I got chicken pox. No doubt from some kid whom I saw on call. It sucks because I'm an adult and it's bad-ass now. I am sure you don't appreciate pics and frankly neither would I. So we'll this episode at that, until I gather enough spare, non scratching time to write it up.

So, I got the Crayfish Coctail from Forman and Field which they claim is: 'A spectacular gourmet fish starter, prepared with crayfish tails, wild smoked salmon julienne and keta caviar.' That's basically, Crayfish tails, wild smoked salmon, keta caviar, basil, parsley, chives, mayonnaisse, lemon juice and black pepper.

It's a good looking dish, with the oranges of the crayfish, smoked salmon, keta and greens of the herbs. But man, with the first bite, it was 'zing!' my ears were ringing and it felt like my head nearly came clean off. I mean the salt, the salt! The Smoked Salman has salt in it, the Keta is definitely salty, the mayo probably has some but it looks like they boiled the crayfish in brine for good measure then tossed a whole load more just for fun.

I revived the salt marsh by giving the whole thing a quick rinse in milk and then adding some single cream. Much better. The crayfish is well shelled with no hint of crunchy unspeakables and has been cooked to just past done- which is probably wisest considering the dish is served cold and not fresh from the kitchen.

The Smoked Salmon is nicely sliced into portions which provide counterpoint to the texture of the crayfish and the Keta Caviar provides wonderful surprises in between the 2.

All in all, a very good dish once you're past the salt.

Pics to follow.