Join with us in celebrating the best locally caught fish West Bay has to offer, and meet with the fisherman and suppliers who bring the fish to the table.  Frest fish will be available to buy and will be cooked on the barbecue for everyone to taste and enjoy alongside lobster, crab, squid, scallops and other fishy delights.  Our Chefs will be giving cookery demonstrations, and locally born, Mark Hix, will also be present during the day.

10am – 4pm   Admission FREE

Visit www.bridportfoodfestival.co.uk for more information about the other events during the week Sunday 10th June to Sunday 17th June inclusive

The film is showing at The Electric Palace, Bridport starting at 7:30 pm.  Tickets £8 adult and £4 children.

Visit www.frompagetoscreen.org.uk for more information about the week of events.

Mussel & White Bean Cassoulet with Lyme Bay Pollack Steak

Serves 6 as an accompaniment to fish or 2 as a soup

Ingredients

2 x 410g tins white beans/haricot blanc

1 large leek, cut in half lengthways and finely sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 bay leaves

2 x Sprig thyme

Small pot parsley, coarsely chopped stalks too

50ml good olive oil

2kg fresh mussels, washed and “debearded”

500ml sauvignon blanc or white wine you like to drink at home

Method

Start off by draining the beans and rinse gently.  In a heavy bottomed pan, sweat the vegetables in the olive oil with one sprig of  thyme and bay leaves until the onions and celery are translucent. Add the drained beans and set aside off the heat.

Once thoroughly cleaned, heat another pan (large enough to contain the mussels comfortably) and when hot pour the mussels in.  Immediately after, add the thyme and pour in the wine and then cover with a lid.  Allow a few minutes before removing the lid to check if the mussels have started to open.  Give a stir and replace the lid until all the mussels have opened.  Remove  from the heat with the lid off.  Strain the contents in a colander – CAREFUL TO KEEP ALL THE LIQUOR DRAINING OFF.  Strain the mussel liquor again through a fine sieve or mesh to remove any remaining grit.  Reserve this on the side.

Carefully take the meat from the mussels and add to the bean pan.  You may want to keep a few mussels in their shells for presention.  Add the liquor to the beans and mussels to the required consistency.  If you want it thinner, simply add a little water.  Taste for seasoning – it should be seasoned enough by the salty mussel liquor but adjust to your liking.

To Serve

Gently heat to a simmer and remove.  Add the chopped parsely and a little more olive oil if you wish.  This works nicely as a sauce to some simply baked fish or equally as a light broth-style soup with some fresh crusty bread.

Due to the nature of mussels, ensure that they come from a reliable supplier and are fresh.  The cassoulet can be kept in the fridge for a maximum of three days, so it is possible to prepare in advance. 

Joe Taylor,  our Sommelier,  recommends the following wine to drink with it:

Fairhall Cliffs Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011 from a vineyard owned by John Marris in Marlborough, New Zealand.  It is available from Majestic Wines.  If you would like to try in the Restaurant look for it under its Trade Name of Fernlands 2011.

Said Joe:  “This is a zesty, light bodied wine with tropical fruit flavours which will go well with the Mussel and White Bean Cassoulet and any shellfish dish”.

Dame Margaret Seward DBE talking at Weldmar Hospicecare Charity Lunch

We were pleased once again to host a Charity Lunch for Weldmar Hospicecare Trust organised by Dr Ian Gibson.  The 80 guests enjoyed a two course lunch with a complimentary glass of wine and then were entertained by Dame Margaret Seaward DBE who gave a very amusing talk entitled ‘Going for a Gong’.

Dame Margaret Seaward DBE has had a long established career in dentistry.  She received the CBE in 1994 and became a Dame in 1999.  She has recently written her biography “Open Wide, Memoir of the Dental Dame”.

Close Encounters is a website which enables you to discover the villages, towns and people of Wessex through old films and new recordings about each place and through the perspectives of the people who live and work there.

www.closeencounters-mediatrail.org.uk

The Riverside Restaurant, West Bay, hosted the Bridport Literary Festival  ‘Good Table’ Event  with author Valentine Warner.   The 80 attendees enjoyed a talk with a question and answer session by Valentine Warner followed by a delicious soup served by the Riverside.

Valentine Warner [a local lad] is known as a culinary adventurer with a passion for food and nature and has regular spots on TV and columns in the national press.   As well as introducing his new book: THE GOOD TABLE in which he pays homage to the art of slow cooking of cheaper cuts of meat,  he also recounted the time when he worked at the Riverside in his youth as a wine waiter. Although remembered with fondness by the Riverside team it was not one of his finest moments, he still holds the record for breaking the most glasses in a service! He did, however, before completing his stint at the Riverside, spend some time in their kitchen where his experimenting with recipes (not always successful) ignited his passion for food.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 celery head [100 gms]
• 1 globe of garlic [50 gms]
• 1 sweet red pepper
• 4 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 red chillis
• 1 litre fish/seafood stock
• 400 gms cod loin
• 300 gms small squid sliced
• 250 gms raw prawns
• 300 gms crab meat
• Cayenne Pepper
• Fresh Ground Hungarian Paprika
• Black Pepper
• Ground White Pepper
• Worcester Sauce
• Large glass white wine
• Olive oil
• Unsalted butter
• Soured cream & parsley to serve

Method:

Finely chop the onion, pepper and celery. Crush the garlic. Sweat in the olive oil and butter until soft. Add the chopped skinned tomatoes, white wine and simmer.

Add the stock and the fish, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked through

Gently add peppers, paprika etc with a small splash of Worcester sauce until desired taste is achieved.

Before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of soured cream and garnish with parsley.

This soup is inspired by the flavours of Hungary, where river fish soup spiced with fresh paprika is a popular and tasty dish.

JÒ ÈTVÀGYAT!

Ingredients

• About 800 g fish [half mackerel and half haddock]
• 500 ml fish stock
• 1 red pepper finely diced
• 1 large onion very finely chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves – crushed
• 500 g passata
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 red chillies de-seeded & chopped
• 2 inches fresh ginger grated
• 1 lime

Method

Heat a couple of tablespoons of veg oil in a large pan. Add all dried spices and let sizzle for a few minutes to let them infuse.

Add the onions, garlic chillies and red pepper and cook until the onion is softened

Stir in the passata and after heating through for 5 mins or so add the fish stock. Stir well and bring up to a simmer.

Add the mackerel fillets [whole] so they poach in the liquid. Once done [5-10 mins] removed with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the haddock to the pan [chopped into bite size pieces]

Meanwhile chop the mackerel [removing any skin and bones]. Add the mackerel back to the pan. Stir in the coconut milk, squeeze in lime juice. Heat through for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then serve.