Eneko at One Aldwych

 Memories of the Bay of Biscay: oyster, crab and wild prawn tartare.

This was presented with a bit of theatre, something was poured through the lattice onto some seaweed from the Bay of Biscay. This produced an ethereal mist with a faint smell of the sea to complement the most delicious seafood and beautiful presentation.
The white wine is BizkaikoTxakolina one of the wines form Eneko and his uncle's winery.

Anchovy tempura wrapped in a cornet (the Fork Times!) with ginger and tomato granite

Basque style hake in tempura with red pepper sauce and parsley emulsion. Beautifully cooked succulent fish with a crisp tempura coating.

Potatoes in herb and txakoli ( a Basque sparkling wine) sauce with fried crisp egg yolks. The potato seemed similar to gnocchi, I would have preferred some new potatoes.

A selection from the sweet trolley.

Raspberry macaron with basil ganache

Basque vanilla pudding. Both deserts were served with Basque ice cream. It was made with sheep's milk and perfectly smooth and delicious.

Dappled sunlight from windows above bathes the natural materials of wood stone and copper and highlights the sweet trolley.the sweet trolley

Eneko is a new restaurant at One Aldwych near Covent Garden London. Opened at the beginning of August it is a new venture for Eneko Atxa whose restaurant in Bilbao has 3 Michelin Stars. Azermendi Restaurant
Menus for Eneko can be found here
The interiors are stylish with bespoke furniture made from Spanish wood.

Spanakopita

Spanakopita or spinach pie is a Greek savoury pastry. I have been wanting to try this recipe for some time so when I was given some home grown spinach I decided to look for a recipe. There was quite a variation between the first 4 or 5 that came up on a google search so I worked out my own version based on what I had available.

8oz spinach chopped
I onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
8oz feta cheese
2 eggs beaten
Freshley ground nutmeg. yum!
Fresh marjoram (I chose this herb because I have lots of it in the garden. You could use dill or parsley.)
Frozen puff pastry (I used puff pastry because that was what I had in the freezer and it is quicker to put together than filo pastry)

Fry the onions and garlic in olive oil till golden and starting to soften.
Add the spinach and cook until the water content has mostly evaporated.
Leave to cool.
Roll out one section of the puff pastry till thin and a rectangle shape.
Add the marjoram, plenty of nutmeg, cheese and beaten eggs to the vegetable mix and stir well.
Spread the mix evenly onto the pastry, make a parcel, seal the edges and prick a few holes in the top to let any steam out.
Cook at gas 5 for around 30 min till the kitchen fills with a delicious smell and the pastry is golden brown.
Serve with chopped tomatoes, red peppers and cucumber and yogurt with chopped mint.
Can be eaten hot or cold.

For a vegan version use tofu instead of cheese.

During Lent the Greek version omits the egg and dairy ingredients.

Swiss chard, sorrel or leek can be used. I've got lots of sorrel in the garden so might give that a try and I think Wensleydale or Cheshire cheese would also work well.