Tasty local favourites

Living in the area that we do, we are spoilt for choice with regards to eating out. Trying to work out where you go for lunch, dinner or a quick bite to eat can be agonising. In this feature we have tried to make it that little bit easier for you. With the likes of pubs, hotels, restaurants and delicatessens to choose from, eating out has never been more exciting.

We have given you some local chefs favourite dishes that you can either have your mouth watering over by making them for yourself in the kitchen. Or if you want to taste it in all its glory, head to the place in question and have it cooked for you. Enjoy...

Beef Trinchado

supplied by The Crown Inn Benson.

This is a delicious, spicy dish commonly served in many South African Portuguese restaurants. It is believed to have been introduced to South Africa by Portugeuse speakers from neighbouring Angola and Mozambique. It should be served with potato wedges or french fries and nice crusty bread to mop up the sauce. Traditionally you should have

a few Olives on the side.

15 ml butter

15 ml olive oil

900 g beef rump or fillet, cubed into 1 inch pieces

2 large onions, chopped

3 red chillies, chopped or 2 tsps piri-piri spice

8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

250 ml rich beef stock

375 ml red wine or 1/2 glass of brandy/dry sherry

1 bay leaf

fresh rosemary

1tsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with cold water

125 ml cream

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

finely grated lemon peel

100 g kalamata olives

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan and brown the beef cubes to your desired preference. Medium rare is usually best for this dish.

Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

Reduce the heat and sauté the onions and chillies/piri-piri spice until tender and fragrant.

Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the stock and wine.

Bring to boil and stir continually.

Add the bay leaf and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Add the cornflour paste and simmer until sauce thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon.

Return the meat cubes to the pan, add the cream and stir through.

Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh lemon peel and extra rosemary

Panna Cotta

supplied by Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel

(Serves 4)

1 1/2 gelatine leaves, 1 vanilla pod (split long ways)

125 ml full fat/Semi skimmed milk

250 ml double cream, 75g caster sugar

Method:

1 Soften gelatine in a small amount of cold water and put to one side

2 In a pan put all the other ingredients and place on a medium heat

3 Allow the mixture to warm just below the point of boiling and then take off from the heat

4 Remove the vanilla pod from mixture and discard

5 Remove the gelatine from the cold water and squeeze excess liquid from it and add the gelatine to the mixture stirring until dissolved.

6 Divide the mixture into 4 ramekins or tea cups and place in a refrigerator until set. Best if allowed to set for at least 3 – 4 hours or overnight if possible

7 When serving dip the ramekins in hot water for a couple of seconds run a hot knife around the edge and tip out onto the serving plate

8 If desired can be served with a few summer berries or eaten on its own

Steak, Guinness and Mushroom Pie

our editors favourite, a recipe from Porters.

25g butter, 2 medium onions, finely chopped

675g chuck steak, cubed

50g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 dsp sunflower oil

150ml Guinness, 300ml beef stock

bouquet garni

275g button mushrooms

275g puff pastry, beaten egg to glaze

Preheat the oven to 170˚C / 375˚F / gas mark 3. Melt the butter in a casserole dish, add the onions and cook gently for 10 mins until soft and golden. Remove from the dish and put to one side. Toss the steak in the seasoned flour, patting off excess. Add the oil to the casserole, increase the heat and brown the meat in batches of 6 or 8 cubes. Drain the excess oil from the casserole, then return the onions and steak, increase the heat and add the Guinness. Bring to the boil and continue to boil for 1 min. Add the stock, bouquet garni, salt and pepper, return to the boil, cover then place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 1-1 1/2 hours or until the steak is extremely tender. Check the seasoning, remove the bouquet garni and allow to cool. For maximum flavour this is best done the night before.Store in the fridge but remove 1 hour before baking.When ready to cook the pie, preheat oven to 220˚C / 425˚F / gas mark 7. Spoon the steak mixture into 1.2 ltr pie dish. Roll out the pastry slightly larger than the pie dish. Moisten the rim of the

dish and place the pastry on top, sealing the edges well. Cut away

the excess pastry with a knife. Brush with beaten egg and cook for

30-40 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.

The Railway Inn

by Anne-Marie Nugent

The Railway Inn, Culham, is a typical traditional Pub and Inn, offering an ever-changing selection of real ales, great home cooked food and a really friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Roy and Pauline Davidsony, have been running The Railway Inn for 2 years now, so I thought it was about time I went to see for myself what all the fuss was about.

The Inn has a choice of either the public bar with a flat screen TV, perfect for sporting events, a games room with a pool table, darts, fruit machines and a jukebox, or the dining room.

This seats 50 and serves breakfast, lunch, evening meals

and the ever popular Sunday roast.

We sat in the dining area and explored the diverse menu.

With pies, steaks, curries, fish dishes, children's menu and even Roy and Pauline's own "pub classics" range, there really is something for everyone. Pauline told us that all their meats are supplied by a local butcher.

We decided to share a plate of garlic mushrooms to start, and boy am I glad we shared! The generous helping of crispy, crunchy mushrooms on a bed of lettuce arrived piping hot, garlicky but not overpowering,

with lovely large soft mushrooms inside.

Then came my home cooked fish pie. It was packed with prawns, cod and smoked haddock in a creamy parsley sauce topped by light fluffy mash accompanied by chips and vegetables.

My friend chose the traditional steak and ale puff pastry pie which again was generously filled with steak and a rich Guinness sauce covered by a huge pastry lid, served with gravy, new potatoes and vegetables.

As you can imagine after such lovely, filling meals we reluctantly passed on desert.

There is a wonderful selection including the Rhubarb Crumble that really caught my eye – maybe next time!

The food was amazing value for money and most mains are priced well under £10.

The Railway Inn can be found adjacent to Culham Railway Station near Abingdon.

it has a beautiful, child friendly rear garden and ample parking.

The Railway Inn boasts a huge permanent marquee with its own stage, dance floor and fully stocked bar, perfect for any private party.

Roy and Pauline made us feel so welcome and ensured that we enjoyed our visit.

It was a genuine pleasure to meet them and to eat at The Railway Inn.