Manchester’s Chop Houses have launched a seasonal new menu that’s full of the joys of spring.
It’s also full of surprises, as we discovered during a sneak preview tasting session at The Albert Square Chop House.
Executive chef Lee Ferguson’s new dishes are full of the hearty, robust flavours we’ve come to expect from the Manchester Chop Houses. But there’s lightness and refinement here, too, as well as a simply spectacular vegan dish.
A starter of creamy celeriac and apple soup is deftly dotted with rich Garstang Blue cheese, while crispy little Irish goats cheese pearls are accompanied by pickled beets and an earthy, garlicky truffle mayonnaise.
There are some sophisticated fishy options when it comes to starters, too.
Potted Port of Lancaster smoked mackerel is served with celeriac and grain mustard slaw and sourdough croutes, perfect with a glass of dry herbaceous sauvignon blanc, crisp and refreshing like a squeeze of lemon.
Hand-carved Port of Lancaster smoked Scottish salmon, dry and beautifully smoky, comes with sharp, salty capers, shallots, boiled egg and lemon. Try a glass of chardonnay alongside with its notes of vanilla, apple and pear.
And then there’s a showstopper of a new starter.
Steak tartare, one of the signature dishes of French cuisine for a reason, consists of hand chopped dry-aged beef, classically spiced with a hen’s egg yolk on sourdough toast. There’s roasted bone marrow on the side, ready to be dug out with a knife and spread liberally over the top for an extra beefy treat. The chardonnay’s a clever wine match for this one, too.
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