In your beaming face
The Moorcock Inn might be off the beaten track, but the food is well worth the journey, writes Amanda Wragg. Pictures by Tony Johnson.
peas in garlic and anchovy sauce – both with oceans of flavour and tons of texture, both un-Instagrammable, but you don’t come here for pretty food. Then the star of the show turns up. Billed as “next level prawn toast”, it’s an umami bomb: a slice of sourdough with a layer of wolf fish mousse and bay scallops topped with poppy seed and quinoa crumb, drizzled with Norland honey infused with chilli. Honestly? It’s incredible. The look that passes between us says: “How does he do this?” It’s a defining moment in this eater’s life. Make a booking before it disappears off the ever-changing menu.
Drinks are more than noteworthy: Aimee is an experienced sommelier and the wine list is largely natural and chosen for purity, balance and occasional quirkiness. They’re all handmade by small producers and farmed organically or biodynamically. There’s a good range of local craft ales too and a wide choice of Belgian beers.
When he’s not foraging/ baking/fermenting, Alisdair makes pots and plates for the pub; they’re as rustic as the food and just as interesting, and you can buy them in the pub. During lockdown they found new customers by selling groceries, store cupboard staples and take-outs; one Friday night I found myself in a car park in Sowerby Bridge furtively exchanging money for woodfired pizzas from Amber, the Moorcock’s fabulous FOH.
There are just a couple of puddings; today, ice cream Neapolitan (pineapple weed, milk, blackcurrant. I know) and for us, for the second time in a fortnight, a salted goose egg custard and rhubarb doughnut. No doughnut ever looked or tasted like this. Somehow it’s pillowsoft and crispy. Shove a fork into it and sunshine yellow custard pools out. We emit a hiss of pleasure.
There’s not much in the way of restraint; what you get is a sort of bigboned generosity from a chef with a deep understanding of the marriage of flavours and textures. His style is inimitable; these aren’t politely-made dishes, they’re joyous, brave and brilliant and totally in your face. Fickle I might be, but I’ve a feeling I’ll stay faithful to the Moorcock.
■ The Moorcock Inn, Moor Bottom Lane, Norland, Sowerby Bridge HX6 3RP. www.themoorcock.co.uk. Opening hours, Wednesday to Thursday: 5-8pm, Friday: 5-8.30pm, Saturday: 12-2.30pm and 5.30-8.30pm, Sunday: 123.30pm.
Ihaven’t opened a bottle of red wine in weeks. Now that various restrictions have fallen away, friends and family have visited, usually in small groups, and always jabbed. No-one has wanted to drink red, even with dinner. “I’d love a glass of rosé, if you have one,” is the usual request.
As summer has rolled on, rosé wine has moved centre stage, as a universal welcome wine and to follow through to lunch or dinner.
And while we are talking about rosé, I am often asked whether it is acceptable to add ice to a glass. My natural reaction is no, but on a hot sunny day I have been as guilty as anyone. The clink of ice in the glass can rescue a flabby, warm wine and make it enjoyable again.
Choosing a rosé wine is a lot easier these days. Provence has become the darling of the wine shelves, but as prices rise, the areas of production have spread out, so Languedoc, and even some anonymous
Vin de France wines are getting in on the act. Increased competition means good flavours and keen prices.
While I focused on pink wines just a few weeks ago, it seems that there is a new rosé wine every day, so this is a catch-up selection of pink wines, none of them from Provence...
Specially Selected Baron Amarillo Rioja Rosé 2020, Aldi, £6.99: Medalwinning and seriously good, this Rioja Rosado has bags of raspberry and cherry fruit, and no oak getting in the way of the flavours.
Côtes du Rhône Rosé, 2020, Marks & Spencer, £8: Full of spiced red fruits with a rounded palate and a firm, dry finish, this is a wine to team with a midweek supper.
Ch. de Pennautier Rosé 2020, Cabardès, France, Majestic, £8.99 on a mix-six deal until Monday: A short distance from the fairytale city of Carcassonne is the magnificent Ch. de Pennautier, built in 1620 and now owned by the de Lorgeril family who have opened it up to tourists. Bizarrely you can see the “travelling” furniture of King
Louis XIII who visited the chateau in 1622 and never bothered to take his furniture away afterwards. The Lorgeril family have transformed the vineyards and winery at the property and are making exceptional wines. This rosé is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and has positive red fruit flavours with cranberries and raspberries to the fore. It goes well with a rare steak or a pink lamb chop.
Bagordi Organic Rosé 2020, Rioja, Spain, House of Townend, £9.49: Deeper in colour than most rosé wines, this 100 per cent Garnacha wine is packed full of raspberry and bramble fruit, with a sprinkle of herbs, a mouth-filling texture and dry finish. Perfect for a barbecue, it will cope with spiced kebabs and burgers as well as a plate of charcuterie and salad.
Nature Secrète Rosé Organic 2020, Saint Mont, Plaimont, France, House of Townend, £9.99: Plaimont is a company with a difference. It is made up of a group of several co-ops which have adopted the kind of values that are usually held just by small family producers. They have strict rules about yields, cultivation and winemaking, and they have a research programme delving into local grapes and organic viticulture. Nature Secrète is a fashionably pale wine made from local grapes Tannat and Pinenc, together with Cabernet Sauvignon, and it has fresh, red cherry fruit, with a clean, zingy twist of lime on the finish.
Jardin de Roses 2020, Jean-Claude Mas, Languedoc, France, Waitrose, down from £13.49 to £9.99 until August 24: From the maestro winemaker of the Languedoc, this is a Syrah Grenache blend that fills the glass with floral scents and then follows through with strawberry, cherry, citrus peel and ripe melon fruit. Totally delicious and a definite bargain while on offer.