Andrew Kay thrills at the inventive new menu at Graze in Hove
At the ripe old age of 57 I’ve lived through rather too many food crazes. I grew up in the era of the ploughman’s lunch and chicken in a basket. I braved the ’70s in a variety of burger and pasta joints of varying qualities. I nearly starved to death in the era of nouvelle cuisine. I rallied for and against pacific rim cooking which could be so good and then so bad and I am revelling in the revival of great British dishes and plates of food that are made from locally produced seasonal food. Is it any wonder that I am a chubby old thing? No, no wonder whatsoever!
Despite all this I can still be excited by cooking, eating in as well as out, and I gather together those ideas like some kind of culinary kleptomaniac, a thieving magpie!
A few weeks back I invited Mr M to join me for supper at Graze in Hove. I have enjoyed Graze on many occasions, none less than the time we dined in style on a menu based around foraged foods. I was, I admit, dreading the evening as my dining companion was pretty much a meat and two veg sort of a bloke, but even he came out raving about the rich variety of dishes we had tried.
Now Graze has a new chef and he is every bit as inventive. There was a choice of dining a la carte or going crazy with the tasting menu. I like a tasting menu form time to time, but nothing beats a three-course dinner in my book, the satisfaction of a proper plate of food.
We started with a taster of mushrooms, a dainty dish to set before a queen, and from the get-go we knew we were in for a culinary roller coaster – thrills and, we hoped, few spills.
Mr M is a squidaholic and he claims verging on becoming vegetarian. I doubt he will as he likes a bit of meat from time to time. He chose a dish of squid cooked in several ways and it was pretty out there in culinary terms, with crisp bits, broths and gels. He found it fascinating but declared that he would have enjoyed it more had the parts been separate and some had been hot.
I chose foie gras with a langoustine jelly, it was a twist on surf and turf that really paid off. The foie gras was a slice of fresh lobe seared lightly so that the piece of liver was scorched but creamy in the middle, the langoustine jelly was intense and savoury, a musky delight that balanced well the rich fatty liver. I could have eaten more but to be honest that would have been greed and probably made me rather queasy, as it was it was just right.
Mr M then, to prove his move to the dark side of vegetarianism, ordered the mushroom risotto with blackberries. And he loved it, the rich wild mushrooms turning the rice a delightful soft brown and the shiny black fruits, both sharp and sweet balancing the creaminess of the dish. It was a big dish too, a hearty option.
I was drawn to the sea trout served with potato dumplings and razor clams in a cider sauce. The sea trout was stunning, the skin crisp and salty, the flesh flaking at the slightest touch and the flavour really out there. I raved about my razor clam in cider, it was one of those dishes that I didn’t want to end and I genuinely could have eaten another ten or more of the perfectly cooked blighters basking in a rich apple infused cream. The potato dumplings had good flavour but they had been overworked and the gluten in the potatoes had become gluey and stretchy. Not horrid but not matching the standard of the rest.
A pre dessert of citrus cream and curd with Italian meringue was a delight and a somewhat conventional precursor to my treacle sponge with smoked bacon foam and candied bacon. It was a risky dish but one that was utterly convincing, and very pretty too. Mr M chose a plate of English cheese that was both fine and in fine condition, and there was more than enough for me to have some too.
Graze continues to impress, the edgy nature of the cooking fascinates me and it’s matched by a good wine list with plenty of choices by the glass.
Graze, 42 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1JD
01273 823707 www.graze-restaurant.co.uk
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