Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons

By Paul Fulford on September 10, 2008 9:30 AM | Permalink

The free range egg was poached audaciously soft, poached to runny perfection. It came topped with shards of Alsace ham that were wonderfully crisp. At the bottom of the eggshell-shaped bowl lurked a few beans and a little spinach.

This was a simple dish - a witty reworking of breakfast staples - whose success depended entirely on the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the chefs.

I ate it as part of the ten-course tasting menu I was fortunate enough to be invited to sample at Raymond Blanc's flagship Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire.

I was staying overnight before attending the Manoir cookery school yesterday.

The meal was magnificent - displaying a kitchen that posses great technique, has the instinct to match ingredients with daring but common sense and works with the finest ingredients.

There's an article about my course at the cookery school in Thursday's Food + Drink section of the Birmingham Mail.

But if you want to find out more about Le Manoir's restaurant or cooking classes, go to www.manoir.com