After living so many years in Japan, there are very few foods from the mother country that I crave (and that are unobtainable in Tokyo). But there are any number that I make a good effort to find and eat whenever I am back. High up on that list is kippers.
And if I am in Bath I know eactly where to go: the cafe on the ground floor of the strangely named Komedia (a classic converted cinema that now puts on shows ranging from stand-up comedy to Pink Floyd cover bands). The cafe/canteen on the ground floor is the River Cottage was set up in association with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a (minor) celebrity chef/author who extolls the vitues of country living and nose-to-tail eating.
The food is wholesome and pretty, worthy but not necessarily essential. However, on weekends they also serve breakfast — including kippers delivered fresh from St Mawes, the Cornish port where the mackerels are landed and smoked.
They really are excellent here — served with some salad greens and a pat of caper butter, which melts over the hot fish — not that these oil-rich fish need any further lubrication. The bread (from Bertinet, of course) was great for mopping up all the juices.
What else did we have? A chorizo stew with marrowfat peas that were not fully soaked/softened/cooked...
…and this nifty little ale:
If you read the fine print you'll understnd the reason behind the name. Yes, it's made with stinging nettles — organically grown of course!
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