There may not be many ski slopes in Brighton, but thanks to a new offer from the French restaurant chain Côte, you can recreate the après-ski experience at home.
The restaurant’s Alpine Menu features the cheese-forward favourites fondue and Tartiflette, both made with high quality ingredients with recipes developed by Gordon Ramsey’s former executive chef, Steve Allen.
Be warned – as you’d expect, this is rich, rib-sticking stuff, so be sure to work up an appetite beforehand.
In the publicity, Steve Allen is quoted as saying: “Our much-anticipated Alpine collection is back for another year and we’re delighted to share some new dishes with our guests, alongside loved old favourites.
“Our Tartiflette Luxe Menu, Cheese Fondue and Alpine Chocolat Chaud (with a splash of Grand Marnier, if you wish!) promise to banish the January blues and bring the cosiness of après ski tradition to your own home.”
So how does the review box I was sent compare to the blurb?
I was sent a fondue to serve two, but my kids weren’t going to let us get away with not sharing so I laid the table for four.
But the amount we were sent meant that nobody was going to go hungry.
As a child of the 70s, I’m no stranger to fondue, but the choice of dips we were sent to this was a cut above the supermarket baguettes and hotdogs we used back then.
Instead, we were sent par-baked sourdough flutes and two of the most incredible truffle-spiked saucisson, along with new potatoes.
A pot of cornichons helped cut through the richness of the fondue – made from Comté, Morbier and Roquefort cheeses, with Dijon mustard.
We requisitioned an old chocolate fondue set from the back of the cupboard, and Cote does offer a fondue set for those who want to go all out.
If you’d rather keep it simple though, you could definitely enjoy this just as easily by using a normal bowl – particularly if you top it up from a saucepan kept warm on the hob.
If I were to try this again, I might be tempted to cut up some pear or apple to lighten the load too.
The tartiflette followed and was even more delicious – rich with bacon lardons, cream and Reblochon and Comté cheese.
We followed the serving suggestion of a green salad alongside (although we’d already demolished the generous pile of bayonne ham and cornichons which comes with this one with the fondue by mistake).
The box also came with a gorgeous pear tart – a pastry case filled with light frangipane and pears, with a blueberry compote to drizzle over.
And finally, a generous pouch of hot chocolate came with a miniature of Grand Marnier to add to taste, and some Normandy double cream to whip up to top it – absolutely gorgeous.
So, the prices – the fondue costs £25.95, the tartiflette on its own £19.95 for four or £10.95 for two, or £41.95 with saucisson, ham, cornichons and sourdough demi-baguettes.
The pear tart is £11.95 and the hot chocolate £14.95.
