Mrs Cheoff and I are lucky - let’s be honest, privileged - to be able to enjoy what is described here. Having said that, we are also taking the opportunity to support an industry we love in a very small way. Hospitality is such a valuable element in so many of our lives and it is seriously threatened by current Covid restrictions and the real lack of government support. We are doing what we can.

And hospitality is using all its resourcefulness to do what it can to ensure survival after things ease. ‘At Home’ boxes being one way. I have no idea if this particular exercise is profitable but it certainly has created interest and kept many of us eager for the return of the proper and full experience of eating out as paying guests.

Reasonably pretty pictures which record our distanced-from-Moor-Hall event will all appear in good time but for now please take a look at the first in a succession of triumphs in flavour, texture and finish - Moor Hall’s ‘Lonza’. Perhaps we should call this ‘cooked meat’ now that we have abandoned the EU. I still prefer good old charcuterie* with its more reassuring ring of authenticity and possibility.
* from the French ‘char cuit’

This ‘snack’ gave us the first evidence of supremely well judged cooking (curing in this case). So much more was to follow. I added my own pickled green elderberries to give some balance against the lovely fat on offer. The fat was silky, sweet and melting. Very few elderberries were allowed a look-in.

Snack - Cured pork loin (Lonza) - with my pickled green elderberries — **Snack** - Cured pork loin (Lonza) - with my pickled green elderberries

Further ‘pretty pictures’ to come - but you should know me well enough to take a rest between courses as I wander into a little musing territory. Why not pour some wine while you are kept waiting.

As soon as our box arrived we formed a first impression. The contents looked a little - I won’t say mean - but sparse. We had two comparisons to work on. Our Northcote autumn box had been very successfully supplemented and spread over two meals. My account of those starts here. Half of Aktar Islam’s curries are still in our freezer. The Moor Hall items looked barely enough for the one meal we had planned.

First impressions, eh. They proved reliable after my introduction to the future Mrs Cheoff. She glowed with lighthouse intensity as she ordered a brandy and Babycham at the student bar and lured me onto her island of bliss which soon became marital. If there were rocks they have never been large enough to create anything but occasional ripples. Sound first impressions.

Forty-eight years later the Moor Hall box proved that first impressions can be horribly misleading. I don’t have enough time left on this planet to become an inventive cook - I rely too much on the tried and trusted examples of professional chefs and food writers - but I will allow people to pinhole me as an adventurous cook. I have prepared similar menus to the one we received from Moor Hall. That is why reality and perspective struck home. I remembered the days of work involved in being ready to relax even a little before offering such a developed meal to family or friends. Mark Birchall and teams from his Moor Hall and The Barn restaurants have devised a faultless menu with a rich multitude of elements ready to enjoy with minimal further treatment. The box contents are stripped back only in the sense that you see just what is needed for an indulgent feast. This is the laziest mise en place you will have to do. Well - not do!

You are paying for the same attention to detail and mastery of skills which underpin a restaurant visit. Lingering appreciation of the seductive gloss and perfect consistency of the chicken sauce was just one of many things which slowed down unpacking.

Oh. Bread, anyone? Just a picture, you understand. It was crusty, oily and disappeared all too quickly.

Bread - Sourdough focaccia and cultured garden herb butter — **Bread** - Sourdough focaccia and cultured garden herb butter

Verbal ramblings will continue - but for now here’s more food. Any dish with crosnes will create consternation for those not familiar with the ingredient. Don’t fear its mini witchetty grub appearance. Embrace the floury, nutty and completely meat-free flavour.

We drank Barbeito Rainwater Reserve, a light expression of Madeira with this. It worked but we were constantly distracted by the depth of flavours in this small, intimate, friendly bowl.

Amuse - Jerusalem artichoke soup with hazelnut, crosnes and parsley oil — **Amuse** - Jerusalem artichoke soup with hazelnut, crosnes and parsley oil

All the food you see here is the result of so many separate processes. A keen home cook might tackle any of these processes but will also be eternally grateful to a distant Lancashire kitchen brigade for giving a glorious night off thanks to their skills and dedication.

Pasta making, shellfish prep and sauce making all done for us with the starter. Perfectly judged again with tang from the lettuce and mild acidity from the sauce to complement the sweetness of the raviolo filling. Not sure if there was lecithin in the sauce but a stick blender frothed up things long enough to retain a light foam. Enough to offend Delia Smith at any rate!

Starter - Lobster and scallop raviolo, charred lettuce, marrow, shellfish sauce and verbena oil — **Starter** - Lobster and scallop raviolo, charred lettuce, marrow, shellfish sauce and verbena oil

We began drinking a French Sauvignon-Viognier blend with the fish starter and carried it through to the chicken main. It did the job. I’m always wary of agonising over the right choice for a wine pairing. Being driver for the night at a few meals out has given me the chance to concentrate on the business of great food without drink distraction. I recommend trying it occasionally.

The chicken main is roast dinner with knobs on. Very large knobs. Massive knobs. If you shy away from full-on flavour please look the other way now. This dish spelled out and double underlined a total understanding of technique and the ability to magically transport excellence into a grateful household.

Oh. And if you do shy away from such full-on flavour I think we should consider our relationship at an end. Well, until you come to your senses.

Main - Roast Goosnargh chicken with ragu, ramson, celeriac and leek — **Main** - Roast Goosnargh chicken with ragu, ramson, celeriac and leek

Dessert was fun to assemble. The addition of craquelin to the choux bun was a clever means to ensure that potential sogginess has a crunchy foil. These are classic flavour combinations and guaranteed to crowd-please.

I’m confident enough to think I can reproduce this one at home for our guests without asking chef for his recipe. Let’s hope so. No harm trying to emulate Michelin two star quality now and again.

Dessert - Yorkshire rhubarb bun with ginger and blood orange — **Dessert** - Yorkshire rhubarb bun with ginger and blood orange

You will only truly find what inspectors merit so highly by booking at Moor Hall when they re-open. This meal gives massive hints at what lies in store for us when they do. But until then we have already eaten special food made for us by special people.

Our very big thanks go to all involved at Moor Hall in helping that to happen.

There is still some time before restaurants open outside and in. Why not explore the offerings for takeaway and delivery which many of them continue to put out during lockdown. Prices vary but each purchase has the rich bonus of knowing that you might be helping the survival of another member of our very special hospitality industry.

A click on this picture from their website links to the Moor Hall pdf of information for the March 12th box which we ordered and enjoyed so much

I knew my effing huge tweezers would come into their own one day!

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Moor Hall - AT HOME BY MARK BIRCHALL