Piggin’ Marvelous! Castellano's presents, 'All Things Pig'!

An array of Foodies from across the South West flocked to St.  Aldhelm’s Church in Bedminster this weekend to sample the culinary delights of local charcuterie specialist and chef, Vincent Castellano. Despite remaining humble about his expertise, Vincent has recently appeared on Nigel Slater’s, Simple Suppers and Olly Smith’s, The Secret Supper Club – both of which highlighted the passion he has for his craft as well as the high-quality produce he creates. Subsequently, on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd April 2011, his ‘pop-up restaurant’ delivered, ‘All Things Pig’ - a seven-course feast which offered such delicacies as Boudin Noir, Pâté de Campagne, saucisson sec and coppa as well as a rich brawn salad. These piggy-related bites were eagerly anticipated and did not fail to impress. The second course, for example, which consisted of a range of charcuterie to share with your neighbouring diners, provided a lovely mixture of tastes and textures - think smooth, meaty pâté spread on the appending sourdough followed by the satisfying pull of the rich-tasting jamon. The main course featured slow-roasted pork ham loin with madeira glaze, smoked pancetta and Toulouse sausage – all of which were superbly cooked and ensured empty plates all round! The palate-cleansing poached rhubarb and hop vodka was delicious and, despite being a little too sweet for some, was considered a lovely contrast to the full-bodied, salty-tang of the cured meats and porky plates.   Dessert consisted of a flavoursome selection of cheeses from Trethowan’s and Homewood Cheese. The ‘Gorwydd Caerphilly’ in particular had an wonderfully creamy texture which just melted in the mouth. Finally, the Royal au Chocolat was divine – made with 70% dark chocolate and sat on a base created with praline paste and crushed cornflakes. Even the dark chocolate-button accompaniment had a pig etched onto it, (just one example of the careful attention to detail which was ever present throughout the seven courses). There was a ‘Bring your Own’ drink policy – local wine and cider experts suggested suitable accompaniments to the seven dishes and a welcome drink, made with scrumpy cider and ‘Drambuie’ whetted our appetites for what would become a fairy boozy evening!   The atmosphere created in the church was relaxed and friendly with an excitable buzz – after being greeted by Vincent himself, Jean Pierre of Beaujolais Restaurant in Bath took over as host, who, channeling Ken Dodd, amused the crowd with a pink feather duster, (strangely proving a hilarious addition to the evening’s proceedings!) Live music from the Gaulois Brothers was also well received. The church itself was adorned with candles and banners sporting an imaginative pig-design by ‘Millers Design UK’. This venue really made for a spectacular evening and was one aspect amongst many which secured the evening’s success – I can’t wait for Vincent’s next event but in the meantime, will be stocking up on products from ‘Castellano’s Deli’ in Fishponds as an aide memoir of what really was a wonderful evening of top-notch food which met a 'piggin' marvelous' reception! Typical that the only half-decent picture I took was of dessert! For images which better capture the evening's festivities, please refer to: http://www.througheye.co.uk   Further references: *http://www.castellanos.co.uk/  You can also visit Vincent at Bristol's Farmer's Market - every Wednesday on Corn Street, Bristol *http://www.millerdesign.co.uk