Great Winter Menu Dishes

[Pied Piper]

I've got a meeting with our chef tomorrow to put together our winter menu for our A la carte restaurant.


Our customers have asked us to keep the Whole Seabass, Lamb Shank and Rib Eye Steak and asked for the return of Confit du Carnard.

What do you like to see on a winter menu?

[dbroughton]

game. Seasons just started.


Maybe some pigeon breasts


I am also born again pork fan. Any pork dish topped of with some seriously good crackling has to be a winner

[wasted years]

Spicy pork is a winner!

[Pied Piper]

We did belly pork with a honey glaze last year it was a good seller, it was difficult to get it consistently good, would love to put it back on again any fool proof recipes?

[Tina K]

What was the problem with it? Crackling not crisping, or something else?

[bint]

Game Pie - mmmmm pie. Stilton and Walnut for the veggie lovers. Deep dish pie though - oh bugger I wish my parents hadn't moved abroad, my mum is such a good cook :P

[dbroughton]

I think a lot of decent places now cook crackling and meat separate and reassemble on the plate. Braise the pork until melt in the mouth and top with super crispy crackling - combination of textures does it for me

[Tina K]

I personally think you can give virtually any ingredient an autumnal flavour by combining it with seasonal produce such as wild mushrooms, roasted root vegetables, berries, chard, cavallo nero, parsnip/celeriac mash etc.

Winter desserts need to be light and zesty in order to balance out rich main dishes. I'm a fan of things like pan-fried pineapple, grilled figs, blood orange sorbet and coffee granita. You might want to 'chef that up' a little with brandy snaps, almond tuiles, biscotti, etc.

[Noger]

To play Devil's Avocado somewhat, why would an English pub have "Confit du Canard" on the menu ? (sure it tastes lovely though !)

It makes my heart sink when you have a lovely country pub, with proper beer, spoiling the whole thing by the chef thinking that they are Raymond Blanc.

Autumn lamb would be good, far more flavour than the spring stuff IMHO. Or mutton, our local famer's market has started doing it recently, and it flies out of the polystyrene boxes. A slow cooked mutton casserole, with mash, is a thing of wonder.

Pheasant, bread sauce, game chips.

Chestnuts. Cob nuts. Apples. Pears.

[Mr MoJo]

Pheasant, duck, pigeon, rabbit, venison .........

[becca_]

Had a seriously excellent butternut squash and goat's cheese pie the other day. Do something like that.

[Pied Piper]

Noger said:

To play Devil's Avocado somewhat, why would an English pub have "Confit du Canard" on the menu ? (sure it tastes lovely though !)

It makes my heart sink when you have a lovely country pub, with proper beer, spoiling the whole thing by the chef thinking that they are Raymond Blanc.

Would be to do with our chef spending 2 years training in France. He is also the least egotistical chef i've ever worked with, a refreshing change.

Take your point though, but it was always a top seller on last years menu.

Like the ideas so far, will be speaking to chef tomorrow and will pass all these dishes on to him.

Obviously i'll have to try them all.

[Pied Piper]

becca_ said:

Had a seriously excellent butternut squash and goat's cheese pie the other day. Do something like that.

He does do a wonderful butternut crumble, going to have to try it with some goats cheese sounds good.

[becca_]

Pied Piper said:

becca_ said:

Had a seriously excellent butternut squash and goat's cheese pie the other day. Do something like that.

He does do a wonderful butternut crumble, going to have to try it with some goats cheese sounds good.

Now you're talking Whereabouts is this place?

[littlegreenfairy]

I had pork loin with (taps fingers on table and fails to rememeber...) some winey caramelised onion thing and lovely potato something or other the other day.

Pork loin is the way ahead!