There is a new addition to the UK’s growing stable of great sherry hotspots – Dehesa is the handy work of couple and business duo Simon and Sanja Mullins who invited me to its opening night on Monday. Salt Yard’s new sister has only been open a couple of weeks but already has that rather alluring, no messing way about it that says it knows itself and how to go about its business. After I’d negotiated my way past the gang of smokers at the door I was soon delivered into a rowdy, big windowed room full of wine lovers. Well, they all seemed like wine lovers and I saw plenty of bottles of cava being decimated – but the attraction for me lay on the plates of canapés being carried around at shoulder height all evening.
I attuned myself with them immediately but soon sussed out that, by and large, those suckers weren’t destined for me – or at least not until they’d floated off purposefully towards certain key players and were returning, somewhat depleted. I repositioned myself accordingly, right near the dumb waiter and was then able to fully reap the rewards….
Out they marched and in I swooped – large, velvety croquetas de bacalao with red pepper salsa, stamp-size morsels of jamon Iberico and prosciutto di Parma, the unmistakable shudder of joy brought on by a piece of truffled parmesan and a skewered row of very white, pesto smothered, seductive little cubes of swordfish. The extremely patient waiters soon realised there was no avoiding me since I presented the only obstacle between the dumb waiter and the rest of the room, so by the time things got sweeter I was their first port of call.
I liked the even-handed and assured presence of pistachios in my biscotti – in a similar way that I was drawn to the boatshed grey/blue glossed over the ceiling: simple but strong The Crema Catalana was made memorable by the bitter apricot slice within. But the show stopper for me came in two parts: a very low-key, almost fossilised looking Spanish truffle with a side of quivering, hard to pick up slice of pomegranate jelly. What elegance! Once the jewel like jelly had been tamed and was finally laying tremble free between my fingers, and that prehistoric chocolate joined the party, dark + tart quickly assumed a place in my Fond Food Memories bank.
I’m looking forward to returning for more and to start exploring the healthy sherry list.
