Dinner at the Manor- A Leeds Supper Club

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Over the past year or so I've become a rather big fan of the underground restaurant/supper club movement. The premise is simple- a host cooks a delicious meal and opens up their home to hungry guests in exchange for a monetary donation. Some hosts are up and coming professional chefs who wish to showcase their skills but who don't have the funds or backing to set up their own restaurant yet. Others are talented amateur and home cooks, who wish to share their ideas about what constitutes good food. The venue is kept secret until you have a place confirmed, so the poor cook doesn't get people turning up randomly! I've met some amazingly talented chefs, socialised with food lovers from all walks of life and eaten some simply fabulous food.

Last night I was privileged enough to attend Dinner at the Manor. This is a joint venture between Dan and Susie, both well known for their skills. I've known Susie for quite a while through Clandestine Cake Club, and who is well known for her delightful blog StickyPinny and her beautiful cupcakes, which have won Iron Cupcake Leeds on several occasions! It was my first time meeting Dan, who was a delightful host and warmly welcomed us into his beautifully decorated Victorian home.

We were welcomed with mulled wine and canapes in the library- sausage rolls made with homemade flaky pastry, palmiers with anchovy or pancetta and mozzarella balls with tomatoes and pesto. These were so delicious that I forgot to take some photos! I was delighted to bump into a few people I knew from other supper club events and Cake Club. We were joined by a broadcast journalism student who was doing a piece on the rise of supper clubs- I hope she didn't mind me talking with my mouth full of buttery pastry and succulent sausage! So good!

After being invited downstairs to the luxurious dining room we were welcomed with an amuse bouche of Delia Smith's cream of broccoli soup with blue cheese. It was light and flavourful, with just a hint of the blue cheese at the end. Once again I forgot the photos, but remembered after this!

Dan then came out to introduce the wines they'd selected to match our starters. Both wines were local whites from Leventhorpe Winery based in Woodlesford, to the south of the city. For the peppers stuffed with fennel, they chose the Sevyal Blanc, and for the pheasant terrine with cheese, onion and sage bread, they chose the Madeleine Angelvine.

I went for the pheasant terrine, and had the Madeleine Angelvine to accompany it.

The pheasant terrine was chock full of gamey meat, that was tender and melting at the same time. The accompanying spicy pear chutney cut through the richness perfectly. The Madeleine Angelvine wine was very light on the palate, with a hint of citrus and passion fruit. I could quite easily have drunk the whole glass in one go, but as I was driving, I had a few sips before one of my dining companions gladly finished the glass for me.

We had quite a long gap between the starter and main course, which was a good thing given how much more food was to come! There was no hesitation in the conversation around the dining table as we swapped supper club stories before talking about our travel experiences.

Dan soon announced the main course, and the accompanying wine- a young French Mauregard Bordeaux that came highly recommended by the Observer Food Monthly, from Marks and Spencer. It, too, turned out to be highly drinkable, and our hosts kindly provided a decanter so we could top up, although once again, I could only have a few sips!

The main course was venison cooked in port, stout and pickled walnuts, served with celeriac and potato puree, Brussels sprouts cooked in Riesling with bacon and parmesan baked parsnips.

 The venison was meltingly tender and the sauce was so dark, sweet and rich I had to stop myself from licking the plate. The celeriac and potato puree was so creamy, and the sprouts (which I don't normally like that much) were perfectly cooked. The parmesan on the parsnips wasn't especially strong but made them crispy.

We had another small break , complete with lychee and ginger sorbet as a palate cleanser, before dessert was brought out.

Dessert was a huge communal bowl of caramelised orange trifle served with lovely crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside meringues, which Dan had made to use up the egg whites after making a homemade custard for the trifle. The oranges cut through the sumptuous cream, custard and sponge, and the nuts and chocolate on the top provided a contrast of textures.This dessert was served with a bonus glass of Asda Finest fizz.

A couple of my dining companions were lactose intolerant, so were treated to a beautiful champagne jelly instead of the trifle. I was kindly allowed to try it too- it sparkled and fizzed on my palate, was light but still substantial.

 Our final course was tea or coffee served with some of Susie's stunning cupcakes- maple and pecan, in honour of Delia who made the combination popular back in the day.

 At the end of the meal, Dan and Susie came out to join us, and we all moved around the larger of the two communal tables to chat to some of the other guests. Dan and Susie are clearly passionate about their venture and they are so talented. As we rolled out of the stunning house, we all agreed that we would definitely return again soon!

I am writing this from a little cottage in deepest, darkest Somerset- on a getaway to prepare for my impending  doom/exam next week, without the distractions that my vibrant life in Leeds throws at me. Naturally revision will be interspersed with some culinary delights, and no doubt I'll be sharing some of these with you soon.

xxx

Dinner at the Manor