Friday, October 21, 2016

London's Borough Market & Fish! Seafood Restaurant





London's oldest and most famous food market, Borough Market is a gourmand's delight with a mouthwatering range of fresh food stalls under its Dickensian wrought-iron roof. Known in its heyday as London's Larder, the market has been a part of London's food culture since the 13th century and has existed at its current location since 1755 — there was even a market here in Southwark at the time of the Roman conquest in the 5th century. Located on Borough High Street, just south of Southwark Cathedral, on the southern end of London Bridge, the Market draws over 70 organic farmers, artisanal producers, world-class bakers, and gourmet food importers from all over the world, in addition to local favourites Neal's Yard, Monmouth Coffee, Mrs King's Melton Mowbray Pork Pies plus a fabulous selection of restaurants such as Wright Brothers Oyster & Porter House, Elliott's, and Iqbal Wahhab’s award-winning Roast in the stunning Floral Hall building overlooking the Market. With traditional British produce sitting alongside regional specialities from around the world, its riot of colourful produce and mouthwatering aromas of Jamaican curries to melted raclette on Poilâne bread, wandering through Borough Market is always a highlight of every trip to London.



Borough Market has existed at its current location since 1755

Fresh baked bread at 'Bread Ahead', a bakery and school which offers a range of baking and pastry skills courses for both amateurs and professionals

A wooden barrel of plump, sweet and juicy Cerignola olives — so delicious that we bought a small pot to take back to our suite at The Draycott 

Pungent wheels of Emmental and little pots of golden hued truffle honey

Shuckers from Richard Haward’s Oysters with heaping mound of Colchester Natives 

Enormous Black Tiger Prawns

Ready to eat — small tubs of Folkestone Whelks, Morecambe Bay Brown Shrimp 
and Poached Pink Shrimp

Massive pan of Seafood Paella at Furness Foods

Authentic Melton Mowbray Pork Pies from Mrs. King's in the heart of the market

Wrapped up and ready to take back to the Draycott to be portioned out as appetizers
with a bottle of white wine we brought back from Prague

Duck Confit served as a sandwich, wrap and served with sangria

Black Pudding Scotch Eggs from 'Scotchtails' which sells artisan scotch eggs at the market

Chef Patrick Williams serving Jamaican Chicken Curry from 'Soul Food'

Beautifully prepared baskets of exotic mushrooms from 'Turnips' which supplies 
some of London’s top restaurants

A spectacular selection of mushrooms from 'Turnips' including Black Trumpet, 
Chanterelle, Girolle and Pied Bleu

Restaurateur Tony Allan’s seafood restaurant, an impressive glass and steel pavilion 
resembling a giant fish tank




Starting life as an old 18th-century Victorian pea-shelling warehouse, celebrity restaurateur Tony Allan opened his first restaurant Fish! in Borough Market in 1999 and soon became a huge hit with businessmen to tourists alike, serving top quality, ‘posh’ fish and chips and fresh reliably sourced fish and shellfish delivered fresh each morning by Allan's long-established fishmonger, Jarvis of Kingston upon Thames. Recently redesigned and rebranded earlier this year, the restaurant’s impressive glass and steel pavilion resembles a giant fish tank with a large heated outdoor terrace open all year with gorgeous views of the market, Southwark Cathedral and The Shard. Executive Chef Nick Melmoth-Coombs has created an outstanding menu with everything from Whole Grilled Lobster, Dorset Dressed Crab and Steamed Scottish Langoustine, to Thai Fish Cakes with sweet chilli sauce, Organic Smoked Salmon, and of course Beer Battered Fish and Chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce. 



Fish! Restaurant's outdoor terrace in Borough Market overlooks Southwark Cathedral

Fish Restaurant's menu of fabulous fresh fish, seafood and of course their famous Fish & Chips

A cold glass of crisp 2015 Gavi di Gavi by Luigi Tacchino from Piedmont, a perfect match with fish

Dorset Rock Oysters with mignonette sauce

Organic smoked salmon fresh from Jarvis the Fishmonger at Borough Market

 Rope Grown Shetland Mussels Marinière with Cream

Grilled scallops with black pudding, bubble & squeak with red wine fish gravy

Southwark Cathedral has been the Borough Market neighbourhood's church since the 1200s

Interior of Southwark Cathedral, the oldest cathedral church building in London













Scallops with Bacon and Bubble & Squeak Cakes
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Tony Allan, owner of Fish Restaurant


12 hand-dived scallops
12 thinly cut dry-cured smokes bacon rashers
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Bubble and squeak cakes:
1 lb leftover roast potatoes
1/2 lb leftover cooked greens, such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts or spring greens
A little semolina or flour, for dusting
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Red wine vinaigrette:
8 tbsp good-quality vegetable oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 small hard-boiled egg, shelled and chopped
2 tbsp capers, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped
2 cocktail gherkins, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped mixed tarragon, parsley and chervil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper, then remove the corals and set aside. To make the bubble and squeak cakes, finely chop the scallop corals and put them in a bowl with the roast potatoes and greens. Mash with a fork until the mixture begins to hold together and then season well to taste. Divide the mixture into four and shape into cakes. Dust lightly with semolina or flour and chill for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette, by whisking the vegetable oil and red wine vinegar together. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

Wrap a bacon rasher around the edge of each scallop and secure with a cocktail stick, then set aside. Heat a frying pan, add the vegetable oil and fry the bubble and squeak cakes for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Keep warm until ready to serve. Heat a ridged griddle pan until hot, put the bacon-wrapped scallops in it and cook until the bacon is golden all over, rolling the scallops over with tongs to colour it evenly. Then lay the scallops flat and cook for one minute on each side. Put the bubble and squeak on 4 serving plates and arrange the scallops on top. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

































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