The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon teas. New for 2016, there is also a gourmet takeaway service. ‘We have about 10 different choices on offer from 4pm to 9pm on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, with delivery within a two mile radius of Lower Barn Farm. It’s proving very popular with customers ordering anything from fish and chips to pie and homemade, creamy mash,’ says Dave. Here he shares his recipe for a lovely light lunch or supper
Ingredients
Serves 4
2kg of clams (scrubbed and de-bearded)
100ml of rice wine
2 tbsp of XO sauce
1 tsp of finely-diced chilli
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 thumb-sized piece of grated root ginger
1 bunch of shredded spring onion
100g of sliced sugar snap peas
100g of fresh samphire
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp of chopped coriander
4 nests of noodles
Rapeseed oil for cooking
Method
Pour boiling water on to your noodles and drain once soft. On a medium to high heat, place a large pan and add the rice wine. Once boiling, add the clams and cover with a lid until opened and cooked, usually 2-3 minutes. Remove the clams and reserve the cooking liquor.
In a separate pan heat oil and quickly fry the chilli, garlic and ginger, then add the spring onion, samphire and sugar snaps. Next stir in the XO sauce and finally the clam liquor. Bring to the boil and thicken with cornflour if needed. Add the noodles and sauce to the clams and toss together and serve.
Chef’s tip
XO sauce originates from China and is made from dried shrimp, dried scallop and pork with chilli, garlic and ginger. It can either be made or bought in good Chinese supermarkets.
Get the Taste
Lower Barn Farm
London Road
Rayleigh
SS6 9ET
01268 780991
01268 655184 (For the gourmet takeaway)
