Monday, August 27

Maltby Street Market at the Supperclub Summit

The Supperclub Summit just wrapped up on Saturday night. I'd heard news of the almost-month-long Summit before the series began, but I didn't foresee that I'd be playing three gigs there. The room ended up being quite special for me as a result, and so I was quite excited to be at the grand finale, which featured traders from the Maltby Street Market.

Maltby Street Market is a Saturday food market in Bermondsey, south of the Thames, near London Bridge. It's been getting a lot of attention recently, and having been to the dinner, I can see why. Check out the courses for yourselves below.

Cod roe amuse bouche, by Greek Archipelago

For amuses bouches just after being served a welcome drink of negroni, we had cod roe served with slices of radish on bread from St John. There was also cod roe served on white bean mash, but my dining companions finished it off before I could photograph it.

Pulled pork on peri-peri croute, by African Volcano

This starter was one of my favourites of the night. An absolute star of a dish. It was pulled pork on peri-peri croute, from African Volcano, a creator of peri-peri-style sauces and marinades. I checked out their website, and if you are dying to try the above, you might want to look at their recipe for pulled pork and their bap recipe. Honestly, this dish beats hands down any other pulled pork I've tried in London (and I've tried some of the most popular ones).

The vegetarian starter was sun-ripened tomato relish en croute. I didn't taste it, but it sure was beautifully presented.

Sun-ripened tomato relish en croute, by Pink Organics

Jamon Ibérico and artichoke 'barigoule', by Tozino

This was my other favourite of the night - jamon ibérico from Tozino. For me, the taste test of jamon ibérico is all in the fat, and this one didn't just pass, it was awarded a distinction! Melting and yielding, without any of the chewiness that substandard jamon displays, but with an explosive yet elegant flavour. If I ever get to Maltby Street Market on a Saturday, I will be buying some of this jamon.

Norwegian smoked salmon with caperberries, by Hansen and Lydersen

The alternative to the jamon was Norwegian smoked salmon. I was so busy with the jamon, I didn't even think to ask to try someone else's. You have a pretty picture, so you'll have to use your imagination.

If you thought we were full by this point, you'd be right. But if you thought that was it, you'd be wrong. Oh yes, the good people of Maltby Street wanted to feed us some more, and, after a palate cleanser of elderflower sorbet, the following is what came out.

Smoked lobster, butter-soused fennel, heritage potato 'gremolata', by Christchurch Fish

This was the fish option for the main course. I couldn't try it, but Frangelico and my mother were very happy with it.

New season lamb, spinach, 'dauphinoise', port jus, by Cornish Grill

I had chosen the meat option and was faced with two very generous cuts of lamb (the part in the photograph was only half of it). The lamb was beautifully tender, and you can see as much from the part of the above photo that's in focus. I also have a weak spot for dauphinoise (having had an unfinished plate of it cleared away from my wedding dinner table, when I'd foolishly stepped away for a few minutes. Yes, 5 years on, I'm still unhappy about this.)

We then had a plate (each) of Austrian cheeses from Reiners Austrian Fine Foods, followed by Apfelstrudel by the awesome Speckmobile. (By the way, my buddies** Marco and Franz at Speckmobile make the most desirable Kaspresknödel - pan-fried cheese dumplings served with a yoghurty sauce and rocket. Check them out!)

Baklava from Turkey

With coffee, we were served gorgeous, soft, springy, syrupy baklava.

A little bit about supperclubs. This is important! I was thinking recently about how amazing some of London's supperclubs are. The quality of the food can be outstanding, and if the hosts have love and passion in their hearts, the vibe they create is awesome and the other guests that they attract can be very personable. Going to a supperclub, in a complete stranger's home, ends up turning into such a personal experience. I first experienced this at the plusixfive supperclub, and felt it again most recently at the Backdoor Kitchen. When dining out, I realise I've started to think of them as options alongside restaurant bookings. I really hope more people do, because there are some amazing people out there with ideas and passion, who want to share their cooking with you. If you're looking for a supperclub to book, you might want to try Edible Experiences*.

A Supperclub Summit dinner in flow

I spent a completely unexpected total of four nights at the Supperclub Summit (either as the background entertainment or as a guest), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the co-ordinators of the Summit is Edward Smith, chef and food writer. I'd heard of him from a friend, but the first time I met him was an evening that I turned up in South Kensington (where the dinners were taking place) with my guitar and busking amp. I was fiddling with my equipment, trying to find a spot where the feedback wouldn't deafen the entire room, and he very kindly offered for me to share the family meal he'd brought along for the front-of-house team. Thank you, Edward. I discovered that he used to work at the same firm that I was once a slave at, in a previous life. It seems that he, too, decided to pursue a passion, and there we all were. I really wish him all the best. Check out his food blog, Rocket & Squash. If he does another pop-up series in London, I'll be there!

Florian Siepert and Edward Smith, rocking the Supperclub Summit

Thank you also to the fantastic chefs who invited me to sing at their supperclubs during the Summit - Goz of plusixfive, Yolanda of Wild Serai, and Fabio and Rob of the Backdoor Kitchen - and their co-chefs who made the dinners splendid places to be.

Love

Truffle

* Disclaimer: I'm totally partial to Edible Experiences (apart from the fact that it's the only supperclub booking site I'm aware of...). I first met the amazing Wen Lin Soh, co-founder of Edible Experiences, at my first plusixfive supperclub experience and have met her a number of times since. And she has a cute baby.

**In case anyone thinks I'm plugging my friends' products, I don't actually know the Speckmobile guys personally. We buy their food, and we chat with them while people behind us in the queue are figuring out what to order. But Frangelico and I love their food, so we wish they were our buddies!

Read more about Aug 25: Maltby Street Market Dinner on Edible Experiences

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