Vegan home delivery Hear me out, Hen of the Woods deliver the goods

HEN OF THE WOODS GLASGOW

IT’S not very politically correct to say this but nothing in my house provokes a deeper collective sigh than the immortal phrase: it’s vegan food for tea. In fact, when I respond to this tiresome negativity to my quest to liven up lockdown by saying “not all vegan food is bad’ there’s laughter all round. Remember the Smash advert anyone?

You get the picture.

The whole meal then usually becomes a bit of a contest with me holding up various forkfuls of various dishes and going: you can’t say this is not tasty?

And that is what happens this evening except instead of the usual stoic blank looks I get a good few positive nods.

Take the Brussels sprouts (halved) and seared to a candied crisp, stirred and fried and served with salt and chill cashews. These even looked appetising when they were unpacked from that big box left on the doorstep with a cheery text advising me of its arrival.

If I fast forward, say, four days I can exclusively reveal that Mrs Mackenna will be serving up a version of these for Tuesday night tea as her very own. Crikey.

Shredded potato with Sichuan chill oil anyone? Check.

This appears a faff to make but it’s not to eat: being unusually yet pleasantly textured, calming yet with a real after-burn.

Roast pears with fried bread, then, the pear sweet and sticky, the bread good in a very bad (for you) way and an inoffensive blue, erm, cheese custard languidly draping itself across everything.

Hunky chunky Jerusalem artichokes with miso butter, roasted right down to the tang are filling, satisfying even. There’s even a cauliflower cheese dish that comes bubbling and browned from oven.

Humble borlotti beans with sesame and parsley which may be simple but are taken for second helpings all around.

In the interests of full disclosure and because we have all been in this movie before I’ve got to confess that a decidedly non-vegan baked ziti had been prepared in advance of this vegan feast and sat smouldering on the sidelines, just in case Hen of the Woods went the way of others.

You know – ordered from Facebook? No

Comes in the form of slick internet tick-box selections based on the number of courses you choose. Good, interesting. 4/5

an all-round squeamishness simply because nobody is really sure what they’re eating. Even when the ingredients are examined and it’s all decent stuff, that feeling somehow lingers.

Hey, I know vegans don’t even see this as an issue but if veganism is all about stopping the unspeakable horrors we subject animals to, or at least reducing them – and I totally support that – then surely the more people encouraged into realising good vegan food is no taste compromise the better it will be all round.

If you know a restaurant Ron should review, email ronmackennadefence@gmail.com

Some genuine highlights including sprouts with chilli and cashew, the shredded potato with Sichuan pepper oil. Quality vegan food. 8/10

There’s often a worry when non-veggies delve into the mystic realms of vegan food but Hen of the Woods deliver enjoyable stuff