Head Chef, Tony Shaw is passionate about celebrating local seafood at the Riverside Restaurant in West Bay where the catch of the day is the star of the show
Tony Shaw is the Head Chef at the Riverside Restaurant, West Bay where he has worked for the last eight years. Tony spent part of his childhood in Spain which he says has had a strong influence on his passion for cooking seasonal, fresh, local produce. He enjoys creating innovative menus that celebrate the fabulous local seafood that arrives fresh to his kitchen each day. He describes his cooking style as “clean, vibrant and full of flavour”.
.
What was your first cooking experience?
My mother was a big influence. From the age of 10 I was baking cakes and going to the big Spanish market where we bought fresh fruit, vegetables and meat daily.
.
What were the tastes of your childhood?
I lived in Spain from the age of 5-15 years. School dinners included dishes like paella, fish stew and braised octopus. They were full of flavour and I always wanted more!
.
Tell me about your training?
I studied at Weymouth College where I did an apprenticeship. I then worked at the Bridge House Beaminster for three years before joining the Riverside.
.
What are your signature dishes?
I have several signature dishes one is a salt cod Scotch bantam egg with grilled asparagus, pancetta, a parmesan crisp and hollandaise sauce. Another is a spiced monkfish loin with heirloom tomato and avocado salad, wild garlic and chestnut pesto and chargrilled red pepper chutney.
.
Tell me about the wonderful local produce you work with?
We have an amazing range of fish and shellfish in Lyme Bay, which is on our doorstep. We also have wild herbs and plants that grow locally such as sea beet.
I like to finely slice this and mix it with tomatoes, pancetta and wild garlic and stuff razor clams with it. The majority of our shellfish comes from a local fisherman called Pete (the Worm) Newton. It comes straight from his boat in West Bay and into our pots within a couple of hours. In July and August my son and I go to the harbour and catch the fresh (Billy) prawns together.
.
What else do you have on the menu other than local seafood?
We always have sirloin steak as well as Creedy Carver duck, and we have some great veggie dishes too, like Capricorn goats cheese fondue with a pistachio crumb, pickled beetroot, seeded toast, roasted beetroot and watercress mayonnaise.
.
Do you have any favourite ingredients?
I enjoy pickling different vegetables such as wild mushroom, carrots and beetroot and putting them with a nice bit of oily fish such as mackerel - its a great combination.
.
What would be your perfect supper?
It would be a big pan of paella on the beach in Spain, which I would share with all my friends and family!
***
Starters from £7.50
• Lyme Bay scallops with crispy pancetta, pickled shallot, fresh peas, black pudding crumb & minted pea puree
• Chargrilled asparagus, smoked salmon, summer black truffle, crispy egg with hollandaise sauce
• Potted brown shrimp and Portland crab with Melba toast, watercress mayonnaise, beetroot relish and celeriac remoulade
Mains from £17.95
• John Dory fillet with a tempura battered langoustine, lobster bisque, broad beans and a pressed truffle potato terrine
• Sea bass fillet with ginger beer braised pork belly, grilled red pepper chutney, chargrilled baby leeks and a caramalised shallot puree
• Coriander and toasted hazelnut crusted cod fillet with sautéed samphire, steamed clams, cockles and mussels and a salsify croquette
Homemade desserts from £6.75
• Raspberry cheesecake with white chocolate fondue
• Chilled rice pudding with prunes soaked in Armagnac
• Prosecco and raspberry jelly with Chantilly cream & shortbread
• Summer pudding with clotted cream
***
The Riverside Restaurant, West Bay Bridport, DT6 4EZ; thefishrestaurant-westbay.co.uk; 01308 422011
.
Opening times
• Lunch - Tuesday to Sunday 12 noon-2.30 pm
• Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday 6.30 – 9 pm. Closed Mondays
***
READ ON
• Dorset Magazine Food, Drink & Farming Awards 2015 - nominate your favourites - Nominate the Dorset food and drink you love in our prestigious awards and reward the heroes from our county’s food scene who tantalise your tastebuds
