While I larn on editing the adjacent batch of photos from my French trip, I idea I'd portion where nosotros went for a real belatedly tiffin on Saturday. The Duck Inn at Pett Bottom, most Canterbury, is a real small-scale province pub inwards the midpoint of nowhere amongst a lovely pub garden, wonderful sounding bar snacks (pints of prawns, homemade scotch eggs or Whitstable oysters anyone?) as well as classic pub nutrient that is both fantastic value, as well as made to a real high standard. What is at that topographic point non to similar when the Sun is shining at the commence of the long weekend?
The Duck Inn is total of history. It was Ian Flemming's favourite pub, as well as it was hither that he supposedly wrote You Only Live Twice. When Bond supposedly dies inwards the mass as well as 'M' writes his obituary for The Times, she notes that the immature James Bond grew upwardly inwards Pett Bottom. The Duck was likewise the foremost pub to last awarded a Michelin star, earlier they fifty-fifty awarded them to pubs.
Sat marked the commence of English linguistic communication Wine Week, thence nosotros kicked off amongst a bottle of ane of the real foremost wines that was produced past times a commercial vineyard hither inwards Kent: Gribble Bridge Ortega Dry from Biddenden Vineyard. It is non my favourite of theirs (I'm partial to their sparking pink, which has a wonderful raspberry flavour), but it is wonderful as well as crisp both for inwards the garden as well as amongst food.
We started light. There was breadstuff as well as olives for the tabular array (and those of us who don't hit starters). The chicken liver pate was divine; silky smoothen as well as wonderfully rich cheers to a surreptitious element I guessed, but I'm going to hit the kitchen a favour as well as don't tell. You'll but convey to larn as well as endeavour it for yourself. It is honestly ane of the best chicken liver pates I've always had, as well as that is earlier I'd tasted the pitch perfect as well as wonderfully tangy homemade piccalilli on the side.
Also inwards the 'best I've always had' category falls my prawn cocktail. It was but standard, amongst prawns at the top, the correct total of marie rose sauce as well as shredded lettuce as well as crunchy cubed apple tree at the bottom, but the sauce had a beautiful, classic flavor amongst but the correct total of spice.
We all went inwards dissimilar directions for our mains. This was the hay baked ham, egg as well as chips. With to a greater extent than piccalilli on the side, it showed how something thence uncomplicated could last made thence non bad using the best ingredients.
The fish pie likewise looked pretty great; bubbling over amongst wholegrain mustard as well as total of non bad hunks of fish, served upwardly equally a unmarried serving amongst a uncomplicated side dish of saltation greens.
However, I intend the star of the present was my dish, the ricotta as well as parmesan gnocchi amongst tender stalk broccoli, asparagus, saltation peas, pesto, watercress, cucumber, as well as both fresh as well as Sun dried cherry tomatoes. I saw somebody else tucking into it equally nosotros headed out into the garden, as well as I but knew it had to last my order, fifty-fifty amongst the run a endangerment the cheese would larn out me feeling a piddling off for the balance of the 24-hour interval (there must convey non been much inwards it, though, equally I was fine!) It was basically saltation on a plate; thence wonderfully fresh as well as bright, as well as the gnocchi was to a greater extent than than light; it was similar biting into clouds amongst the added slight stringiness from the cheese. One of the stand upwardly out dishes I've had of late for sure.
Along amongst an English linguistic communication Breakfast tea, nosotros went for ii of the desserts on the small, but rather seductive carte du jour of English linguistic communication classics made amongst piddling twists. There was tiramisu, spiked amongst booze soaked French cherries as well as topped amongst a generous total of grated chocolate, as well as my frankly perfect breadstuff as well as butter pudding, served amongst vanilla H2O ice cream as well as amongst pieces of English linguistic communication rhubarb hidden betwixt each layer.
After Eights came amongst our bill, as well as nosotros all left feeling real satisfied amongst our meal, as well as pledging to halt past times again, both for a proper meal, as well as to larn our teeth into around of those bar snacks as well as a big bowl of chips inwards the garden. There are thence many lovely province pubs hither inwards East Kent, but it is rare to notice ane that is nonetheless thence rural, tranquility as well as tranquil.