PRESTWICH likes to think of itself as a village, so it’s no surprise that peripatetic chef Mary Ellen McTague gravitated back, close to where she lives, for her latest residency. As the Cuckoo flies it’s 130 metres from the now closed Aumbry to Dave Rigby’s bar of that name. For three months in this hugely welcoming but rather spartan bar she is serving a pared down version of the cooking that has won her so many plaudits while, it seems keeping schtum about an permanent city centre base in the offing.
The hours and the size of the chalked up menus seem suited to a home life rather than the anti-social norm she has been accustomed to in top kitchens where she has toiled – her own Aumbry, Ramsons and, career-shapingly, Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. Food is served from 6pm-9:30pm Wednesday to Saturday as well as 12pm-2:30pm Thursday to Saturday and 10am-8pm Sunday (an all-day brunch menu).
Welcome news for veteran followers of her career is the presence of an egg in this Cuckoo nest – the signature black pudding scotch egg, so much a signature dish she even included it in the recipe column she did for The Guardian; the egg inside is a quail’s, the ketchup is home-made.
It is still delicately delicious (pay heed, Manchester Egg), as is the exquisite home smoked mackerel, roast celeriac, mustard cream, pickled beets and rye (£7, pictured above) from the Wednesday to Saturday menu. Heartier, from the Sunday brunch beans/chorizo/cheese on chargrilled sourdough £5 (with two poached or fried eggs £7) is an appropriate get you act together snack
Mains circle around the £15 mark and are more substantial than Aumbry’s, which sometimes disappointed trenchermen. The venison stew I ordered was lovely, ringed by earthy, crunchy sprout tops; maybe the thyme and juniper dumplings were, well a mite solid. Across the table roast hake served with champ and cockles got it just right.
Among the puddings I’d recommend both the grapefruit posset with celery granita and flourless chocolate cake with creme fraiche.
The Cuckoo wine list is uncomplicated, starting with a Chilean sauvignon blanc and an Australian shiraz at £4.10 a glass, £16 a bottle, but I’d look no further than the bottled beers – a choice of four from Radcliffe’s Brightside brewery (go for the Amarillo) and the latest boutique ale from Jamie Hancock’s Five-Oh, brewed in his Prestwich garage.
Cuckoo, 395-397 Bury New Road, Prestwich, M25 1AW. 0161 773 17212.
