Monday, July 30, 2007

A Blueprint surprise!

I've eaten at Blueprint Café many times and never tire of it but this was unusual as I'd organised this visit as a surprise for M. She'd seen Jeremy Lee strutting his most fabulous stuff on the Great British Menu and Market Kitchen and had hankered after his fishcakes, seafood broth and any other delights he whipped up. This was also the perfect time to show off the Blueprint Café as a summer evening would hopefully mean stunning views along the Thames when you have both the seeped in history raven-infested Tower of London and the incongruously blue Tower Bridge intermingled with the ever so modern diamond glassed Gherkin and the winking lights of towers of money at Canary Wharf.
The surprise element of the evening worked especially well as I was able to give the taxi driver instructions to head for Shad Thames out of M's earshot. And then even though I'm fairly sure I didn't tip them off prior to our visit they continued the celebratory theme. First we were furnished with a welcome glass of Champagne as we perused the menu.

It was an easy decision. I went for tonight’s special which was Chicken livers and immediately transported me back to the night of Charles Campion’s Food from the Fire cookbook club evening and how I overdosed on his succulent chicken livers threaded onto rosemary skewers. M couldn’t resist the much lauded fishcakes as I suspected and didn’t hesitate to plump for the Smoked haddock fishcakes with aioli.

Whilst we were waiting for these to arrive our waiter ever so kindly brought us a plate of Feta, tomatoes, mint and black olive crumb. This is such a lovely surprise; if Jeremy were cooking he may recall my total recoil from tomatoes and it would have been even nicer. But then I have been spoilt by many a gorgeous asparagus spear or salsify wrapped in filo and Parmesan on previous occasions and M completely loved it! I just left a neat little stack of the tomatoes. And the olives!

But the chicken livers were as expected entirely delicious, the crusty caramelised edges were just the best. And the fishcakes went down very well on the other side of the table. And as an extra bonus the appetite-of-a-bird M donated the final one for me to try. Yum!

For our main courses M had the Wild salmon, herb sauce and sorrel and I the Sirloin of beef, pickled walnuts and horseradish. And some extremely fine potatoes!

They were as both as stunning as ever. The pink salmon against the most verdant of herb sauces was just beautiful. And though it was tricky, we just managed to squeeze in a little shared slice of St. Emilion au chocolat. Though I only just managed to grab a photo before M tucked in!

The Blueprint Café just never disappoints! And M is already planning a repeat visit.

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