J’AIME JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

with diners - a heartening sight in these Covid times.
A nice pint of ale and a crisp G&T were perfect
for slaking our thirst while we perused the menu,
accompanied by a pile of the lightest, warm focaccia
and a moreish Marmite whipped butter.
On the succinct side with just seven options each for
starter and main, the menu was nonetheless perfectly
formed, with each choice sounding as tempting as
the next one.
The torched mackerel, chicory marmalade, pickled
black radish, and toasted barley sauce, £8.50, caught
my eye, as did the pan seared scallops with scallop
roe emulsion and butternut squash textures, £10. But
it was the chicken and black pudding terrine with
Earl Grey and date purée and toasted milk bread,
£8.95, which sealed the deal. And it was a stellar
choice. The terrine was succulent, with a flavour
punch from the black pudding, the sweet date puree
cutting through the richness perfectly.
My husband’s seared pigeon breast, salt baked
swede, sunflower seed paste and pear, £8, was a
dainty morsel which looked pretty as a picture and
tasted just as good.
Moving onto the main event, again we could have
happily chosen any dish from the list, with Sandon
Estate pheasant, braised pork belly and roasted stone
bass all vying for attention. My seared duck breast,
caramelised turnip, baby turnips, fondant potato and
bourbon whiskey jus, £20, was both comforting and
delicious; beautifully pink duck, a real earthy note
from the vegetables and the umami savouriness of
the jus. An accompaniment of braised winter red
cabbage, £4.50, was wonderfully jammy and sweet,
balancing out the plate nicely.
My husband’s braised feather blade of beef, glazed
carrot and black garlic purée, served with a pile
of truffle and parmesan chips, £18.50, proved to
be another winning dish. The beef was meltingly
tender, falling apart at the merest hint of a fork,
the chips delightfully fluffy on the inside with a
crisp outer adorned with a generous shaving of
parmesan and just enough truffle to hit the spot. An
accompanying pear, candied walnut and Dovedale
blue cheese salad, £4.50, was the perfect example
of a winter salad, and something we’ll definitely
recreate at home.
With just enough room left for a little something
sweet, I took on Sophie’s dessert recommendation of
a deconstructed tiramisu, £7. Coffee-soaked sponge,
with a boozy hit of Tia Maria, paired with crisp
hazelnut tuile and shavings of dark chocolate, all
atop a creamy mascarpone layer, it was an indulgent
yet balanced pud.
My husband dug into his vanilla panna cotta with
pear jelly, lemongrass and milk ice cream,
£6.50, with gusto before realising it was,
in fact, the spiced apple pavlova, £7,
rather than the panna cotta he’d ordered.
Cue apologies all round, although he
declined a replacement since the pavlova
was rather lovely itself, with a spiced
apple compote and slivers of cinnamoninfused
meringue teased with gooey white
chocolate.
After a tumultuous time, it’s evident that
The Red Lion has come back fighting.
Impeccable service - with manager Sophie
particularly worthy of plaudits - and
skillful cookery of a menu which elevates
pub dining to new heights, it’s certainly
worth a visit.
www.jaimemagazine.com
37