Saturday 22 November 2014

Week beginning November 24th - Organic beef slow roasted in sherry, Corn Chowder with our own sourdough

Here we are the last week of November, now is the time for festive sweaters and consumable's that have been mulled with citrus, spice and pine needles. Whether you like it or not now is the time to decide if you'll be inebriated, celebrate or humbug your way into 2015. No matter where you are in London there is a constant reminder of the one day that truly matters to most. Though most retailers are closed on Christmas this is where they make their money, which is great for the economy and will provide jobs in the New Year. Personally I'm more into the food and spending time with the people I love, shocking my digestive system with rich over the top indulgence and getting drunk on wonderful company. 

So on this week’s menu we kick off the festive season with hearty foods that will slow burn throughout the day. Just the ticket for fuelling the manic weeks ahead of shopping, queues, work parties, preparations and possible de-icing windscreens. 

This week’s pie has organic slow roasted beef that has been cooked in dry sherry, making the meat sweet and tender. We'll also be adding a few winter foraged goodies to the filling. Hen of the woods or better known as Maitake is a mushroom that is used to fight cancer and strengthen the immune system. Hen of the woods are clustered, overlapping greyish mushrooms that appear at the bottom of some trees and when cooked have a deep, rich flavour and chewy texture. Also to this pie the kitchen will be adding seabeet, which is a pointy leaved green with a glossy appearance. Found in coastal areas this vegetable can be utilised in much the same way as chard and spinach, salty and very so slightly bitter. 

Every year I make our own sour dough starter for the soup bread that is served alongside a bowl of hot stuff. A bit late in getting the starter started this time round. But as of this week our own sour dough is back on the soup (or chowder) menu. By simply adding a little flour and water from the kitchen into a jar with a seal lid we can create our own and totally unique sourdough starter that is different from any other sourdough in the world. 

Over 5 days I feed the water and flour with more flour and water. This feeds the natural air borne bacteria that is found in flour and allows for it to grow and expand. This good bacteria is formed from its current environment which makes it individual from any other location. All it needs is moisture, bacteria and time; after about 5 days the sourdough starter should smell pleasantly fermented like bleated fruit. 

A portion of the starter is then added to bread flour and kneaded into a dough then left to prove until doubled in size; once doubled the dough is ready to bake. The wonderful part is that once you start using your sour dough starter you can keep it for life. Whatever amount you use from your starter you simply replenish with more flour and water to feed the yeast, leave it for a day or 2 and the bacteria will grow. 

Come into Kaffeine this week and get into the festive mode the right way. 

Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
Kaffeine

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 4.00 (V)
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 4.00 (V)
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.90 (GF, V)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Cinnamon and Raisin Toast (V) 2.50
Banana bread 2.50
Porridge (V) 3.00
served with condiments muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, golden syrup or honey

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissant 2.00
Pain au chocolat 2.50
Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet muffin: Black rice pudding and raspberry (V) 2.40
Savoury Scone: Olive, rosemary and red Leicester cheese(V) 2.40
Friand: Orange and honey (V,GF) 2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.50
White chocolate blondies 2.50
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 2.00
Almond and custard slice 2.50
Canele 2.40

Lunch
Soup 4.50
Corn chowder with Kaffeine's own sour dough (V)

French retro baguettes 5.30
Parma ham, onion chutney, parmesan, basil and rocket.
Pickled carrot, feta, Dijon, red onion and spinach (V).

Foccacias 5.50
Salmon, aioli, dill, red onion, capers and rocket.
Saute mushroom, welsh rarebit, tarragon and spinach (V).

Salads: 5.50/7.00
Honey baked ham, roasted chestnuts, carrots, parsnips, red onions and cranberry and prune dressing (DF,GF).
Poached red wine pears, walnuts, Bath blue cheese, watercress and golden saxifrage (V,GF).
Roasted swede with satay dressing (VE,GF).

Tart: 4.40 or 8.00 with salad
Slow cooked sherry beef with hen of the woods and seabeet.  


Weekend Salads
Each weekend we offer different salads to the weekdays and we run them for a three week period, allowing our second Chef Khan to showcase her own creativity.

Salads: 5.50/7.00
Grilled beef with roasted red peppers, roasted cashews, green beans, mushrooms and oyster dressing
Roasted pumpkin with cherry tomatoes, couscous,. feta, mint, basil and yoghurt dressing
Roasted vegetable salad with a reduced sticky balsamic vinegar, thyme and date dressing

Tart: 4.40 or 8.00 with salad
Pancetta and leek quiche

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