Your mission: To achieve scoffing nirvana. Location: Saltburn Supper Club. Date: 29th June 2013. We roll up to the door and for once we are the first. The warmest welcome from both Mark and Sarah. I am not normally a hugging, cheek kissing person. I tend to avoid it like the plague to be honest. Like all things in our relatively blink-of-an-eye existence, it all depends on who is giving the hug. I am happy to say that when it comes to the hostess of SSC, barriers come down. On Mark’s behalf, he offers the most solid foundation building handshake (I bet Mark gives a good man-hug). We have a more intimate evening, only another six dining guests so M & S join us. Introductions are made, drinks are poured and on with the show. Tonight’s theme is Morrocan. Sarah does not just cook a standard set of dishes for these evenings nor does she go out of her way to scare you silly. Sarah achieves a balance. We begin with a trio of meze; Harissa, a chilli spiked spread/dip. Good rustic texture and lets a little heat slide across the palate. Zadlouk is a warmed aubergine dip. All earthy, unctuous and smoky. I could eat a lot of this. Then we have a fava bean dip/spread. Creamy white and flavourful. Lots of flat breads to dip and spread these little lovelies on. Bowls of olives and a simple green salad with chunks of salty feta. The mains; well I forgo the couscous accompanying what comes next, why? Simply because what is placed before me looks as if it desires a little more bread and I am about to be gobsmacked rith into the middle of next week. We are presented with two tagines. You know that what is coming has been cooked long and slow. A chicken and preserved lemon & olive tagine and a Kefta tagine. “Heaven, I’m in heaven…” The chicken falls apart through the lightest mastication. It is very chickeny-wickeny-woo (an often used phrase in our house).The lemon bursts through. Preserved lemons have a depth to them. If this had been made with just lemons, it could not and would not work. All the flavour of lemon but not looking like you have just sucked one! The kefta tagine. Sweet, exotically spiced lamb meatballs and a sauce that screams for bread. I really want to ask for seconds or a doggy bag nay a doggy sack. I don’t though. Mind you I should have organised an illicit kefta run later on. I can’t comment on the couscous as I so taken with the tagines. Lets just say it was damned good. More conversation, more laughter and then onto dessert. It is hard to top what you have just eaten and it was quite weighty. Sarah gives us a simple benign dessert of what I think is ice-cream and a warmed berry compote. Bloody great! But the star is yet to come. Time for coffee and tea and cue 2001: Space Odyssey music. Dry ice clouds sweep in from the kitchen: M’haancha! A filo pastry roll that is coiled. Full of sweet loveliness, almonds, sugar, rosewater and lots of love. I assume it is normally served with tea or coffee in its native land. We would possibly ruin it by covering it in cream but Sarah dishes it up au naturelle (not how you think this reads).It would be perfect on a winter’s day after playing out in the snow. Perfect now though. I eat mine and finish Yasmin’s (I asked). I am, we are, all very happy contented little babies tonight. Perhaps some of us are a little too full, the old case of eyes bigger than… If you have not been to an SSC evening then you are missing out. The concept is great, the food is a treat, the company is convivial, the hosts are warm and the evening is a success. The fact that I can go out on a Saturday evening to eat with a bunch of strangers, receive the warmest of welcomes as if they were friends you have not seen for a year or so, eat as much or as little of a delightful fixed menu at an incredibly affordable price leaves me speechless. Restaurants should watch out. Saltburn Supper Club is here and it is here to stay. Hopefully!
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:04:27 +0000
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