Winter calls for rich, hearty flavours, warming and comforting for body and soul. We are proud to announce our new Winter Tasting Menu; eight delicious courses created by our chefs using the best local and seasonal produce, sourced from our doorstep in Lincolnshire with special ingredients brought in from the rest of the UK.
Let us talk you through the Winter Tasting Menu, step by step. The Menu is served every Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm, and is available at £85 per person. Why not complement your meal with a paired Drinks Flight, for £49 per person?
The Winter Tasting Menu for 2023 is a more traditional offering created with, of course, a Pig & Whistle twist. Please read on for a guide to the regular Winter Tasting Menu, of which vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free versions are available upon booking.
Course 1 | Scone, Lincolnshire plum bread scone, pâté, onion jam, cinnamon cream cheese
(Edinburgh Plum Gin Liqueur, Bolney Bubbly – Edinburgh & Sussex, UK)
Your first starter is a miniature scone, made using a traditional Lincolnshire plum bread recipe folded into a scone base, with a chicken liver pâté and onion jam. The jam is made using black treacle which adds a rich molasses flavour, and is cooked for twelve hours to create a sweet, sticky texture. The traditional ‘cream’ aspect of your scone, jam and cream is a cinnamon cream cheese – with the cinnamon adding a wintry, Christmassy flavour. How will you layer up your scone? Scone, jam and cream, or scone, cream and jam?
Course 2 | Scallops, pork, apple, celeriac
(Alberino ‘Bernon’ Bodegas Aquitania – Riaz Baixas, Spain)
These sweet and juicy scallops are hand-dived scallops to protect the ocean floor. To temper their sweetness, we’ve added salty belly pork, cooked in its own fat and compressed and pan-fried for a crispy texture – a delicious contrast to the soft scallops. These elements are served with apple white puree and raw apples, alongside a bitter
endive, celeriac and celery leaf remoulade. There’s also an exciting apple twist for some winter magic.
Course 3 | Hot Pot, chicken, potato, broccoli stem, brown sauce
(Shiraz Pitchfork – South East Australia)
Traditional hot pot is a hearty Lancashire dish that originated in the 19th century to nourish cotton workers after a long, hard day of work. Our chefs have created a hot pot-inspired chicken terrine, served with crispy potatoes, carrot purée and carrot top oil – we don’t like to waste anything in our kitchens. Alongside the terrine is a fruity brown sauce, our version of the classic HP which was named after the Houses of Parliament – a total contrast to the peasant origins of the hotpot – and a set gravy.
Course 4 | Rabbit Scotch Egg
( Pinot Noir ‘Lautarul’, Cramele Recas – Banat, Romania )
The Lincolnshire Chef’s winter version of the Scotch egg is made from rabbit. The meat is casseroled and served with the flavours of fresh garden sage, mustard seeds and roasted pumpkin. The finishing touch is a rich reduction and candied pumpkin seeds.
Course 5 | Venison Cottage Pie
(Edwards Sloe Liqueur, Fever Tree Indian Tonic – Brigg, Lincolnshire)
We’ve taken winter favourite Cottage Pie, traditionally made with beef, and refreshed it with pulled shoulder of venison. The topping is Duchess potatoes, made by finely sieving roasted potatoes, and folded through with blanched Pickering watercress oil and egg yolks. For a spicy flavour, the pie is topped with fresh grated horseradish and a jus.
Course 6 | Sea Bass & Baked Beans, butter bean, chorizo, smoked oyster
(Rioja Vega Blanco – Rioja, Spain)
This dish comprises line-caught Cornish seabass, complemented with lemon, butter and tarragon. Alongside is our take on posh baked beans, a cassoulet of butter beans, tomato-smoked oysters, leeks, oyster mushrooms and chorizo.
Course 7 | Burnt Cream
Course seven is a burnt cream or in French, crême brûlée. Flavoured with white chocolate and raspberry, the topping is a crunchy caramelised sugar. Paired with this is a caramelised white chocolate and zingy raspberry elements. Raspberries are macerated in sugar, and the resulting juice is used to create a pink raspberry sorbet and raspberry curd.
Course 8 | Lincolnshire Cheese Plate, crackers, frozen grapes, Branston pickled butter
(Pocas 10-year White Port)
The second pudding of the Winter Tasting Menu is a cheese plate, reminiscent of a Christmas Day night cheese board. We’ve sourced some fantastic local Lincolnshire cheeses, including Dambuster cheese from Woodhall Spa (the Second World War home of ‘The Dambusters’ 617 Squadron), two Cote Hill cheeses – a Blue cheese which balances rich creaminess of milk and the peppery bite from P. Roqueforti mould and a Yellow, which is matured in yellow wax for a luscious, buttery taste and subtle tang – and a smoked Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, cold-smoked over damp oak chips for a delicate smoky aroma and flavour. Frozen grapes act as a palate cleanser and we also serve sourdough crackers from Peter’s Yard, Branston pickled butter and fresh figs with fig purée for an extra hit of flavour.
