This month Head Chef Bartosz Szynaka has taken the Two AA Rosette River Restaurant in a bold new direction offering French cuisine for the modern palate. With a meticulously designed menu, created to showcase a symphony of flavours and the intricacy of French cooking techniques, the River Restaurant offers a five-star dining experience which you can create at home.

Crispy Soft Duck Egg 

Served with asparagus Mélange, courgette and a drizzle of Choron sauce, our crispy yet soft duck egg is perfect when served as a starter or main. It’s a beautiful and bright dish that will leave your guests talking. Make sure to keep an eye on your eggs whilst boiling, and always use the egg from room temperature, to ensure a picture-worthy, golden runny yolk. 

Ingredients:

4 duck eggs

Flour for dusting

300g white bread

180g fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, basil)

20g Grana Padano

Asparagus

Courgette

Choron base :

350g white wine

6 sprigs lemon thyme

3g coriander seed

150ml sushi vinegar

3 sprigs tarragon

2g peppercorns

80g egg yolk

3g salt

60g cold butter cubes

30g tomato paste

Sweet baby peppers

White asparagus peeled pieces

Baby courgette

Purple asparagus

Chopped chervil

Lemon zest

Chives

Maldon sea salt

Method:

1. Bring the eggs to room temperature and then boil for five minutes and 30 seconds in simmering water, then cool down immediately in ice. 

2. Gently peel the eggs and dust with seasoned flour, then dip into seasoned egg wash and roll them gently in the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. 

3. Deep fry on 160C for around three to four minutes until golden brown and crispy. Dry on a kitchen towel and season with Maldon salt.

4. For the Choron base, mix the white wine, lemon thyme, coriander seed, sushi vinegar, tarragon and peppercorns together and let it simmer over a low heat. Once reduced, strain off and keep the liquid. 

5. Add the base and some salt to a pan and bring it to a boil. Then, using a hand blender, add the egg yolks and mix some air into the liquid. Next, beat it while cooking it on medium heat, then turn off the heat and add the butter cubes. Gently whisk and add tomato paste.

6. For the accompanying vegetables (asparagus, peppers), peel, de-seed and cut into even pieces. Half and score the baby courgette and purple asparagus.

7. Once prepared, sauté all the vegetables to obtain colour, then season and toss them in chives, chervil and lemon juice.

40C Trout Sous Vide

Our sea trout dish is served with a wonderful creation of nettle Spaetzle, which are tiny, traditional German dumplings, crème fraîche and sea fennel, a truly unique set of ingredients which sing in harmony on the plate. When making your Spaetzle, ensure you knead out any lumps before pouring the mixture through the colander to ensure the perfect shape for your homemade Spaetzle.

Ingredients:

Trout 

Lemon peel

Thyme 

Oil 

400ml water

120g tapioca starch

150g spinach

275g nettle leaves

4 eggs

1/3 cup of milk 

2 cups of flour 

Pinch of nutmeg 

1 shallot 

Extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

Clarified butter

Method:

1. Portion up the trout and make sure there are no bones, then season with salt. In each vacuum pack bag, place a portion of trout, splash of oil, peel of lemon and spring of thyme. Cook ‘sous vide’, or low temperature, at 44C for 20 minutes then ice bathe it.

2. Blanch 75g nettle and 50g spinach and turn them into a purée. Bring the water and tapioca to the boil, mix in the nettle purée and take it off the stove. Pour the mix on a flat tray and dehydrate in the sham at 90C, once crisp and dry, fry it at 195C.

3. Sweat off the shallot and two cloves of garlic in a splash of extra virgin olive oil then add 200g nettle and the rest of the spinach. Sauté off and then blend to a smooth purée, adjust flavour with salt to taste.

4. Whisk together eggs, flour, milk and salt, stir until well combined with no lumps.

5. Add a large pot of salted water and bring to the boil.

6. Pour your mix over a colander, cook the Spaetzle for two minutes then take them out and toss in oil to prevent sticking and allow to cool. 

7. Fry the Spaetzle in clarified butter and season with cracked pepper and salt.

The River Restaurant

The Lowry Hotel | 50 Dearmans Place | Salford | M3 5LH 

Tel: 0161 827 4000