La Gavilla, Bilbao

Bilbao is also a culinary adventure with dishes from the Basque tradition as well as its own Bizkaia region. Here, I write about a very special restaurant we stumbled across out of dumb luck and which I thank the Basque food gods for the delights that we sampled inside.

The Blue Pelican, Deal

An Easter weekend break in Whitstable saw us in the neighbourhood, so we took the opportunity to swing by The Blue Pelican in nearby Deal, Kent. It opened in November 2023 to amazing reviews and, on the night we were there, was clearly already very popular.

Crispy Fried Oysters with Chilli Tomato Salsa and Lemon Mayonnaise

If you think you don’t like oysters because you have only had them raw, then these scrumptious Crispy Fried Oysters might well make you think again. And it is worth thinking again, as they are a sustainable and abundant source of protein from our UK waters.

Delicately textured and tasting of the sea, they are a delicious crispy, hot treat to enjoy with friends and family.

Warm Winter Vegetable Salad

I have spent the last couple of months experimenting with new dishes which reduce our meat and fish intake and help us to eat more sustainably.

This salad combines the deep flavours of winter beetroot lifted by an orange and dill dressing with nutty roast cauliflower tossed in lemon zest and chilli, nestling on a satisfyingly meaty bed of Puy lentils and fresh mixed British salad leaves.

A smattering of comforting toasted hazelnuts and spoonfuls of garlicy yoghurt and tahini sauce to finish the dish tie all the flavours together.

Pasta Dough

Learn how to make your own pasta dough and enjoy the wonderful soft, silky unctuousness of fresh pasta which makes the extra effort so worthwhile.