The Week UK - 03.08.2019

37

3August 2019 THE WEEK

Food &Drink

LEISURE

What the experts recommend

The New InnColn St Aldwyns,

Gloucestershire (01285-708080)

Coln St Aldwyns would surely beashoo-

in winner in any contest for the “Most

Quintessentially Cotswoldy Village”, says

William Sitwell in The Daily Telegraph.

But unlike nearby Bibury, it’s never

overrun with tourists because you can’t

getacoach down the high street. The

charming and friendly village pub, the

New Inn, having survived for some 500

years, has recently hadarefit, has new

staff andanew chef–and, unusually for

a“rural gaff”, the bar is open all day,

every day. It is, then, the perfect place

to take shelter when the weather

disappoints. We visited on just such an

afternoon, and enjoyed some excellent

and relatively adventurous snacks: crispy

bits of chicken with chipotle sauce; slices

of chorizo with aioli; andapile of

welcoming, soft and creamy cheese

croquettes, spiced with jalepeño. Half-

pints of prawns and mussels were pleasant,

rather than spectacular–but had great

accompaniments (wonderfully fresh bread,

agreat nduja sauce). We drank rosé and

listened to the rain: all was right with the

world.Lunch for two: £65 plus drinks.

Newell RestaurantGreenhill,

Sherborne, Dorset (01935-710386)

This former pub in Sherborne is warmly

welcoming, thoroughly unflashy and

“quietly wonderful”, says Marina

O’Loughlin in The Sunday Times. It has

apleasing air of “unhurried calm”, with

its wooden furniture, brown craft paper

menus, andablackboard bearing an

“alluring” selection of specials. In the

kitchen is Paul Merrony,achef who was

much raved-about in his London days

(for the Giaconda Dining Room, and later

Shoe Shop). His food remainsadelight:

“rustic, hearty, the beauty encountered as

it’s going down your neck, not fannying

about on the plate”. Cream of crab soup,

for instance, arrives asa“super-classical,

foamy-rich bisque, rosy with roe, chunky

with local crab, otherwise unadorned”.

Ameaty tranche of turbot isa“handsome

beast ofathing”, givenaproper basting

with beurre noisette, parsley, lemon and

capers. An old Merrony favourite, délice

joconde, isahazelnut-plumped sponge

sandwiched with buttery praline mousse

and drizzled with chocolate sauce. IfIwere

local, you’d have to “prise me out of the

place”.Three-courses for two about

£90 plus drinks.

Singburi593 Leytonstone High Street,

London E11 (020-8281 4801)

Leytonstone, in London’s northeastern

fringes, is not an obvious culinary

destination–and from whereIlive, it was

quiteahike to get to, says Tom Parker

Bowles in The Mail on Sunday. In fact, I

tried to visit Singburi once before, but got

“waylaid” by the £5 martini happy hour

at Quo Vadis in Soho, and didn’t make it

further than Rambla, across the road.

Having now finally made the schlep,

though,Ican report that “wherever you

live”, this is one journey that is well worth

the effort. Singburi is simply furnished

with wooden tables, but its Thai cooking

is as impressive as you’ll find for miles

around. Mangosteen with cucumber, mint

and prawn floss is cool, clean, fresh and

“brilliant”. Deep-fried sweetbreads with

the “most sensational”nam jim jaew,a

roasted chilli dipping sauce, offer “heat

and depth and fragrance and texture” –

and “pure, unbridled delight”. Stir-fried

morning glory with garlic is just as good.

Whole curried crab,avast beast, is

another “winner”, anda“steal” at

£16. This, in sum, is Thai food in all

its “thrilling, brow-beading greatness”

–succour of the very messiest kind.

About £20ahead.

The New Inn: charming and friendly

• Usingafine
  grater, grate the
  chocolate into a
  small bowl and
  pour over the hot
  coffee. Stir until
  melted and add the
  condensed milk.
  Mix until the colour
  is an even milky
  brown, then pour into moulds.


• Put in the freezer, upright, for
  an hour or so before poking an

ice-lolly stick into

each mould. Then

freeze forafurther

3hours until solid

(or preferably

overnight).

• Remove the
  lollies from the
  freezer, dip the
  moulds briefly in
  hot water, then gently pull the
  lollies out of the moulds and
  serve straight away.

Cooling summer ices

Makes8lollies 50g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa

solids) 300ml of hot, strong coffee 120ml condensed milk

you will need:8x60ml ice-lolly moulds and sticks

Orderacoffee in Vietnam and you’ll findagenerous spoonful

of condensed milk sitting at the bottom of your glass, say

Chow and Alex Mezger. We’ve taken that idea and turned

it intoamoreish and rather sophisticated summer lolly.

Mocha Vietnamese-style lollies

Taken fromJudes: Ice Cream&Dessertsby Chow and Alex Mezger, published by Kyle Books at £16.99 (octopusbooks.co.uk).

To buy from The Week Bookshop for £13.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweek.co.uk/bookshop.

• Cut up the fruit,
  skin and all, and
  put intoafood
  processor. Add the
  sugar and blend to
  asmooth, velvety
  pulp. Stir through
  the lime juice.


• Taste and add
  more lime juice if
  necessary–remember the
  flavour will dull once the ice
  cream is frozen.
  
  
  • Pour into a
    1.2-litre airtight
    container and
    freeze overnight.
  
  
  • Remove from
    the freezer and
    allow to soften for
    10 minutes before
    scooping.
  
  
  • Experiment with
    both yellow- and white-flesh
    peaches–each will lend its
    own unique colour and taste.
  
  
  
  

Serves 45 big, ripe peaches, about 750g in weight,

halved and stoned 175g golden caster sugar

juice of1lime, or extra to taste

This sorbet couldn’t be simpler. It’s made with just three

ingredients, and the sweet taste of fresh peaches takes

centre stage. When using seasonal peaches, it’s just

sensational–the ideal treat forahot summer.

Summer peach sorbet

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