Our final meal of this trip was with our best friends in Yorkshire, Sue & Steve, who have started a tradition of staying with us at whatever country home we choose while visiting Will's family. We returned to Judges at Kirklevington, just outside of Yarm(in Stockton-on-Tees) after a way too long absence, and the dining here is always top notch. The five of us enjoyed cocktails (although here a dirty martini becomes a dirty bloody martini with the addition of some tomato juice!) in the drawing room by a warm fire as we munched canapes of beetroot and passionfruit shooters and smoked trout pate on Sourdough toast, the latter was delish, while the former an interesting choice of combinations that somehow worked! We made our dinner choices, as one does in a country home prior to going into theConservatory/Dining Room, which was beautifully decorated for the holidays with blue lit icicles and more on the ceiling(check out the FB foto). We chose a Saint Veran 2016 Vers le Mont from Domaine Roger Luquet, which was an ideal white with all our starters and Steve's fish, while the red was a wonderfully aged 2009 Volnay Premier Cru Les Fremiets from Domaine Voillot that we all oohed and aahed over as we took our first sips midway through the meal.
Starters were all delish save for Will's Tempura Squid with Baby Rocket, Salsa Verde and Caramelized Lime. It was not bad, but why order tempura with a Mexican flair in an English country home! The Butternut Squash Risotto with Baked Feta and Nasturtium was a main, but they quickly adjusted the size for Sam's taste as he always heads for the risotto. Judge's Classic Crab & Prawn Cocktail with Compressed Melon, MarieRose(sauce) and Baby Gem was indeed a classic, while the Parsnip Soup with Honey was creamy and rich. My Hand Dried King Scallops with Pancetta and Sweet Corn Risotto was speckled with Braised Oxtail, Pickled Turnips and Nasturtium as was quite a large size even though it had only two gorgeous Diver sized scallops. The risotto was rich and creamy and perfectly paired with the little dots of oxtail.
Main courses were all perfection from the super Pan Fried Duck Breast with Fondant Potatoes, Kale, Baby Vegetables and Blackberry Jus that Sam & I chose. The duck was cooked just past rare and each piece was a s juicy as the next. Fillet of Halibut was tender and came with Lyonnaise potatoes, Butternut Squash, Chilli Puree for a little kick and Pancetta Butter Sauce, so this was a dish which paired with both the white and red wines so well.
Twice Cooked Pork Belly was a non-fatty cut with Butternut Squash, Pomme Puree, Black Pudding & Cider Jus; surely a choice for a cold winter's night as this was becoming.
Yorkshire Lamb Rump arrived with Parsley, Root Glazed Carrots, Celeriac, Fondant Potatoes, Pickled Turnip & Rosemary Jus. The chef obviously likes pickled turnip and it's a great winter choice to foil the richness of these dishes.
We ordered a bottle of Sauternes for dessert and they were out so substituted a less viscous and nowhere near as exciting 2015 Pacherenc du Vic "Bilh" from Collecion Plainot that we all could have skipped. Desserts were huge hits from the Sticky Toffee Pudding that Will seemed to have every other day while there, here served with Toffee Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. Dark Chocolate Fondant with Chocolate & Cardamom Sorbets came with Candied Walnuts & Blackberries while the Passionfruit Creme Brulee was accompanied by a Ginger Snap Biscuit and Lemon Balm. All were superb, but I headed right for the cheeses and got 7 winners: Montgomery Mature Cheddar was crumbly and orange and aged wonderfully, while the Ribblesdale Matured Goat was creamy and also aged for intense flavor. The French were represented by Livarot and Pont L'Eveque, while I joked that the French bishop's bridge was faced to the Brit's Stinking Bishop, one of our favorite cheeses of all times. Kiddarton Ash was a mild goat with ash and of course, no Yorkshire cheese plate is complete without Yorkshire Blue, which is one of th finest blues, but sadly not available much outside of the UK.
Mignardises arrived, but I had no room for the chocolates or gelees as we rolled upstairs to sleep knowing that we were headed home the next day. That said, we have already booked our summer stay and final dinner at Judges for this year!
