Having have visited Marc Wilkinson’s Michelin-starred
Fraiche on the Wirral in Oxton close to a dozen times and blogged about it on
several occasions you might expect that there is little I could add in another
post on the same subject…
If you have been on onto Fraiche’s website (see here) however, you may have seen the mysterious
‘Menu Black’ tab.
For those in the know, the ‘Menu Black’ experience is an ‘invite
only’ special event that Marc now runs once a month.
Menu Black features many of Marc’s favourite dishes,
seasonal specialties, a few extra premium ingredients and the usual boundary
pushing and innovation that diner’s at Fraiche have come to expect as the norm
(I say this as it struck me when watching much of this year’s Great British
Menu that Marc has been using many of the ‘new’ ideas for years!)
Spiced Pecans – since my last visit, a few things had changed: the tables
were graced with plush new chairs and laid out differently. Some things
remained the same however, and it was good to receive a bowl of utterly moreish
familiar Fraiche favourites.
Charcuterie – some good quality charcuterie is hard to beat and the
excellent chorizo and Ibérico ham were a real treat.
Squid Ink Lollies – the recent discovery, in England, of preserved
ink sacs from a fossilised giant cephalopod has
revealed that the melanin pigment is identical to that of a modern day
squid; suggesting that
cuttlefish, squid and octopuses have not evolved since the Jurassic period. Of course, after mentioning ‘innovation’ and ‘boundary
pushing’ I’m not suggesting Marc’s recipe is over 160-million years old – I’m
pretty certain no one in those times was making delicious, sweet lollies.
Calamari Tempura – following the squid ink, we were treated to a perfectly
crisp tempura of baby calamari - exceptional cooking to get the textures of the
calamari and batter so faultlessly.
Turnips in Soil – next, we got to eat the table decoration. The raw baby
turnips were set in a ‘soil’ simply made from chocolate – I must admit this
combination didn’t really work for me, although my wife loved it.
Potato Espuma with Caviar –
this next dish, we both loved. I’ve recently grown to appreciate caviar more
and more and the Ebène Caviar (from
www.finefrenchcaviar.co.uk) is wonderful quality and a real
treat. Whilst some chef’s and restaurant’s commitment to only using British
produce is laudable, when you are eating at the finest restaurants (such as
Fraiche) it’s a privilege to be able to enjoy some of the finest ingredients
from around the world. Another one being the cubes of Japanese ‘yuzu’ jelly
that lay hidden beneath the amazing espuma.
Breads
(round 1) – consisting
of cheese, five nut, mixed seed and as always, my
favourite, granary and treacle.
Textures of Carrot – the carrot sorbet was absolutely wonderful and had perfect
synergy with a purple carrot purée, carrot meringue,
and a carrot and sumac meringue the sweetness of the carrot components was
balanced with the peppery, spiciness of watercress and its flowers.
Seared Scallop – set
on top of compressed cucumber and a Meyer lemon purée with a sourdough toast
and cucumber espuma, this exceptional dish was complemented by the always-amazing
oyster leaves (this time served with their flowers).
Breads (round
2) with Truffle Butter – a dinky
white roll and a sweet, brioche were served with a lavish and indulgent house-made
truffle butter. So good… I would have asked for more but I know Marc’s profit
margins are already slim!
Sweetbread –
this was a serious contender for my favourite dish of the evening; perfectly
coated in a crisp golden crumb and served with duxelles, shimeji and thinly slices mushrooms with a white port jelly and
button mushroom sauce.
Textures
of Beetroot – a real celebration
of flavour and texture: roasted beetroot; golden beetroot purée; sliced raw
beetroot; the welcome addition of smoked almond; olive oil powder; a fresh
tasting yoghurt mousse; sea buckthorn purée topped with pain d'épices.
Poached Brill –
served with asparagus, buttermilk, purslane
and peppery rocket cress with a piece of ‘coal’ that I think was made from
bread that had been soaked in a black olive stock and dehydrated. Brill aside, the best thing on
the plate was the aubergine that had been cooked in apple, soy and ponzu sauce
– it may not sound all that special on paper but it tasted fantastic!
Anjou
Pigeon – the top quality Anjou pigeon breast was sublime
enhanced by the leg and confit of bones weighing in with an additional hit of
flavour. The red cabbage, baby leeks and morels added a classical touch but it
was the cocoa crisp that surprised and delighted in equal measure.
Cheese Board – as
always, a fine selection of mainly British and French cheeses served and
explained with expert knowledge from maître’d
James. Standout cheeses included a Tomme de Savoie, Pont-l'Évêque, Camembert au Calvados, Munster and, my favourite, Livarot that James, informed me is
often dubbed ‘barnyard’ because of its smell.
Fizzy
Pineapple – fizzy
grapes have been a long time Fraiche favourite but I enjoyed this tropical
variation.
Lemongrass
Panna Cotta with Sour Cherry – topped with flakes of
dehydrated grape, this is another Fraiche (and personal) favourite; treated to
funky new glassware.
Tamarind Sorbet – I
love tamarind and this was the first time I have tasted it in a sorbet; it
worked really well for me with the orange, mango, nut brittle and crumb.
Blackcurrant
Sorbet – another interesting combination; this time Marc had
cleverly used the subtle licoricey tasting tarragon in the tempered white
chocolate to pair with the blackcurrant. A lemon curd added a citrus note
whilst the nut crumb provided texture – flavour-wise, a stunning dish.
Rhubarb
‘Hobnob’ – I’m not sure of the legality of using the ‘Hobnob’
name but this oaty digestive biscuit sandwich with its vanilla cream and
rhubarb filling was so good I’d be surprised if McVitie's don’t start begging Marc for the recipe.
Fresh Mint Tea and Petit Fours – great fresh tea and
delicious petit fours, featuring a berry meringue, an ‘after eight’, a passion
fruit marshmallow and popcorn lollies.
For my wife and I, Fraiche has always been a ‘great’
experience… Menu Black was ‘exceptional’. We can’t wait to return… assuming we
will be re-invited.
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