The second of this year’s Lancashire Hotshot evenings took place at the wonderful MJ’s Restaurant in Darwen.
What an absolute treat chef Dominic Taylor cooked up. Not wanting to miss out on any of the tempting delights on offer my guest and I agreed to choose differently and neither of us was disappointed.
Dominic and the rest of the kitchen team had spent the day lovingly preparing the evening’s menu consisting of -
Starter - Cured Ribble Valley trout with Ashcroft’s beetroot, cucumber carpaccio and pea shoot salad or Andy Holt’s black pudding Scotch egg with Bramley apple puree.
Main course - Bank Top beer braised shin of beef with celeriac mash and wilted spring greensor breast of wood pigeon, with confit leg on a wild mushroom fricassee and pomme puree
Dessert - Selection of Lancashire cheeses with celery jelly and crackers or Mini fruit scone with Holt Farm cream tea mousse and granny’s jam
I chose the black pudding scotch egg and it’s delicate quails egg in the centre was still soft and runny whilst the smoked trout was sublime against the cool palate cleansing cucumber.
Perfectly cooked pink pigeon was my choice for mains whilst the braised beef just fell apart when touched. Both proved to be huge hits and neither of us would admit to the others dish being better – we’d both eat either again.
I’m a total cheese addict so there was no discussion over who was having what for dessert but as the scone arrived I was tempted to change my mind.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to MJs and I had forgotten what a fantastic restaurant owner Neil and the team have established – and with the talents of chefs like Dominic in the kitchen I most definitely won’t be leaving it as long before I return.
Click here for information on the next HotShot evening.
Diane Blakemore
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