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Sunday, 27 September 2020

The Pod Street Food Review

 

The Pod Street Food Maidenbower, Crawley
The Pod Street Food in Maidenbower, Crawley

Chef Dave Blunt from Centre Catering has introduced The Pod to the streets of Crawley.  The Pod launched six weeks ago and has been a resounding hit in Crawley Down and Forge Wood,  and today The Pod came to Maidenbower and already the orders are coming in thick and fast for tonight’s service. 

 We were lucky enough to pop along ahead of service for a chat with Dave and to check out The Pod and then to sample his tasty burgers!

The Pod Street Food in Maidenbower, Crawley

On the menu tonight we tried The Veggie Beast, The BBQ Brisket Burger, Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger, skinny fries, ranch slaw followed by a slice of Biscoff Millionaires. All the burgers are served in a nice light brioche bun.

The Pod Veggie Burger
The Pod Veggie Burger
The Pod Veggie Beast

The Veggie Beast is a homemade chickpea, chilli and ginger burger, topped with cheese, ranch slaw and pickles.  As a meat eater I wouldn’t usually opt for a veggie option but I have to say this was pretty darn tasty, with a nice bit of gentle heat from the chilli and ginger. It was really fresh tasting, something I would definitely order again. I do however like a bit of bite so perhaps something with a bit of crunch to the texture would enhance it a bit, but that’s just my personal preference.

The Pod BBQ Brisket Burger
The Pod BBQ Brisket Burger
The Pod BBQ Brisket Burger

Next up was the BBQ Brisket Burger, a 6oz steak patty made by Dave’s fair hands, topped with cheese, hickory smoked brisket, ranch slaw and pickles.  A really nice juicy burger topped with tasty brisket, this definitely had the bite and went down well, a big hit with us all.  

The Pod Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger
The Pod Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger
The Pod Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger

Last but not least on this burger fest was The Maple Smoked Pulled Pork Burger, this was my favourite, you could really taste the maple, it infused the burger which again was a 6oz steak patty topped with smoked pork blade, cheese and homemade ranch slaw and pickles.  

The Pod Ranch Slaw
The Pod Ranch Slaw


Nice crunchy fries and fresh ranch slaw set off each of the burgers, I have yet to taste the Scotch Bonnet Burger but this leaves me something to look forward to on my next visit.

The Pod Biscoff Millionaires Dessert
The Pod Biscoff Millionaires Dessert


Dessert was a stroke of genius, Biscoff Millionaires slice, I love the biscuits so was looking forward to this, nice layer of chocolate, gooey caramel centre and a crumbly biscuit base, this topped off our meal nicely.

The chefs at The Pod
The chefs at The Pod

Other than the brioche buns everything is homemade and you can certainly taste it, fresh and tasty, just what the folk of Maidenbower have been waiting for, I have no doubt The Pod will be a huge hit with the residents.

The Pod Street Food  Maidenbower Crawley
The Pod Street Food at  Maidenbower, Crawley


The Pod is at Forge Wood on Thursday, Crawley Down on Friday and Maidenbower Square on Saturday between 5pm-8:30pm.  You can either grab and go or order ahead on 07395 101 201, check them out on Facebook and Instagram for their latest specials and locations.

The Pod Street Food

Remember to support local and pay Dave and his team a visit at one of the above venues, you won’t be disappointed, the meal deals are great value for money, especially the family pack, any 4 burgers, 4 sides and 4 drinks for £30, you can also add 4 cheeky desserts for an additional £5, what’s not to love!

Thursday, 17 September 2020

Gnocchi Bolognese Bake

 

Gnocchi Bolognese Bake

  • 500g minced beef
  • 600g potato gnocchi
  • 200g grated mozzarella
  • 200g diced lardons
  • Handful of small mozzarella balls (optional)
  • 3 garlic cloves,  minced
  • 400g Tom chopped tomatoes
  • 2-3 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Few glugs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • Salt and pepper
  • Handful of basil, thinly sliced
  • Olive oil

Method:
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pan, add the lardons and fry until browned, add the garlic and fry for another minute or so (do not let it burn) then add the minced beef, break up the mince with a spoon and keep stirring until browned (if you don’t break up the mice you will get clumps!).  Once the meat is browned, drain off any excess fat then add your Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée and a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper, stir through and then add your chopped tomatoes, add some water to the can and swirl round and tip into the pan just to make sure you get it all and to add an extra amount of liquid as you don’t want the sauce to be too dry, stir through and leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes (longer if you have the time). 

Once your Bolognese is made, bring another pan of salted water to the boil and cook the gnocchi according to packet instructions, this is usually 4 minutes.  Drain the gnocchi and tip into a large oven proof dish, add the Bolognese and the basil and stir until the gnocchi is evenly coated, top with the grated mozzarella and the mozzarella balls (if you like it really cheesy) and place into a preheated oven (180 degrees) and cook until the cheese is nicely melted and gooey. 




If you haven’t tried potato gnocchi before you will be in for a surprise, they are not heavy, in fact they are quite light and fluffy so this isn’t a stodgy dish.  You will generally find gnocchi with the fresh pasta in the supermarket.  You will get at least 6 good sized portions from this recipe, any that you don’t eat will keep in the fridge for a couple of days or alternatively freeze any leftovers.

This is a good cost effective recipe which will provide several meals depending on how many you are cooking for, you can pep up the flavour with some chilli flakes or add mushrooms or any other ingredients you may put into your Bolognese.  If pushed for time or on more of a budget you could simply add a jar of ready made sauce to the gnocchi. 

Mark’s top tip:  As basil can bruise very easily and go a bit discoloured looking, always chop it just before using in order to keep that vibrant green colour.  Place the basil leaves on top of each other, roll up into a small cigarette shape and thinly slice from the end using a sharp knife.