Winter Jewels At La Fromagerie

I’ve been wanting to visit any of the branches of La Fromagerie for a long time and finally dove in tonight with their winter supper themed around “WINTER JEWELS: Forced Rhubarb & Blood Oranges Supper”.

The planned menu was:

• Seared Scallop, Barba dei Fratte & Blood Orange zabaglione
• Slow Roast Leg of Lamb, Rhubarb & Mint Compote, Boulanagere Potatoes, Glazed Heritage Carrots
• LA FROMAGERIE CHEESE BOARD (Elrick Log, Lanarkshire, Unpast Goat. Veg Corra Linn, Lanarkshire, Unpast Ewe. Veg Beauvale, Nottinghamshire, Past Cow)
• Blood Orange & Rhubarb Almond Cake, Blood Orange Sorbet

and with my love of rhubarb and blood oranges I had to snap up a ticket!

The shop itself is worth a visit with so many delights on offer (and of course a cheese room) and I will be back again just to shop.

But the highlight of the evening was the meal.

I started with a glass of Vin D’orange (a blend of bitter oranges, Rose wine, eau de vie and vanilla) and it was delicious and I drank it whilst googling recipes so making this will definitely be in my future.

The first course was the scallops and these were astounding. I love scallops but these were the best I’ve ever had. So perfectly cooked and served immediately so they were warm, soft and juicy. The Barba di Frate (also known as Salsola Soda, Agretti and Roscano was very nice and like a less salty/ briney samphire. The bllod orange zabaglione was the perfect accompaniment and its creamy sharpness worked well with the scallops and vegetable.

Next up was the lamb (sadly no good photos to share) and just as with the starter the sharp accompaniment (rhubarb and mint compote) paired perfectly with the rest of the dish (the lamb and potatoes) and each was cooked perfectly

I accompanied the main course with a glass of red wine which was recommended and was just the right drink – I’ll be sure to listen out for their recommendations in the future.

Third was the cheese course and it was really nice to try 3 new cheeses (and lots of delicious crackers) and I was glad I had lots of the rhubarb compote left from the main course as it paired with them all perfectly.

Last (but definitely not least) was the dessert of blood orange & rhubarb almond cake with blood orange sorbet. By now I was really full but enjoyed this a lot and the rhubarb was extra special. It was still very firm and tart but not too tart.

Every step of this meal was not just about really good produce but also about it being cooked & served perfectly and I can’t wait to return.