After much anticipation and hype surrounding Jason’s new solo venture I was very excited to get the chance to sample his food once again. Since dining at Maze in London back in 2008, I have been a massive fan of Jason’s cooking because of its originality. Unlike other Gordon Ramsay establishments, Jason’s personality was stamped all over it.

I would describe Jason’s food as very appealing and I’ve always found it very easy to relate to. When you can understand a chef’s way of thinking just by reading the menu, it gives you great confidence for what’s in store. His accuracy when preparing and cooking food is something I’ve always respected along with his ability to know when to stop adding flavours or ingredients; this being a dying trait.

Stepping into Pollen Street Social for lunch was a very exciting experience. Having visited in February while the restaurant was still a work site, I knew Jason’s vision had been realised. Upon entering the restaurant the staff were warm and welcoming, immediately creating a relaxed atmosphere and reflecting Jason’s style and food perfectly. I happily began my late lunch with a pint of Adnams, served in a tankard, whilst sitting at the bar observing a fantastic new restaurant with a really great buzz. On sitting at our table laid with white linen, although a casual atmosphere, I was reminded that this was a top restaurant in a top setting with its focus on providing a memorable experience.

My first course was the cauliflower and squid with clear roasted squid juice, cleverly constructed to look like risotto with the squid cut into small rice size pieces; full of flavour, well balanced, and a special way to begin the meal. For my main I had hake with sea vegetables; another well cooked dish displaying Jason’s talent to combine flavours without over-complicating the end result. For dessert, I had something that I was intrigued to try. Peaches, carrot granita, and tarragon ice-cream; a very inventive combination of flavours which worked really well and did not fail to deliver the wow factor you attach to Jason’s food.

Pollen Street Social; a new restaurant in temperamental times is, I’m pleased to say, a very busy restaurant with a fantastic chef at the helm. Jason’s respect for his ingredients and unique style of food have already earned him brilliant reviews and support. I can only endorse the positive views and envisage this as the start of great things to come.

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 x 200g fillets of Cod, skin on

8 Oysters

2 Egg yolks

Juice of 1 Lemon

400 ml Rapeseed Oil

250ml Fish stock

Fresh Chives

First make the oyster cream. Open all of the oysters, saving all of the juice. Cut the oysters away from their shells and quickly remove any debris by washing them in their juices. Pass the juice through a fine sieve and keep for later. In a blender, place 4 of the oysters, the egg yolks, lemon juice, then blend until smooth. Slowly add the rapeseed oil while blending until it is fully incorporated and a thick mayonnaise has formed. This will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

To cook the cod fillets, heat a heavy based non stick pan, add some rapeseed oil followed by the cod fillets skin side down. Cook the fillets over a medium to high heat for 2 minutes then season the cod with some salt, and place the pan in a hot oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the fillets over, season the top with some salt. Place the pan on the side and leave the cod to gently finish cooking.

Prepare the oyster cream by placing the mayonnaise in a pan and whisking in the retained oyster juice and fish stock until you reach a single cream consistency. Gently heat this on a low heat stirring constantly. Do not allow this sauce to get too hot or boil, as it will split. When hot and slightly thickened, add the 4 remaining oysters and allow to heat through. Finish with some freshly chopped chives, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Serve the cod fillets in bowls and serve with the oyster cream. This works great with some wilted spinach, or samphire when in season.

‘Restaurant: a place where meals can be bought and eaten’ (Websters Dictionary)

This seems an appropriate place to begin, being such an honest and functional definition. Restaurants have been operating for guests to dine out since Roman times, however, even in this era they were seen as more than just for this utilitarian use, as at the very least a place for communities to gather and socialise as well. Congruently nowadays, and particularly in the beautiful setting of North Cornwall this stark definition, while technically accurate, seems perfunctory and unbefitting for what we intend our guests to experience at Nathan’s restaurant.

No matter what the reason for dining; be it a passion for food, a special event, or just to spend time in the company of others, (I find I can personally always find an occasion/excuse to dine out), all are valued and momentous to us. Being an intimate team, each with a love of the industry, and being on both sides of a restaurant, we understand a meal can be so much more than just sating hunger. Partly what I love about our dining room is how intimate it is, accommodating a maximum of 24 covers in an evening. As a result of this, I always feel that there is so much more scope for enhancing a guest’s experience.

Of all the moments throughout an evening, my personal favourite is the beginning, the welcoming and adrenalin of what is in store for our diner. This is because no matter what the expectation, or the occasion, the pleasure that Nathan’s menu brings is one that I feel is an experience to be excited about. During an evening, there is no requisite or requirement of how involved or open our customers should be, our intention is merely for our diners to have a truly fantastic time.

This week we have been lucky enough, as ever, to have such lovely guests with us.  I don’t know why we are blessed like this.  Perhaps it is our location in gorgeous Rock where, even on an overcast day, it is very difficult to feel gloomy when you have the glistening estuary stretching before you. Or possibly it is just the exhilaration of being in the very talented hands of the small team of extremely passionate chefs with Nathan physically at the helm every day of service. For whichever reason, we do attract an unusual amount of genuinely good-natured guests.

Within the past few days, occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries, or simply being away in the bubble of Cornwall have called for loved ones to be spoilt. Our sommelier, Damon, has been kept busy as his matching wine flight has been particularly popular with some really beautiful wines featured. A Damon serving and talking about beverages is a happy Damon, especially with matches such as an extraordinary Frühburgunder from Ahr in Germany offered with our bream course, a wine that lures you in with its seductively smoky aromas only to surprise on the palate being incredibly fruit-driven with a silk-like texture.

On the food side of things, the sea bass has been an unprecedented success from the tasting menu. This dish is a carefully constructed ensemble of incredible produce, prepared to perfection, yet managing to let the flavours speak for themselves; and they are quite some flavours. The appearance of anything beetroot influenced always initially comes across quite ladylike with it’s vivid fuchsia colour. However, on the palate the deeply aromatic richness coming from the almost earthy pearl barley with the subtle smokiness running through the accompanying cured sea bass pâté could certainly be described as ‘macho’. Having said this, our guests’ favourite dish changes on an almost hourly basis, with Nathan, Tom and the two apprentices’ making this selection tough by delivering consistently stunning fish, and that is before even talking about the desserts!

At the end of the restaurant week, with the chefs cleaning down and the dining room being put to bed for the final time, we truly hope that all our guests are happy, that they have perhaps thought something phenomenal, tried something new or considered seafood in a different way. On Tuesdays we look forward to starting all over again and directing all our passion and drive into ensuring for our diners that their experience will be more than purely a functional evening in a place where meals can be bought and eaten.

Preparation: 5 minutes  Cooking: 2 minutes

Ingredients(serves 4):

1 Packet of brown shrimps (from local fishmonger)

250g Butter

1 Lemon zest

1 tbspn Freshly grated nutmeg

1 small red chilli left whole

5 Stalks of Dill with leaves removed for chopping

Pinch Cayenne

Potted shrimp butter is a wonderful dressing to have with most white fish. Traditionally set in the fridge and eaten cold as a starter with some bread, potted shrimp has a real distinct flavour and fragrance.

Melt the butter gently over a low heat. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper, chilli, and dill stalks. When warm, take off the heat and allow the ingredients to infuse the butter. When cool, pass the butter through a sieve into a clean pan and place back on a low heat. When the butter is warm, add the brown shrimps and gently warm through. Be careful not to over heat the shrimps as they will become very tough. Finish the butter with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, chopped dill, and a little freshly grated nutmeg.

This works as a great combination with white fish; we use it with whole grilled plaice in The Seafood & Grill, and some hand cut chips are always great for dipping in the butter afterwards.

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The Menu

Scallops

Pumpkin Puree & Candied Walnuts

Macon Solutre-Pouilly “Sur le Mont” 2007, Domaine Chevaux, Burgundy, France. Sponsored by Wadebridge Wines

Salt Ling

Squid & Porthilly Mussel Stew

Terras Gauda ‘O Rosal’ 2009, Bodegas Terras Gauda, Galicia, Spain. Sponsored by Ellis Wharton Wines

Slow Cooked Veal

Potato Gnocci & Parmesan Cream

Tahbik Marsanne 2007, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria, Australia. Sponsored by Wadebridge Wines

Char Grilled Monkfish

Brown Shrimps, Lemon & Fennel Carrots, Dill & Caper Dressing

Cheverney 2009, Clos du Tue Boeuf, Tourraine, Loire, France. Sponsored by Wadebridge Wines

Pain Perdu

Candied Ginger & Blood Orange Sorbet

Vin de Constance 2005, Klein Constantia, Constantia, S.A. Sponsored by Ellis Wharton Wines

Vanilla Cheesecake

Rhubarb & Frozen Yoghurt

Pinot Noir Beerenauslese 2006, Hemlut lang, Neussiedlersee, Austria. Sponsored by Ellis Wharton Wines

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Tim Alsop has supplied Nathan Outlaw Restaurants with the finest fish right from the very start. Based at Looe market, Tim has been a fish merchant for over 25 years and first met Nathan when Nathan was 20 and working at The Seafood Restaurant for Rick Stein. Nathan has always relied on Tim to supply the best fish available on the market every morning, sourcing the majority from small day boats fishing off the South West coast.

Tim works very closely with the chefs from both kitchens, and gives them a daily update of what is on the market and what to expect. Tim sources all his fish from boats certified by the Responsible Fishing Scheme, providing a better future for the conservation of the ocean and those dependant on it to earn a living.

Preparation: 25 minutes   Cooking: 5 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4):

12 medium – large Hand Dived Scallops

2 Free range egg yolks

25g Rocket

25g Parsley

25g Parmesan

5g Dijon mustard

20ml White wine vinegar

300ml Rapeseed oil (plus a little for cooking)

Hand dived scallops are something very special. Not only are they a more sustainable product than their more widely used dredged cousins, but they have a better flavour and texture. Dredging scallops can have long term damaging effects on the ocean bed, and the scallops themselves can get damaged and stressed, resulting in gritty scallops which lack flavour.

At our restaurants, the scallops come in still snapping and pulsing, and are prepped and on the plate by dinner. The freshness, as well as the way they have been handled, guarantees a stunning dish when cooked well and combined with something very simple. We serve them with a herb mayonnaise made from parsley and rocket, but some fresh lemon juice and parsley works just as well.

Ask your fish monger to prepare the scallops for you and keep them refrigerated until needed. For the mayonnaise, place all of the ingredients, except the oil, in to a food processor. Blitz the ingredients until you have a smooth green paste. Gradually add the oil until the mixture thickens and forms the mayonnaise. You can keep this refrigerated for up to 3 days.

To cook the scallops, heat a wide, non-stick, heavy based pan until almost smoking – turn the heat down, add a little rapeseed oil and carefully place the scallops in the pan. By the time you have placed the last scallop in the pan, the first one will be ready to turn. Quickly season all the scallops with some salt and turn them in the same order. Cook for a further 2 minutes then remove the scallops from the pan.

Serve the scallops alongside the mayonnaise and perhaps with some lightly toasted bread. At The Seafood & Grill we serve them with Bacon and Onion bread that has been lightly charred.  Delicious!

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Preparation: 10 minutes  Cooking: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4):

1.5kg Mussels

200mls Sharps Doom Bar beer

1/2 Onion chopped

Pinch of fresh parsley chopped

Rapeseed Oil

Porthilly mussels are one of the many wonders we have located in Rock, they grow on the Camel estuary banks, visible from the restaurant. Doom Bar beer is brewed at Sharp’s brewery, 5 minutes from where the mussels lay. The combination of mussels and beer is commonly used in Belgium, normally with a wheat based beer. Doom Bar is made with toasted barley and has a delicate, malty flavour and bitterness which brings out the sweetness of the mussels when cooked.

Best eaten with some crunchy bread, mussels are so easy to cook and packed full of flavour.

Make sure the mussels are alive by checking that the shells are closed. Discard any mussel that is open and does not close up as soon you tap it. First, remove the beards from the mussels. These are the small hair-like fibres attached to the mussel at one end. Simply pull them away from the shell. If the mussels are especially dirty or sandy you will need to give them a rinse or a very quick soak in clean, cold water but normally just a quick splash in and out of clean water will help get away most of the dirt without losing the natural flavour.

Place a deep pan on the heat and allow to get hot. Add some oil, then the onions and sweat for 30 seconds. Add the mussels, quickly followed by the beer. Place a lid on top of the pan and leave to steam for 5 minutes. Give the pan a quick shake and leave for a further 2 minutes. Check the mussels – when all of the shells are open, they are cooked. Discard any that remain closed. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve, pouring any remaining juice over the top.

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The Seafood & Grill is nothing without its great local produce. Rock Shellfish has been supplying the finest oysters and mussels to The Seafood & Grill since we opened in 2009.

The Marshall family, owners of Porthilly Farm for four generations, farm oysters and mussels on the banks of the Camel estuary. Visible from the restaurant, Tim Marshall and his son, Luke, work on the farm daily and deliver the oysters and mussels to the restaurant themselves.

For our Porthilly Mussels cooked in Doom Bar Click here

On 21st March 2011 Nathan welcomed Mitch Tonks from The Seahorse in Dartmouth, and Tim McLaughlin-Green from Sommeliers’ Choice to join him for an evening displaying the many wonders of seafood and wine. Nathan and Mitch demonstrated two of the six dishes cooked for guests and were quizzed on their philosophy of seafood and cooking by Daphne Skinnard from BBC Radio Cornwall.

Each course was accompanied by a fine wine, chosen and supplied by Tim, a good friend and wine supplier to Mitch. Tim delivered a talk on each wine and the art of matching wines with food.

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