Stray Foodie: Taste of India in central Harrogate

This article is sponsored by Deliveree

 

Stray Foodie reviews are brought to you by Deliveree, and written by Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This month, Frances visits Cardamom Black in central Harrogate.

 

 

 

Having spent four consecutive years in India cooking with some of the world’s greatest chefs at sophisticated dinners for charity, I came to marvel at the joy of their cuisine.

The combination of texture, colour and warmth is unique. Personally, I tend to err away from very hot and spicy foods, having considered them in the past to kill flavour. I have been wrong. It is all about technique and I would go so far as to say there isn’t another country that produces such flavour in their food made from very little.

So it was with great pleasure that I dined at Cardamom Black in Harrogate with friends. I was at first in awe of the size of the menu! Suitable for everyman’s palate but hard to execute, but they did it.

Whether you want a quick curry after a good night out, British style or you are wanting a more academic supper, it is there for the asking. Being into the creation of Vegan and Vegetarian food at the moment I decided to go with their sensational platter of vegetables. Stuffed, fried and unique – all my party had a great time sampling these delicacies.

My friends had two chicken dishes, one mild and one hot, they were very different and once again all down to the seasoning. The preparation of the rice to accompany them was sensational. One with Lime and Coriander and one with Tamarind. Beautiful flavour. The only slight difficulty I might have had was getting all these flavours together to compliment the chosen dish. It took some degree of concentration.  Having said that, the true Indian style of service was friendly and informative and made you feel at ease.

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I listened to another guest on the night we were there who boasted he had tried every dish on the menu!  He must have been going there for a very long time and he was a very happy man! 

Like all my Indian experiences, Cardamom Black reflects colour, warmth and happiness.

Well worth a visit. All taking place in a converted Methodist Church and theatre. It certainly takes central stage in Harrogate.

Star Rating: 4. This is a place to watch!

Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. Frances now runs Paradise  at Daleside Nurseries.

 

 

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Behind the scenes of Harrogate’s new £6m food hall

If there’s one thing that Harrogate does incredibly well, it’s food and drink.

The district has some of the best producers in the country and there is no denying we are completely spoilt for choice when it comes to delicious Yorkshire fare.

So it comes as no surprise that excitement is ramping up for the launch of Harrogate’s huge new £6m food hall in Pannal, which overlooks the Crimple Valley.

The 48,000 sq ft building, which is simply called ‘Crimple‘, will include a butchery counter, an in-house bakery and patisserie, a floristry and a 160-seat restaurant.

Sustainability

And with a huge emphasis on sustainability, there are set to be some very quirky additions to the venue, including it’s own beehive and a reconditioned milk float, complete with milk on tap and refillable glass bottles.

Crimple has been owned by Graham Watson since 2013. With a personal investment of £4m for the construction, plus £2m for the fit-out, the business-owner has created the town’s latest foodie destination in a bid to showcase all the amazing produce the district has to offer.

The man tasked with getting the food hall up and running is general manager Chris Lidgitt, who gave me a sneak preview of the site.

He said:

“We want to be a destination site for North Yorkshire.

“We are proud of what we have done behind the scenes and we all know what it’s going to look like when it opens. We can’t wait to show off our hard work.

“Harrogate needs something like this.”

After two years of planning and more than a year of construction, the food hall is set to open its doors in the second week of November and will see more than 80 new jobs created.

Events space

If you have visited Crimple Valley before, you will be familiar with the antiques centre at the site. This has been completely knocked down and the food hall and restaurant has been built in its place. The garden centre will remain and the existing restaurant and terrace will become an events space.

An exterior computer-generated image of the new food hall.

The food hall’s timber-framed building, with its staggered roof, is eco-friendly and sustainable.

The striking design of the building makes reference to agricultural buildings through a series of interconnected barn-like forms.

A heat recovery system also provides all the hot water for the site and energy-saving refrigeration has been fitted.

Impressive

It certainly looks very swish when you drive past on Leeds Road and its even more impressive when you go inside.

When you first walk in, it’s impossible not to notice the sheer scale of the food hall.

Inside the new Crimple food hall.

The distinctive “saw tooth” roof makes it feel light and airy. The space will allow shoppers to move freely around a specially-designed layout, aimed at making it a relaxed and enjoyable foodie shopping experience.

More importantly the design of the roof allows for natural ventilation and hosts solar panels to feedback power to the grid. In addition, motorised windows keep the temperature constant without wasting electric on heating and cooling.

Butchery counter

One of the big draws will be a 12-metre-long butchery counter, which will have a selection of meats, including the more unusual T-bone and Tomahawk steaks and ox cheeks, as well as the usual cuts. It will also boast a glass-fronted dry-ageing meat fridge.

Chris, who has been in the food and drink industry for years and was a director at The Local Pantry, in nearby Pool, said:

“We will use the in-house butchery department and the produce from the store to supply the restaurant.

“A deli counter will offer cheese, which we are going to mature ourselves in a cheese maturation fridge – from three, six, 12 and 18-months-old.

“There will also be a quirky juice and coffee bar, offering fresh juices and smoothies, which will have a big ice well.

“There will be floristry and gifts, fresh fruit and veg and a bakery, where we will eventually make our own bread. Two bakers will bake in-house including cakes, tarts and patisserie items.

“There will also be a beehive in a sealed unit, which shoppers will be able to see. This will supply honey to sell in the store.”

Yorkshire producers

Food and drink from lots of local producers and independent producers from across Yorkshire will be on offer at Crimple. They will include Bracken Hill Fine Foods, Guppy’s Chocolates, Sawley Kitchen, The Yorkshire Pasta Company and The Original Baker. There will be meat from Robertshaw’s and bread from Cawa Bakery and Lancaster’s. Coffee will be supplied by Dark Woods Coffee.

There will also be food to go, including in-store produced ready meals, pizzas, and fresh fish, as well as a horticulture shop and a grain store.

Chris said:

“There’s a real emphasis on Yorkshire produce but also an emphasis on trying to be different.”

An interior computer-generated image of the new food hall.

Stray Foodie recipe: Spring Vegetable & Herb Delice

Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

“I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.”

 

Since outside hospitality has been allowed, Harrogate has got back it’s great vibe!

There are so many small hospitality businesses popping up, exciting delis with pavement seating springing up everywhere. On a grander scale, astro turf is making an appearance as never before.

Don’t forget with the amenities that are locally offered, takeaways are also still a safe option to be enjoyed within your bubble in this lovely weather. It has been a saving grace giving hospitality a kick start back in to life again and I think we are all looking forward to 17 May when we can safely enjoy what we do so well locally, with all our super hostelries and eat indoors.

For the moment outside dining can be enjoyed by us all, and in warmer climates lighter food is favourite. This week’s recipe is a Spring Vegetable and Herb Delice. I like to think all my recipes are versatile and this dish is great to go with a BBQ when entertaining. You essentially make the base cake and pile it high with vegetables with a little chilli aioli to finish off. It suffices as an accompaniment or a dish in its own right.

Spring Vegetable & Herb Delice

Frances’ spring vegetable and herb delice

You will need:

Method:

Cut the cabbage into 4 and season and oil it.

Place in the oven at 200c for 20 minutes. The cabbage should be crunchy.

Remove the outer burnt leaves and chop the centre of the cabbage finely.

Add the goats curd or cheese.

In your food blender whizz your green crumb with your parsley and tarragon (or any other fresh herb you have to hand).

Add the egg to the cabbage mixture, and season with the chilli powder and nutmeg.

Place in a silicone lined cake mould, approx. 120cm.

Place in the oven for 25 minutes at 160c.

Remove from oven and top the cake with fresh vegetables, herbs.

Pipe on chilli aioli, mayonnaise or spiced yoghurt.

 

Stray Foodie: Sugar and spice and all things nice

Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

Throughout lockdown, I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite seasonal recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.

 

Sugared Almonds, Crystalised Fruits, Dates, Figs and Spices are the delicious foods that we associate with the end of year culinary preparations for our respected festivities.

Historically these ingredients were considered treats as they weren’t so readily available as they are today. Aroma is the powerful sense that stimulates the memory in our brain instantly bringing back recollections that in most cases are good at creating the desire for certain foods! The smell of sugar and spice is very evocative and is one such example.

This week’s recipe is a gluten free almond cake.

The recipe I have this week is one I promised a reader; Paradise’s very versatile recipe for Almond Cake. At Paradise we love versatility with food because we are on a constant voyage of discovery so far as flavours are concerned. This recipe has a large proportion of sugar in it and gluten free flour making it a good cake for keeping and for anyone eating a Gluten Free diet.

Frances’ gluten free almond cake

It is delicious served with crystalised fruits, sugared almonds, dates and figs and spices of your choice. I prefer a little grated nutmeg, complimenting the fruits. A glass of Harrogate Tipple Christmas Gin with a little tonic is a good accompaniment!

For the recipe you need:

The almond cake ingredients

Method:

Line a loose bottomed cake tin with silicone paper.

Pre heat the oven to 180c or Gas 4.

Put all the ingredients together in to a food processor and give a good whizz round and pour it into the cake tin.

Place in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes until it is firm.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

When cooled remove from the cake tin and cover with a flavoured frosting of your choice, sugared almonds and crystalised fruits.

Frosting Recipe:

This is a great alternative celebration cake which is light and easy.

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