We've seen a lot of Christmas specials hitting London restaurants (much of which have made it onto our festive roundup page). But if we had to choose a winner, and for the purposes of this piece we are, it's got to be the amazing Crimbo Pate en Croute devised by Head Chef Calum Franklin at Holborn Dining Rooms.
Calum has been posting some frankly astonishing pictures of his pastry work, much of it devised while he was recently off sick from work. When pictures of this first hit our Instagram feed it's safe to say that he pretty much won the internet on that day. "lt's a totally new recipe for a Christmas special," says Calum, using "new techniques inside and out."
So what exactly is this festive treat? In essence, it showcases all the flavours you'd find in a Christmas dinner, encased in buttery pastry. So Calum combined organic Rhug Estate bronze turkey with smoked, sweet cured bacon from Warrens butchers, filled it with sage and onion boudin and winter truffle and topped with turkey and madeira jelly.
The Pate en Croute is served with traditional cranberry sauce and is now available to order off the a la carte menu for £10 a portion at Holborn Dining Room, Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN. Keep up with Calum's inventions on his Instagram account @chefcalum and with general Holborn Dining Room news on Twitter @HolbornDining
Photo: Tom Bowles
