carbonara

I don’t believe Oldroyd needs any introduction.

I have already written about it several times, and yet here I am again, writing about it once more.

You might want to call this a bad blogger syndrom, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

But then again, what’s a girl to do when one of her absolute favourite locals starts doing brunch eh?

With about 30 seats and simple yet tasteful decoration, Oldroyd is a dream no matter when you visit.

But if you asked, I’d say Sunday is probably the best day.

Because it’s Oldroyd’s brunch day and they serve up their signature fettucine carbonara.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, so first things first.

And by that I mean Bloody Mary, obviously.

As a matter of fact, the very best one I’ve ever had in London (and trust me when I say beating The Smokehouse‘s Chicken Salt delight was no easy task)!

Spicy and very pickle-y, it’s not one for the faint-hearted but still the very best way to get the brunch party started.

Though a tall, icy glass of Earl Grey iced tea does rather nicely as well!

Croquetas have been a feature on Oldroyd’s menu since the restaurant opened and they’re an absolute must-order.

This time, they were filled with mushroom, served with a generous dollop of truffle mayonnaise and as delightful as ever.

Zucchini fries are always a good idea too.

Feather-light, thin & crispy, they’re utterly irresistible.

But if you’re there for brunch, you might as well make the most of it.

The Bacon & egg fettucine, with confit garlic & berkswell, is out-of-this-world good.

It has eggs and bacon and carbs, it’s rich and creamy and comforting and basically all of your brunch dreams come true.

And if you want more, the Braised ox cheek with polenta & gremolata is an excellent choice.

Melt-in-the-mouth meat never goes out of fashion as far as I’m concerned. Warming, comforting and satisfying, it’s winter food at it’s finest.

The only issue is that it might well rule dessert out. Don’t worry chocolate mousse with raspberries & salted pistachio praline, I’ll be back for you!

I can never stay away for very long anyway (and if you want to make sure you don’t have to fight me for the last table, you better book here)!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

PIN FOR LATER:

With the sun out and the lovely weather, you’d think my brain would sync. with my stomach and agree on weather appropriate cravings.

But noooooo, that’d be far too easy. Instead, I’ve been craving very non-bikini-friendly things, namely mozzarella dippers and pasta carbonara.

Leeks carbonara: a healthy, Spring-y take on everyone's favourite / Cake + Whisky

The Italian classic is one of my all-times favourite dishes and one I can hardly say no to.

And on my way back from the farmers’ market last Sunday, I simply couldn’t choose between cooking with some of the lovely vegetables I just got, or cave in and make a nice bowl of spaghetti carbonara.

You guessed it, I ended up not choosing and made leeks carbonara: a lighter, fresher version of the classic that’s just as satisfying as the real deal (but with one sneaky portion of your five a day in it!)

The perfect dish to celebrate the arrival of Spring!

Leeks carbonara (serves 2)

Ingredients: half the amount of pasta you’d usually make when cooking spaghetti carbonara, 1 big leek (or 2 small ones), 100g lardons (or pancetta), 2 tsp crème fraîche (I KNOW carbonara doesn’t have cream in it, but this veggie-heavy version works better with some!), handful grated parmesan, 2 egg yolk, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

1. Cook your pasta according to packaging instructions. Strain and share into two bowls.

2. Wash your leeks and cut them lengthwise into thin stripes.

3. Crack your eggs and separate the yolk from the white.

4. Heat up a big frying pan. Cook the lardons until nice and crispy. Remove from the pan.

5.In the same frying pan, cook your leeks in a little bit of olive oil until tender (about 10 min). Remove from the stove, season with sea salt and black pepper and add on top of the pasta.

6. Place the lardons back in the frying pan, add the cream and cook for a couple of minute. Pour on top of the leeks. Sprinkle with parmesan and add an egg yolk on top of each bowl. Serve immediately.

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

Menu

Brunch at Oldroyd

Leeks Carbonara