The Three Fishes Mitton Road Whalley - 10th January 2015

I have been visiting The Three Fishes for awhile now and the vegan options have just got better and better which reflects on head chef Ian Moss's enthusiasm for creating something interesting and delicious. As usual I emailed a couple of weeks beforehand to book a table and give Ian plenty of notice to create a menu which new manager Martin emailed to me a couple of days before my visit. Dinner began with jerusalem artichoke soup with mushroom ketchup and homemade bread, the soup was smooth and velvety and the ketchup gave the soup another taste dimension.   What a great start to a meal.  

   


The main course was a wild mushroom and leek turnover, which was one of the vegetarian options on the Christmas menu, with the pastry unsuitable for me, so chef had made some vegan pastry, how good is that. To accompany the turnover was a hot tomato relish, butternut squash and some fabulous waxy new potatoes. The pastry was lovely, light but crisp and the filling moist and packed with flavour, simple ingredients perfectly cooked, the only leftovers were a couple of potatoes which I jibbed on as I had a pudding waiting though my willpower was waning as the potatoes were so delicious


 


Dessert was a three layered jelly (cherry, orange and strawberry) served with champagne sorbet. A vegan jelly is something I have never attempted to make or even had whilst dining out but this was very good and just the thing as I really was full. The jelly took me back to my childhood when my mum would make jelly but with the dreaded gelatine, whereas Ian had initially used agar agar setting agent which gave an unacceptable solid texture, so the final version was made using Vege-Gel which gave a soft jelly.


  


I love The Three Fishes so it will not be long before I am back, wonder what will be on the menu??