18Fifty5 restaurant celebrates summer

28th July 2010, 4:46pm

The award winning 18Fifty5 restaurant at Copthorne Sheffield Hotel has launched a new summer menu using seasonal produce.

Starters include poached and roasted breast of wood pigeon with Yorkshire rhubarb, a rillette of the leg and a raspberry brioche; and butter poached lobster tail and claw with watermelon, avocado, carrot & bread wafers.

To follow, main courses include black olive oil poached monkfish tail with courgette, tomato, couscous, cucumber & basil sauce vierge; roasted best end of "Devonshire Estate" lamb with fennel, orange, potato bundles and lavender jus; and red pepper cannelloni with ratatouille, watercress pesto, rosemary & green olive focaccia.

Desserts include strawberries as jam, granite, diced, sorbet, dried and juice with balsamic & black pepper; bitter chocolate pave with apricot, ginger & goats milk; and elderflower parfait with pistachio & lemon.

Head chef Ernst Van Zyl, who has worked at top establishments including the five star Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, created the menu to demonstrate his passion for "adventurous flavour combinations".

Zyl said: "This menu looks great on the plate as it uses high quality produce, but still remains at an affordable price. As it's summer I've used light ingredients to keep diners cool and full of life and meals include some interesting taste sensations for the adventurous eater.

"The seasonal and very much British ingredients will take people back to nature and I'm sure they will all be dreaming of tropical climates once they have finished their meals, whatever happens with the British weather!"