Roast Club at The Cinnamons

I go to a lot of restaurants, and have done for years. One of my favourite meals is the classic Sunday roast with all the trimmings. The more trimmings, the better. Beef, chicken, lamb or pork, I'm not bothered. I just love that carb partnered meat fest.

I've written up a few really good ones recently, which got me thinking about this. My friends Wayne and Vicki do the best roast ever, so I'm going to tell you all about it. Their house isn't really called the Cinnamons either, but if it had a name, it would definitely be that. You can't go round for tea, because that would be well weird, but you can do your own version, and be jealous of me.

I'm not going to say much, but am going to expose you to some pictures which will make you angry that you were not there, and I was.

Vicki still basks in the glory of one of my favourite meals ever; french onion soup, then venison stew with shoestring fries. We had it the night before I flew to Mauritius to get married, but we won't judge it on that! It's still one of the happiest evenings of my whole life.

Both of them are excellent cooks, but Wayne takes the lead when it comes to roasts. He even used to have a legendary gravy pan, which has since bit the dust and been replaced with a newer version. Vicki rules the roost when it comes to sides (they never run out).

Roast chicken: The Gary Rhodes method I believe! Super moist and packed with herby flavours. Best roast chicken ever.

Yorkshires: Soft on the bottom, fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside (bit like me...) Found myself thinking about these the following Tuesday afternoon.

Roasties: I am making myself angry now. They are so crisp. And not here now. They were great.

Cauliflower cheese: And there we have it. Essential food group three is fully nailed, and even counts as one of your five a day.

Veggies: What makes vegetables even better? That's correct, the glisten of a tonne of butter.

Stuffing: I have a stuffing rule. Thou shalt not serve stuffing that looks wet, for it should have crispy edges. Nailed it. 

Gravy: (Puts on Penny Lad's voice) Ooh, Wayne makes an excellent gravy! Rumour had it that he put prosecco in this one. I am literally shaking my head at how much I have annoyed myself writing this post. I laughed at the start about how jealous you would all be. Now I'm the one who's fuming.

The deal is, I provide pudding. It's what we do. Wayne had a right mouth for cinnamon buns, so challenged me to a bundt version. Tah dah!

Best bit about dessert? Matilda's first piece of bundt cake. She loved it and I will be eternally joyful when I think about the smile on her little face! 

They are two of my favourite people in the whole world, and they made a mixture of both of them, so I obviously love Matilda more...

I can't wait for the day that one of them is on Masterchef, and I can say I knew them when they sat scoffing a Square Slice with us on a Friday night. Thank you for yet another wonderful night.

The Hinchcliffe, Hebden Bridge

Some days are just perfect, aren't they? The sun was shining (again), and a day trip had been planned. Those tormenting pictures on The Hinchcliffe's Instagram had finally taken their toll, and on a complete whim, we were booked in for a Sunday Roast.

The only slight spanner in the works to a delicious, carby roast was the glorious weather. It was redders. Alas, all was well when we arrived in picturesque Cragg Vale. The air-con had been pumping round the car with the fervency of a blast chiller, and we arrived to find the most idyllic outside terrace, which was covered in parasols to protect those with more sensitive skin than mine...

Picture shamelessly lifted from The Hinchcliffe's Instagram

We were welcomed by the delightful Kit, who was also my favourite ever contestant on First Dates! He's a very funny chap who seems to thrive on friendly interaction. He can sit with us. All the staff at the Hinchcliffe were fantastic to be honest, especially our waitress who's name I didn't catch, but I do remember she was a fellow history graduate (geek 'fist bump').

Chef Rob Owen Brown was the chap who ran the Mark Addy in Salford, famed for its Manchester eggs, superb roasts, and sadly for getting flooded in 2014. With the River Irwell firmly behind him, Rob has picked one of the most beautiful locations in the country to set up shop.

Crispy black pudding potato cake, poached hen's egg, and a tangy tarragon butter sauce: Fairly certain that eaten in any large quantity, that this sauce would surely kill you. It was rich and decadent, and the perfect mate for that tasty black pudding potato cake. 

Pressed ham hock terrine with onion relish: Oh terrines, how I love thee. The perfect picnic style starter. The WI would pin a ribbon on that onion relish.

Sunday lunch sharing platter - local aged beef, free range poussin, locally reared pork, with stuffing, roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and Yorkshire puddings: I had to take several pictures to fit it in. Kind of regretted starters when it arrived, but then got far too involved in stuffing my face to care. I feel these pictures really do not do it justice. Behold! The only thing it was missing was some crackling.

Banana bread with vanilla ice cream: 'I'm not having a dessert' I bleated. However, after tasting the rest of the food, I felt I would have only completed half a job if I didn't sample baked goods. This looked really dark and rich like a sticky toffee pudding, but it was incredibly light. For those of you who hate bananas, me too, but when baked into a cake like this, they take on a whole new form. The same cannot be said for beetroot. Be warned.

We've already recommended The Hinchcliffe to pretty much everyone we have been in contact with since going; friends, family, the lady on the checkout at M&S... I can't wait to go back here in winter to experience the cosy pub side they have to offer.

Go here whatever the weather. It's peaceful and picturesque in the summer, and I imagine it's the cosiest fireside spot in winter. Either way, you're going to get great food and a warm welcome.

A couple of weeks later we went to see Rob at The Big Grill Festival at Burr's Country Park in Bury. He did not disappoint there either. I'll leave you with some pictures of another lovely day out. Let's make the most of this sunshine!

Fat Tony's at Kosmonaut, Manchester

Oh Fat Tony, whoever you are, here we are again to sample your wares with a sense of glee. The last time I was asked to review Fat Tony's at Kosmonaut, I was very sure indeed that I had developed gout over the course of the meal. Feeling invincible after successfully avoiding it, I threw caution to the wind in a triumphant return.

This time it was the turn of the roast. I was already hoping that the beef would be somewhat like that beautifully pink steak on the poutine from last time, glistening in the er... spotlights above the booth we sat in. Anyway, enough about whimsical memories, and to the food.

There we were, successfully parked nearby and feeling like winners because we were not drenched. We were greeted by Louise who it turns out is utterly wonderful in every way. No surly Sunday afternoon stares from this one, she was chirpy and friendly, despite mentioning she had been on shift the night before. She was only too happy to make some brilliant beer suggestions too, based on a few preferences I gave to her. I have it on good authority that Fantasma by Magic Rock, and Heathen by Northern Monk were great choices. We liked her a lot.

Beef roast - served with cabbage, carrots, broccoli, stuffing, roast potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding: This is more like a massive steak on a pile of potatoes, stuffing and vegetables, crowned with a Yorkshire pud. It was what I had been dreaming of since booking the table. I took a close up of the beef because I didn't feel the picture below really showcased its magnificence. Major points for those sweet rosemary roasted carrots.

Behold.

Chicken roast: A chicken version of the above, with the same accompaniments. The chicken was moist and well seasoned, and came with a tasty chicken gravy. Only comment is that he would have liked a little more of this liquor.

Cauliflower cheese: The only sides available on Sundays are sweet potato croquettes and cauliflower cheese, however croquettes were off the menu on this particular day. Not to worry though, as you can see, we had more than enough food. Served al dente and smothered in cheese.

I may not be a food critic, but I eat a lot, and frequently, so I am declaring myself qualified to tell you that this roast is pretty darn good. We've done quite a few country pub style roasts recently, which still have a special place in my heart (well arteries anyway), but we both commented that this felt more 'restauranty' without the formal atmosphere.

Go to Fat Tony' at Kosmonaut for a chilled Sunday afternoon, filled with comforting food, great beers and friendly staff. I feel at home here.


Disclaimer: I was asked to review Fat Tony's and they knew I was coming. However, I have eaten here when not reviewing, and I can confirm it's consistently great. I was under no obligation to say nice things, or befriend Louise.

Fox, Hale Barns

So life has been a bit upside down of late, so I'm playing catch up. While this in itself is a lovely task because I get to look at some mouth watering photos and recall happy memories, it's also meant that I've spent the last few evenings being very hungry indeed.

First, to Fox in Hale Barns. I decided to start with this one because it has to be the best meal I have had in a long time. That's correct, I'm getting it out there, right here, right now. Fox can do no wrong in my eyes; from the location in pretty Hale Barns, the people who work there, the decor, the outstanding food, and the Jo Malone influenced products in the toilets. Everything about this place oozes unctuous luxury, but in a refreshingly relaxed environment. This makes no sense unless you have been.

I felt so strongly about this that I pretty much wrote my conclusion in my introduction. I suppose I had better show you what all the fuss is about with the actual food.

Let me set the scene... The day is cold, bright and sunny, and my dining companion and I are headed on a scenic 'A road' tour through Altrincham, and into the leafy suburb of Hale Barns. They have a Booths... you know where I'm headed. I'm a big fan of a weekend road trip, so this made the excursion doubly exciting. After an initial kerfuffle with finding the car park, getting overly excited about the aforementioned Booths, and cooing over the beautiful exterior, we were greeted, seated and drinks were in our hands in record time. 

Sourdough garlic bread - half cheese, half tomato: I was hungrier than I had ever been in my entire life, and also a tad melodramatic, whilst perusing the menu. Our utterly delightful waitress (whose name escapes me, annoyingly), quickly suggested sourdough garlic bread whilst we decided. Unable to agree on our preferred flavour, half and half was ordered - perfect.

Owner Danny Fox came for a chat whilst we were mid starter based conundrum, so we let him pick his favourites for us. Oh Danny, you picked two little belters.

Prawn pil pil - baked king prawns in olive oil, garlic, chilli, paprika, lemon, chopped parsley, served with crusty sourdough bread: For someone who used to have a pathological fear of eating prawns, I couldn't leave these alone. They weren't even my starter! Beautifully cooked in a rich and spicy sauce, mopped up with crusty bread. Not comfortable yet? You must be crackers. This dish is the equivalent of warm fluffy socks after a soak in a hot bubble bath. 

Duck and pomegranate apple salad - mixed leaves, apple, pomegranate, toasted mixed seeds, balsamic and honey dressing: Forget everything you know about salad, immediately. This was so tasty! Warm duck, a tangy dressing, sweet fruit and those wonderfully nutty seeds. These are my kind of leaves.

Grilled hake - roasted cherry tomato, chorizo, puy lentil ragù, basil and a hint of chilli: Another recommendation from fantastic Mr Fox himself. I wish I could have captured the smell of this for you, and hasten the development of the technology which would allow me to do so. You will just have to trust me that this is Autumnal bliss.

Roasted succulent sirloin of Red Hereford beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and steamed vegetables all finished with a rich red wine gravy: Warmed me right through this did. Behold. Already drenched in that glistening gravy, they give you more on the side; Fox and I are going to be friends. Anywhere that serves me parsnips when I'm already a little chilly will be forever in my good books. It even comes with a glass of free prosecco.

We picked some skinny fries and grilled asparagus to have on the side of our lunches, the star of the show being the addition of sesame seeds to the asparagus.

Sticky toffee pudding with a rich butterscotch sauce and ice cream: There's a nip in the air and wind in my hair; pudding time is upon us. Looks as dense as a house brick with its saturated toffee sponge, but was genuinely as light as a feather.

Crème brûlée - oven cooked cream with mixed berries: Good crack on that sugar crust, not too sweet and served with a lovely homemade compote.

Drinks: Lovely selection of drinks, ranging from decent beers (can highly recommend Lagunitas Day Time for those not wanting to be hammered at lunchtime), mocktails and cocktails, and an impressive wine list (finishing the bottle is highly recommended for those who do wish to be hammered at lunchtime).

We rounded the meal off with a rather civilized pot of tea, which came served in a very pleasing speckled duck egg blue teapot and cup. Even their tableware makes me smile.

Why am I writing this up whilst on a gym and meal programme? I pretty much summed up Fox at the start of this post, and I'm sure my pictures alone will have left you fancying a trip. Fox is everything I love about dining out; good company, wonderful food, a bit of friendly chat with our servers, comfortable surroundings, and those little extras which make the experience that bit special. Front of house and kitchen teams are together working in perfect harmony, which will make you want to stay all day.

The best ever festive roasties

It's lunchtime on Friday 9th December, and I've already had one Christmas Dinner so far this month. I feel it's my duty to cane as many of these as I can over the festive period, for when they are gone, they are gone. At the heart of this glorious meal is the golden, fat seared roast potato, which is nowhere to be seen on my Body Coach eating plan. When they're good, they are a thing of joy, but get a bad one, and that culprit will be on the naughty list for the rest of eternity (or until they make better ones). 

United Utilities are asking us foodie folk to spare a thought for their amazing teams who de-gunk our water pipes this Christmas. Did you know that the average North West household pours 14Ibs of fat, oils and grease down the drain in a year. Across the region, this equates to 2.9 million stone - the weight of over 243,000 UK adults (more than the population of Oldham!). Disgusting! 

You might not have realised that United Utilities have to attend over 53,000 call-outs to pipe blockages every year at a cost of £20 million. That's caused by folk tipping fat down their drains.

What can I do instead?

• Pop it back in the container when cool, and chuck it in the bin.
• Goose and duck fat can actually be reused a few times too!
• Use lighter cooking methods where possible. I only ever use coconut oil to fry things other than roasties. No excess means no waste. You might lose a few pounds too...

‘My Roastie Photie’ - #binfat2winthat

United Utilities is launching the ‘My Roastie Photie’ competition, asking people to post a photo of their perfectly cooked roast potato with the hashtag #binfat2winthat – giving five people the chance to bag £100 of food vouchers. SO SHOW ME YOUR ROASTIES!

Get them shared, and say hello to those fat clearing heroes at United Utilities on Facebook or Twitter. 

So here's my offering. The best roasties in the west, in my opinion anyway!

Ingredients

• 1.5 kilos of Maris Piper potatoes
• 320g jar of duck fat (I used the M&S one)
• 1.5 tbsp semolina powder
• Maldon sea salt

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Cut diagonally in order to maximise the exposed surface area. This means more crispiness! Give them a wash in a colander before putting in the pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 'Hades' level. The hotter the better! Place the shelf on the top rung of the 'middle' section. 
3. Pour the whole tub of duck fat into a large, heavy bottomed roasting tin and place in the oven.
4. Pop the spuds into cold, salted water and bring to a simmer. Parboil for 5 minutes. 
5. Drain and then put back in the pan. 
6. Sprinkle in the semolina.
7. Right. Muscles needed folks. Start chuffing! Shake that pan like you're in a pan shaking competition! You're also burning a few calories, so you don't need to feel bad about the amount you will eat later... The edges should be all fluffy (see above).
8. Your duck fat should be bubbling nicely in the oven. Remove the roasting tray and put onto the hob. BE CAREFUL! It's hotter than hell fire!
9. Working quickly, place the potatoes into the bubbling fat. Do not tip them from the pan. You will regret this on your way to A&E. I generally do it carefully by hand so I can do a few at a time, but I would recommend using cooking tongs.
10. Back in the oven sharpish!
11. Cook for 30 minutes.
12. Turn using tongs.
13. Back in for 30 minutes.
14. Turn using tongs.
15. You are looking for a nice golden brown colour all over (see above). They will probably need at least another 20 minutes, but unlike baking this is no exact science. Take them out when they are done!
16. Remove from the hot fat using tongs and into a large ovenproof bowl lined with kitchen roll.
17. Dab any excess fat with more kitchen roll. Remove all said kitchen roll.
18. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp of Maldon sea salt.

I generally then leave these in the bottom of a medium oven whilst I cook my veggies and carve the meat. This gives them an extra bit of crispy wonderfulness.

The Boathouse, Appley Bridge

I love a recommendation. I have a list on my phone of places where friends and colleagues have insisted I must go, and I have to say that it's very rare that this system lets me down. A couple of weekends ago it was the turn of The Boathouse in Appley Bridge. Another Sunday, another roast.

The Boathouse is set in a lovely little village in Wigan, and is positioned next to a beautiful canal with barges, cute places to sit and even a few friendly ducks. It's ideal for these upcoming sunny days we've been promised.

The dining room is smartly decorated, yet feels homely, with a separate 'snug' area if you just fancy a drink. There are lots of brightly coloured traditional pots and pans, a few nets, and other nautical memorabilia adorning the walls and beams (think Rosie and Jim), but more impressively, the music is fantastic! Both the Foo Fighters and Incubus were on whilst we were there. It's a Spotify playlist they created apparently...

We picked from the Sunday lunch menu, which is £13.95 for two courses, or £16.95 for three. Normally we pick different things and try a bit of each other's, but sorry folks, we both wanted the same thing this time.

Ham hock - fried egg, toasted brioche and peppercorn sauce: A thick piece of brioche topped with a big old pile of shredded ham hock. Really very tasty indeed.

Boathouse traditional Sunday lunch - beef, seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy: Very simple and not over-thought. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and retained a little bite, and the beef was tender and bathed in gravy. The only thing that could have been improved for us was the Yorkshire, which should have been a little crisper. Nevertheless, very enjoyable.

Sticky toffee pudding - toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream: We were both huge fans of this pudding. It was the kind of sticky toffee pud that has chunks of sweet date hiding in a very light sponge. Beautiful.

Coffee and Eccles cake: This is worth a mention because it came with a very special little Eccles cake. Sugar coated pieces of happiness.

The Boathouse is a lovely ride out into the countryside without having to go too far. The scenery is just idyllic too. It's the kind of place where couples feel just as comfortable as families, and there is plenty of room to sit outdoors if the weather is nice. They even have a little ice cream hut next to the canal. Go here on a lazy, warm afternoon.

Provenance, Westhoughton

Stumbling across Provenance was a total accident. It opened on Thursday last week, and a friend 'liked' it on Facebook on Friday. Curiosity engaged, I went for a nosy at their website. Not only is it a restaurant, but they also have a butcher's, deli, cheese shop, hot food take away, a cake counter, ice cream counter and a cafe. I almost moved in.

We went on Sunday to sample their roast. A lovely lady (who I am assuming is one of the owners) came for a chat about the whirlwind that was the opening weekend, and how they have limited covers to get it as right as they can first time. I like this attitude. It's clear that a lot of money has been put into this venture, as the whole building is utterly stunning. Everything is finished to a high standard, down to even having Sonos speakers in each room. Nice touch.

Southern fried chicken wings - charred sweetcorn salsa, chipotle ketchup: My husband is a proper fan of fried chicken, and even having it for lunch the previous day didn't deter him from ordering it again. These plump little wings were beautiful, but the salsa stole the show for me. I nicked it... 

Goosnargh chicken liver parfait - gooseberry and ginger chutney, toasted brioche: You can't really get the perspective here, but this was a huge portion of parfait. The tangy chutney was the perfect partner. 

Roast topside of Aberdeen Angus beef with roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy: We went for one of each, just to ensure a fair sample... There's not much I can say about the roasts other than that they were fine examples of the British classic. Yorkshires were crisp with a fluffy bottom, the meats were tender and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. My only complaint was the addition of beetroot (mortal enemy number two), which I dealt with like a grown up and left to one side...

Roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy

Lemon meringue - candied lemon and raspberry sorbet: I could not leave without trying this. I'm ashamed to say that despite being full to bursting after two courses, I ate pretty much all of this! It was just too good... 

I adore Provenance already. I love their eagerness to get it right, what they have done with the building, the friendly staff and the homely food. I can't wait to go back for breakfast!