August: Our recommendations on the menu this month

What we’ve been eating: Cured gurnard, green tiger tomatoes, tomato ponzu 

On our à la carte starter menu right now is this gorgeous gurnard dish. A prehistoric-looking fish widespread in British waters, gurnards live on the seabed and use their fins to find crab, fish and shrimps that live in the sediment. Because of its appearance and boniness, it is often either thrown back or used as lobster bait. 

However, it’s now thankfully gaining in popularity. A welcome break from some over-fished seafood, its white, flaky meat is mildly sweet thanks to its diet. We cure the fish with a bit of lemon zest and elderflower cordial and serve it with heritage green tiger tomatoes and a citrussy tomato ponzu dressing that adds a tart-tangy flavour. We recommend pairing this dish with an Alsace blend.

What we’ve been drinking: Dobogó Tokaji Furmint 2019, Hungary  

Tokaj is a region bordered by the rivers Bodrog and Tisza in the north-eastern corner of Hungary, 120 miles from Budapest. Founded in 1869, the Dobogó estate is in the centre of Tokaj and today belongs to Izabella Zwack, the youngest member of the Zwack family (who produce Hungary's famous liqueur, Unicum).

After fermentation, this wine was matured in three-year-old, 300-litre Hungarian oak barrels for 10 months before bottling. Golden in colour, on the nose the ripe citrus notes blend with aromas of lime and peach. The palate is dry and characterful, with a continuation of citrus, peach, and peach blossom, that reflect the qualities of the Furmint grape.