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Edited November 15, 2024 by KEVINAA

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Yes, there’s a taramasalata shortage but it’s not a Greek tragedy

You’re better off without the pink supermarket slop, says Hannah Evans. Plus: the Greek-Cypriot chef Theo Michaels has top tips on how to make your own

 

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/taramasalata-shortage-recipe-ingredients-how-to-make-xrbc70hh5

Middle-class domestic goddesses have been having a tough time of late. To add to the continuing oil crisis — where bottles of extra virgin olive oil have been chained to shelves to prevent desperate foodies from pinching them — and the ordeal of having to queue for hours for cut-price casserole dishes in the recent Great Le Creuset Sale, there was more bad news yesterday. Take your apron off — you might want to sit down for this: Britain is running out of taramasalata.

For weeks shoppers have been struggling to find tubs of the fish roe-based Greek dip in M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. “There has been no taramasalata at any supermarket for over two weeks now. What’s going on? No fish left?! #taramgate,” one hysterical user of X posted this week.

The shortage, it transpired, is the result of industrial action over workers’ pay at Bakkavor, the leading dip manufacturer in the UK. Unionists at the plant in Spalding, Lincolnshire, have laid down their tools, forcing us to put down our crudités.

• Despair for middle-class diners as taramasalata supplies dip

In many ways it’s a nightmare for dinner party hosts. Taramasalata is part of the holy trinity of dips, along with hummus and tzatziki, served alongside a bed of warm, fluffy pitta. “What the Greek gods give, the Greek gods take away,” lots of you may be thinking. What nibbles are you supposed to serve guests now … cottage cheese?!

Others will see this as a bit of a blessing. Every good cook knows that the putrid pink sauce you buy in the supermarket is nothing like authentic taramasalata. It looks more like Angel Delight than the dip you’d be served by a yiayia in a taverna and tastes far too fishy. And if you’ve swiped a carrot stick through the homemade dip at one of London’s hot new Greek restaurants, Oma in Borough Market or the glitzy Bottarga in Chelsea, you will know that too. So the answer for food purists will simply be: make your own.

“Real taramasalata is not pink,” explains Theo Michaels, the Greek-Cypriot chef and author. “Shocking as it is that the ubiquitous dip is in short supply, I hope aspiring home cooks take a moment to attempt their own creations, which is easier than you think.”

 

Traditionally taramasalata is a frugal dip made with just fish roe (called tarama), usually from cod or mullet. “The hue of this can vary from beige to mild pink,” Michaels says. “The really pink tubs sold in shops are manipulated with colouring from beetroot extract. If this is one of the ingredients on the back of the packet, you know it’s been artificially coloured.”

The other core ingredients are oil, lemon and bread, mixed using a pestle and mortar. Lots of recipes will call for sunflower oil, but Michaels says most Greeks use a mild olive oil, with a splash of extra virgin for a little extra heat and flavour. There is some talk about whether or not you should use mashed potato or stale bread to add texture to the dip. The same goes for whether or not to include onion, which Michaels is a fan of adding.

• What is the best supermarket taramasalata? Six brands, ranked

The main problem with this superior attitude is where on earth do you get your cod roe from? You can buy ghastly tins of it, but if you want to make nice taramasalata then you need top-quality tarama, which costs about a tenner from an online fishmonger — that’s nearly the same price as ten pots of the premade stuff.

I’d like to then point you in the direction of the Great Taste Award-winning taramasalata from the Greek heritage brand Odysea. Sales of this dip — available in Sainsbury’s and, crucially, not manufactured by Bakkavor — have soared since the shortage. It’s pale, has a good, dense texture and it’s not an off-putting pink colour. I gave it five stars in a recent blind taste test. “We’re delighted that more people will be trying an authentic version of a beloved dip, which is still made to my mother’s recipe,” says Panos Manuelides, who founded Odysea in 1991.

But now the secret is out, the risk is that taramasalata superfans will go around stockpiling the remaining supply. Which brings us back to the start of our issue up in Lincolnshire. Maybe Bakkavor should just pay its staff more and save everyone some trouble. Yamas!

Taramasalata

Ingredients

• 70g two-day-old sourdough, crusts removed and cut into large cubes
• 160ml sunflower oil
• 150ml water
• 25g cod’s roe
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice, strained
• Grated zest of ¼ lemon
• ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Place the bread cubes in a bowl. Add the sunflower oil and set aside to soak for 10 min.

2. Transfer the bread and sunflower oil to a blender. Add the water, roe, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and salt. Blend until the mixture is smooth with a fine texture. Transfer to a bowl and leave in the fridge until cold. Serve with sourdough.

 

OPSO: A Modern Greek Cookbook by Nikos Roussos & Andreas Labridis (Ebury £35). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members

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The 50 best red wines for winter — including the £4.99 claret to buy

From bargain Bordeaux to a perfect pinot noir, our expert reveals the best in the supermarkets

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/best-red-wine-uk-supermarkets-drinking-winter-pjh3dz2xw

Great news for those with tight budgets (and whose isn’t?). There has never been a better time to fill your wine racks, especially as epic duty increases land next year. Yes, I still had to kiss a lot of frogs to find these delicious bargains (as I’ve said before, it’s worth remembering that just because a wine is cheap doesn’t mean it’s good value) but having worked my way through everything the high street has to offer, I can report it was easier to find the dozen plum bottles in the £6.50 and under category this winter than it has been for years.

It’s what you might call the German discounter effect: runaway wine sales at Lidl and Aldi have forced the rest of the supermarkets to shape up. Aldi’s juicy £4.99 claret is still the bargain that should be in everyone’s basket, but Tesco has given its budget range a serious boost in direct response. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer has followed suit by lowering prices on a third of its wine range, which is how its easy-drinking 2022 Paco Real Rioja Tempranillo weighs in at just £6.50.

Over at Waitrose, its Christmas present to the nation lands on December 4, when its ten for £10 (each) offer kicks off. Scoop up the 2020 Saint-Émilion Croix des Coteaux, down from £15.99, before everyone else does.

After a classic red for the big day? Sainsbury’s 2022 Taste the Difference Châteauneuf-du-Pape will be down to £19 from Wednesday, while Asda has pulled its socks up this year and its 2023 Extra Special Zinfandel, just £7.50, would also work beautifully with turkey and all the trimmings.

If you fancy something a little different, my personal pick is Majestic’s 2023 Lyrarakis Liatiko, an unusual Greek gem, £11.99 each for six bottles. If you are pushing the boat out, wine merchants still have the greatest quantities of great wines — Lea & Sandeman’s 2021 Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso, £25.25 until November 30, is one of my festive must-buys and The Wine Society’s 2022 Tablas Creek Red from California, £23, is a dream with stilton.

Finally, the post-prandial humdinger is Graham’s gorgeous 2018 Quinta dos Malvedos Port — £6 off at Booths from Wednesday. Mark your calendar!

 

From left: Pierre Jaurant, Merlot-Cabernet Bordeaux; Corte Alle Mura Chianti; J Boulard, Côtes du Rhône, Débat Royal; Vista Castelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

£6.50 and under

2021 Pierre Jaurant, Merlot-Cabernet Bordeaux, France, 13 per cent, Aldi, £4.99
Less than a fiver to spend on claret? Then this brilliant oak-chipped bargain from beleaguered Bordeaux is what you should buy. It’s a judicious blend of mostly plump, juicy merlot, with a 15 per cent dollop of backbone-building cabernet sauvignon, making for a bright, bay leaf-scented mouthful.

2022 Corte Alle Mura Chianti, Italy, 12.5 per cent, Lidl, £5.29
Lidl is slowly pulling its socks up with new monthly Wine Tour wines but sensibly hanging onto the better bottles from its Core range, including this surprisingly good chianti. What you get is oodles of ripe, savoury, softly spiced and violet-scented fruit, making it a great midweek, meaty pasta partner.

• White mulled wine tipped as this year’s quirky Christmas hit

2022 J Boulard, Côtes du Rhône, Débat Royal, France, 14 per cent, Morrisons, £5.45
Ridiculously cheap, unoaked, stainless steel-aged red rhône as good as you’ll get from this classic French region for under £6. Mostly grenache, with an improving dollop of 20 per cent syrah. It’s a jolly, easy-swigging, fat spiced red plum wallop.

2022 Vista Castelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy, 12.5 per cent, Tesco, £5.50
The perfect red party drop made from the Abruzzo coast’s montepulciano grape by mighty Citra, a group of nine different co-ops with some 3,000 members and surprisingly high standards. Tesco’s Italian buyer and I agree it’s the best vintage of this lovely, sweetly fruited, red berry gem since 2015.

From left: Andrew Peace Masterpeace Shiraz; The Whale Caller Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon; M&S Daniel’s Drift Fairtrade Merlot; Lidl Deluxe Argentinian Malbec

2023 Andrew Peace Masterpeace Shiraz, Australia, 13.5 per cent, Tesco, £5.75, down from £6.50 until December 2
Every winter wine rack needs a cockle-warming Aussie shiraz to keep the cold and wet at bay and this tasty, bargain-basement bottle from Victoria is a cut above the rest. What you get is warming, brambly, savoury fruit, with a pump of peppery spice. Steak and chips loves this.

2023 The Whale Caller Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa, 13.5 per cent, Waitrose, £5.99, down from £6.99, December 4-January 1
Easy-swigging, rich, fleshy, contemporary, sweetly fruited Western Cape red, with masses of chocolatey charm and an intriguing saline spark. It’s the sort of handy, big comfort food-friendly standby red everyone needs to buy in bulk when the price drops.

2023 Daniel’s Drift Fairtrade Merlot, South Africa, 11 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £6
Eagle-eyed readers will spot the lower-than-expected 11 per cent alcohol content of this drip irrigated Western Cape special made from 20 and 30-year-old vines. This Fairtrader’s light, leafy, yet still plummy merlot is just what alcohol-conscious red wine drinkers need to keep their intake down.

2023 Deluxe Argentinian Malbec, Uco Valley, 13.5 per cent, Lidl, £6.29
It’s worth plundering Lidl’s better Deluxe range (though it’s never easy to find) to pull out the odd plum including this tasty malbec from the high, cool Uco Valley, one of Argentina’s best spots for the grape. Given malbec is our most popular red by far, snap up this excellent earthy, blueberry joy right now.

From left: Castillo Montanez Reserva, Carineña; Lascar Classic Carmenere; Paco Real Rioja Tempranillo; Wine Atlas Bonarda

2020 Castillo Montanez Reserva, Carineña, Spain, 14 per cent, Asda, £6.50
With a year’s ageing in French and American oak casks, this 100 per cent tempranillo from the Carineña region gives you some of rioja’s oaky oomph but with a more sweetly fruited, beefy umami spin. It’s the perfect partner to a spicy stew or roasted red meats.

2023 Lascar Classic Carmenere, Chile, 12.5 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £6.50
Trust the good, old non-profit-making Wine Society to still field a few £6.50 wines. The Society’s members describe this robust, tangy, herby, mocha and green pepper-laced red, made from Chile’s flagship grape, carmenere, as “staggeringly good value for money”. Hear, hear!

2022 Paco Real Rioja Tempranillo, Spain, 13 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £6.50
Marks & Spencer has rerouted a fair few of its prices downwards, which is why this easy-drinking red rioja weighs in at such a low price. Bursting with unoaked easy-over, juicy, red plum jam charisma, plus a firm, ferrous, big food-friendly, grippy finish, it’s the perfect budget festive red.

2024 Wine Atlas Bonarda, Argentina, 13.5 per cent, Asda, £6.50
Asda relaunched its Wine Atlas range in the spring to tempt shoppers to scoop up something new at low, low prices. Time to tuck into this bright, raisiny, cassis-licked bonarda, made from the grape of the same name, it’s a jaunty Argentine alternative to malbec.

From left: Chassaux et Fils Cahors Malbec; Terras de Lisboa Tinto Red; Capeography Cape Red Blend; M&S Tierra y Hombre Pinot Noir

£8.50 and under

2022 Chassaux et Fils Cahors Malbec, France, 13 per cent, Aldi, £6.69
Love malbec but want to ring the changes? Time to dive into the grape’s original southwest France home, Cahors. With less heft than Argentina’s, there’s some juicy, dark-hearted fruit here, coupled with a fine herby finish. Just the ticket with winter’s comfort food.

2023 Terras de Lisboa Tinto Red, Portugal, 13.5 per cent, Co-op, £6.85
Lip-smacking, ripe, plummy, fruit-first unoaked red, a blend of aragonez, better known in Spain as tempranillo, and castelao. Budget drinkers need to put Portugal top of their list as its wines, just like this one, are ridiculously undervalued.

2023 Capeography Cape Red Blend, South Africa, 13.5 per cent, Morrisons, £7, down from £10 until December 1
Dashing Cape blend, based on the country’s very own pinotage grape, topped up with cinsault, grenache and carignan. With a hint of French oak what you get is a truly delicious, vibrant, cinnamon, and wood smoke-scented red that shows how far and how fast South Africa has come.

2023 Tierra y Hombre Pinot Noir, Chile, 13.5 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £7
Chile is still the world’s best source of cheap and cheerful pinot noir as anyone tasting this really rather good 2023 vintage, made from 21-year-old vines, will agree. Overflowing with ripe, fat, cassis and vanilla pod-licked, new-wave fruit, it’s aged in French oak for just six months.

From left: Asda Extra Special Zinfandel; M&S Found Marzemino; Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Gamay; Nero d’Avola, Isola della Fiamma; Ventoux Rémy Ferbras

2023 Extra Special Zinfandel, 14.5 per cent, California, Asda, £7.50, down from £8 until December 15
Lovers of big festive food will need big reds to match and this lovely Lodi zin, topped up with malbec and petit verdot, gets my thumbs-up. Bursting with lush loganberry and rich red cherry jam fruit, plus a dusting of oak chips, this one will even work with turkey and all the trimmings.

2023 Found Marzemino, Italy, 12 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £7.50
M&S’s multiple own-label wines are a muddle. Still, the Found range contains some cracking wines, including this 100 per cent marzemino from Veneto, with its moreish, unoaked and stainless steel-aged, bright, floral, sweet red berry fruit.

2023 Taste the Difference Gamay, France, 12.5 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £7.50, down from £9 until December 10
Not from Beaujolais, the gamay grape’s stronghold, but from Gaillac, further to the southwest. No matter, its tender, melt-in-the-mouth, bright morello cherry and raspberry fruit give you a lot of Beaujolais’ charm for a lot less money.

2023 Nero d’Avola, Isola della Fiamma, Sicily, 13 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £7.95
Get a lot more bang for your buck with a tasty Sicilian red picked in the early morning to avoid the sun, from high, cool vineyards above Marsala at the western end of the island. Crammed with rich, sweet, spiced, baked black plum fruit it’s an Italian star turn.

2022 Ventoux Rémy Ferbras, France, 14.5 per cent, Waitrose, £7.99, down from £9.99, December 4-January 1
Bouquets all round to Waitrose for yet another seductive vintage of Rémy Ferbras’s plump, velvety, cracked black pepper, woodsmoke and sage gem, a canny mix of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre and carignan. It’s the southern Rhône at its heady, scented, sub-£8 best.

From left: M&S Classics No 28 Cabernet Sauvignon; Domaine des Ormes Saumur Rouge; Bolgrad Ukrainian Saperavi; Tesco Finest Zinfandel

2023 Classics No 28 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, 14 per cent, Marks & Spencer, £8
Chile’s Maipo valley makes some impressive cabernet sauvignon, including this handsome 2023 finished off with oak chips and in French oak barrels. It’s a vibrant, crimson purple red crammed with bold, cassis, creosote and blackcurrant pastille pizzazz.

2017 Domaine des Ormes Saumur Rouge, Loire, 13.5 per cent, Co-op, £8, down from £10, November 27 – January 3
Gorgeous, ripe yet crunchy redcurrant and cranberry-fruited, herby cabernet franc from the sixth generation of the Champion family to run the Domaine des Ormes in the Loire. If you buy only one £8 red this winter, it’s got to be this starry saumur, the perfect buffet party red.

2023 Bolgrad Ukrainian Saperavi, 14 per cent, Lidl, £8.49
Saperavi is the flagship grape of Georgia and Ukraine and this unusual winter warmer has lashings of bold, spicy, sweetly savoury fruit. Its beefy, smoky style makes it a perfect match for hearty stews and roasted red meats.

2022 Finest Zinfandel, California, 14 per cent, Tesco, £8.50, down from £9.50, December 3-31
Big, bold and beautiful, lovers of plush, spicy, sweetly fruited reds will love this gutsy ’22 from Delicato and some of the oldest vines in Lodi, the fruit bowl of America. With loads of alcohol and fat, briary, blackberry and blueberry oomph, it’s a winner.

From left: Château Jouanin, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux; Austrian Red Zweigelt; Exceptional New Zealand Pinot Noir; Howard Park Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon; Breganze Pinot Noir

Under £12

2022 Château Jouanin, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, France, 14 per cent, Co-op, £8.85, down from £9.85
Hats off to Co-op’s canny buyers for this splendid Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux that has endlessly popped up here. Right bank Castillon, abutting on to St Émilion, is home to the outlying Côtes finest and smartest clarets, including this absolutely delicious rich, meaty, herby, cedary, charmer.

2022 Austrian Red Zweigelt, Niederosterreich, 13.5 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £9.50
If you have yet to taste zweigelt, Austria’s most widely planted red grape, make this winter the moment you do. The Society’s scrumptious, vibrant, forest floor-fruited zweigelt zing, from the Mantler family, copes effortlessly with festive treats from honey-baked ham to cold turkey leftovers.

2023 Exceptional New Zealand Pinot Noir, 13.5 per cent, Asda, £9.25, down from £11.25
Asda’s perky 2023 Kiwi pinot noir comes from the prime spot of North Canterbury and delivers palate-boggling, gamey, tobacco leaf class from partial French oak barrique barrel ageing.

2022 Howard Park Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia, 14 per cent, Booths, £12, down to £9.50 from Wednesday
Really wish I lived closer to a Booths where the wines are great and the prices keen. Any of you lucky enough to be tucking into this majestic Margaret River cabernet this winter, with layer after layer of rich, curranty, cassis and eucalyptus, will have a whale of a time.

• Crémant, the next best thing to champagne

2022 Breganze Pinot Noir, Veneto, Italy, 12 per cent, Majestic, £9.99 for six, £11.99 a bottle
Italy is a surprising source of tip-top pinot noir but Breganze’s Beato Bartolomeo co-operative in the cool Alpine north of Veneto has made a humdinger. No oak but a cold soak has turned this into a silky, subtle, yet refreshing floral, leafy, faintly cranberry joy.

From left: St Émilion, Croix des Côteaux; eaujolais-Quincié, Louis Jadot; Gaudou Exception Malbec; Warwick The First Lady Pinotage; Lyrarakis Liatiko

2020 St Émilion, Croix des Côteaux, France, 13.5 per cent, Waitrose, £15.99, down to £10 from December 4
Waitrose’s ten for a tenner Christmas present to the nation kicks off on December 4 and none of the wines will hang around. Rush to check out this right bank claret from a highly fancied appellation, with all the rich, rustic, meaty, coffee bean fruit any St Émilion fan could ask for.

2023 Beaujolais-Quincié, Louis Jadot, France, 13.5 per cent, Waitrose, £14.99, down to £10 from December 4
Sometimes, with punchy big food flavours, it’s better to serve an easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing red. This beaujolais certainly fits that bill, bursting with juicy, red and black berried fruit, with velvety tannins and tangy acidity.

2022 Gaudou Exception Malbec, France, 12.5 per cent, leaandsandeman.co.uk, £10.50, down from £11.50 until November 30
Gluggable Côtes du Lot red, made exclusively from the malbec grape but very different from its black wine of Cahors neighbour and Argentine malbec. Instead, it’s all soft, silky tannins with a wonderful floral perfume leading on to delicious black plum and black cherry flavours.

2023 Warwick The First Lady Pinotage, South Africa, 13.5 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £10.95
Surprisingly fruity pinotage, South Africa’s signature grape, a pinot noir and cinsault cross, that is tailor-made for big festive food. Brimming with masses of rich savoury, smoky bacon and sweet loganberry oomph, it’s a Christmas cracker.

2023 Lyrarakis Liatiko, Crete, Greece, 13.5 per cent, Majestic, £11.99 each for 6 bottles, or £13.99
Greek reds are having a moment and Crete’s in particular. I loved this unusual, light but lively, pale liatiko, an indigenous Cretan grape, grown in high, wild, limestone soil vineyards. What you get is waves of floral, basil perfume and a seductive savoury, herby, cherry palate.

From left: Asda Extra Special Rioja Gran Reserva; Chiroubles, Domaine de la Boisselière; Robert Oakley Signature Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon; Côtes du Roussillon, Les Sorcières

Under £30

2017 Extra Special Rioja Gran Reserva, Spain, 14 per cent, Asda, £12.50, down from £13.50
Temptingly low price for a tasty gran reserva, from a small, concentrated, frost-affected vintage. Given two years slumbering in small oak barriques and three in bottle, it’s a terrific cockle-warming fig, cinnamon and sandalwood spiced mouthful.

2023 Chiroubles, Domaine de la Boisselière, France, 14 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £12.95
This beaujolais, from the cooler, higher-altitude cru of Chiroubles, has a refreshingly juicy, sweet red fruit core. It’s the perfect superior, standby Christmas red that can cope with everything from baked ham to meaty fish like salmon or tuna.

2020 Robert Oakley Signature Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia, 14 per cent, Majestic, £12.99 each for 6, £14.99 a bottle
Make this majestic Margaret River cabernet, your go-to festive red. Overflowing with fantastic, bold, smoky, curranty, tobacco leaf fruit and partly aged in new oak barrels, it’s more than a match for festive treats such as spiced beef, game and turkey on the big day. Great value.

2023 Côtes du Roussillon, Les Sorcières, France, 13.5 per cent, yapp.co.uk, £17.95
Trust Yapp to sniff out this starry Clos des Fées, a dreamy Roussillon combo of young vine syrah, topped up with old vine grenache, carignan and mourvèdre. It’s a juicy, easy-to-quaff, black forest fruit-spiced Christmassy red, that will woo one and all.

From left: Château Sénéjac, Haut Médoc; Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Châteauneuf-du-Pape; Gigondas La Bastide Saint Vincent; La Réserve de Sociando Mallet

2021 Château Sénéjac, Haut Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 13.5 per cent, Co-op, £19.50, down to £16.50 from December 11 to Jan 3
Toffee-nosed drinkers shun the Co-op, a tragedy when you can hit the Haut-Médoc heights with this compelling old-school claret. Mostly cabernet sauvignon, topped up with merlot, plus cabernet franc and petit verdot, it’s a rich, chewy, new oak-laced, graphite and pipe tobacco gem.

2022 Taste the Difference Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, 14.5 per cent, Sainsbury’s, £19, down from £22 until December 10
A tasty one-size-fits-all festive red, as happy with a baron of beef or duck with orange sauce as it is with turkey. Bonpas’s warming cuddle of a French oak-aged, grenache-led, syrah and mourvèdre-enhanced 2022 is a smouldering, dried herb, game and spice-box wallop.

2022 Gigondas La Bastide Saint Vincent, France, 14.5 per cent, bbr.com, £19.95
Punching well above its weight, Laurent Daniel and his family’s gorgeous gigondas is as good as this southern Rhône appellation gets. With a heady scent of lavender and sage leading on to a soft, silky, spice-infused palate, it’s a revelation.

2016 La Réserve de Sociando Mallet, Bordeaux, France, 13.5 per cent, Tesco, £23, down from £28 December 3-31
Hats off to Tesco for launching 130 tasty new wines this winter, including this claret from leading Haut Médoc estate, Sociando Mallet. With a dusting of new oak, bold cedar spice and rich mulberry, it’s a cracker of a Christmas claret.

From left: Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Red; Le Volte dell’ Ornellaia; Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso; Berry Bros Bourgogne Rouge

2022 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Red, California, 13 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £23
California’s answer to Châteauneuf du Pape is this stunning Paso Robles, a blend of five grapes from ten vineyards. It’s syrah-led so what you get is a rich, hearty, spiced summer pudding sip that’s a whizz with game and strong cheeses.

2022 Le Volte dell’ Ornellaia, Tuscany, Italy, 13 per cent, Booths, £25
Excellent earthy, Bordeaux-inspired, super-Tuscan from the revered Bolgheri estate, Ornellaia. Le Volte is a similar rich, savoury, beefy yet red-fruited blend that gives you a little of the grand vin’s star dust for a fraction of its £200-a-pop price.

2021 Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy, 14.5 per cent, leaandsandeman.co.uk, £25.25, down from £27.95 until Nov 23
Another beautiful Bolgheri red, again mostly merlot, with a good dollop each of cabernets sauvignon and franc, plus a dash of syrah. With woodsmoke, savoury spice and black chocolate to the fore, plus wonderful depth and length, it’s a festive must-buy.

2022 Berry Bros Bourgogne Rouge, Côte d’Or Pinot Noir, France, 13 per cent, bbr.com, £26.50
Burgundy wine wizard Benjamin Leroux is the man behind this dreamy Chorey-lès-Beaune old-vine pinot noir blend. The 2022 vintage was tip-top and anyone tasting this gorgeous, gamey and richly fruited star will agree ‒ it’s all red plums, truffle and roses.

From left: Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat; Fletcher’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port; Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos Port

Fortified

Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat, Australia, 17.5 per cent, Waitrose, £14.49, half-bottle, Booths, £14.75
Scrumptious Christmas-in-a-glass sticky. A classic northeast Victorian fortified muscat, it’s an amber-gold, spiced fig, black raisin, nutty caramel-licked triumph and one of the few dessert wines that can cope with plum pudding and brandy butter.

Fletcher’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal, 20 per cent, Aldi, £13.99
Not every Aldi port is a winner but this one is a moreish mouthful of rich, smoky, moscatel raisin fruit, with an elegant, grilled almond finish. Have a glass of this with mince pies or Christmas cake and rejoice.

2018 Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos Port, Portugal, Booths, £31.75, down to £25.75 from Wednesday
Knock it out of the park this year with a brilliant single-quinta vintage port from one of the great houses at a knock-down price. Scented with seductive damask rose, cassis and Christmas spices, Malvedos’s latest vintage is a humdinger. Miss this and you’ll miss out.

All prices correct at time of going to press

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Celeriac, mushroom and chestnut puff pastry pie recipe

This cheesy pie is brown food at its best

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/celeriac-mushroom-and-chestnut-puff-pastry-pie-recipe-nwp2w8cs6

This is beige food at its best and is such an indulgent treat that not even committed carnivores will miss the meat.

Serves
4-6 people

Ingredients
10g dried porcini mushrooms (or mixed dried mushrooms)
A knob of butter
400g celeriac peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
40g unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, peeled and sliced
A big handful of sage leaves
200g chestnut or wild mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
40g plain flour
70ml aromatic white wine
300ml whole milk
2 tbsp crème fraîche
50g comte or cheddar, grated
40g soft blue cheese such as gorgonzola or stichelton
100g cooked chestnuts, quartered
320g all-butter puff pastry sheet, defrosted if frozen
1 egg, beaten

01 Soak the dried mushrooms in 250ml boiling water for 15 min. Meanwhile, heat a knob of butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a high heat. Fry the celeriac cubes with a pinch of salt for about 5 min until softened and coloured, then remove to a plate. Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving the stock, and chop.

02 Melt 40g butter in the same pan, until it’s browning and smells nutty. Then add the onion, sage, fresh mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and fry for 6-8 min, until the onion is softened and the mushrooms have given up their moisture. Add porcini and garlic and fry for a couple more minutes.

03 Mix in the flour to coat the onion and mushrooms. Add the wine, cooking off the raw alcohol, followed by the mushroom stock and milk. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened, about 5-6 min. Stir in the crème fraîche, then add the cheeses. Check the sauce for seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon if you think it needs some acid. Add the chestnuts and celeriac and stir to combine, then transfer the mix to a large pie dish with a pie bird, if you have one, and allow to cool.

04 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to just bigger than your pie dish and carefully drape it over the cooled mix, tucking and pressing it under the edges of the dish and trimming if needed. Crimp the edges with the back of a fork. Make a hole in the middle of the pastry with a sharp knife (or score around the pie bird, if using) to let out the steam. Brush the pastry all over with eggwash, then refrigerate for up to two days until you want to bake it.

05 Glaze once more with eggwash and bake at 170C (190C non-fan) for 30 min until puffed and golden. Serve with a bitter leaf salad and mashed or roast potatoes.

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Ross & Squibb is relaunching Remus Gatsby Reserve bourbon

You don't have to be a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald to enjoy this bourbon

https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/remus-gatsby-reserve/

Even if you’ve never read the iconic American novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you can still drink a memorable whiskey made in its honor. That’s because Lawrenceburg, Indiana-based Ross & Squibb Distillery is relaunching its popular Remus Gatsby Reserve.

Remus Gatsby Reserve 2024 Edition

The 2024 version of Remus Gatsby Reserve is made up of two different mash bills. The first is 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt, and the second is 36% rye, 4% barley malt. Matured for fifteen years, this 104.9 proof is known (according to the distillery) for its nose of leather and tobacco and a palate of cherry syrup, walnut, and oaky wood. The finish is lingering, warm, and loaded with flavors like walnut, fig, and roasted almonds.

 

“Our 2024 Gatsby Reserve is a rich and beautiful expression that contains some of our distillery’s finest 15-year-old reserves of straight bourbon whiskey,” Ross & Squibb Distillery Master Distiller Ian Stirsman said in a press release. “This year’s release is a testament to crafting exceptional bourbon and showcasing the best we have to offer.”

He added, “We’ve produced exceptional bourbon whiskey over the years at Ross & Squibb – and we worked to elevate our Gatsby Reserve even further to create a truly legendary pour that pays homage to the distilling craft and the spirit of the Roaring ’20s.”

Where can I buy it?

This is an ultra-limited edition expression. You can purchase it at select retailers for a suggested retail price of $229.99 for a 750ml bottle. Fans of the 1925 novel and fine bourbon will clamber to get their hands on a bottle of this nuanced bourbon.

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Just in time for the Holidays, The Dalmore is releasing two new limited edition whiskies

The Dalmore is launching the fourth release of its popular Select Edition Collection

https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/the-dalmore-select-edition-collection/

Few names are more renowned than The Dalmore in the pantheon of single malt whiskies. Well-known for its flagship expressions and limited-edition releases, the iconic distillery is announcing new limited-release single malt whiskies just in time for the Holidays.

The two limited-edition releases consist of the fourth release from the distillery’s popular Select Edition Collection.

The whiskies

The two new releases are The Dalmore Select Edition 2009 and The Dalmore Select Edition 2006. The first is a 48.9% ABV complex sipper known for its nose of Manuka honey, dark plum, cracked black pepper, and clove. The palate is a symphony of cherries, dates, candied Seville orange, fresh figs, and light cacao. The second release is a 47.2% ABV nuanced whisky with a nose of sherry-soaked raisins, figs, cedarwood, and honey. Sipping it reveals dark fruit, licorice, cacao, bergamot, and blood orange notes. Both are non-chill filtered.

 

“For 2024, we are pleased to present two whiskies which, at different ages, showcase nuances of The Dalmore’s signature notes – rich desserts. Select Edition 2009 is a decadent Dalmore which began its journey in American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels, where the sweet malt, soft fruit, and citrus flavor characteristics of The Dalmore were enhanced by the influences of sweet vanilla, creamy caramel, and gentle gingerbread,” Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker, at The Dalmore said in a press release.

“Select Edition 2006 has deep vanilla, sweet caramel, and honey notes, contributed by the ex-Bourbon barrels, interweave with the antique notes of these old and rare finishing casks.”

Where can I buy it?

Suppose you’re a fan of The Dalmore and interested in purchasing these limited-release expressions. In that case, The Dalmore 2009 Select Edition is available for the suggested retail price of $224.99, and The Dalmore 2006 Select Edition is available for the suggested retail price of $499.99. Both are available at select retailers in the US.

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Ellen DeGeneres leaving USA and is moving to UK England with partner Portia de Rossi

 

 

[KEVINAA 129]

This is the state of irrelevant past it female celebrities in 2024

 

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Stockholm nightlife

 

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I totally suggest and recommend that everyone here uses another email service and change their logins that use outlook.com or hotmail.com. Microsoft in the USA is going to have an investigation Into their practices in the workforce.

 

I use yahoo.com email

I use tuta mail [formerly tutanota] Germany version of protonmail.com

I use protonmail.com [Switzerland]

I use gmail.com

 

Edited November 28, 2024 by KEVINAA

[Vesper 30,226]

6 hours ago, KEVINAA said:

Microsoft in the USA is going to have an investigation Into their practices in the workforce.

The investigation is not about their email products from what I gather. It is of an antitrust nature.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ftc-opens-investigation-microsoft-practices-224527127.html

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is launching an investigation into Microsoft’s practices, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The report claims the FTC wants information on everything from the company’s cloud computing and software licensing businesses to its cybersecurity and artificial intelligence products.

People who spoke to Bloomberg anonymously said that FTC antitrust lawyers are supposed to meet with Microsoft competitors next week to learn more information about the Redmond-based business and its practices.

Bloomberg says Microsoft and the FTC declined to comment on the ordeal.

The tech giant is a top government contractor and provides billions of dollars in software and cloud services to US agencies.

You can read the full report here.

[KEVINAA 129]

@Vesper yes but Microsoft have had a lot of outages and their server's or issues with outlook email being down or Microsoft windows 10 + 11 are terrible. Microsoft windows purposely release windows updates that lag and slow Down people's computers do that they have to buy another one within 2 and a half years. Window xp / windows 7 was the only best computers from Microsoft but they are unreliable now.

Edited November 28, 2024 by KEVINAA

[Vesper 30,226]

2 minutes ago, KEVINAA said:

@Vesper yes but Microsoft have had a lot of outages and their server's or issues with outlook email being down or Microsoft windows 10 + 11 are terrible. Microsoft windows purposely release windows updates that lag and slow Down people's computers do that they have to buy another one within 2 and a half years. Window xp / windows 7 was the only best computers from Microsoft but they are unreliable now.

my point was that those performance issues have nothing to do with the antitrust investigation

[Vesper 30,226]

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Christmas feast: trout rillettes, leek nut-roast tatin, guanciale potatoes and pistachio bombe

An alternative festive spread: a starter to make ahead in minutes, a showstopping vegetarian main, Scandi-inspired spuds and salty-sweet ice-cream doused in boozy caramel

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/nov/30/trout-rillettes-leek-nut-roast-tatin-guanciale-potatoes-pistachio-bombe-christmas-feast-recipes-yotam-ottolenghi

Yotam Ottolenghi’s harissa trout rillettes with creme fraiche and horseradish. Photograph: Lizzie Mayson/The Guardian. Food styling: Flossy McAslan. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food assistant: Maisie Chandler. Photo assistant: Ais Wallis.

 

Christmas is here! Well, nearly, and it’s never too early to commit to memory some keys to festive feasting. Embrace the shortcut, and buy some shop-bought ingredients that you’d otherwise make yourself. Make sure you have lined up a good few dishes that can be made in advance. Indulge the “Ta-da!” moment when it comes to presentation, so let the main course sit centre and proud. And never, ever underestimate the crowdpleasing presence of a dish full of potatoes.

Harissa trout rillettes with creme fraiche and horseradish (pictured top)

The key to a Christmas starter, if you’re having one, is for it to appear almost magically and without any faff. This one can be made a day or two in advance, then tucked away in the fridge until it’s needed, so it fits the brief perfectly. It’s essentially a mix, assemble and serve dish that can be whipped up in minutes. It’s also a great one to outsource to anyone who has offered to help, and it can easily be scaled up, too. Serve with a warm baguette and/or crunchy crudités.

Prep 5 min
Assembly 10 min
Serves 2 as a starter or 4 as a nibble

80g creme fraiche
1 tsp creamed horseradish
30g cream cheese
2 tsp tomato puree
10g parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, then juiced, to get 1 tsp
1 tsp rose harissa
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
2 hot smoked trout (or salmon) fillets (160g), skin removed
1 tbsp capers, drained or rinsed, then roughly chopped

Put the creme fraiche and horseradish in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Spoon half the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.

Stir the cream cheese, tomato puree, parsley, lemon zest and juice, harissa, an eighth of a teaspoon of sea salt and a heavy grind of pepper into the remaining creme fraiche mix, then flake in the trout fillets, add the capers and gently stir together.

Spoon the trout mixture into two ramekins, dollop the remaining horseradish creme fraiche on top and serve (or chill for later).

Leek nut roast tatin

Yotam Ottolenghi’s leek nut roast tatin.

This vegetarian Christmas centrepiece sits somewhere between a nut roast and a veggie stuffing. As a result, it works as well as a main course as it does as a side dish for those having meat. It’s also a real showstopper when you flip it over on to a platter and reveal the molasses-glazed leeks. If you like, you can cook this entirely ahead of time, in which case cover with foil and reheat gently in a low oven before serving. Any leftovers make great Boxing Day sandwiches, especially alongside big hunks of cheddar.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4 as a main, or 8 as a side

2 medium-large leeks (400g), white parts only (save the greens for soup or stock), cut into 2cm-wide rings
70g unsalted butter, cubed
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Fine sea salt and black pepper
5g picked sage leaves
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (150g)
250g chestnut mushrooms, coarsely grated on a box grater
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely grated on a box grater (150g)
125g ready-cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
100g mixed nuts (skin on or off), roughly chopped
125g halloumi, coarsely grated on a box grater
20g parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
120g sliced white bread (crusts left on), torn into roughly 4cm pieces

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Line the base and sides of a 26cm low-sided round casserole dish or saute pan with greaseproof paper, measuring it carefully so the paper comes at least 5cm up the sides of the pan. Arrange as many of the sliced leeks as you can cut side down in a single layer in the bottom of the pan, then finely chop any remaining leeks and set aside. Top the leeks in the pan with a tablespoon of water, 30g of the butter, the pomegranate molasses, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the leeks are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Melt the remaining 40g butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat, then add the sage leaves and fry for two to three minutes, until crisp and dark green. Using a spoon, transfer the fried sage to a small bowl.

Stir the onion and any remaining chopped leeks into the hot butter left in the pan, add a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then saute for eight minutes, until soft. Stir in the grated mushrooms and parsnip, and saute for another six minutes, until fragrant and starting to take on some colour. Tip the mixture into a large bowl, leave to cool slightly, then mix in the chestnuts, nuts, halloumi, parsley, eggs and bread.

Put the pan of roast leeks on a medium-high heat (leave the paper under the leeks – trust me, it won’t burn) and cook for about five minutes, until the sticky pomegranate glaze has reduced to a syrupy consistency; take care not to reduce the sauce too much. Take the pan off the heat, then spoon the nut mixture carefully on top of the leeks, scattering it around so it falls into and fills any spaces between the cooked leeks, but not pressing and compacting it so hard that the leeks lose their shape.

Smooth the top of the nut mix evenly with the back of the spoon, again not pressing down too hard, then pop the lid on the pot and bake for 25 minutes. Take off the lid and bake uncovered for 10 minutes more, then take out of the oven and leave to cool a little and rest for five minutes.

Put a platter that’s slightly larger than the pan on top, then carefully but quickly flip the pan to invert the nut roast on to the plate. Peel off and discard the greaseproof paper to reveal the pomegranate-glazed leek topping, then serve topped with the crisp sage leaves.

Glazed baby potatoes with guanciale

Yotam Ottolenghi’s glazed baby potatoes with guanciale. Photograph: Lizzie Mayson/The Guardian. Food styling: Flossy McAslan. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food styling assistant: Maisie Chandler

These are a play on a classic Scandinavian Christmas side dish, and work alongside (and often steal the show from) all sorts of mains: roast turkey, marinated sea bass, a squash pie. To get ahead, boil the potatoes the day before, then drain, cool and put in the fridge uncovered to dry out. You could also use tinned potatoes instead of fresh ones, if that helps with space and prep: their texture is silkier, and the lack of skin means the glaze coats them beautifully. Guanciale is a uniquely delicious cured meat made from the jowl of a pig, but if you can’t find any, use pancetta or streaky bacon instead.

Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4 as a side

500g baby potatoes
Fine sea salt
100g guanciale, or pancetta or streaky bacon, roughly diced
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (160g)
40g caster sugar
25g unsalted butter
½ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
10g dill, roughly chopped
10g chives, finely chopped

Put the potatoes in a pot of cold, heavily salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and leave to steam-dry.

Put the guanciale in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the guanciale and transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Stir the potatoes and onions into the hot fat and fry, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until lightly browned, then spoon on to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Discard any remaining fat and wipe the pan clean.

Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the base of the same frying pan and return it to a medium-high heat. Leave the sugar to melt, untouched and without stirring, and after about a minute, when it’s light brown and caramelised, add the butter and swirl the pan to incorporate it with the sugar. Return the potatoes and onions to the pan, season with a half-teaspoon of salt and cook for 10 minutes, occasionally rolling the potatoes around in the caramel so they’re evenly coated in the glaze. Add the white pepper and nutmeg, toss to combine, then take off the heat.

Stir in the reserved crisp guanciale, dill and chives, then toss, spoon on to a platter and serve.

Pistachio Christmas bombe with brandy caramel

Yotam Ottolenghi’s pistachio Christmas bombe with brandy caramel. Photograph: Lizzie Mayson/The Guardian. Food styling: Flossy McAslan. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food styling assistant: Maisie Chandler

Shop-bought ingredients make light work of this showstopping, make-ahead festive dessert. We used our own-brand pistachio paste, which is deep in flavour and saltiness; if the one you use is on the sweet side, simply mix in some flaky sea salt when you’re assembling the dish. This can be made up to a week ahead, up to the point before the pistachio coating goes on; the pistachio mix can be added a couple of hours before serving, to retain its crunch. You will need a one-litre pudding mould.

Prep 10 min
Assembly 15 min
Freeze 1 hr +
Serves 6

Sunflower oil, or another neutral oil, for greasing
1 litre good-quality vanilla ice-cream
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, or of 2 satsumas
135g pistachio paste
3 ice-cream waffle cones or wafers, roughly broken up (40g)
80g shelled pistachios
200g shop-bought salted caramel sauce
3 tbsp brandy, or bourbon (optional)

Lightly grease a one-litre pudding mould with some oil, then line the base of the mould with two long pieces of clingfilm crisscrossed over each other and with some overhang. Use a tea towel to press and shape the clingfilm to cover the mould, and leave any overhang to fold over the bombe later.

Now start layering your bombe. Spoon about a quarter of the ice-cream into the bottom of the mould, then sprinkle with a quarter of the orange zest. Using the back of a spoon, press down on the ice-cream so it fills the base neatly, then spoon a thin layer of the pistachio paste over the top of it. Repeat these layers four more times, finishing with a layer of pistachio paste. Scatter the crushed waffle cones on top, pressing them into the paste, then fold over the overhanging clingfilm and freeze for at least an hour (and for up to two weeks).

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 170C (150C)/340F/gas 3½. Put the pistachios on a baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes, until toasted but retaining their colour. Remove, leave to cool, then chop coarsely and return to the tray.

Lift the bombe from its mould, using the clingfilm to help you, then peel off the clingfilm and lay the bombe ice-cream side down on the tray of chopped pistachios. Using your hands, scoop the pistachios up and over the bombe, pressing them in, until it’s completely coated, then transfer the bombe to a suitable platter and freeze again until needed, and for up to two hours.

Just before serving, put the caramel and brandy, if using, in a small saucepan on a medium heat, whisk until they come to a boil, then cook, whisking occasionally, for two or three minutes, until reduced and slightly thickened.

Cut the bombe into slices and serve with the hot caramel spooned on top.

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This is the last 24 hours news of Auckland region beaches to be unsafe due to unclean dangerous ocean sea water due to bacteria

At least 25 Auckland beaches deemed high risk, four closed over high levels of faecal bacteria

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535364/at-least-25-auckland-beaches-deemed-high-risk-four-closed-over-high-levels-of-faecal-bacteria

Edited December 1, 2024 by KEVINAA

[NikkiCFC 8,337]

 

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The Dish I Love: Beef Wellington

Food & Drink

 
 04-12-2024

---

December is just the time of year to crack the pastry on a beef wellington. Here, our guest editor Zach Weiss declares his love for the classic dish and shares the five best places in London to order it…

 

https://slman.com/life/food-drink/the-dish-i-love-beef-wellington

 

 

In the grand dining room of Suvretta House in St Moritz, the whistle of the wheels beneath its trolley cart is a siren call for a special sort of culinary pomp and circumstance. It’s the sound that says a beef wellington is on its way.

"Beef wellington has to be the ultimate indulgence,” Gordon Ramsay has said of the dish. “It’s one of my all-time favourite main courses, and it would definitely be on my last supper menu.” It’s also a dish that flies in the face of the ‘easy breezy’ cooking zeitgeist, requiring at least an evening’s worth of preparation, maybe more. Because of this intensive time requirement, the best iterations of beef wellington are usually found in hallowed corners of hospitality like Suvretta House, where the wellington that arrives by trolley must be shared by at least two guests. 

At the Lanesborough hotel in London, the wellington prepared by chef Shay Cooper comes wrapped in a layer of chicken mousse, truffle and chestnut mushroom duxelles, a layer of caul fat, and finally puff pastry. Then it’s garnished with a velvety red wine sauce. Hen of the woods mushrooms and glazed carrots are served alongside it as a mere distraction. “It had kind of fallen out of favour, but it is one of those beautiful, traditional dishes that takes us about 24 hours to make, and it’s quite dramatic when you see one,” Cooper tells us. “We carve ours tableside in keeping with the tradition and leave the bits of puff pastry ends to the side as a little treat.”  

The tradition may be going strong, but the historical origins of the dish are elusive. Some say it was served as a celebratory meal to Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, after victory in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Others suspect the name came from the dish’s resemblance to the leather wellington boot. However, the roots of the recipe may really lie on the other side of the English Channel, where ‘filet de boeuf en croûte’ has been a mainstay in France for centuries. Today, no matter its true history, the wellington lives on as a perfectly packaged parcel – my ideal winter meal shared with family and friends.

AND HERE’S WHERE TO TRY ONE

The Connaught Grill

Mayfair

The Connaught Grill in Mayfair is known for its bespoke service – including personal knife boxes and tailored napkins. In a smart, wood-panelled restaurant down an atmospheric hallway, guests are able to enjoy seasonal dishes served with theatrical touches, like its original 1955 solid silver trolley. The signature beef wellington is just the thing to soak up the world-famous martinis from the Connaught Bar across the hotel.

Visit The-Connaught.com

The Savoy Grill

West End

Of course Gordon Ramsay gives the beef wellington a starring role at the Savoy Grill. Served whole and perfectly blushing in the middle, it’s carved tableside on a silver trolley.

Visit GordonRamsayRestaurants.com

The Savoy Grill @GordonRamsayRestaurants

 

The Guinea Grill

Mayfair

On atmospheric Bruton Place, The Guinea is a Mayfair institution – there’s been an inn on this site since 1423. The Guinea Grill restaurant opened in the 1950s. Since then, it’s become the place to head for dry-aged, grass-fed British beef cooked on an open grill. You’ll find perfectly poured Guinness at the bar and expertly cooked beef wellington in the smart warren of dining rooms.

Visit TheGuinea.co.uk

Bob Bob Ricard

Soho

With its red and gold-gilded interiors, Bob Bob Ricard really sets a scene for destination dining. It specialises in British and Russian classics with a modern touch – think anything from lobster mac ’n’ cheese to an elevated beef wellington. For an extra dash of extravagance, order bubbles via the famous ‘Press For Champagne’ buttons on every table.

Visit BobBobRicard.com

Bob Bob Ricard

 

45 Jermyn St

Mayfair

This fine-dining restaurant near Fortnum & Mason is a go-to spot for those in the know. Buzzing by 8am and still full in the evening, it’s got slick decor, flawless service and a handy location on its side. In the evening, look out for generous portions of Welsh rarebit, followed by beef wellington with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and peppercorn sauce. Serving two, the dish is flambéed at the table for added pomp.

Visit 45JermynSt.com

Edited December 4, 2024 by Vesper

[KEVINAA 129]

This 24 minutes long video was uploaded 5 hours ago.

Video Title : Grand Theft Auto 6 EXPOSED! SILENCES White Male Developers + Rockstar INFESTED with Woke DEI Agenda

Channel - Endymion tv

 

 

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1 hour ago, KEVINAA said:

This 24 minutes long video was uploaded 5 hours ago.

Video Title : Grand Theft Auto 6 EXPOSED! SILENCES White Male Developers + Rockstar INFESTED with Woke DEI Agenda

Channel - Endymion tv

 

 

RW incel whingeing

[Vesper 30,226]

Last Days of Soho

London's most infamous neighbourhood has a glamorous mythos. Meet the dwindling band of residents who call it home.

https://www.the-fence.com/last-days-of-soho/

Soho is poised at a critical juncture. The issue lies in the rancorous disagreements between its various constituents about the kind of future that should be pursued in this square mile of prime real estate. In October, the Mayor of London’s Office overruled the recommendations of local councillors and are now entertaining the idea of pedestrianising the whole neighbourhood, a suggestion that has outraged the dwindling number of people living there.

Soho’s more recent history is often told in terms of steady gentrification, with its sleazy edges smoothed off by the remorseless march of time and capital. Its dense warren of interlocking streets have long carried a reputation for cosmopolitanism, glamour and seediness. And, for centuries, the area has served as the epicentre of London’s sex trade, even in its dwindling contemporary form. As the millennium drew closer, Soho drifted toward respectability, with property prices and commercial rents beginning their steady climb upwards. The transgressive, countercultural neighbourhood of old began morphing into a mainstream tourist destination and hospitality mecca, for good and ill. The sex trade gradually receded – in visibility, at least – to be replaced, the cliché goes, by a neater, more homogenised reality, a process spearheaded by major developers and landowners, like Soho Estates, run by the ebullient John James, and Shaftesbury Capital, founded by the considerably more understated Levy family.

I’d become interested in this increasingly bitter debate around Soho’s future at the start of the year. Having long covered all manner of complicated squabbles across the capital, something in the story felt fresh. If the apparent three-way stand-off between ‘business’, local authority and residents was familiar, the prospect of reporting on it in this part of town was not. Like most Londoners, I have my own private Soho myth kitty, a 15-year-plus patchwork of nights on the tiles, after-work pints, weekend rambles and random, piecemeal weirdness to contend with. And, in trying to unpick the various claims and counterclaims regarding the enrichment or desecration of Soho, I realised that the concerns of the area’s small, centuries-old residential community had never really been factored into them.

Beverly Elie doesn’t have too much time for nostalgia. A lot has changed since the 59-year-old first moved to Soho in the summer of 1989. Elie, who was born with arthrogryposis, a rare disorder with severe impact on everyday movement, did not experience the easiest of upbringings. Her Dominican birth mother was physically abusive, when she was present at all. Elie spent several years boomeranging in and out of the care system, before securing a two-bed local authority flat with a friend in a quiet block of flats just off Dean Street. ‘It was sheer bliss. Like life was really starting up, you know.’

Elie has been in the same block ever since. For the past 28 years, in the same one-bedroom flat we are sitting in on an overcast Tuesday afternoon in late September. It’s where many of the major events of her adulthood have played out, good, bad and indifferent. It’s where her son was raised and where she continues to cultivate a small potted garden by the front door. Neighbours have come and gone, some longer mourned than others. Being the heart of central London, noise – from revellers, residents and car traffic – has always been a fact of life. But she tells me the last few years have seen things escalate to a previously unknown intensity. ‘Oh it’s worse. The glass smashing on the street in the early hours. The pissed people getting into fights… it feels like things are declining in front of our eyes.’

Soho’s residential population has long been drifting into apparently terminal decline. In 1881, it stood at 16,608. The most recent census has it down at around 2,600. It’s easy to assume that anyone who would complain about the area’s noise while choosing to live in the neighbourhood must be an entitled blow-in. This does not bear scrutiny. Of those who remain, a substantial number are, like Beverly Elie, long-term social housing tenants, rather than recalcitrant millionaires. Okay, runs the counterargument I heard from landlords and several business owners, but surely it came down to individual agency. Bluntly, if they didn’t like it, couldn’t they just leave? ‘They must be off their rocker’, was one of the politer rejoiners Elie offered. ‘Where do they think I’m likely to be sent, Inverness?’

Over this year, I spoke with a wide selection of Soho residents, past and present, a diverse constituency of council and private tenants and middle-class, occasionally very wealthy homeowners, young, old and middle-aged. One lifelong resident, who didn’t want to be named on account of tiresome potential blowback, told me that the talk of the neighbourhood being sustained as a ‘world-class destination’ was all well and good, but it didn’t quite speak to the reality of rising crime and the ‘maximised churn’ of the hospitality industry. ‘World-class what?’, they’d asked me rhetorically. ‘World class shit?’

Others were more circumspect. Lucy Haine bought her flat in 1998. The civil servant concurs on crime and noise pollution. She did not take a particularly kind view of John James or Soho Estates. ‘It’s not about [caring] for the area. It’s about [their] rent.’ At least with Shaftesbury – which has hundreds of holdings across the West End – some constructive dialogue has been possible. ‘I probably sound like a real moaner. But people are going to ask what we’ve lost [the identity] for. So Soho Estates can make another billion pounds profit? Meanwhile Soho becomes another faceless, soulless place.’

At the same time, a chorus of frustration has swelled from local hospitality businesses and commercial landlords, rankled by what they characterise as a tiny group of obstructive, highly politicised residents, backed up by an enfeebled Westminster Council who accommodate their demands at the expense of Soho’s economic health. ‘We have what they call a stakeholder interest,’ explained James, the avuncular 71-year-old managing director of Soho Estates (West End property portfolio: £1 billion) when we met in his top floor Manette Street office on a dank autumn morning. ‘I will clearly tell you that I have never been asked to meet the leader of Westminster Council… [so] when they say ‘we are consulting with business’, you wonder who and where.’ The question remains: who does Soho belong to?

Ask detractors, and they may point you toward the Soho Society. The group has its roots in the early 1970s, when a coalition of local residents banded together to safeguard the area against mass demolition. It was fundamental in both the extension of the Soho Conservation Area and creation of the Soho Housing Association, which endures to this day. Today, the Soho Society spearheads campaigns, promotes local history, broadcasts a weekly radio show and even organises a yearly fête. In short, they’re precisely the kind of usefully civic-minded busybody you’d want advocating for your own neighbourhood. But perhaps most importantly, it retains a formal consultative role with Westminster Council regarding any new licensing and planning applications in the area.

On this reading, it is this cluster of residents who have stifled the area’s development. Their alleged interventions are numerous: Pride events refused temporary licences; the basement jazz club blocked on the basis of potential noise; a battle to recognise the Dean Street Tesco Express as an ‘asset of community value’. If the supermarket lacks aesthetic merit or special interest to tourists, it is undeniably useful if you live locally and are running low on bog roll and milk.

Perhaps most damning of all, their opponents say, is their dogged opposition to outdoor dining and hospitality across the area. Back in the summer of 2020, there was tacit agreement between residents, business and commercial stakeholders that action needed to be taken to save Soho’s hospitality industry. Between July 2020 and the end of September 2021, restaurants set out outside tables and chairs in freshly pedestrianised roads across the neighbourhood. It was a resounding success, at least from a business perspective, with 100 table and chairs licences granted and 14 streets closed until 11pm, seven days a week. Residents, who had to deal with the associated noise and chaos, did not share in the spoils.

The scheme eventually ended despite similar arrangements persisting in other pockets of central London, including nearby Covent Garden. The Conservative-led Westminster Council began drafting a longer-term plan, entitled ‘Vision for Soho’, with permanent alfresco a key component. These plans were quietly paused, then effectively scrapped in 2022, as the council was captured by Labour for the first time in its history; a political upset driven, some contend, by Labour’s pandering to the residents’ anti-alfresco demands. Many of the residents I spoke with refute this characterisation. For some, the spurious charge was evidence that their sincere concerns had ceased to matter at all; that their continued existence was an irritant to both the council and the area’s commercial interests, who would much rather transform the area into a booze-soaked chain-pub bacchanalia.

There was one man I urgently needed to speak with. Tim Lord is the society’s current chair, a position he has held since the summer of 2018. The 59-year-old lawyer moved to Soho in the summer of 1991. Like many, Lord had fallen in love with the area’s inclusiveness and sense of possibility. ‘It was a great place to live. I’m a gay man. For a lot of us from a similar generation, you’ll hear the same thing: that it was the first place they felt accepted, and safe.’

Lord holds strident opinions and has been known to communicate them with a force some argue can tip into hectoring. The idea, he says, that the Society exercises a sinister hold over the council is laughable, even if he concedes that the conversation around alfresco had become pronouncedly toxic. The Soho Society did not claim to speak for everyone in the neighbour­hood indeed there were plenty of residents who did not share their campaigning zeal, who were only dimly aware of their activities, if at all.

For some businesses and several commercial landlords, Lord has become something of a bogeyman: a supercharged NIMBY obstructionist, hellbent on opposing any new development that runs afoul of the Soho Society’s tastes. Which is, his critics allege, all of them. James told me that, since 2022, the Soho Society had reviewed 102 planning applications and taken issue with 101 of them (Lord offered a very different stat from 2023, which had them opposing 78 of 348 applications. Since July, they had reviewed 127, objecting to only 18). I met with Lord several times over the course of reporting, and our discussions were always productive and amiable. The caricature of a bristling and myopic parish councillor did not fit with the self-aware, humorous man in front of me. Though it was true, he told me during one of our early meetings, that there must be some in the Westminster Council licensing department who likely considered him a flagrant pain in the arse.

Lord’s stance can be summed up as follows: the idea that Soho’s nightlife is declining is not supported by factual evidence. Of its 491 licensed premises, 121 have late-night licences with closing hours ranging between 1am and 6am, with a cumulative capacity of almost 23,000. Between 2020 and 2023, an additional 51 new alcohol licences were granted, raising this capacity by several thousand. One of the Soho Society’s roles is to scrutinise applications for their potential impact on residents, as well as the area’s general character. Talk of the area’s general decline as a tourist destination is, he says, nonsense. ‘It is more mainstream. Less transgressive… it’s much more popular. There was always drinking and entertainment in the area, but it wasn’t the only thing that was happening.’

It’s a view echoed by Brian Clivaz, a minor legend of central London hospitality and long-time chairman of L’Escargot, the venerable French restaurant in the middle of Greek Street. ‘Oh it’s mobbed,’ he breezily explained. ‘Far more so than a decade ago’. This change could partially be explained in terms of transport, with a day, or night, out in Soho now even more accessible on account of the Elizabeth line, finally opened for use in May 2022.

Soho was – is – unique, agrees Lord. Nowhere else in London could offer the same blend of hospitality, retail and culture. And no one was proposing to transform the area into a suburban idyll, a Penge-on-Piccadilly. But there had to be balance. And until the alfresco debacle, things worked pretty well for the most part. But something had since tipped badly out of whack. Alfresco was just the first and best-publicised battleground. If James and others in the Soho Business Alliance wanted its return, it wasn’t due to any concern with preserving the neighbourhood’s vaguely transgressive charm or its appeal to tourists, from London or elsewhere. It was just about maximising returns in the crudest way possible. As for nightlife, it used to be pretty simple. Licensed venues – apart from a handful of nightclubs and late-night spots – would wind down around 11pm. This was no longer the case. ‘At one AGM, an old woman who has lived in Soho for ages stood up and asked what happened to the protected hours.’

Lord sent me the results of a survey in which the majority of the respondents reported seriously disrupted sleep at least three or four nights a week, caused at least partially by ‘people drinking and shouting in the street’. It isn’t just about noise, Lord repeatedly stressed. Figures published by Westminster Council earlier this year suggest that the borough now accounts for 9.2 per cent of all reported crime in London. This is particularly acute in Soho, he says. ‘The number of people coming [to Soho] now has attracted organised criminals who prey on these visitors.’ Thefts and sexual assaults are on the rise, with an overstretched police force rendered almost irrelevant. In May 2023, two off-duty police officers were stabbed on Greek Street, a particular crime hotspot. It was suggested to me by several people I spoke with that this might have contributed a reluctance to patrol the neighbourhood.

‘I have some sympathy with the police,’ said Clivaz. ‘They don’t have the resources and the West End is a very big area.’ Any increase in late-night licences would only exacerbate an already fairly dire problem, says Lord. The council’s own recent cumulative impact report seems to agree, concluding that reported incidents, particularly theft, ‘feature prominently in areas with a high concentration of licensed premises’ and that any proliferation of additional licences would only lead to a further increase in crime. One couldn’t really blame the businesses in question for wanting to open later and longer, in an attempt to cope with years of rent increases imposed by landlords, including Soho Estates. When I put this to James, his response was withering. It just wasn’t that simple. The market sets the rent, the landlord merely adheres to it. ‘It would be a retrogressive step to say this [should] become a low rent area… it’s an improved area. Look out the window. It’s the middle of the city.’

I’d first emailed James in hope rather than expectation, back in late September. His response arrived within minutes. Yes, he’d be happy to chat. In the meantime, I was to read his recently composed open letter on the future of Soho, which railed against the Soho Society and Westminster Council, whose stubbornness in planning and licensing matters was making them seem more like ‘a rural council… [than] the most important local authority in the entire country’.

James’s biography is undeniably captivating. The native Cumbrian moved to London in the 70s to pursue a modelling career. After a stint with Levi’s, among others, he became acquainted with the late Paul Raymond, legendary Soho porn-turned-property baron. Some years later, James married Paul’s daughter, Debbie, with whom he has two daughters.

From reasonably humble beginnings, Soho Estates now preside over a portfolio of West End property bars and restaurants, grand office spaces and residential accommodation. ‘This is a privately run business. A family business, started by one man, my father-in-law, in 1958, God bless him,’ he offered as we spoke in his office. ‘This family business will continue. It is generational. We are a professionally run inherited estate… and we have a respect for the historic nature [of the] area.’

James’s arguments are straightforward. History, nostalgia, call it what you want, is all well and good. But times are changing whether one likes it or not. ‘If you don’t accommodate that change then business will go somewhere else.’ With every high street in the country struggling, why would Soho be any different? And if the area retained its vibrancy, it was in spite of the restrictions and roadblocks put up by a tiny group of residents – and a council in their thrall. ‘Anyone else would like to take Soho’s magic and put it in Shoreditch, or Hoxton, or Brixton.’ Businesses struggled to get a fair hearing from the council, he suggested. As for the Soho Society, the less said the better.

There was, I thought, a fairly heavy irony in Paul Raymond’s son-in-law being one of the key figures in Soho’s sanitisation. It was also slightly comical to hear one of central London’s most powerful and influential commercial landlords complain about the prissiness of a local authority long criticised as being riddled with conflicts of interest and an exceptionally cosy relationship to property developers (in 2022, Jacobin labelled it the ‘sordid epicentre’ of local authority corruption in the UK). It is difficult to know exactly what Westminster Council thinks about this characterisation – or the opposite charge of being obstructive to business – as they did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

People like harking back to a golden age, James reflected. When I Camisa & Son, a beloved Italian deli on Old Compton Street with its roots in the late 1920s, whose building was owned by Shaftesbury, shuttered in August, it provoked a wave of local grief and hand-wringing. But James told me that Mr Camisa had sold out to Alvini, an Italian food and wine importer, years ago, while the property’s freehold passed to Shaftesbury Capital. ‘The world of business will move on and adjust to what the world of business requires,’ was his stark take on matters. After our meeting drew to a close, James pointed out the window, down to the rain-slicked streets we’d spent the hour pontificating over. I couldn’t help thinking how grey and small things looked from such an exalted vantage point.

During the end of my last conversation with Lord, he sounded unusually downbeat. The fight over the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, yet another staunchly contested local issue – had taken a negative turn. After another bitter, years-long struggle, Labour-run City Hall had overruled Labour-controlled Westminster Council to ramrod the plans through. Lord told me he just didn’t know if the continued existence of Soho’s residential community was possible, the way things were trending. ‘And if that’s [the aim] it would be better if it was communicated honestly.’

On a balmy Thursday evening in early September, I left my home in south-east London and caught the train to Charing Cross. I’d made plans to meet a friend for a drink and we’d finally agreed on the French House, a storied haunt on Dean Street. On arrival, the pub was packed with a good-natured, reasonably giddy late-week professional crowd. It was long after ten by the time I said my goodbyes and headed back out into the nighttime crush. Rickshaws in various shades of fluorescent pink cruised past, bearing naive or just catatonically pissed tourists. Post-theatre punters spilled out of the theatres, to mingle with the spirited dregs of the post-work crowd on the narrow streets. On Greek Street, I walked past a couple of comically open-air drug deals and a young couple having a screaming row about the size of their dinner bill. A pile of fresh sick lay proudly splattered outside the entrance to Tottenham Court Road tube.

I tried to recall if it felt busier, or more unsafe, than any other night I’d spent in the neighbourhood over the years, or if I was suffering from a bout of lager induced Baader-Meinhof. That I was simply seeing the chaos I wanted to see, to reinforce my sympathy with Lord and the put-upon residents. On leaving the densely packed streets, this sympathy was trumped by relief at returning to quieter, saner air.

Francisco Garcia