As summer draws to a close, holidays see an end, and warm London days (if we ever really had any) seem like a very distant memory, we all begin to search for something to keep our spirits high!

We have a few treats that we think may help!

We are continuing to run our successful £39.50 ‘Menu Compris’ in the evening, which includes a 3-course menu, wine and more (details below). Plus, we are introducing ‘Wine Wednesdays’ where exquisite bin ends will be offered in the bar at extremely generous prices! Moreover, we have a full events programme in the Members’ Club – from an evening with Martin Lutyens, to a programme of cocktail master classes and piano bar jazz Thursdays, a literary salon with Limehouse Books, to a food expo. Events are free for members, and non-members/guests are also most welcome. More details are outlined in this newsletter.

Let’s not forget our Bar Manager, Julian de Feral’s sublime cocktails in the bar, which are enough to perk anybody’s mood! And lastly, Merlina in our events team is at the ready with menus and room hire information for any Christmas and end-of-year entertainment and private dining enquiries.

We look forward to seeing you at Lutyens soon.

The Lutyens Team
Telephone 020 7583 8385
September 2011

A word from the kitchen

I get so excited at this time of year, which sees the dawn of autumn and all the delicious produce the season brings. Grouse has been in the kitchen for a few weeks now and on the menu served with liver toast, game crumbs and chips, bread sauce, watercress and a light jus.

Beautiful partridge has also just arrived, accompanied with creamed cabbage and pancetta. Other items to look forward to include roast snipe and woodcock (served with an à la minute liver pâté), widgeon with bitter orange sauce, mallard, braised wild rabbit, daube de chevreuil with pommes mousseline and wild pigeon with foie gras. Delicious!

Another reason why I also adore this time of the year? It is the time for me and my trusty pal Amy, my chocolate Labrador, to go foraging in the countryside. I have got my hands on some superb ceps – they are so delicious and on a par with the best morels in my opinion.

Some delights from the sea include absolutely sensational wild Atlantic halibut, which is served with the most wonderful purple sprouting broccoli. And finally, scrumptious native oysters are back – fantastic Galway Bay native oysters have come straight from the home of the World Oyster Opening Championships in Ireland. They are perfect at the moment, as the Irish waters become cooler.

Lastly, I thought I would leave you with one of my favourite recipes, Soupe de poisson, which was featured in the Saturday Times’s Terence Conran story in June – ideal as the cooler weather approaches!

Soupe de Poisson

Serves 12

For the soupe:

For the rouille:

To serve:

24 baguette slices, cut 3–4mm thick, toasted in a moderate oven until golden, grated Gruyère cheese

Pour a generous layer of olive oil into a very large, heavy-based saucepan, add the fish and sweat gently for 5 minutes. Add all the alcohol, then add the star anise, coriander and fennel seeds, vegetables and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato purée and pour in the water. Bring to the boil, skim off any scum from the surface and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until the liquid has reduced by about a quarter and the fish has broken up and flaked off the bone; the broth should have a good aniseedy, fishy taste.

While the soup is cooking, make the rouille. Put the garlic, anchovies, egg yolks and tomato purée in a food processor or blender and whiz together. Add the saffron, harissa and about half the lemon juice and whiz to combine. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil to give a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency. Season to taste, adding the rest of the lemon juice if necessary. Transfer to a bowl, cover and store in the fridge.

When the soup is done, pass it through the medium blade of a mouli-légumes into a clean pan. Season well, bring back to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the flavours are concentrated and it has reduced the correct consistency – substantial, but not too thick, and flowing like a good olive oil. Stir in the saffron and green Tabasco and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with the rouille, baguette croûtons and grated Gruyère.

David Burke
Lutyens Head Chef

Breaking news!
City AM Wine Column

Bin End Wednesday

Every Wednesday evening from 5pm we'll be offering bin ends from Lutyens wine list at amazing prices. The selection changes every week so drop in to Lutyens Bar and grab a bargain

Keep up to date on Twitter @LutyensWine #BinEndWednesday

Andrew Connor
Lutyens Head Sommelier & Manager

Menu Compris & pre-theatre

At dinner, the great value Menu Compris at £39.50 per person; a three-course menu, plus a half bottle of wine, mineral water, coffee and petit fours, is also available.

We are also open for PRE-THEATRE meals from 5.30pm Monday – Friday. Please notify the team that you require an extra-speedy service, and we will ensure you won’t be late for your show. If you also need a taxi booked to take you from Lutyens to the theatre, we can arrange this for you.

Click here to view the Menu Compris

Members Club events

Events are free for members and their guests. Tickets for non-members are £10 per person. Includes drinks and canapés. To book a place at any of the above events please call 020 7583 8385 or email club@lutyens-restaurant.com.

Upcoming members club events include:

On the last Thursday of the month, Julian de Feral, our cocktail supremo and bar manager, will host a masterclass from 6pm to 7pm and this will be followed by some sexy piano bar music. The dates and plans are;

Thursday 29 September
Gin & Jazz: the rise and fall of gin in the jazz age

Pre-prohibition/prohibition gin drinks such as the Gibson Martini, the Aviation, the Hanky Panky and the French 75. Followed by music courtesy of by Nick and Kitty.

Thursday 27 October
Scotch Rocks! Destroying the myth of Usquebaugh

Featuring the one and only Colin Dunn - Diageos Whisky Ambassador, this will be a talk about how Scotch is often portrayed incorrectly, featuring new, unusual and contemporary Scotch cocktails.
Followed by music courtesy of Kate Threlfall.

Thursday 24 November
Italian Style: Vermouth in vogue

Giuseppe Gallo, global ambassador for Martini will talk about vermouth and its important place in the world of Italian fashionistas. The drinks will be classic aperitivos, such as the Spritz, the Americano, and of course the Negroni, alongside some inspired twists.
Followed by music courtesy of Oliver Sheen.

Events are free for members and their guests. Tickets for non-members are £10 per person. Includes drinks and canapés. To book a place at any of the above events please call 020 7583 8385 or email club@lutyens-restaurant.com.

Wednesday 12 October, 6-7.30pm
Literary Salon

Something new and a little different for us. Bobby Nayyar, Publisher of Limehouse Books will present three of his brilliant authors. The evening will start with drinks and jazz piano in the Club Room from 6pm before guests move to one of the private rooms where there will be a reading, a Q&A with the authors and a book signing. Please contact club@lutyens-restaurant.com for further details on the authors.

Wednesday 2nd November – Drinks in the club room from 6pm with the talk commencing at 6.45pm
From Country House to Viceroy’s House:
A Journey with Sir Edwin Lutyens OM

In December 1911, at the Coronation Durbar in Delhi, King George V announced the transfer of the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to Delhi. British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens was asked to join the Delhi Planning Commission in early 1912 and made his first visit to India in April 1912.

    Martin Lutyens, who is the great-nephew of Sir Edwin, joins us almost 100 years after the start of this momentous project. He will talk about the evolution of Sir Edwin's work and explain how his style matured and changed, from the early houses which made his name, to the grander country houses and his increasing interest in the classical/abstract; and on through to the planning and building of New Delhi. The talk will describe the influence of his earlier work on the design of New Delhi and Government House (the Viceroy's residence, now Rashtrapati Bhavan) and how working in India, in turn, influenced the commissions on which he was engaged at the same time in Europe.

Tuesday 8th November, 6pm - 8pm
Food and Drink Tasting

Come and meet our food and drink suppliers. This has been a very popular event in the past and allows you to talk directly to the artisans and professionals that provide our cheese, oysters, caviar, wine and much more.

Wednesday 14th December, 6-8pm
Members’ Christmas Drink

Christmas cocktails and festive canapés. This event is only open to members and their guests.

Interested in becoming a member? Click here to view the myriad of benefits involved in being a Lutyens Club member, or call the membership team on 020 7583 8385.