5
The following day, Lou and Karen spent the morning sorting out the house, while Jack played in the garden. They knocked off at lunchtime and headed straight to Coast. Lou had called earlier and booked a table.
‘This is lovely,’ Karen said to Lou when they were seated on the terrace facing the sea.
‘I already know what I’m having,’ Lou said, just glancing at her menu before putting it down on the table. ‘Mediterranean fish soup.’
‘Have you had it before?’ Karen asked. ‘I thought this was your first time eating here.’
Lou shook her head. ‘It is. But I’ve read about it.’ It was the restaurant’s signature dish and one every restaurant critic and food writer who came here raved about.
Just then a little girl of about Jack’s age trotted up to the table. ‘Do you want to hear the specials?’ she asked, peering up at them.
‘Oh!’ Lou grinned. ‘Yes, please.’
‘There’s wild sea bass with?—’
She was interrupted by a waitress appearing. ‘Sorry,’ she said to Lou and Karen as she caught up with the little girl and took her by the shoulders. ‘Come back inside, Bo. Your granny’s looking for you.’
‘I haven’t finished telling the specials,’ Bo protested, looking up at her.
‘I can do that.’ The waitress flipped open her notebook. ‘Hi, I’m Teresa and I’ll be your waiter today.’
‘It’s okay,’ Lou said. ‘She can tell us the specials. It sounds like she’s well up on them.’
‘Oh, she is,’ the waitress laughed. ‘Go on then, Bo.’
‘Wild sea bass with fennel sauce, lobster salad starter and… what was the other one?’ Bo looked up at Teresa. ‘I forget.’
‘Pan-fried black sole on the bone with a lemon caper butter,’ Teresa finished for her.
‘Thank you. They all sound delicious,’ Lou said. ‘And what would you recommend?’ she asked Bo.
‘Everything.’ Bo grinned. Then, glancing at Jack, she said, ‘The fish cakes are really yummy,’ before trotting back inside.
‘Are you ready to order?’ Teresa asked, pulling a tablet from her apron pocket.
‘Yes. I’ll have the Mediterranean fish soup, please,’ Lou said.
Jack asked for the fish cakes with triple-cooked chips and Karen ordered the sea bass special. When the food arrived, Lou took out a notebook and pen to make notes as she ate.
‘What are you writing?’ Jack asked her.
‘I’m trying to work out the recipe so I can make it myself.’
‘How will you find out the ingredients?’
‘I write down all the things I can taste, and I work it out that way.’ She enjoyed trying to recreate restaurant dishes at home whenever she ate something she loved. She paused, frowning as she savoured the subtle flavour notes on her tongue, trying toseparate them out. There was definitely some orange there, and fennel… and was there a hint of cardamom?
‘Why don’t you ask the chef?’ Jack said.
‘Because chefs don’t usually like to give away their secrets.’ She didn’t imagine Aidan McBride would be amenable to handing over his precious recipes to random customers.
The food was all amazing and the fish soup surpassed Lou’s expectations.
‘So, starting the job hunt next week?’ Karen asked her.
Lou nodded. ‘Starting with this place.’ She knew it was a long shot, but Aidan had said to call back and even though she knew he probably didn’t mean it, she had a perfect right to take him at his word and she was going to make it her first port of call – nothing to lose. ‘I want to get something lined up as soon as possible.’
