321. Mortimers.

  While in Ludlow I enjoyed another visit for the six course lunch at Mortimers in Corve Street. I was not disappointed with any of the dishes. There were three very pleasing amuses gueles - all of which I murmured to myself were ‘very good’ - a crispy and tasty ham hock croquette with celeriac purée, a delightful cheese tart and a pleasurable blini with crab mousse nestling on it.

   

Good things at Mortimers it seems come in threes - something of a mystical gastronomic number rooted in the distant past - and three fine breads and three fine butters next arrived at the table - goats cheese bread, sourdough and onion baguette arm-in-arm with sea salt, parsley and black olive butters (how pleasing not to be presented with the almost ubiquitous Marmite butter which lost its novelty eons ago).

    The first starter was a confit chicken terrine, nicely grilled leek and excellent shards of pleasingly sweet grilled sweetcorn with what sounded like an exciting little black pudding bonbon which sadly did not live up to its promise, being lacking in flavour and the coat not crispy enough. Next there was an excellent goats cheese mousse with accompanying pickled baby beets which had a nice balance between sweet and sharp and lovely beetroot sorbet. There was a pleasing hit of pepper, I assume from the sorrel, but the crunchy olive bread was just a little too hard for those who fear for the continuing existence of their elderly teeth. This was a pleasing dish however despite the accompanying dental jeopardy.

  

  The main course served up very fine and beautifully cooked Herefordshire beef - it was delightfully tender and adroitly seasoned and brought with it lovely, sweet roasted shallots though the confit onion mash was less successful, being rather claggy and not a great pleasure to eat. The dish was pleasingly soothed with a tasty beef sauce.

  Time for dessert - rhubarb with vanilla cream and pistachio ice cream. Sadly the rhubarb had been overcooked and reduced too much so that it lacked any bite and there was no hint of that unique sourness which gives rhubarb its raison d’être but the accompanying light pistachio cake and rhubarb meringues made this a very edible dessert despite the performance of the chief actor. The chocolate mille feuille with the accompanying happiness afforded by salted caramel that rounded off the meal ensured that Mortimers would remain a deliverer of happy memories.

Rating:- 🌞