Cook It! Happy …

Well, better late than never – a Christmas review

It seems like a lifetime since we all decked our halls with boughs of something or other. Christmas does, after all, come but once a year. Mine was a quiet affair this year, spent with a small group of friends, and none of us fancied the rigours of doing the whole turkey malarkey. I had done it a few weeks before for my TV show Cook It! (I hope you were watching!) and it was rather jolly, perhaps more enjoyable for not being tied to the drama of cooking on Christmas day.

None of us fancied the rigours of doing the whole turkey malarkey

Four of us decided to find a place to dine out on Christmas day. In the past, two of us had been to The Restaurant at drakes where we had a simply amazing meal, but this time we had with us one friend’s elderly mother. Not that she has a small appetite, far from it, she is a trencher-woman of the highest order. No, it was simply that her taste in food at 87 is far simpler than the exotic seven or eight courses being offered by many of the better places that were open on Christmas day.

I did some research and found that The Bull at Ditchling was doing a Christmas day lunch at a, by comparison, modest £65 a head. I read the menu and it was delightfully simple, ideal for our older companion – so we booked a table for four, well in advance of the day, and relaxed. No shopping, no cooking and no washing up filled my heart with a kind of festive joy that I have only felt once before in the last thirty-odd years. Somehow Christmas lunch has been a cross that I had been given to bear … ooh, weird religious cross-referencing there.

We arrived absolutely on time and were shown to our table, close to a roaring and well attended log fire. The table was beautifully set and our crackers had our names printed on them, a nice touch and useful for the waiter in placing our pre-ordered choices. I didn’t mind a bit ordering in advance for this very busy meal and it did mean that there would be little food waste.

First out was a glass of Ridgeview, our favourite Sussex sparkler made just a mile or so down the road, how delightfully appropriate was that. And with it canapes, all of which were prettily arranged and tasty. It was a very promising start.

Next our starters. Three of us had the foie gras terrine, very nice indeed, with toasted brioche and a good chutney. It was generous too considering what was still to come. Ms C chose the goats cheese in a shell of crispy fried crumbs, an unusual choice for her but one that she declared excellent.

We were far less adventurous for the main course, not choosing the scallops, which I spotted and looked at with envy. No, for us it was turkey – and very good it was too. The rolled breast was filled with a sweet chestnut stuffing and sliced thick. It came with all of the appropriate trimmings and vegetables and there was a dish of extra vegetables served on the side, not that they were really neccessary. If I had one complaint it would be that the sprouts were the crispy side of al dente and I have to admit that I like my sprouts a touch softer. It’s a small point and I suspect that I was in a minority for thinking this.

For dessert two of us went the route of Xmas pud and brandy sauce. I loved it, a sensible portion and nice and rich. Two chose the chocolate mousse with creme de menthe jelly. That looked rather good too, although I am not crazy about that choccy mint combo so loved by others.

To drink, more Ridgeview and a bottle of Chilean white made with pedro ximenez grapes, an unusual wine that proved a great balance for the rich turkey.

After that coffee and petit four, rather good honey nougat and a small chocolate confection.
I tweeted throughout and had a strange reply from someone querying if I was really there. I think my photographs should have been the proof of that. I now look forward to going back to try the kitchen once again.

The Bull, 2 High Street, Ditchling, West Sussex, BN6 8TA, 01273 843147
thebullditchling.com

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