. Sausage
2. Steak
3. Chops
4. Liver
5. Other meats
6. Onion rings

Bonus points will be given for black pudding, the size of the chips and how local the sausages are. (When I finally get round to finishing my academic work (which should be at the end of April, I’ll probably do a special week on sausages).

So come on. Tell me about your mixed grills. Are you an eatery owner? Do you do mixed grills? Would you like the Mucky Badger seal of approval? Well I have to know where it is first.

The hunt is on.

Location & Photos

The Plough at Eathorpe,
Fosse Way, (Just off the B4455), At Eathorpe,
Nr Leamington Spa, Warwickshire,
Tel: 01926 632557 – (Opening Hours Only)

Review

Most weekends I find myself driving down the Fosse Way to Leamington Spa. If you know Warwickshire at all you’ll appreciate the beautiful rolling English countryside which is but a 5 minute drive from the modern concrete metropolis that is Coventry. The area holds much adventure and excitement for me because I’m still fairly new to the area so finding good places to dine adds to that experience.

This weekend I passed the Plough, as I do every weekend, only this weekend something spoke to me. It said “You’ve been driving down this road for months now and you still haven’t tried that place. Now look! Lunches £4.95…what more could you want?”

I was hungry. But it was Friday night and lunch was a long time off. So I vowed that this was to be the weekend I was to dine at the Plough. I’m glad I convinced myself.

Of course, as with all my predetermined places to eat I started the test that evening. As this is the first review of a place to eat let me tell you about how I intend to mark the places as I write this one.

First off, the question is, does the establishment have a website with a menu? The Plough does (http://www.plough-at-eathorpe.co.uk/) . It’s well designed and it ticks the menu box, but as the site says, the dishes are locally sourced and subject to change without notice. This is fine in my book as that makes the visit just that little bit more exciting. The menu is just the right size but I do note that there is a high dependency on cheese in dishes. This does prove problematic for some diners (especially my companion who is allergic to all dairy). None the less, there was a dish that suited her needs and many more to suit mine. There is also an evening menu available too containing similar dishes to those served at lunch with a few extras thrown in to boot. My companion and I were able to make our decisions that evening and the anticipation for lunch the following day grew.

The Plough passed the second test too. On arrival to the near empty car park, we were concerned that the place might not actually be serving, I guess this is how places go out of business as some people are intimidated by empty restaurants as there are some who are intimidated by full restaurants. But that isn’t the point winner. No, the points go to the warm welcome we received from the very friendly bar staff. We were shown to our seat and presented with an already familiar menu. However, my previous nights selection was not present on the lunch menu of the day but that is fine too as I do appreciate that meals are subject to ingredient supply and also to other factors.

The third test also won points. The men’s toilet  was very clean. It wasn’t the dining room at the Savoy Hotel but it was sufficient. There was no bad odour nor was there anything to suggest that the loos were neglected. This is an important thing in my view as the kitchen staff may well use that same toilet themselves and a clean toilet…well to me it means that the chef isn’t necessarily pissing in the soup.

Fourthly the food itself. I opted for the Whitebait and the Cod. My companion went for the Whitebait and the Stew.

The Whitebait – I adore whitebait. Someplaces do too much, others do too little for a very high price, but at £1.95 the amount I got at the plough was spot on. They were a little bit too well battered which made me think that they were from a freezer bag and the tartar sauce was just right too but could have been a little bit cheekier with the introduction of garlic. The dish was accompanied by a salad and a slice of lemon. Another improvement I would have made would probably have been a small chunk of homemade bread, but that’s me.

The Cod – The cod was presented in the menu as being cooked in their own beer batter, served with chips and with peas. The fish itself was a good size considering. Now I know some of you will be screaming “OMG! Think of the cod stocks man!” but I wanted to see if the cod was cod and I’m always keen to try out batter. I wasn’t disappointed. While the cod might have actually been pollock (it didn’t have the flavour of cod and was a bit too flakey) I wasn’t going to hold that against them. The batter was crisp and firm and the chips a delight and half. The peas, Birds Eye finest, but again, I wasn’t going to be too critical on that level.

The Beef Stew – The beef stew is served with potatoes, carrots, parsnips and a huge dumpling. I am pleased I didn’t opt for the stew though as I am not a big fan of parsnips, again, it would have been good to mention the foul beasts in the description on the menu, but I wasn’t eating it so I can’t fault them. My companion noted that with a quarter of a plate left to go she was already starting to feel very full and uncomfortable. This is a good sign and she definitely enjoyed the meal too.

Conclusion

The Plough at Eathorpe is a traditional English pub restaurant affair. Indeed, it is more of a country restaurant than a pub and it’s location on the Fosse Way (B4455) means that it is reliant on reputation and passing trade. It certainly deserves recommendation and a very prominent reputation for excellent food and service. Comparatively, other local eateries in which I have dined, such as the White Lion in Radford Semele and the Red Lion in Hunningham it provides good service and food for much less. Indeed, while the Red Lion in Hunningham boasts a much wider selection of local fayre, the Plough seems to go that little bit further, perhaps because of the peacefulness of the surroundings (the Red Lion’s pneumatic tube order delivery system does get annoying after a while).

In all, an very pleasant dining experience scoring an 86% score.

CV33 9DQ

The Plough at Eathorpe is one of those rural pubs that you drive past thinking “I must go there one day”. I finally got the chance to try out their wares on Saturday for lunch. All their ingredients are as locally sourced as possible and therefore fresh and tasty. However I was surprised to see cod on the menu. In all the Plough offers excellent food in pleasant and peaceful surroundings for a very reasonable price.

Review to follow

Baking bread is so wholesome it is a kin to that nice tingle you get after having a good poo.

It’s also just as simple.

For this recipe you will need:

1lb 2oz Strong White Flour
1oz Butter
1oz sugar
A little bit of salt
1tsp fast acting yeast
10fl oz warm water
About 2 tbsp of cinnamon
Some raisins or sultanas

In a bowl mix the flour with the butter, cinnamon, raisins, salt, yeast and sugar.

Make a little well in the centre of the mix.

Add the water.

Slowly work the water into the flour using a knife or your hands.

When you’ve made a nice pliable dough flop it onto your worktop (not your laptop) and knead well by rolling into a sausage shape with the palm of your hand, folding it in and rolling again.

Shape into whatever shape you are intending to bake and cover with a damp tea towel. Place in a nice warm area for an hour or two. Until it’s doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated oven at 230°C for 30 mins.

Allow to cool before serving.

Nom.

So I thought I’d start this food odyssey by cooking one of my favourite dishes.

Based on secret KFC recipe, my flour seasoning is now at Mark VI. It is an experimental dish and is very low cost. All you need are the following:

Chicken breast (local if possible)
Flour
Your spice collection
Italian Mixed Herbs
Milk
Oil for deep frying

Pour some milk into a bowl. If you are allergic to milk you might try soya milk or even egg, but I don’t recommend egg as the texture goes a bit odd.

In another bowl add a good amount of flour, not loads but enough.

Then go to your cupboard and raid your spice rack. As I said, this is very experimental. I’ve found that the spices you need to always stick with are powdered garlic, garam masala and curry powder. You may also want to add some cumin, mace and chilli powder.

Next attack your herbs. I found copious amounts of Italian Mixed Herbs helped, but consider also plenty of marjoram and maybe some fenugreek leaves (methi).

Mix the herbs and spices well into the flour. Use your fingers to work them in. At this point you can also add some salt and pepper if you like. I did and it does add to the flavour.

At this point you will want to heat your oil in a suitable saucepan or in a deep fat fryer. You want the fat to get nice and hot but not too hot or the flour will burn. Make sure there are no children about who might mistake the chip pan for some smarties or any elderly people who might want to throw the hot fat about the place and also, don’t stand on a chair to do this. You might have an accident and people will mock you for being stupid.

While the oil is heating dip your breast (the chicken one) into the milk. Then dip the wet breast into the flour. Make sure the flour coats the breast well.

Repeat the dipping process. Into the milk. Then into the flour.

And again.

And again.

Right, that should be enough. Ensure your fat is at the right temperature and carefully lower your breast (again the chicken one) into the fat. Allow to cook for 4-6 minutes.

Take the cooked chicken breast out of the fat. Chuck it onto some paper to drain before serving on a plate with plenty of chipped potatoes. Indeed, if you cook the chips first, you can keep them warm in the oven, or vice versa, but I suggest you do the chips first as the chicken might go soggy in the oven.

And there you have it. Tasty deep fried chicken. Cheaper than KFC. And you could serve it in a box if you really wanted that authentic experience. Or let it go cold and give it to a passing motorist.

Brilliant