This was a gifted meal.
I was invited to try an interesting meal dubbed ‘Le Drunch’ by the mustard brand Maille. Normally I have to turn these invitations down as, although not very far, I’m not in London. Fortunately for this occasion I was in London anyway. Maille had a stand at Spitalfields Market where you could try some of the products they make. I was surprised to find they made béarnaise, tartare and aïoli as I’d only ever seen their Dijon and Wholegrain mustards in the shops. They also had a very tasty truffled mustard on tap which was lovely.
The idea of Le Drunch is to have a meal between lunch and dinner and the dishes are designed to be shared. I love the idea of enjoying a leisurely meal with friends on the south coast of France looking out over the sea. Although not quite as romantic, the chilly drizzle that was in and around London when I went didn’t detract from the occasion.
The first course was Tomato Gazpacho with Wholegrain Chantilly. As a recent convert to the world of cold soups I really enjoyed this; it was fresh and vibrant. The tomato flavour was pronounced with a hint of garlic and I particularly liked the acidity of it. The mustard chantilly that came with it was creamy, full of flavour and with a bit of double dunking the soup, cream and bread were great.
This was followed by Crab Cakes with Sweet Mustard Sauce. Unfortunately I can’t eat crab but my dining partner assured me they were delicious and full of crab meat. I did try the sweet mustard sauce on a bit of bread and really liked it; I could have done with some chips! The shallots added to the mustard sauce lifted it nicely and I would definitely try making it myself.
For the main course we had Slow Cooked Lamb Parmentier and Herb Salad. I have to say that this was one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. The lamb was soft and sumptuous, the sauce was divine without being too wet and overpowering and the potato was in a world of its own. Apparently it’s half butter to potato but I decided to glaze over that fact as I went for more. I am definitely giving this one a try.
Pudding was Caramelised Apples with Salted Butter, Cider Vinegar and Pepper. We were told that the pudding seemed to be everyone’s favourite course and being a fan of caramelised apples and salted caramel it was sure to please me. I liked it but I couldn’t really taste the salt or pepper, the cider vinegar gave it a pleasant tang and the apples retained a nice crunch. It was good to finish the meal with something light that also satisfied any sweet cravings.
I loved that this meal was designed for sharing; it is an occasion for everyone to get involved and dig in. The best thing about it was that you could pick up the recipes and take them home to try and recreate your own Le Drunch. Something I will definitely be doing.
Le Drunch is a pop up restaurant and will be around until March 24th.
This meal was paid for by Maille. All opinions expressed and words are my own.
Hi Caroline that looked like a lovely meal lucky you. Have you ever tried making your own mustard – it is not as complicated as you might think but you do need to leave overnight to soak. Here is the link to the basic recipe I use, but I have played around a bit with other flavours. https://www.jamjarshop.com/makingjam/pdf/howtomake_wholegrainmustard.pdf It does make quite a bit – I usually make this around Christmas and then give as pressies for friends but you can do smooth wholegrain with herb (tarragon is nice) and it can be used in quite a variety of recipes. I really like the sound of your menu at Le Maille which is one of my favourite French Musards but I like home made to0. Take care Pattypan x
I would eat it all, it looks and sounded lovely.
Not sure that I love the word drunch but the concept I can really get on board with – and those dishes look fabulous!
Sx
Sounds like a lovely menu. You lucky girl! I love Maille. Sadly all London events are out of my reach, sob sob
All of that looks and sounds delicious.
I really like the menu my friend and your photos look delicious
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Everything looks delicious, and the le drunch thing sounds like a cool idea, nice!
sounds like a fabulous meal!
What an amazing food tasting session… i am so envious!
That looks like amazing meal!
Maille is my all time favorite mustard! This drunch looks fabulous. Dessert is always the best part of the meal, isn’t it?
I absolutely adore Maille products. Each time I visit Paris I go to one of their shops. Very tempting.
Your dishes sound mouth watering to say the least. Slow cooked lamb and finishing off with caramelised apples. Drool!
That all looks so beautiful and hearty. I’m very jealous!
The food looks lovely, a great way to spend an afternoon.
Have a wonderful Easter weekend darling
xxx