Wirral Life April 2018 | Page 38

W L SALT by Carl Housbey When I phoned up to book my table at Salt, I imagined a nice relaxing drive down to Stratford-upon-Avon followed by a stroll around the historic town centre in the spring sunshine to stretch my legs before lunch. The reality turned out very differently due to “The Beast from the East” depositing large amounts of snow acr oss the UK bringing the road network to a halt. However, a true Gastro Grazer doesn’t let a blizzard get in the way of a good meal, besides which there was a deadline to meet so that our loyal readers have another article to read (you don’t get this kind of service with other magazines) and so despite the journey taking two hours longer than it should have, I eventually arrived. Upon stepping through the front door in a flurry of snow I was greeted by the sight of a roaring fire in the middle of the restaurant, which made the cosy low-ceilinged room even more welcoming. Then my nose detected the aroma of freshly baked bread drifting from the kitchen at the far end where Chef Patron Paul Foster and his small team were working their magic. My mouth was already watering so I wasted no time before getting stuck into some of the warm bread rolls slathered in thick yellow butter, whilst Paul was making my first course of Salt baked celeriac with egg yolk & truffle puree, and bacon. This dish was absolutely delicious, and it set the scene for the rest of the meal, with each course comprising of about 3 or 4 ingredients that Paul manages to coax every last drop of flavour out of. I am going to have to miss out a few courses as there simply isn’t enough space to write about them all in the detail they deserve, and I simply must tell you about the carrot cooked in chicken fat with crispy chicken skin, this is an absolute flavour sensation and is without a doubt the best carrot dish I have ever eaten in my entire life. The natural sweetness of the carrot is complemented perfectly 38 wirrallife.com by the saltiness of the crisp chicken skin, and then that silky chicken juice hits your taste buds making you want to lick the bowl (sadly my tongue isn’t long enough) Another favourite dish of the day was the heavenly Mangalitza pork with black pudding, Yorkshire rhubarb, pistachio, and green olive. For those of you that have not tried Mangalitza Pork before, the simplest way to describe it is that its the porcine equivalent of Wagyu Beef, but rather than a marbling of fat throughout this has a great thick layer of the tastiest and most succulent fat on the outside. The tartness of the Yorkshire rhubarb working to great effect refreshing the palate between each mouthful. Main course was Beef onglet, with malted artichoke, and sprouting broccoli, each ingredient was perfectly cooked and complemented each other brilliantly, as onglet is very beefy in flavour and needs some robust vegetables that can stand up for themselves. By this stage of the meal we were feeling rather full, luckily both desserts were light and fresh, the first of which was a creamy Brown bread ice cream, with tangy blood orange mousse sandwiched between two golden sugar tuilles, and the second was a crispy Sea buckthorn mille-feuille, with fig & goats milk dolce de leche, and hazelnut. Normally there is not much to say about coffee and petit fours, but Paul even manages to make this something not to miss by serving us a superb, lighter than air choux bun filled with whipped cream. I may have missed out some of the courses, but you can see from the photographs that Paul Foster creates good honest, unfussy dishes. However, you really must experience the flavours first hand, so make a reservation now by clicking on www.salt-restaurant.co.uk or by telephone on 01789 263566 To see what else I get up to, why not follow me on Twitter @ carlhousbey