by Alex Bond | Dec 3, 2015 | Blog
After a fabulous year here at Damson, we thought what better way to bring in the New Year than a night to remember with amazing views, fine wine & of course not forgetting divine food! With two mouth watering menus available why not celebrate here with us in the heart of Media City. There will be a choice of two menus on the night, £60 – six course tasting menu (5pm – 7pm) and £90 – 10 course tasting menu (7pm – 10pm). Later on in the evening we also have a harpist to accompany service……. you wouldn’t want to miss out! We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everybody that has supported the restaurant and we look forward to many more years with our loyal customers and spending NYE with you all! To book your tickets call us on 0161 751 7020 or contact our dedicated events team via email with any enquiries: [email protected] ... read more
by Alex Bond | Nov 27, 2015 | Blog
This week at Damson, we were able to bring you a spectacular evening of Piemonte wines which we carefully paired with delicious dishes! For our Piemonte Wine Evening, we presented a four course tasting menu, pairing each dish with the perfect wine. On arrival our customers received a welcome drink of Alasia Brut 08. We then progressed on to our grilled sea bass, pumpkin agnolotti, vanilla & smoked bacon which we paired with Fontanino Riesling 2014 with its aromas of lime and a touch of lemongrass we thought it would be the perfect combination. While our diners enjoyed the wines and dishes our guest speaker Craig Sutheran helped transport us on our journey to the province of Piedmont in the north western corner of Italy! Here is a peek at some of the dishes! ,… Keep an eye out for our next event by checking out our events page….. ... read more
by Alex Bond | Jul 13, 2015 | Blog
If you have ever been in to Damson you will have seen that we have a love for cheese when our huge slate cheese board parades the room! With that in mind we thought why not give a nod to our love of cheese with an evening with Eric Charriaux from La cave a fromage. Our head chef carefully created a menu incorporating some of the cheeses and we carefully paired these with matching wines. Eric then lead the evening with the cheese board of all cheese boards and shared his knowledge and love! Here are a few pictures if you missed out……….... read more
by Alex Bond | Jul 2, 2015 | Blog
Ideal home show- A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to take part in the Ideal home show Manchester! This gave us the perfect stage to showcase the cocktails and food at Damson. We started the show off with a cocktail master-class, with our general manager Nick and bar manager Andrew showcasing some of our favourites. We also managed to find ourselves another two bar ladies!! Later on in the day, our Head Chef Vinny Brooke created a sole dish, demonstrating a wonderful way to entertain guests at home with a ‘wow’ dish! We thought it was only fair we shared the recipe with you all….. #BehindTheDishes. Why not have a go yourself and don’t forget to show us your pictures! Fillets of Lemon Sole with Roast cucumber, salsify, cucumber gazpacho and marinated courgette Makes 4 portions Ingredients: 4 lemon sole 400-500g 1 cucumber 1courgette 1 red onion 250ml white wine vinegar 1 slice of white bread, crusts removed 100g sugar 1 stick of salsify 1 English radish 100ml Greek yoghurt 1 preserved lemon 100ml extra virgin olive oil 50g unsalted butter 1 lemon Sea salt Method: The fish- Fillet and skin the lemon soles (ask your friendly neighbourhood fishmonger to do this if you prefer) From the four fillets, half these to give 4 smaller portions per two fillets. Lay 8 fillets on top of one another and pin the fillets together with cocktail sticks. Repeat with the remaining 8 fillets Portion each stack of fillets into two square parcels and set aside in the fridge The gazpacho- Peel and... read more
by Alex Bond | Jun 3, 2015 | Blog
Missed our event on 2nd June? Here’s a teaser from the night… Keith himself is a fourth-generation Hunter Valley winemaker of the Tulloch dynasty, a family that can trace winemaking heritage across three centuries. Having roots planted solidly in the local area, Keith attended Roseworthy Collage’s prestigious school of winemaking in South Australia before returning to hone his craft locally at Mount View Estate, Hungerford Hill, Lindeman’s and Rothbury Estate. When Boutinot told us Keith was in the UK we knew we had team up with him to deliver an evening of fine food and fine wine with 4 courses and 5 wines! Each course was paired up with a wine whilst Keith talked through the process and tasting notes really giving an over dinning experience. Here’s some pictures of the night….... read more
by Alex Bond | May 12, 2015 | Blog
Grilled scallops, Comte cheese & cauliflower croquettes, wild garlic, spring white truffle & hazelnuts Serves 4 Spring hails the start of the fresh wild garlic season and also the time of year you will find spring white truffles. The wild garlic season runs from March till May or June, and the spring white truffle season from January to April. Comte cheese comes from the Jura region of France and is matured in caves for a minimum of 4 months and up to a maximum of 24 months. The combination of all these flavours work well together and with the addition of toasted hazelnuts for texture, you have a real dinner party winner. Ingredients & method: Croquettes: 250ml milk 140g finely sliced cauliflower 14g unsalted butter 14g plain flour 125g grated comte cheese 5g salt 2 grinds freshly milled white pepper Place the cauliflower and milk into a small pan, bring to the boil then simmer very gently until the cauliflower is just cooked. Drain the cauliflower, reserving the milk and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Whilst the cauliflower is draining, weigh out 125g of the reserved milk. Melt the butter in a saucepan, mix in the flour and cook this together gently for 1 minute. Slowly add the reserved milk, a little at a time, until all the milk has been incorporated and you have a smooth glossy sauce. Ensure you boil the sauce in between each addition of milk. Turn the heat up to medium and cook the sauce out for one minute, beating it all the time so the sauce does not catch. Remove the... read more
by Alex Bond | Apr 15, 2015 | Blog
So you have done most of the planning and you are probably knee deep in mood boards, but you have an idea of the direction for your wedding! If you have decided to opt for a more informal meal or a buffet service - congratulations, you have managed to dodge the mine field of table plans! If not, don’t worry, we have listed some hot tips to help you through the process: Why do you need a table plan? If you have decided that a sit down meal is for you most venues will request one. Here at Damson you will find that we do - this not only helps you seat people next to those you want, but also allows for meals/ dietary requirements to be delivered to the correct people so you don’t have to worry ‘did the vegetarians and food allergies get the right dishes?!’ Here’s a few hints on how to have a successful table plan: Start early - you are best starting this as early as you can, so give yourselves a good lead time on RSVPs - that way you can leave your plan to sink in and make any amendments needed. Make Friends with your computer - take time to create an excel spreadsheet! This way you can record all the information and have it to hand at all times. The spreadsheet can also be used to record attendance, meal requirements and thank-you letters. You will be surprised how much information you actually need from your guests. Get creative - if you prefer the old fashioned way, why not make a... read more
by Alex Bond | Apr 8, 2015 | Blog
Tabali Reserva Viognier Key Facts Producer: Tabali Winemaker: Felipe Muller Country of Origin: Chile Grapes: Viognier Tabali has the honour of stewardship within the Limar valleys most significant archaeological site, the ‘mystical valley’ which boarders their vineyards. Viognier presents rich aromas of citrus and dried apricot, fresh pears and white peaches, plus hints of candid fruit. This wine delivers on the pallet and the nose with floral, honeyed scents. Situated in the northernmost vineyard regions in Chile, Tabali commands a unique location in the heart of the Lima Valley. The local ‘Camanchaca’ fog blankets the region each morning, then cool coastal breezes sweep in during the afternoon bringing cool air to ripen the grapes. Pairing: Tabali is a beautiful delicate, aromatic wine which works perfectly with seafood and spiced dishes. Why not try a bottle with some dishes from our new set menu - Marinated Tremain farm English feta cheese, air dried ham, watermelon, pickled skins, spiced rum granola. Lemon & coriander falafel, spiced tomato quinoa, labneh, marinated courgette & red onion If you still have room why not treat yourself to- Orange & thyme baba, pistachio, crème fraiche ice cream If you come in and try this wine, why not let us know what you think - #BehindTheDishes ... read more
by Alex Bond | Apr 7, 2015 | Blog
Story of the Tea leaves Many people enjoy having a cup of tea - here at Damson we are no different! That’s why we invested time into finding a fantastic tea supplier! We did not, however, have to look far - RTeaCO had just produced a beautiful range! Tea is often thought of as being a quintessentially British drink and, as a nation, we have been drinking it for over 350 years! It has been noted that tea in fact goes much further back than that. The story of tea is said to have begun in China and according to a legand in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis and the resulting drink was what we now call tea. Our top teas Everyday Breakfast - A winning combination of malty, comforting Assam black tea and bright, lively Ceylon Orange Pekoe make for a classic breakfast brew that will keep you going all day through. (Indian Assam, Sri Lankan black tea) Boil freshly drawn water, infuse leaves for three minutes and drink with or without milk. Earl Grey - An elegant classic with a sunshine twist: Ceylon black tea bursting with the zesty citrus aromas of bergamot and orange, with a of splash vibrant yellow petals. The perfect accompaniment to breakfast or afternoon tea. (Sri Lankan black tea, Orange peel, Calendula, Flavour) Boil freshly drawn... read more
by Alex Bond | Feb 27, 2015 | Blog
New season English asparagus, soft poached egg, lemon sabayon & smoked pancetta Serves 4 At last it has arrived and is by no doubt a serious contender in every cook’s calendar for heavyweight champion of the ‘eat the seasons’ year – English asparagus!! And the season is short, so please get stuck in. Asparagus has been grown in England since the sixteenth century but can be traced back to the earliest records of asparagus cultivation some 2,500 years ago. There is even a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes – Apicius’s third century AD De re coquinaria, Book III and it was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. A member of the lily family and reputed to have aphrodisiac properties, no more so than in the erotic work ‘The Perfumed Garden’ by 16th Century writer Shayak al Nefzawi, who wrote ‘a daily dish of asparagus, first boiled, then fried in fat with egg yolks and condiments, is recommended as having ‘great erotic effect’. Alongside its aphrodisiac qualities, it is also believed to relieve indigestion, be a mild sedative, treat urinary tract infections as well as kidney and bladder stones. It also contains no fat or cholesterol, is very low in sodium and rich in vitamin C, folic acid, iron and potassium. All in all it is a good egg. Follow us for more recipes and join in at- #BehindTheDishes Ingredients: 24 spears English asparagus 4 soft poached eggs 4 slices smoked pancetta, grilled until crispy & crumbled 50g baby spinach For the sabayon: 50g water 3 egg yolks 100g unsalted... read more
