Christmas Seafood Recipes

Sea Food Starters

These holidays always have been remembered for traditional main dishes and desserts, but I always remembered as well for the sea-food starters, so creamy and refreshing before the mains.

Prawn rocket salad Serves 4 – 175kcal -  Time25 minutes

Baked Prawns with rocket salad

You need: 500g king tiger prawns – 4 garlic cloves (chopped) – 100g rocket salad – 1 tbsp oregano – 2 bay leaves – 50ml dry white wine – 25ml brandy – 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

1. Remove the shell and head of the prawns just leaving the tail. Put them in an oven tray  and season with sea-salt and sprinkle over 3 tbsp of olive oil.
2. Them scatter over the chopped garlic and  oregano. Pour over the white wine and brandy.
3. Put them in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC for about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a bowl dress the salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
5. Place some salad in each dish and top with the prawns and some juices from the oven tray.

Smoked Salmon with Prawns Serves 6 – Kcal 210 – Time 25 min.

Smoked oak salmon with prawns mousse

You need: 240g raw small prawns (knows as Canadian) peeled and defrosted if you bought frozen ones -
350g sliced smoked salmon (6 slices reserve) - 2 chicory heads - 200g ricotta – 1 lemon juice - A bunch of chives.

1. First separate in a delicate way the chicory heads leaves, wash them very well and put in a bowl with cold water and 1 tbsp. of vinegar for 4 minutes. Wash again and let drain.
2. Chop the prawns and smoked salmon.
3. In a bowl stir in the ricotta and then add the chopped salmon and prawns, season with plenty black pepper (to taste) and mix everything very well. Chill in the fridge.
4. Then mix the lemon juice, 15g of chives and 3 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil for make a dressing.
5. In individual plates, first place 1 reserved salmon slice on the plate, top with 2 chicory leaves, and fill them with a tbsp. of ricotta mixture. Arrange and drizzle over some of the dressing and garnish with thinly sliced chives.

Stuffed baby gem lettuce Serves 6 – Kcal 300 - Time 25 min.

Baby gem lettuce are more bitter and intense, ideal for a snack

You need: 2 gem lettuce (or chicory heads) – 4 crab stick – 5 king prawns (cooked) – 50g Canadian prawns – 6  onions and 4 cornichons pickled – 1 boiled egg – 8 green olive – Capers – Cocktail sauce.

1. First separate in a delicate way the chicory heads leaves, wash them very well and put in a bowl with cold water and 1 tbsp. of vinegar for 4 minutes. Wash again and let drain. Reserve aside the lettuce hearts
2. Finely chop the prawns and crab sticks. Put in a bowl. Now also chop finely the pickled onion and cornichons, olives and egg. Stir in the bowl and mix very well. Season. Stir again.
3. Cut in thin shreds the lettuce hearts leftovers and add to the mix with 3 tbsp. of cocktail sauce. Mix all very well.
4. In a serving dish place the drain lettuce leaves and fill them with the seafood mixture.
5. Spread over a little extra cocktail sauce and sprinkle some capers and put in the centre of the table

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Christmas Seafood Recipes

Christmas Soups

Soups

These soups are simple and delicious and very easy to prepare and more important a starter with low calories that you can cook the day or week before and reheat just before serving

Christmas Carrot Soup  Serves 6 – 190 kcal - Time 70minutes

Christmas Carrot Soup topped with mushrooms

You need: 400g carrots (chopped in little pieces) - 100g onion (chopped) -150g leeks (sliced) – 300g chestnuts –  ½ tsp. nutmeg – 2 cloves – 200g mushrooms (sliced) – 1tbsp sesame seeds – Some coriander for garnish. Hot vegetable stock

1. In a wide medium deep pan, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil and add the onion, sliced leek and roughly chopped chestnuts. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes in a low medium heat.
2. Add the carrots, nutmeg and cloves. Cover with 700ml hot vegetable stock. Simmer with the lid on until the carrots are tender
3. In another pan heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in medium high. Add the sliced mushrooms, cook them for about 5 minutes, and stir often. Season well. Remove from the heat and add the sesame seeds.
4. When the carrots are tender, blend the mixture until smooth with in a blender or using a hand-held blender. Add more stock if the mix is too thick.
5. Serve in individual plates and top each one with the mushrooms and some coriander. Sprinkle over some olive oil.

Broccoli Festive Cream Soup Serves 6 - 247kcal - Time  50 min

For a lighter version use just bread toast stick instead of puff pastry

You need: 600g broccoli florets – 60g raisins – 250ml milk – 3 tbsp. flour – Puff pastry – Vinegar

1. In a pan with salty boiling water cook the broccoli until tender (about 5 min. from package- 12 min. if is fresh broccoli).
2. Meanwhile take the packet of puff pastry and cut in strips 2 cm wide and around 10cm long. Put in the oven at 210ºC for 15minutes, until the pastry is golden.
3. When the broccolis are ready, drain and then blend in a blender or using a hand-held blender until smooth.
4. Now heat 2tbsp of olive oil in a pan, stir in the broccoli puree and raisins. Sprinkle over the flour and stir very well.
5. Now mix the milk slowly and stirring constantly, until you gets thickness slightly thick as a traditional cream soup. Season and add few drop of vinegar.
6. Serve in individual bowl with some puff pastry beside for deep in the broccoli cream.

Leek and White Bean Soup Serves 2 - 300kcal – Time 40 min

Add a extra festive touch with truffle oil and crème fraiche 

You need: 1 leek (thinly sliced) – 200g floury potatoes (diced) -  400g of canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) - 600ml hot vegetable stock – 1 garlic clove (chopped) 2 tbsp. chopped parsley – 2 tsp. Truffle flavour infused oil.

1. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a pan using a medium low heat. Add the leek and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes, beans and cover with the stock. Bring to boil and then simmer in a low heat for about 20 minutes. Check that the potatoes are tender.
3. Using a ladle spoon remove some vegetables and set aside.
4. Purée the remaining vegetables in a blender or using a hand-held blender until smooth.
5. Now mix the reserved vegetables with the blended ones (re-heat if is needed) and add the parsley.
6. Serve in individual bowls and drizzle over some truffle oil.

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Christmas Soups

BEST 10 Gourmet Brighton Shops

Has been already 9 months since I started with The KitchenVoyage blog and is around 3 years  since  starting to  take homemade cooking seriously at my kitchen leaving behind an unhealthy past of ready and pre-ready supermarket meals. Since then I needed to stroll around Brighton and Hove to find the best products for my kitchen. Here is my top 10.

1.       Infinity Foods

Infinity Food Supermarket

Infinity Food bread shelves

Infinity Foods is a Brighton institution since decades in the Brighton North Laines.  A whole vegetarian supermarket with an eco-friendly approach and plenty of local products. Here you can find almost anything in a normal supermarket with  very competitive prices, such as vegetables, fruit, cookies, pasta, wines and even toilet products and shampoo. Also in the bakery you can have a delicious takeaway slice of vegetarian pizza.

Follow all our Nutrition news and take a look at our Sea-salt guide

2.      Grocer & Grain

Grocer and Grain

Vegetables and Ecover products

Grocer & Grain is a smart shop located very close to the Brighton train station that makes it very handy for grabbing some healthy snacks before your journey or grab a last moment gift. They offer plenty of organic products including local cheeses and hams, homemade cakes or pies,  Ecover products and my favourite organic yellow tea brand and always vegetables and flower are excellently displayed.

 Taj

Taj street display

3.      Taj another Brighton-based independent retailer with a good reputation that fils its shelves with mostly middle east and Asian delicatessen, tropical fruits and vegetables. Their street display in the busy Western road always catches your eyes. They have the best juicy pomegranates and pineapples that you can find in the city. Also look for the attractive offers of Greek olive oil.

Try make Gazpacho with fresh red organic tomatoes from Taj

4.      Steamer

If you need appliances for your kitchen Steamer is your place, the kitchenware specialist in Brighton are in Ship Street. From Kitchenaid appliances, pans, LSA glasses and everything that you need for baking and cooking. The products aren’t cheap but the quality is superb.

5.      The Brighton Sausage Company

Sausages display (above). BSco (Left)

Also in the Brighton North Laines The Brighton Sausage Company offer to you a range of gourmet sausages like the already traditional flavour with leek and apple to more exotic like curry or jalapeños, flavours. They also have chicken and game sausages, eggs, and even Mexican chorizo. Their own make sausages use local meat from farms around.


Try: Three English Sausages clever recipes

6.      La Cave à Fromage

Cheese display at La Cave a Fromage (above). La Cave a Fromage in North Road (left)

La Cave à Fromage is one of the best cheese shops speaking in selection and quality terms that you can find in the whole of England. This cheese lovers paradise offers of course a wide selection of the best French cheese but also the best that UK can offer. And it wasn´t a surprise to find the world wide famous Cabrales cheese from Spain. The low point is the lack of labelling and the service is a bit slow, another French touch if you want it.


Try: Chicory salad with Mimolette Cheese

7.      Canham & Son

Canham & Sons at Curch Road, Hove

It’s a shame the Butchers shops are in decline in almost whole of Europe; in Brighton they are living a revival when you can find several options. My local Butcher are Canham & Son they have superb quality meat from the best cattle that grass in the Southdown’s Natural park area, beautiful pieces of Scottish meat and always plenty of seasonal turkey, pheasants and another birds. I know that the customer service is excellent but the butchers don’t like to much be asked for weird Argentinian cuts like I used to do sometimes.

Try: Steak with Fig salad

8.      

    Ten Green Bottles

Wines shelves and bar area

Wines shelves at Ten Green Bottles

Plenty of places to get your booze in Brighton but no one like Ten Green Bottles; they personally are picking the best of the new European wines. For me was a very nice surprise to find the Urabain red wines from Navarra. Navarra is a not too well known area for such wines but they make excellent beverages. And if you want to discover why the Rheinhessen withe German wine are getting every year more popular here you will find some good bottles. The shop also has a wine bar where you can try before to buy, the food isn´t great.

9.      Thorne´s

Thorne`s Upper Gardner St.

Thorne`s products display

The last gourmet shop to arrive, if I need to make a list which is the best gourmet shop in Brighton then to be sure they will be on the top. Thorne´s seems like they pick the best of all the shops mentioned above. The butcher has high quality local meat, tasty sausages and excellent customer service. Bread and croissants are crunchy, delicate and tasty. Also a selection of local beers, ciders and organic apple juice, you really need to try it. Very seasonable vegetables and even organic fair-trade coffee from Guatemala. The shop design is superb and if you have not enough you can have a chef breakfast upstairs (also are open for lunch)

Try: How to prepare the perfect pan fried steak

10.  Brighton & Newhaven Fish Sales

Fish get very busy Friday and Saturday morning with Brightoners

When I moved to Hove every time that I tried an excellent fish dish in Brighton I discovered that the source was all the same: The Fish shop in hove lagoon. They provide  the whole city with the most fresh and local fish and seafood at very good prices. One mussels kilogram less than 3 pounds, local sea bream, red mullet, crabs, lobster, dover sole and a little fish deli with sauces, frozen fish and even pasta. The customer service is quick, efficient and very clean, and you can follow the catch of the day on Twitter!

Try: Sea Food Pasta using Fish products


*Please notice I am just a regular client but I don’t have any relationship with the owners

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BEST 10 Gourmet Brighton Shops

Is sea salt better for you? NO

Sea Salt Cloth from Cornwall by Vidya Crawley

Salt is one of the most important ingredients in the kitchen almost since human civilisation begun. First we used like a preservative for meat and fish, for brine and lately to enhances the flavours of our meals.The Salt is a mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride a must in our body. It´s found in the nature under the earth ground or in the sea. In its natural state is colourless or a bit greyish and each salt grain is formed from millions of sea crystal.
One of the most popular methods to obtain sea salt is evaporating water from the seas. The evaporation process can be natural (natural evaporation of a lake given high temperature or strong winds) or in salt mines beside the sea. Once the evaporation process has finish the salt crystals are collected (manual or mechanical) and start a process of depuration for make it adaptable for human consumption.

Sea Salt in Britain and Europe

Flamingos at Cabo de Gata Natural Park by Landahlaust

The different kinds of salt are distinguished by the colour, the taste, the grain size, the compositions or solubility, but for British gourmets and foodies the most popular or best market are from Cornwall used for Rick Stein and Gordon Ramsay for example. Traditionally for chef around the world the Maldon international company from the Essex coast is a salt institution for its purity and strong salty flavour, especially for seasoning fish, meats and grill vegetables. Also the salty waters of the Anglesey Coast produce strong flavour crystals with a great texture and now part of the Heston Blumenthal range of flavoured gourmet sea salts.
Another world wide famous salt is the Guerande from Britannia (France) appreciate it for be rich in oligoelements and the grey colour and is easy to dissolve. And if I need to recommend one will be the Flower of Salt (Fleur de sel in France, Flor de Sal in Spain and Portugal) The European version of this salt are most of them extracted from Natural Parks, where human exploitation of the lagoon cleaning the excess of salt has helped to the local and migratory birds like flamingos can live or rest. The flower salts contain a natural pink micro-algae that through the contact with the flamingos in the water gave to them their famous pink colour. This salt is most recommending for salad or for adds to the food in the last step of cooking.

Benefits of Salt consumption and risk

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily intake of 6g a day.
Gourmet Salt, Sea salt or rock salt is no better for your health, like normal table salt, they have the same level of sodium chloride accounts almost a 100%

Photo by Krissen

Benefits.
1.Facilitate a correct digestion regulating the levels of bacteria in the digestive system.
2.To maintain the liquids and acidity levels in the body helping the absorption of potassium.
3.To provide the necessary amount of minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine.
4.To avoid nausea, cramps and, even, convulsions brought about by the lack of salt, if you sweat a lot the lack of salt can be a problem.
5.For flavour our food and dishes and make them tastier.

Risks.

In most of the developed countries daily salt intake has increased until  double of the recommendations.
The salt abuse in our diet will be reflected in our health in a medium long term

1.The abuse of salt produces blood pressure creating heart failure, one of the main death diseases in Europe and America.
2.Produce water retention and with that obesity and will make that our main vital organs like heart, livers and kidney work even more.
3.Can produce Brain ischemia, a more common deathly disease that causes insufficient blood flow to the brain.
4.Excess of salt in the diet is related with stomach cancer
5.Also can produce osteoporosis.

How to reduce you salt daily intake

Traffic Light Food Labelling is one of the news ideas from government to reduce
high  intakes of sugar, fat and Salt. Photo by Labour Party

1.Stop eating ready meals, take away or in restaurant, ¾ of your totally salt intake came for industrial food. Start to cook at home fresh ingredients, vegetables, meat or even fish have not high salt content for treat to health, just enough for make healthier your body.
2.Cook without salt and train your taste. Avoid add extra salt in the cooking process and just add some salt if you needed in your final dish. With a few weeks your taste will not need salt for start to taste the real flavour of your food. When you go to a restaurant ask to the kitchen to no add salt to your meal.
3.Start to cook with the big range of herbs available in the markets; they will give to your food all the flavour that you need.
4.Use sea salt or use salt with low quantities in sodium. Sea salt has a more intense flavour; in consequence you will need fewer quantities in your meals. Sea salt will be better only in the way you use less in your food.
5.Read the label of your food products and check the salt percentage. In UK most are well indicated but in some another countries you will need to check the sodium level and multiply for 2,5 for get the real quantity of salt in your product.

Top most salty foods

Ham and cheese sandwich have a high salt content

Even in UK one of the pioneering countries against the salt abuse, a single slice of bread can have an astonish 1g of salt

1.Breads, almost any kind but mainly avoid factory breads
2.Cheeses (matured) and another dairy products
3.Sausages and processed meats like hams and bacon
4.Snacks like chips, salted peanuts and also prepared olives and anchovies.
5.Soy sauces or jerk seasoning

And also watch out for those that don’t look like salty, Cereal Breakfast and Ketchup with an astonishing 2.2g of salt each 100g (yes go and take a look at your bottle)

Gourmet Salts

Heston Coriander & Rose Salt by Winkypedia

Despite the effort for the government to try to reduce at half the salt consumption in the population for reduce costs , obesity and fatal victim the supermarkets and another food industries with the some of the celebrities chef like main protagonist don´t stop to launch new salt brands promising that they are the testier and healthy alternative to the classic table salt (that last bit is just for a label from one salt packet) but you need to be very aware that gourmet salt are just more expensive and just as bad for you like another normal salt. Gourmet salt contain like another table salts between 97 to 100% sodium chloride having the same benefit or risk in your body. Read more at The Guardian

More

Download the WHO report about Strategies to monitor and evaluate population sodium consumption and sources of sodium in the diet
Download the Who report Less salt less risk

*Please for more information check with you Doctor

*Fell free of share this document

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Is sea salt better for you? NO

Go Dutch with these easy Dutch cake recipes

Dutch Cheery Cake with a traditional lattice

I have a Dutch neighbour; we moved almost at the same time to our new block of flats in Brighton. Together we discovered that the English ways of the workers and buildeing contractors wasn´t so punctual or accurate as in Netherlands and I discovered that they were as clumsy as in Spain. Since then we are establishing ourselves as a private cooking club. He is from the south of the Netherlands, a land of windmills, castle´s and old folk traditions and he told us that in his town no celebration is complete without the following Dutch traditional cakes.

The recipes of the Limburgse vlaai, as the cakes are called in Dutch,  passed from one generation to another. The next recipes are the traditional ones as taught to him by his grandmother with all ingredients found in  British supermarkets. So this Christmas Go Dutch!

Recipes by Johan Bernards

First the dough which work for any of the fillings

You need:  250g plain flour -  7,5 g dried yeast or 15g fresh yeast -  25g butter (chopped and softened at room temperature) - 15g caster sugar -  ½ egg (whisked) -  A pinch of salt

Shallow tin cake of 30cm diameter and height 3cm approx.

Ready to pour in the yeast

Flat your dough with a rolling pin

1. Follow the dried yeast packet instructions to prepare the yeast. I dissolved 1 tsp of sugar in 75ml water (1 part boiling, 2 parts cold), then sprinkled this with 7,5g of yeast and whisked it thoroughly. The yeast should then be left in a warm place for about 15 min until it is covered with froth. Measures can vary depending of the brand. 

2. In a bowl add the flower and sugar. Add the butter in small pieces in a circle round the outer edge. Do the same with the egg. Make a hole in the middle (here we will add the yeast in a minute) Sprinkle the salt carefully on the outer edge of the bowl (Initially contact between yeast and salt should be avoided as the salt stops the yeast from being active).

3. Now poor slowly the dissolved dried yeast in the hole, while gradually with one hand starting to mix the flour with the yeast from the centre, slowly moving outwards adding all the ingredients. As the dough starts to form and thickens, continue the mixing with your hands. If the dough is to dry to workout add a splash of milk at room temperature.  If is too wet just incorporate more flour to the dough.

4. Once the dough has formed clean your sticky hands by rubbing flour in between them. Flour a clean work surface and transfer the dough on to here. Start to knead the dough, for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Work the dough well by folding it, punching it with your knuckles. Once smooth and elastic, set aside the dough covered with a clean (humid) kitchen towel or similar in a warm place until it has doubled in volume. (If you don’t have a warm place then just pre-heat your oven at 80ºC and turn off before putting in the dough).

Transfer the dough with a rolling pin

Cut any excess and ready to fill

5. Transfer the risen dough back to the work surface and knead slightly to a ball. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a flat circle, large enough to cover the baking tray, including edges.

6. Adding flour to the dough, carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and then transfer it to the baking tray (don’t try and stretch/pull the dough!) . Use your hands to lift and drop the dough into the corners of the tray, and cut any excess by rolling the rolling pin over the edges. Use a fork to make tiny holes in the dough

Filling for a Custard Cake

Dutch Custard Cake

You need for the custard: 900ml milk - 75g caster sugar - 75g custard powder

You need for the crumbs: 200g flour -140g butter -140g caster sugar

Custard

Add the custard mixture to the milk

Pour in the custard filling

In bowl mix the custard powder, sugar and a little of the milk, whisk very well until smooth. Boil the rest of the milk. When the milk is boiling stir in the custard mixture and keep on whisking until it is a thick mixture. Let cool down, but stir occasionally to avoid the forming of a skin on top.

Crumbs

Making the butter crumbs

Spread the crumbs over the custard

In a bowl mix the flour and the sugar. Add 140g cold butter in chunks. With a knife cut the butter in small pieces. Now with your hands, take the mixture and pinch a little and push the mixture forwards out of your hands with your thumbs (Be careful not too melt the butter in the process). Continue this process until crumbs are formed.

Assemble the cake:  Put the custard filling into the baking tray on top of the dough. Top with the crumbles and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC for about 20 minutes putting the cake in the middle of the oven. When you can see that the edges and top are golden brown, remove from the oven and let it cool down in a rack.

Cherry Cake or Gooseberry cake

You need: Some dough leftovers for making the lattice – 400x3 can of cherry cake filling or Gooseberry cake filling – 2tbsp of breadcrumbs – 1 egg (whisked) 1 tbsp. sugar

Pour in the Cherry filling

Traditional Dutch Lattice

1.       First spread the 2 tbsp. of breadcrumbs over the dough in the tin cake, in this way some of the filling will be absorb by the breadcrumbs.

2.       Again with a rolling pin make a flat disc of 25 cm with the leftover dough and then with a cutter or knife make the lattice 2 cm wide.

3.       Stir in the filling in the tin cake with the dough and spread evenly

4.       On top make a lattice like in the picture above.

5.       Brush with the whisked egg and sprinkle over some sugar over the lattice.

6.       Cook the cake in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC for about 20 minutes.

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Go Dutch with these easy Dutch cake recipes

Chewton Glen, luxury in the forest

Garden´s at Chewton Glen

Situated in New Milton in Hampshire this is very much a 5 star establishment. From the moment you enter the grounds with its well manicured lawns and woodland scenery you know that this is a special place. We were met at the Chewton Glen hotel entrance and foregoing the normal check in formalities were whisked up to our second floor suite.

The room did not disappoint being the epitome of luxury with a well appointed sitting area, ample storage space and a superbly comfortable bed.

The bedroom offers luxury and ample storage behind the mirrored wardrobes

The bathroom was also lavishly appointed with a tv screen above the bath to enjoy during a long soak.

The public areas are equally  well  furnished and are reminiscent of a large country house with burning logs in the ornate fireplaces and oversize armchairs and sofas to soothe relaxation. Nothing is deemed as too much trouble here and service is polite efficient and friendly. The Hotel Manager Ashley Ely and his excellent team ensures that everything runs smoothly. 

Croquet Grounds with main house in the background

The Chewton Glen has numerous indoor and outdoor facilities but this being mid and grey November we decided to make use of the hotels indoor Spa. This is the most incredible complex in the U.K with a large heated swimming pool, hydrotherapy pools, saunas ,steam rooms and gym and areas in which to relax with a light snack or healthy drink. As evening approached we had a drink in the bar followed by a superb 5 course tasting menu in the beautiful restaurant Vetiver. 

Breakfast table with a view

Fresh pastry with local berries

Breakfast the following day was an equally impressive affair after which we took a stroll around the extensive grounds. It was then time to take our leave but we will be back. In my opinion this is the best hotel in England and certain 5 star properties in London would be well advised to visit to see 5 star service in action.

Note1: Chewton Glen hotel has a Green Tourism Business Scheme Golden Awards

Note2: Conde Nast Traveller Gold List 2012 for Best Service in UK

The New Vetiver Restaurant with Luke Matthews Tasting Menu

Table at Vetiver Wine Room

Interior Designer Anita Rosato has created an outstanding restaurant room for a refine dinning experience. The gamble to transform the light conservatory into a more dark area with black wallpaper and provide the dark areas of the rest of the rooms with light pay off, adding also touch of lime and violet to the environment. At the end a perfect setting in which to enjoy the food where you feel in total intimacy that suits the atmosphere of the hotel.


We decided to go for the testing menu and take the wine options with each course and was bowled over by the knowledge and passionate enthusiasm of our Sommelier Andrea newly arrived from Italy. 
The dishes were venison Carpaccio with cous-cous and cauliflower puree, then a very crispy duck salad, afterwards an exiting combination of monkish with wild mushroom and gnocchi potatoes cooked to perfection. A bit disappointing was the grouse with too strong a flavour which left an unpleasant taste. But the dessert, New Forest Blackberry Vacherin with local berries deserved applause.


Also the wine selection was superb with georgous choices for the dishes like a Langhe Arneis from Piedmont a delicate Jumilla from Juan Gil.


The restaurant is not just an a la carte experience, you can go for the lunch menu or even just for very easy dishes. We had some sandwiches with a bowl of french fries in the lounge at lunchtime and they were delicious! 

Overall this is a fantastic dining experience for breakfast, lunch , afternoon tea and dinner!!

Pebble Beach Sea Food Restaurant in Barton-on-Sea

Pebble Beach Oyster Bar

Pebble Beach Restaurant is situated on the seafront above the cliffs at Barton on Sea Pebble Beach offers superb seafood in a lovely setting.

The restaurant is well furnished and there is an oyster bar where diners can enjoy their meals whilst watching the chefs do their culinary magic.

There is an outside terrace with glorious views across Christchurch Bay to the Isle of Wight.

Now about the food , the Head Chef Pierre was for many years based at the Chewton Glen in New Milton.

He and his team produce outstanding food and I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough as it is on a par with the best seafood restaurants in London such as J Sheekey. As a starter I had scallops served on a bed of peas. They were delicious and cooked to perfection. To follow I had a grilled Dover Sole served with seasonal vegetables.The dish was well presented with the vegetables in a curve around the fillets of sole. Also we had fresh lobster served on a bed of noodles which was equally impressive. The meal was washed down with a reasonably priced bottle of Albariño White wine from Galicia, Spain.

Views from the Restaurant terrace to Isle of Wight

Pebble beach also has a suite of rooms above the restaurant should you wish to stay overnight and the breakfasts served in the morning equal the quality of the evening meal. 

Three things to do around Chewton Glen

1. Go for a coastal walk to Barton-on-Sea (15 minutes walk from the hotel). Lands slide cliff and great views to Isle of Wight and the needle. Recharge energies in the Pebble Beach Oyster Bar.

2. Visit the New Forest National Park, once the hunting ground of William the Conqueror this wild woodland park offer several walk and bikes routes where you can see new forest ponies, cattle and with a bit of luck some deer.

3. A day out to Beaulieu. The area offer plenty of towns and farms to visit but Beaulieu has the famous Britain National motor museum with vintage car to F1 and the village has also a 13th century Abbey and plenty of shops and restaurants to have a gourmet experience.

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Chewton Glen, luxury in the forest