A journey through the finest seasonal and local ingredients by Chef Craig Hennessey from The Robin Hood Inn - Smithfield and Titanilla Hennessey of Hungarian wine cellar
"Eat in to help out"
With news that lockdown will be lifted soon We have started our private dining at home services for 2021.
Our first weekend (Valentines) was full of joy and enjoyment, A great opportunity to catch up with some friendly faces following some particularly unproductive comments recently.
So to explain again, in simple terms, "If you can have the plumber or builders around, you can have a professional chef and Sommelier in your home". 👩🍳
Treat yourself with a unique dining experience, the finest ingredients & exclusive Hungarian wine.
We currently have our Spring and Vegetarian tasting menus available to be booked via our website. CLICK HERE TO BOOK
✅ 7 course seasonal menu
✅ in your own home
✅ social distancing followed
✅ full flavours
✅ unique matched wines
✅ no washing up
service currently available for 2 - 6 people
"We look forward to a time where it is safe and viable to open the pub, until then we appreciate the continued support for our fine dining and our unique Hungarian wine delivery service."
For more information on our closure CLICK HERE
Canapés & Cocktail start
The Robin Hood pub has been closed throughout this pandemic, so we wanted to bring a little pub nostalgia for this seasons tasting menu - Pub classic canapes
"bar snacks & bar chat" - homemade mini cheddar cheese biscuits, and some heritage potato crisps. These were seasoned with some sweet (csipos) paprika - a Christmas present from family in Budapest.
Our Valentines Love cocktail was from Eden mill gin and contained crystalized rose petals and fresh edible roses from Nurtured in Norfolk a leading micro herb and edible flower producer. available by mail order.
A favourite bar snack from the Robin Hood is a our mini Sunday roast dinner. Yorkshire pudding made to granny's recipe, topped with slow cooked pulled brisket, horseradish creme fraiche, crispy onion and micro watercress .
Silloth potted shrimp on brioche toast
Ray’s Shrimps is a family run company, based in West Cumbria. Formed in the early 1960’s, the ‘catch’ from the Solway is cooked immediately onboard ship in the Solway firth.
Welsh Wagyu mini burger from Alternative meats. In a homemade sesame seeded bun with tomato relish.
Wagyu, also known as Kobe beef is renowned for its superior qualities. Its unique taste and texture.
Ifors welsh Wagyu produce some of the tastiest, most delicious beef that we have EVER experienced."
"Ifor’s Wagyu Cattle graze on the hills of Montgomeryshire, they are the happiest, most relaxed cattle we have ever seen. Now whether this is down to having a pint of beer from the local brewery every day … or the little daily massage that Ifor gives them … or just the fact that they're well loved and cared for in a very beautiful part of Wales – who can tell?!!
Native Oysters
As an added bonus for Valentines we provided fresh native oysters served on crushed ice, topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon, smoked sea salt and butterfly sorrel from Nurtured in Norfolk
#Oysters are extremely rich in zinc, which is essential for #testosteroneproduction and maintenance of #healthy sperm.
Even though women have less testosterone than men, it also plays a key part in the female #libido. Oysters also boost #dopamine, a hormone that increases libido in both men and women. 😉
Our first wine of this seasonal journey is a unique white from Hungary. A beautiful Furmint from Pannon Tokaj vineyards.
Furmint is one of the most exciting grape varieties in the world right now. It is a versatile wine with a full-body and an underlying acidity. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
The grapes are left to shrivel on the vine late in the season. This encourages the development of the Botrytis cinerea fungus, aka noble rot. The sugar's concentrate and intensify the flavour to create a straw gold in colour wine, with a complex flavour, high acidity and distinct sweetness. Smoky flavours of lime peel, ripe apples and pears, light hay with hints of spice.
Mangalica Scotch duck egg, asparagus, bernaise, black garlic puree, nasturtium and tarragon oil.
Mangalica pork is prized for the tender juicy meat it produces which requires minimal seasoning. Hailed as the 'Kobe beef of pork.'
The curly coated sheep pig does exist. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
The start of the English asparagus season is eagerly anticipated by chef's and food lovers, up and down the country. Although the prime season is quiet brief, the quality is exceptional. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Black garlic is a type of aged garlic that is deeply coloured black. The colour is a result of the "Maillard reaction", a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars. The special ingredient has umami taste a flavour described in the range of liquorice and date to soy sauce, tamarind and mushroom.
High in antioxidants, black garlic can help reduce inflammation in the body and prevent conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It may also help to improve memory and other parts of cognitive function
Skrei cod, roasted celeriac rendang, Butter poached langoustine tails, samphire and celery.
Norwegian Skrei easily earns the badge “superfood”. A typical portion of Skrei provides your entire daily recommended intake of Omega 3, as well as plenty of vitamin A and B12, linked to a strong immune system, brain- and reproductive health. Skrei is also an incredibly lean choice, with 96 percent of the calories in a portion being protein.
Top this with high levels of essentials like selenium and iodine, including Skrei in your 2021 diet is a no-brainer for any health conscious consumer.
In the middle of winter, celeriac is a saviour. it marks a welcome change in availablity of British produce. This versatile, but little-known root vegetable is known as "the ugly one". Celeriac is also a nutritional powerhouse.
The most sustainable cod stock on earth
What’s more, when choosing Norwegian Skrei you can feel confident it is a good choice for the planet as well as your health. The Barents Sea cod stocks from which the Skrei in Norway originates from is the world’s largest and the fisheries are considered one of the most sustainable in the world.
Pristinely white flesh, succulent and with a delicate flavour, Skrei is in a different league to its regular cod brothers. It is the result of the epic journey it undertakes every single Winter. Cod from the depths of the icy Barents Sea migrate over 1,000 kilometres to the shores of Northern Norway every winter. It is a hazardous journey, a quest to find love, through icy waters and strong currents.
This journey earns these cod, the viking name Skrei – meaning “the traveler”. Upon arrival in Norway the Skrei cod is at its absolute physical prime, with the finest whitest flesh and the most incredible texture.
For many years, the season of Norwegian Skrei has been eagerly awaited by restaurateurs and chefs around Europe, who know that this is some of the finest produce the ocean has to offer. But the succulent and delicately flaky Norwegian Skrei is not just reserved for fancy restaurants and elaborate dishes, it is also a fish any home chef or family cook is guaranteed to succeed with.
Currently three generations of the Bodri family are working on the family estate to make sure that the wines produced in the vineyard are unique and of great value.
Tramini (Gewurztraminer) is a rare and unique wine variety in Hungary. With a fragrance of chamomile and elderflower it has floral notes and flavours of peach and pear.
This wine pairs perfectly with Asian cuisine, balancing bold spicy flavours on the palate. a perfect choice for our Skrei cod dish with its notes of rendang and galangal.
"Coq au vin"
Goosnargh chicken breast, crispy southern fried wing and boneless thigh. Mangalica pancetta, duck fat braised shallots, black tapioca and a rich Bodri Gunar gravy.
Goosnargh Chicken is a speciality range of chicken raised and sold by Johnson & Swarbrick at Swainson House Farm in Goosnargh, near Preston, Lancashire. Their motto is ‘a happy bird is a tasty bird’. The famous cornfed Goosnargh chicken is supplied to the finest chefs around the country, the quality of the poultry is second to none. To learn more about this fantastic family farm CLICK HERE
Bodri wines are for those who prefer lighter, cheerful, fruity wines.
Gunar - 2020 is a dry red wine, it was blended for the celebration feast of St Martins day, which in Hungarian folklore traditionally signals the end of agricultural working season and the coming of advent. This was also the last feast-day before a 40-day period of fast.
It is a light wine with elegant acids, simple tannins and mild fruity flavours. traditionally served with goose to celebrate St martin, it works really well with the juicy corn fed poultry from Goosnargh.
BEEF, WILD MUSHROOM & TRUFFLE
Himalayan salt aged beef rib-eye fillet from Caterite.
"perfectly pan seared to medium rare".
Sticky 24hour Braised Oxtail
"slow cooked in Egri Bikaver".
Foraged roasted wild mushrooms with garlic and chive & micro rocket
"Fresh Italian truffles are one of the worlds greatest and most sought after gourmet ingredients with their alluring aroma and the remarkable flavour they deliver to countless dishes is absolutely unique."
Did you know @Caterite have an exciting Himalayan Salt Chamber?
The wall was hand built using a bespoke racking system to house the bricks to optimise the effects of the ageing process.
All of their beef is guaranteed to be UK sourced. They have links with over 40 Cumbrian farms, and where possible they try and use locally sourced meat in their product range. If they are not able to provide a Cumbrian product you can rest assured that their products are still supporting British farmers.
Shop Now: CLICK HERE…
Tóth es Tóth - Cabernet Franc - 2017
A dry red win from Debröi Eger region.A medium intensity ruby red wine with aromas of sour cherry and oaky notes. Medium body with medium acidity, velvet mature tannins and juicy long finish.
2017 was a poor year across Europe, with late frosts in April and an damp Autumn, However wines in Hungary exceeded expectations and some great rich reds and sweet aszu wines have been very successful.
The Tóth vineyards total 40 hectares of rolling hillsides, wedged between Aldebrő & Feldebrő in Northern Hungary, on the edge of the Matra National Park, with open countryside, forests and the mountains all around.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS FANTASTIC FAMILY VINEYARD - CLICK HERE
Forced Rhubarb Sorbet, syrup and puree, vanilla custard and rose petal.
Eagerly anticipated in the Yorkshire triangle, the prime season is quiet brief, although the quality is exceptional. Growers cover the rhubarb crowns in Winter to produce early growth of sweet pale pink stems.
A small area of nine square miles in West Yorkshire has been granted Protected Designation of Origin
It is highly regarded by chefs and caterers on account of its complex flavour, low acidity, health benefits and dazzling colour.
Our final treat is:
HARSLEVELU SUPERIOR
Even though this wine is not from the Tokaj region, it has the same amount of natural sugar in it as a Tokaj would.
This is why this beautiful harslevelu has been awarded 5 puttony aszu - It has more fruity flavour than a Tokaj wine would have, with notes of honey and apple blossom.
Ruby Chocolate bombe, filled with blood orange jelly, dark chocolate orange ganache, passionfruit bavarois and vanilla shortbread.
Described as the fourth chocolate!
Created from the Ruby cocoa bean, through a unique process that unlocks the flavour and the pink/red colour present in the Ruby cocoa bean.
NO FLAVOURINGS OR COLOURS ARE ADDED!!
Do not confuse the pink colour with a flavoured chocolate - Ruby chocolate is in a class of its own and 100% natural colour and flavour from the Ruby cocoa bean alone.
PETIT FOUR
A selection of homemade sweet treats to finish, can be enjoyed over coffee and an after dinner Liqueur.
Rosehip and ruby chocolate ganache
Triple chocolate cookies
Dark chocolate banoffee pie
GET IN TOUCH If you would like to enjoy the finest seasonal ingredients and sustainable produce from Chef Craig Hennessey & the Hungarian wine cellar.
If you have any catering requirements you would like to discuss.
If you would like to chat about the greener future that must lie ahead for The Robin Hood.
A "new normal" of equality and sustainability is something we should look to build in our local community.
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