On our last trip to London, Patrick and I met Carmen at the fabled St. John, Fergus Henderson's shrine to creative traditionalism. I'd read, used, and loved Fergus's fabulous cookbook, Nose to Tail Eating, and I couldn't wait to see what he had in store for us. Imagine my delight when the waiter announced that the special was a Roasted Pig's Head (meant to serve two).
I ask you: How could we pass up such an adventure?
After our lovely appetizer, Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad, Carmen snapped this photo of our brown and crispy piggy, and we fell to eating. The meat itself was delicious, but Patrick ate a bit too much of the rich fat and ended up having a bad sense memory of the experience. But I loved it (even though I'm pretty sure I ate an eyeball).
We're going to London again in April for the opening of the new musical Gone With the Wind(P's client, William David Brohn, is doing the orchestrations). We're planning a side trip to the newly renovated spas at Bath, complete with visits to Stourhead and Longleat. Patrick has never been to Hampton Court Palace, so I must take him. But I'm hoping he and Carmen will consent to a return trip to St. John. For Patrick, it will be a palate-of-the-mind cleanser; for me, it will be another exciting pilgrimage to one of the high priests of English cuisine.