IF I had to choose a hotel to be snowed in at – although, to be fair, I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d be given the chance – it’d be a no-brainer, handily enough. One name on the list – the Bushmills Inn.
It’s an absolute haven, discreetly settled in a quiet little town close to the Antrim coast, where the welcome is as warm and inviting as the fire that burns in the hearth just inside the front door. Everything about it just wraps you up all snug, safe, and secure, even if you do half expect to find Miss Marple happily knitting in one of the inviting little nooks around the place, cannily taking note when you say you could murder a Guinness.
And there’s a distillery just up the road, too, so they could deliver on foot, even if the snow’s too thick to drive in.
Sadly there was only a mild frost when we arrived, so there was no excuse to ask my valet to bring in the bags from the car, and we just had to be content with lingering a little while after dinner. Which, although not perfect, wasn’t far off at all.
The starters got us off very nicely indeed. The pea soup was thick, rich, creamy, sweet, and deep, with the bacon providing a salty, crispy contrast. I loved my dish – the crab mousse was light and fresh, and the salmon was gently smoked, so the flavour was delicate and subtle.
Incidentally, don’t you find things taste better when there’s a name in front of the dish? This was Walter Ewing’s smoked salmon, and all the better for it, although be careful to pronounce it the JR way and not, like me, as if it was a prison block.
The menu is packed full of goodies, and it was hard to choose the mains. In the end, we went for the cod and the Dundarave Forest pheasant. Where Dundarave Forest is, I haven’t a clue, but that’s what clinched it for me over the venison, even though I had a haunch that would have been delicious (Haunch – venison! Like hunch! That’s hilarious!).
Anyway, the cod was beautiful, even though it disconcertingly leaked a little water on meeting the knife. It was perfectly seasoned and flaked effortlessly. The herb crust was good, giving the whole dish a little sing-song, but would have been better with a bit of a crunch to it. The menu said it was soft, though, so we can’t say we weren’t warned.
My pheasant breast was just a touch overcooked, and consequently a little dry, but the leg was moist and gamey. I really liked the potato and pancetta that came with it, and the Dauphinoise potatoes added a lovely creaminess.
The best thing for me, however, was the fantastic roasting juice the pheasant sat in, sweet and sharp at the same time, which really lifted the entire dish. Just a shame there wasn’t more of it.
Pudding, and the cigar-shaped panna cotta was soft and wobbly and thick, but the sourness of the buttermilk overpowered the vanilla. The pistachio macaroon was lovely, gooey, and crunchy, the dried raspberries zinged at the tastebuds, and the biscuit crumb provided sweetness and texture.
I even enjoyed the scorched plums, which isn’t something I say every day.
However, I was proper envious of the pear tarte tatin sitting opposite me, tantalisingly just outside a spoon’s reach. Although the fruit could have done with a bit more caramelisation, the taste of the pears was heavenly – so rich and sweet – and sitting on a crisp and then soft pastry base, finished by some beautiful ice cream.
I could have gone back the next night, no bother. But there’s never a blizzard when you need one, is there?
THE BILL
Pea and crispy bacon soup - £5.45
Walter Ewing’s smoked salmon and crab mousse - £8.95
Dundarave Forest pheasant, potato and pancetta risotto, roasting juices - £18.95
Donegal cod, tomato fondue, soft herb crust, roast salsify, fine beans, chive veloute - £17.95
Mixed leaf salad - £4.65
Dauphinoise potatoes - £3.95
Spiced buttermilk and vanilla panna cotta, pistachio macaroon, scorched plums, dried raspberries, biscuit crumb - £6.95
Pear tarte tatin, vanilla ice cream - £7.25
Sparkling water and lime dash - £5.05
50cl carafe Pinot Noir - £13.50
Total: £92.65
::The Bushmills Inn, 9 Dunluce Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim
