Dinner at Lympstone Manor

While this afternoon in the grounds of Lympstone Manor was a real treat, the real reason for us coming here was neither the beauty of the landscape, nor the great accommodation. No, as will come as no surprise to anyone who knows us, it was all about the food.

We have seen Michael Caines MBE on television many, many times. From his first competition in Great British Menu, to his mentoring of others on that programme and on MasterChef he has long been a chef whose food we had wanted to try. His influences, having worked with Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Bernard Loiseau at Saulieu and Joél Robuchon in Paris led us to expect great British produce treated with the flavour and creativity of French influenced cooking and that expectation was not disappointed by tonight’s meal.

We went down to the lounge at 6.30pm for aperitives. Drew opted for Lime Cordial and I for Elderflower Cordial both served with sparking water. These were light and refreshing. 

While we sat there the food began with three light canapes, from right to left these are a pea and cheese puff, a duck tartare tart and something described as mushroom on honey. The puff was fresh and full of the summary texture of freshly cut garden peas with a warming cheese background. The tartlet, the star of the canapes for both of us, was light, short and melt in the mouth. The tang of duck, with the micro herbs and flowers did a little dance on the tongue before they were consumed. The small mushroom gel on a slightly sweetened, but very fancily constructed light biscuit base was earthy, but didn’t really impact as much as the previous two canapes. Still a good start.

We had a chance, while drinking of aperitifs and eating our canapes to look at the menus, we opted for the Signature Tasting Menu which has a good mix of seafood, fish, vegetables and meat; there was a Taste of the Estuary option which would have suited our pescatarian friends alongside the A La Carte options. 

Following our canapes, we were led to the dining room, which is on the side of the house and gives lovely views of the estuary, though with the quality of food which was to come we spent most time looking at what we were eating than outside. 

We were served with a bread basket with three types of bread a French baguette, a Honey bread roll (Drew had both of these, them being to sweet for me) and a French flour with rye loaf with black olive and sundried tomatoes, the olives and tomatoes worked as little bursts of flavour in the dark strong bread.

Our first course was roasted Lyme Bay scallop with celeriac purée, Oscietra caviar, seaweed beurre blanc. As soon as the plate was laid before us we knew we had come to the right place. The delightful firmness of the scallop was well complimented by the dabs of earthy celeriac puree on top and the salty caviar. The whole thing was sitting in a buttery sauce with seaweed acting as the seasoning. With the main elements eaten we were able to order a ‘little’ extra bread to mop up the delightful sauce. I’m not sure one is supposed to mop up sauces in 1 star Michelin restaurants, but when the flavour is this good, who cares about convention.

Our second course was another revelation of how simple ingredients can be prepared and combined to make a masterpiece of flavour. This was the Isle of Wight tomato salad, with tomato and lemon verbena consommé, vanilla and tomato vinaigrette. From halved cheery tomatoes, through tiny peeled tomatoes of a different variety to the basil and nasturtium leaves and little vanilla gel all with additional richness of flavour created by the cool and refreshing consommé. With all that going on in the plate, the dish was accompanied by a decorated tomato biscuit with intense gazpacho tasting gel. I could have eaten this again and again it was so delightful, but I guess that would have spoiled my appetite for what is to come, but it is a reminder of the fact that simple ingredients treated well can be the very best of foods. 

Our third course was salted Newlyn cod with lemon purée, Lyme Bay crab, samphire and chorizo. The cod was delicately cooked, just to the point where it firmed up, but no further, the crab and lemon gel were on top and the samphire was the base on which the cod rested, this was served with a chorizo flavoured form which, rather than competing with the salted cod brought out the richness of its flavour. While I’ve had morcilla (black pudding) with samphire before, I’ve never had chorizo used in this way – and wow, it really does work. 

The fourth course was Creedy carver duckling, topped by a generous slice of black truffle with pickled beetroot three ways, pomegranate molasses, Szechuan pepper, five spice jus. The duck was tender and pink full of flavour, but for me the most amazing items on this plate was the variety of treatment of beetroot. This earthy salad veg is often either treated as something to be pickled and brought out at Christmas or sliced into a salad as a bit of filling, but presented like this it is an amazing treat. There was a pickled mini-beetroot, there was a beetroot finely sliced and then rolled into a larger size – this is the one on the opposite side from the mini one, then it was pureed into a gel and finally some of the gel was used as a barrier to keep the jus centred on the plate. Each very inventive in its own right and amazing as a combination. 

The fifth course was Darts Farm lamb, ratatouille, boulangère potato, smoked aubergine purée, lamb split jus. We often cook boulangère potatoes at home, knowing that they come from the days when France was facing a cost of heating/cooking problem and clever French cooks would cook their potato dish in the baker’s oven as it cooled down after baking bread – hence the strange name baker’s potatoes. However, no boulangère potatoes we have ever cooked have had the intensity and depth of flavour managed here at Lympstone Manor. The tiny dabs of puree on top were enough to lift the already rich slices of potato to something of elegance. Another clever example of a food, created originally by poor people who had to eke out their living becoming a luxury. The ratatouille has a similar story originally made by flavouring left over vegetables, as nothing could be thrown away, again (though you can’t see it in the photo as the lamb is resting on it) this was treated with care. The poor junior chef who had to cut these vegetables so small deserves lots of praise. The lamb was soft and tender, never as good as Welsh lamb I hear you say, but perfectly fine.  

The next course was of one of my favourite cheeses, Beauvale blue cheese. This was served with black truffle (a nice salty addition) and honey and quince, which I don’t understand, as I can’t imagine anyone wanting sugary cheese! I was able to extract the cheese undamaged from the sweet stuff and enjoyed its rich complex flavour crafted so well from peak district milk in Nottinghamshire. 

The next course, our seventh (or eighth if you count canapes) was a simple Passion fruit mousse with passion fruit sorbet, coconut foam and a dried passion fruit crisp – sharp and not overly sweet this was a nice palette cleanser after the rich cheese. 

The eighth course was one of those desserts where Drew had to volunteer (he’ll say against his better judgement, but we know better) to eat both, to save me having too much sugar. [Co-pilot's note: I, dear readers, am a martyr to having excess desserts (and petits fours) thrust upon me.] It was a 41% Belgian Alunga milk chocolate mousse with a malt ice cream. Drew reports that the malt ice cream was delicate light and airy. The mousse had a lovely smooth texture and was a milk chocolate unlike many desserts which have dark chocolate. I prefer the milk flavour. He enjoyed both versions and would happily have one, two or more again!

We finished with coffee and petits fours, we both had espressos and the petits fours were Lemon Madeleines and Pistachio and almond nougat.

A lovely meal with all the delicacy and balance of flavour we have come to expect of a one Michelin star establishment. The service was impeccable, with each member of staff showing a real interest in our wants and needs. 

Having started with canapes at 6.30pm it was 10.30pm by the time we had finished and got back to the room.