Mothers Day - Mum's the word
Outfoxed - Richard Fox looks at menu ideas for keeping mum happy this 21 March.
One of the marvellous things about parenthood is the constant sense of keeping in touch with modernity. While avoiding the encumbrance of kids could feasibly lead to a life lived in blissful ignorance of Big Brother, processed cheeseon- a-stick and Kerry McFadden, even the most die-hard, traditionalist mother may well find herself humming to the chorus of Champagne Supernova, having an opinion on J-Lo's latest spat, or even enjoying the occasional blast of a down-classified, nonprescription narcotic. But smug,"parent-educating" offspring shouldn't be lulled by their own "Old Dear's" idea of a culinary treat. I suspect that a mortgage-sized jaunt to the gastro equivalent of Tracey Emin's "Unmade Bed" is not going to hit the spot.
What I'm saying is, there's a time and a place for post-modernist behaviour - and Mothering Sunday is not one of them. This is queen-bee time for mum - time for her to be smug and reflect on the fine things in life that you have had the privilege to experience through her sense of what's good. While it doesn't have to be a case of "just like mama used to make" (after all, it wouldn't be as good anyway); it should be "just like mama would have always eaten if she'd had the time or money". There's a New Orleans eating establishment called Brennans, which I once had the good fortune to dine in. Although it's predominantly a breakfast/brunch place, it makes the famous Bettys' Tea Rooms look like a chain of transport cafs.
So, while I'm not suggesting you roll out the white linen, dress the bar staff like comedy soldiers and start hanging out the chandeliers, the Brennans' menu has "Mother's Day" stamped all over it. There are at least 10 different dishes featuring eggs and hollandaise sauce.While such a menu should really carry a surgeon general's health warning, the whole idea is to give a treat - something a bit naughty, but nice. It would be unheard of not to begin proceedings with a glass of champagne and orange juice, and I would suggest this is a course of action worth following, with perhaps the choice of peach juice for a perfect Bellini.
Talking of Bellinis - smoked salmon blini is an ideal starter.Alternatively, if you were offering a fixed-price lunch menu, you could even cost in little canapé-sized versions, just to give that glitzy, ritzy vibe to the whole experience. If making your own traditional buckwheat pancakes with fresh yeast is a bit daunting, there are plen-ty of good quality pre-made versions on the market.
Just top with a little smoked salmon, a dollop of whipped double cream with a squeeze of lemon juice and some Avruga caviar - although it looks and tastes remarkably like the real thing, it's actually herring roe and comes in at less than a fiver for a large jar. When it comes to desserts, the classics are the best. Apple tarte-tatin - easy to make and great served with home-made cinnamon ice cream - is a sure-fire winner. Back to Brennans, and its signature dish of Bananas Foster is, quite literally, flaming tasty. In fact, it's so tasty that they buy in 35,000 pounds of bananas a year to make it! All you do is dissolve sugar, butter and cinnamon in a pan over a low heat.
Add some banana liqueur and then the bananas. When they've softened and browned add a dash of rum, tip the pan to allow it to catch fire and serve with a healthy scoop of ice ream. Oh, to be mother!
Some ideas for making mum's day
Why not run a special offer on Champagne, such as Mumm, to mark her special day. You could offer it by the glass or bottle
To try and get publicity for your mother's day menu why not offer to run a competition with your local paper or newsletter, offering a free meal for four to the winning mum
Make mums feel really special by giving them a small box of chocolates or flowers. It may cost you, but it is the small
things that count and they are more likely to remember you when it comes to the next special occasion in the family
Advertise your mother's day menu well in advance and take bookings so that the kitchen is better able to prepare
Why not run a promotion offering a free glass or wine or pudding to the mother in the group
If you want to really go for it on the mother's day theme, why not adapt the names of some of your dishes around a motherly theme - it will create a talking point
Poached smoked haddock on bubble and squeak with poached egg and hollandaise sauceServes 4
Ingredients: 500g/1lb 2oz potato 200g/7oz savoy cabbage 250g/9oz butter 2 egg yolks Juice of half lemon 1 tsp white-wine vinegar Pinch of salt 600g/1lb 5oz smoked haddock 4 eggs
Method: Make a mash from the potatoes, add a knob of butter and combine with the boiled, shredded cabbage, making sure it's dry. Season with salt and pepper and form into four patties, lightly dusted with seasoned flour. Make the hollandaise sauce - this is my quick version -clarify the butter and keep warm. Beat the eggs, lemon juice, vinegar and salt over a bowl of simmering water until it thickens. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the clarified butter.
Cover the bowl with cling film and keep in a warm place during service. Poach the eggs and immediately plunge into iced water. For service, pan fry the potato cake until golden brown and then heat through in the oven. In the mean time, place the haddock in simmering, seasoned milk with bay leaf for three or four minutes and re-heat the poached egg in simmering water.
To serve - put the potato cake in the middle of the plate, place the well-drained haddock fillet on top, put a poached egg on the haddock and spoon over the hollandaise. Garnish with a sprig of parsley or chervil.
