WHAT A PORKER!
RESTAURANT CHEF HAS COOKED UP A CRUNCHY TREAT THAT’S RIGHT UP TO SCRATCH...
THE Cross, Kenilworth’s Michelin starred restaurant, is launching a square foot of pork scratching.
The renowned restaurant, which usually serves diners its beef cheek bordelaise or sea bream in red wine sauce, now offers them a giant crispy bar-snack - the freshly fried pork scratching.
The foot of scratching comes from the hind quarters of Wiltshire pigs – the fast deep frying process makes the skin’s starch molecules gelatinise, creating a huge bubbly pork scratching.
Head chef Adam Bennett told the Telegraph: “We’ve taken our Michelin starred techniques and applied them to something humble that you’d find in the pub.
“It is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but although we are a fine dining establishment, we are very much rooted in the pub ethic.”
Bennett, who grew up in Warwickshire but started his culinary career at the Dorchester Hotel in London, was a finalist in the prestigious Bocuse D’Or cooking contest in 2015.
He added: “When I came here we wanted to freshen it up, keep the feeling of a pub and apply great cooking technique to our food - the sort of thing I’ve been doing at one and two Michelin star restaurants through my career.
“This scratching is an emblem of that - we like the fact we’re a pub, we want to give our drinkers something to soak up. We’ve got other things going on like pork pies and sausage rolls, and now we’ve got the garden in the sunshine, people can sit drinking and enjoy these snacks – its ideal with a good Midlands beer like one of Purity’s brews.”
Based in a 19th century coach house, the Cross won the prestigious Michelin star three years ago and has retained it annually since.
The giant pork scratching will be available to The Cross’ diners as a sharer at £8. Smaller scratchings are available for couples.
For bookings phone 01926 853840.