The Willoughton Wanderer

"Eating my way through life one bite at a time!"

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Eating my way through life one bite at a time! My Willoughton Wanderer blog tells the story of my various visits to eateries, pubs and restaurants, both good and bad, on my travels together with the occasional recipe thrown in for good measure.

  • Pan-fried Pheasant with Pomegranate, Celery, Bell Pepper and Harissa Salad

    Although currently out-of-season we had a couple of pheasant breasts in the freezer so I thought I would put them to good use in this salad. Chicken would work equally well, especially the flavourful thighs.

    The pomegranate salad is loosely based on one devised by Sabrina Ghayour which I saw recently on Saturday Kitchen Best bites. So loosely in fact that only the pomegranate molasses and bread are used but it gave me the inspiration to devise my own. It can be made in advance, even the night before. Thank you Sabrina!

    Ingredients: Serves 2, preparation time 1 hour 10 minutes if you include the resting time for the salad

    For the pan-fried pheasant:

    2 pheasant breasts

    Salt and pepper for seasoning

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    50g cubed butter at room temperature

    For the salad:

    75ml pomegranate molasses

    25ml sweet chilli dipping sauce

    2 teaspoons rose harissa

    1 tablespoon tomato puree

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    Half a stick of celery, halved lengthways and diced

    Half a green bell pepper, sliced and diced

    2 slices of day-old Cob loaf (or sourdough perhaps), cut into cubes, any artisan loaf will do – avoid sliced!

    1 teaspoon white poppy seeds

    A small handful of chopped parsley

    Recipe:

    In a largeish bowl add the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, sweet chilli dipping sauce, tomato puree and harissa and combine. Then add the celery and peppers together with the poppy seeds and again mix well.

    Add the cubes of bread and chopped parsley and stir in gently so as to not break up the bread. Cover and let infuse and unctuate (is that even a word?) for at least an hour.

    Season the pheasant breasts (or chicken thighs) well with salt and pepper. In a medium sized frying pan heat the oil and add the cubed butter. Once foaming add the pheasant and gently brown equally for a few minutes on each side. Make sure you cook the breasts through but don’t overcook them as they can become tough. Slice in half and if you’re happy put them to one side to rest for the same amount of time as you pan-fried them.

    In the meantime spoon out the salad onto two plates, slice the pheasant and add to the plate.

    Enjoy!

  • Caffe Massarella, Meadowhall, Sheffield

    Good Italian Food

    Caffe Massarella is tucked away in a quiet corner of Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield next door to what was once the large Debenhams department store. Despite that now being shut the restaurant is none-the-less popular despite the obvious drop in footfall. The closure of Debenhams has given them the opportunity to expand their seating beyond the confines of the physical restaurant and there are plenty of tables ‘outside’.

    We arrived shortly after 12.15 and were quickly and easily seated, given the choice of where we wanted to sit. The restaurant was reasonably quiet at this point but rapidly filled during our stay.

    Mrs Wanderer played a quick game of musical chairs as she said her chair, despite showing promise with the padding, was quite uncomfortable. I had to agree as I could feel the chair frame beneath the seat pad. They could change the chairs for something more comfortable but that is obviously an expensive exercise.

    Service was quick and we ordered our meals and drinks. I opted for the Pappardelle Bolognese with homemade beef ragu and my wife went for the salmon and grains salad.

    The drinks arrived shortly thereafter quickly followed by the meals. The pappardelle was a decent sized portion and the pasta cooked nicely al dente. The dish was garnished with wild rocket however, despite there being a nice amount of tomato ragu, there wasn’t a great deal of beef. It was however very tasty and I enjoyed it despite the shirt stains afterwards!

    Mrs Wanderer’s ‘salad’ consisted of cured salmon with beetroot chunks and giant cous cous. The salmon had clearly been cured in beetroot given the colour. She enjoyed her meal too.

    During our meal another couple took their seats behind us and I chuckled when the gentleman also swapped his chair for another!

    This was our second visit to Caffe Massarella at Meadowhall so, despite my minor gripes about the chairs and meat content, they are doing something right to draw us back. The number of people waiting to be seated is also testament to that. Worth a visit.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186364-d7282144-r890149867-Caffe_Massarella-Sheffield_South_Yorkshire_England.html#

  • Garlic Chilli Prawns, Braised Leeks and Korean Doenjang Soybean Sweet Potato Mash

    I recently came across Korean Doenjang soybean paste in a local Asian supermarket and am now hooked on it’s fantastic taste. It gives a wonderful umami kick to any dish and pimps up sweet potato mash no end. Try this prawn dish for a flavourful lunch.

    Serves 2.

    Ingredients:

    6 large prawns, in this case Argentinian shrimp

    2 small to medium leeks. 4 inches long and halved lengthways

    2 small to medium sweet potatoes, diced

    50g salted butter, cubed

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    250ml vegetable stock

    1 teaspoon garlic puree

    1 teaspoon Korean Doenjang soybean paste

    1 teaspoon chilli flakes

    2 teaspoons Greek yoghurt

    Salt to taste

    Recipe:

    In a medium size frying pan melt the butter into the olive oil until lightly foaming. Add the chilli flakes and garlic puree and gently, and I mean gently, cook for about five minutes so that the butter infuses with the chilli.

    Meanwhile bring a saucepan with the vegetable stock to the boil, add the leeks and gently braise for 15 minutes. You only need enough stock to cover the leeks.

    At the same time bring another pan of salted water to the boil for the sweet potatoes. Slake down the Korean paste in this pan and add the potatoes simmering also for 15 minutes until tender.

    Add the prawns to the butter, chilli and garlic in the frying pan and cook, turning once or twice until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and rest the prawns on a chopping board.

    Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them, adding the Greek yoghurt until you achieve a smooth consistency.

    With a pair of tongs remove the leeks from the pan and divide equally onto two warmed plates. Using a chef’s ring add the sweet potato mash to the leeks and then carefully arrange the prawns on top.

    Drizzle the garlicky chilli butter sauce over the top and serve. Enjoy!

  • The Elephant & Castle, Hemingfield, South Yorkshire

    We had visited the heritage and antiques centre at Elsecar in the morning and found this gastro-pub just a few miles away in Hemingfield, South Yorkshire as we left so decided to try it for lunch. The carpark had several cars in it which, as I have said in previous reviews, is always a good sign for any establishment.

    Welcomed with a cheery smile by, I presume, the manager we were quickly shown to our table. There was some background music playing on the sound system, some contemporary easy-listening, but without us asking she turned off the speaker next to our table so that we weren’t overwhelmed. A nice touch.

    The pub is, as I say, a gastro-pub but with a hint of country tearoom. Light grey walls are hung with white painted hearts, pleated blinds hang at the windows and painted sayings adorn the walls such as “family time is the best time”. Not my cup of tea but, hey, the place is popular so they’re obviously doing something right.

    The menu has a good choice of main meals, sandwiches, lighter bites and salads and I chose the Haddock and Prawns with Creamed Potatoes in a Garlic and Prawn Sauce from the mains. My wife went for one of the salads with olives topped off with a Cajun Haddock fillet. For drinks Mrs Wanderer went for a nice shiraz and I chose half of Beavertown Neck Oil IPA having had this before at another establishment. Superb.

    The dishes are clearly cooked to order and on arrival my overwhelming impression was the portion size. Huge. My haddock fillet, if I had been cooking it at home, would have happily served two people but always up for a challenge I didn’t baulk at it. The creamed potatoes, mash by any other name, were light and, well, creamy and the sauce was a delight. The ribbons of spring greens were well flavoured and the two accompanying carrots were caramelised and sweet.

    For me the dish was let down by a non-crispy skin to the haddock which I diligently peeled off. The fish was obviously poached but I would have preferred some crisping of the skin beforehand. The manager did confirm that it had been poached in the sauce but that they could sear the skin if required on our next visit. Good to know that they are flexible. Having said all that the haddock was poached perfectly and flaked nicely under the fork.

    As for the challenge, I’m afraid that the portion size did get the better of me and the haddock and potatoes won the fight. Still, I was pleasantly, but not overly, full.

    All-in-all a lovely meal and I’d be more than happy to make a return visit. Highly recommended if only for the portion size!

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g3416510-d2659912-r888204709-Elephant_Castle-Hemingfield_Barnsley_South_Yorkshire_England.html#

  • Ranch Steak with Spinach, Leeks, Fondant Potato and Korean Gochujang Sauce

    This is a beautiful way to serve a lovely fillet of steak and makes for a heavenly lunch.

    Serves 2

    Ingredients:

    1 lean ranch steak fillet

    Half a bag of fresh spinach , about 4 good handfuls

    1 chopped leek

    2 small potatoes, squared off

    150g butter

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    Salt and pepper

    500ml vegetable stock

    1 teaspoon Korean gochujang pepper sauce

    Recipe:

    To Make the Fondant Potatoes:

    In a frying pan melt the butter into the olive oil and once foaming add the potatoes, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the crisp potato squares and simmer over a gentle heat until they are cooked. Be careful with this stage as over-cooking can cause the squares to break apart. Remove and place to one side whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.

    For the remainder:

    In the same frying pan gently fry off the chopped leeks for about 5 minutes until soft, this may take longer if they are particularly robust chunks. Add a handful of spinach and wilt down. Covering the frying pan with a lid helps with this process. Stir in the spinach and add another handful, repeating the process until everything is nicely cooked through.

    In the meantime add a ladle full of stock to a small saucepan and slake down the Korean sauce into it. Reduce gently over a medium heat until the sauce thickens.

    Using a chef’s ring (how ’90s but what the heck) arrange the spinach and leek mixture onto two warmed plates and reheat the frying pan. Add the ranch steak fillet and fry off for a couple of minutes on both sides. Aim for a nice browning to the steak but don’t overcook – we want it to be nice and pink inside.

    Plate up the fondant potato next to the spinach and leeks and add a nice sweep of the hot pepper sauce. Slice the ranch steak fillet, divide it between the two plates and arrange on the spinach stacks.

    Eat and thoroughly enjoy. Believe me, it is delicious!

  • The Crown and Cushion, Welburn, North Yorkshire

    We stopped in to the Crown and Cushion in Welburn, North Yorkshire for a bite of lunch. The car park was reasonably full which is a good sign showing it to be well patronised.

    The exterior of the pub is clearly period but the inside has been renovated in a nice gastro-pub style. There appear to be sound baffling panels on the sloping ceilings which work well to dissipate any excessive noise and the restaurant was comfortable to enter.

    We approached the bar and had to wait a short while as the waitress was serving drinks but we were quickly shown to a table by the waiter in the main restaurant, having been given the choice of bar or restaurant. A small glitch though in that he got side tracked and forgot to bring us menus . I had to signal him to do so but the problem was quickly rectified.

    The menu looked good and I chose the Prawn and Chilli Linguine off the light lunches. Mrs Wanderer chose the Moroccan Lamb Salad with couscous which I had also given thought to.

    The food was quick to arrive having, I assume, been freshly prepared. I wasn’t totally blown away by the chilli which had little to no heat. Maybe that is what they were aiming for, catering for those with a slightly less adventurous palette. However, the meal was perfectly good and I enjoyed it. The portion size was just right for a light lunch so I was more than happy.

    My wife’s lamb, which was served with giant couscous, was also delightful and again just the right portion size if you don’t want to go for the full fish and chips or other main meals.

    As the pub and restaurant is very close to the Castle Howard estate I don’t doubt that it is very busy during peak season so would think that booking would be essential. For a walk-in lunch though it was a perfect experience. One to be repeated. Highly recommended.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g1891850-d3419186-r887650422-Crown_and_Cushion-Welburn_Malton_North_Yorkshire_England.html#

  • Pan-fried Hake, Samphire and Prawn Bisque

    This is a beautiful meal that can be eaten at lunch or, with the addition of some whole prawns in the bisque, as a main meal.

    Ingredients: Serves 2

    8 large shell on king prawns

    1 shallot, diced finely

    600ml fish stock

    180g salted butter, cubed

    Two tablespoons olive oil

    2 medium hake fillets, skin on

    A handful of fresh samphire

    Salt and pepper to season

    Recipe:

    You can make the prawn bisque in advance and warm it through just before serving.

    In a medium sized saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and 120g of the butter, then add the shallots. Sweat down for a few minutes and add the prawns, shell and all. Fry off the prawns until they are a nice orange colour. Add the fish stock and bring to a simmer. Hold the simmer for about 5 minutes then remove from the heat.

    Using a stick blender blitz the prawns and shallots in the stock to a smooth consistency. This can be messy so use a food processor if preferred. Once done pass the bisque through a mesh sieve into a clean saucepan and, using the back of a spoon, press the pulp against the sieve to release as much of the liquid as possible. You should have a very fine and smooth bisque in the pan with no bits in it. Keep warm until ready to serve.

    In a frying pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the remaining butter. When hot pan fry the hake skin side down for about 3 minutes. You can see the flesh cooking up the side of the fillet. When the skin is nice and crispy flip the fillet over and cook for a further couple of minutes or until done. Do not over cook. When ready, remove from the pan and rest for a couple of minutes.

    Meanwhile heat a pan of water and add the samphire. Samphire is naturally salty so don’t add any salt to the water. Simmer for a few minutes. Again, don’t overcook but keep the samphire al dente.

    When ready to plate up carefully pour the prawn bisque onto a warmed plate and add the hake fillet. Place the samphire on top and drizzle some olive oil over the dish. Enjoy!

    The bisque is too good to not finish so I mopped up the remainder with a home baked caraway seed roll!

  • The Advocate Arms Hotel and Restaurant, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire

    It has been some time since we were last at the Advocate Arms in Market Rasen, in fact four years. In 2019, under the previous manager, we had a poor experience of cold food and slow service (which was out of character) but finding ourselves in the vicinity today we thought we’d see if things had improved. They certainly have as the previous deputy manager has taken over in the lead role.

    The menu looks good with a nice range of main meals and lighter bites. Mrs Wanderer went for the haddock goujon sandwich with tartare sauce and baby gem leaf, and I chose the falafel, lime and chilli yoghurt and cucumber pitta (partial health-kick going on!) from the sandwich menu.

    Once the orders were placed we didn’t have to wait too long for the dishes to arrive. Both were presented well and Mrs W said that her goujons were light and very tasty. Not one for veggie food I was really quite surprised by the falafel pitta. My wife had warned me that falafel can sometimes be dry but this wasn’t the case and I was happy with my choice.

    Both meals came with the nicest of fries presented in a small basket. I eyed them suspiciously throughout my meal and was determined to avoid them (did I say health-kick?). However, temptation in the form of a small devil sitting on my shoulder took over and I gave in. They were really nice and seasoned already so no extra salt was needed. Guilt took over halfway through the portion and I left about a third of them putting the napkin over the basket to avoid their come-and-get-me stare.

    If there was a glitch to be found it was that my pitta didn’t come with the advertised coleslaw which I didn’t realise until later in the day when I was perusing the menu online for this review. Maybe it was a one-off mistake.

    All-in-all a very pleasant return visit and, no doubt we will return once more.

  • Tempura Prawns with Garlic Chorizo Lentils

    If you find yourself on your lonesome as I do today (Mrs Wanderer has gone to a ‘Crafternoon’ to make Easterly things) this is an ideal and reasonably quick lunch to prepare. This is quite a substantial meal (I don’t cook small) so scale back on the prawns and lentils if needed.

    Serves 1. Prep time 10 minutes, cooking time about fifteen.

    Ingredients:

    For the tempura batter:

    70g cornflower

    30g plain flower

    80ml sparkling water, chilled

    For the prawns and lentils:

    5 large raw king prawns

    4cm piece of chorizo quartered lengthways and diced

    1 shallot, diced

    Sprig of fresh parsley, chopped

    100g lentils, drained

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    1 teaspoon garlic puree

    Salt to taste

    Recipe:

    In a medium size saucepan heat the olive oil and add the diced shallot. Sweat down on a gentle heat for 5 minutes and then add the garlic puree. Cook down for a few more minutes and add the chorizo, cooking for a further 5. Add half the chopped parsley and all the lentils and stir through. Continue to warm through on a low heat until the prawns are ready. Season with a couple of twists of salt if required.

    In a small bowl add the chilled water to the flour mix and whisk thoroughly to a smooth batter consistency.

    Meanwhile heat a shallow frying pan and add enough olive oil for about a 3mm depth. To test the heat of the oil put a small drop of batter in until it sizzles. Dip each prawn in the batter and add to the frying pan one at a time. Work around the clock face as you add them. When you get round to adding the last prawn wait about 20 seconds more and the first one will be ready to turn over. Work round in order again as you turn them: 1,2,3 etc.

    When the tempura batter is nice and golden on both sides remove the prawns and rest on a sheet of kitchen paper for a minute.

    Dish up the chorizo and lentils onto a warmed plate and arrange the prawns on top. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve! Yum!

  • Miso Tuna Salad

    Looking for a tasty light lunch? Look no further than this quick and easy to make tasty miso tuna salad.

    Serves 2, prep time 30 minutes or less, cooking time 3 mins

    Ingredients:

    2 large tuna steaks

    Mixed salad leaves

    1 large spring onion, halved lengthways and diced

    Chargrilled peppers

    1 tablespoon sesame oil

    1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

    1 teaspoon white miso paste

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    Garlic granules

    Salt to taste

    Preparation:

    In a small jug mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, miso paste, and garlic granules to a smooth consistency. Add a couple of twists of salt to taste. Cover the tuna steaks in the paste on both sides and leave to marinade for half-an-hour (less if you’re in a hurry).

    Divide the salad leaves onto two plates and sprinkle over the spring onions and a few grilled peppers on each.

    Heat the olive oil in a shallow frying pan and add the tuna steaks when the oil is hot. Pan fry on each side for one and a half minutes leaving some pinkness to the fish. Rest for a minute once cooked then slice each steak into 1cm slices and add to the salad. Drizzle over a little olive oil.

    Serve up and eat. Enjoy! Easy!