Fennel Pollen - Ellory

The intention of starting this blog is to keep an account of my experiences, mostly flavour led, amongst many other things. And what better time to launch the final series of this blog (for now) than on the final day of this year. Encounters is a record of particular ingredients or flavour combinations which I stumbled upon when eating out. Hence it is not your conventional restaurant review, but rather a spotlight of what I was most excited by on that occasion.

Ellory - London (Closed)

One of the places that never fails to impress in terms of its use of flavours is Ellory. It takes quality produce and puts them together in a way that brings out the essence of each component, and at the same time explores the interplay between them. This approach is reflective of the minimalistic descriptions on the menu, usually highlighting three or even just two ingredients per dish. The various elements are brought together in a very thoughtful way, either through the method in which the food is prepared or additional sub-elements.

On this particular evening, I was introduced to an ingredient that I have never tasted before – fennel pollen. It was used as a garnish on the dish ‘artichoke, ricotta + orange’. As it says on the tin, this plate consisted of simple whipped ricotta, marinated artichokes and fresh orange segments, accompanied by some toasted almonds, fresh mint and a drizzle of olive oil. But what really brought the dish together was the unsuspecting brown flecks of fennel pollen, which created a new dimension through its unique yet harmonising flavour, as well as added texture.

Artichoke, ricotta + orange

This was only one of the many dishes we enjoyed throughout the evening (another plus of the sharing plates-styled menu), and although it was hard to pick a favourite, this was certainly one that made an impression.