Before I talk about tonight’s event I’d like to clarify something from my previous post on the Putney Pop-Up. I mentioned not being sure about where the money for the alcohol went – Rebecca confirmed tonight that all money made in excess of costs, including that on wine, will go direct to the charity. I also noted that the information on the raffle had been updated:

So, on to tonight’s event: the master of seafood Rick Stein ably supported by Sam’s Brasserie and Harrison’s. Yonks ago I was in Padstow and miss out on being able to dine at The Seafood Restaurant. I was quite bummed but am hoping to be able to visit soon in the future. I was very much looking forward to tonight’s experience and I must say that I wasn’t disappointed.

We had a slight hiccup to start with when we were first seated as no waiter/waitress came to serve us for quite some time and we had to actually ask for the menu where other tables seemed to get it as they sat down. We didn’t really mind but felt it was a strange blip in the service. However, the waitress who was taking care of us for the night was actually pretty good at other things like topping up our water with being asked (always a good sign), being quite attentive and responsive, and also being friendly. Champagne was offered for the aperitif but I declined due to my allergy. Oh to be able to enjoy having a nice glass before/with dinner!

The menu tonight surprisingly did not contain any options. I think this was kind of a good way to do an event like tonight because it allows the chef, who knows best, to present a menu with dishes which are well balanced and complimentary. On the other hand the kitchen was also flexible enough to provide alternatives such as for one of the diners tonight who apparently had a shellfish allergy.

Pleasingly the dishes served tonight are exactly the kind of thing that is cooked at The Seafood Restaurant. In fact, it was almost like being in Padstow at his restaurant with ingredients as fresh as those that he would normally use – apparently the seafood arrived at 3am this morning! A perfectionist!

The Roast Langoustine with Pernod and Olive Oil Dressing was first off:

Can I say it was divine! Even without the dressing (which I wanted to take home and bottle it was so good) the langoustine had this lovely barbecue almost smoky flavour to it. It was cooked perfectly. The only downer was that I didn’t know how to tackle the claws! We were given little bowls of warmed water with slices of lemon which seemed to indicate we’d need to use our fingers at some stage but I couldn’t break the claws open. What a nong I am – I must learn how to eat langoustine!

Fish and Shellfish Soup, Rouille and Parmesan was next up. A very simple looking dish this one. I quite liked the touch of being able to blend in the rouille (or the harissa) to add heat to the soup. I thought the soup itself might have some chunky bits in it but the texture was provided by the cute croutons which were well toasted.

My photo doesn’t really do justice to Brill in the next dish (Braised Fillet of Brill with Truffle, Slivers of Potato, Mushrooms and Truffle Oil) but it was definitely there. Quite a decent portion I felt. I don’t think I’ve had brill before but if tonight’s dish was any indication of how it normally tastes I will be sure to look out for it. Its not at all fishy tasting but somehow meaty and sweet at the same time. The dish was an example of how not to overpower fish.

Finally for dessert a perfectly baked Hot Chocolate Fondant:

Tonight was a little less theatrical than our experience with Phil Howard last Thursday but I think it’s merely a reflection of the two men’s style. No less enjoyable that’s for sure and another wonderful night in aid of charity. Oh and this time around our coats were waiting for us as we left! Heh heh!

If you want to have a lovely evening out and want to make a contribution to charity while your at it check out the Putney pop up site for availability. Looks like you can still make it to Helena Puolakka of Skylon on Thursday and Patrick Williams (Patrick’s Kitchen) and Toby Leigh (Age & Sons) next Monday.