Nacho & Friends Part 2: Mark Poynton.

The idea behind Nacho & Friends is that if Manchester doesn't currently have a Michelin star, we could invite chefs here who have stars in their own restaurants to guest chef for one night. This would give people a chance to eat this style of food who may not necessarily travel over to Spain for dinner. This time we had a British chef Mark Poynton of Alimentum in Cambridge who created a seasonal Game tasting menu with Ibérica executive chef Nacho Manzano (photo below) especially for the Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Unlike the other events in the series, this one would be exclusive to Manchester only and what another superb night it was. Ibérica yet again really pulled out the stops for this one, the service was excellent and the food as impressive as you'd imagine.

Both chefs and Ibérica's Group Head Chef César García are always in the kitchen, they don't just put their names to the event.

We begin with Venison Tartare, charcoal mayonnaise, turnips by Mark Poynton. Such a beautiful and delicate dish.

Autumn /Otoño by Nacho Manzano. A lovely seasonal course from Nacho's restaurant Casa Marcial.
Asturian Bean Stew with Hare, another rich and hearty dish by Nacho Manzano.

Pigeon Liver Parfait with smoked bacon & pineapple jam, hazelnut praline & horseradish vinegar gel by Mark Poynton. One of the dishes of the year for me, simply stunning. This flavour intensity and combination is what this sort of food is all about for me.

Deer loin, Jerusalem artichokes & roast garlic & honey alioli by Nacho Manzano.
Poached & roasted wood pigeon breast, potato, mushroom, red wine & parsley from Mark Poynton.

It was way too dark to photograph some of the courses including the puddings; Rice Pudding Brandy & Truffle by Nacho Manzano and Brilliat Savarin Mousse, cheesecake crumble, end of season strawberry & black olive from Mark.

Watch this space for details of the third Nacho & Friends, you really won't want to miss this one either.

Further Reading. Nacho & Friends Part One: Quique Dacosta.
My interview with Nacho Manzano. 
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