Leib: Resto & Aed (Tallinn restaurant review)

I'll be doing a series of photo reviews of various restaurants here and there. 

Photo: Liina Vahter

Leib: resto ja aed (this translates as Bread: restaurant and garden) is probably one of the most atmospheric and stylish outdoor dining areas in Tallinn right now. We've had an exceptionally lovely summer with long, warm, light nights, and not much rain - and I've had the pleasure of spending few evenings at this place. The photos here are taken in late July, when my dear friends Emma & Michael were visiting from Edinburgh and I was keen to show that summers in Estonia can be so much nicer and warmer and drier than they were ever in Scotland :D

Leib was opened earlier this summer, when a group of young food and wine enthusiasts took over the former Scottish Club. There are two guys behind the restaurant - Kristjan Peäske (one of the best sommeliers in Estonia) and Janno Lepik (has worked in London's Babylon and Rhodes WI), and their mission is to serve simple food that's made from best and freshest ingredients and doesn't cost a fortune.

They've done well. The food is excellent and indeed, not over-priced. The service is extremely friendly and confident, the atmosphere really enjoyable. I'm worried a lot of the charm is based on their excellent outdoor seating area, but I do hope the place is just as charming when they move indoors for the cooler months.

Rabbit fritters with red wine mayonnaise:


The bread:


Puff pastry tart with rocket/arugula and ricotta cheese:


Fish of the day: pan-fried European perch with sautéed vegetables:


Pan-fried free-range chicken breast (may sound simple, but finding a free-range chicken in Estonia is quite a feat!):


Strawberry soup with ice cream:


Crème brûlée with rye bread crumbs:


Caramel kissel with blackcurrants and oats:


On a previous visit I enjoyed a cold clear tomato broth with herbs and curd cheese pudding with crispy rhubarb sauce, grilled lamb's liver. Definitely worth a visit, whether it's just the food or a glass of wine with something light alongisde. You'll find Leib's contact details here.

Eesti lugejatele: Nami-Nami foorumis on Leib: resto ja aed teema siin, nende Facebooki fännilehe leiate siit.

Wax beans in garlic butter

Wax beans (aka yellow string beans) are thriving in our garden this year, and we've been eating lots of them lately. Here's one of my favourite ways of preparing them - which also happens to be one of the easiest recipes ever :)

Using savory is by no means compulsory - the beans are lovely with just garlic butter. However, the flavour of savory complements the beans really well - note that in German, the herb is called Bohnenkraut or 'bean herb' :)

Wax beans in garlic butter

wax beans
butter
garlic
some fresh (summer) savory leaves

Trim the beans, then blanch in salted water for 5-7 minutes, until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic clove(s), cut the garlic into thin slices or chop coarsely.
Melt the butter on a frying pan, add the garlic and sauté for a minute over moderate heat.
Add the drained beans, fry for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until the beans are soft and seasoned with garlic butter.
Sprinkle with savory leaves and serve.

The best ever marinated olives (aceitunas aliñadas)

Well, I don't actually know if that title holds true, but when I made these olives recently, then my dear K stated that these are better than anything he's ever had before (read: shop-bought marinated olives). I loved them, too.

I had few friends over for a tapas night recently, and wanted to serve aceitunas aliñadas. I browsed tens of recipes for Spanish-style marinated olives, and finally came up with this version. I had run out of sherry vinegar, so used a mixture of Spanish red wine vinegar and some dry sherry instead, but feel free to use sherry vinegar instead. As far as the olives are concerned, try to find Spanish ones that are unstoned - these have much more flavour compared to the stoned olives. I used Spanish hojiblanca olives, but arbequina, sevillano, manzanilla (f. ex. Campo Real), arauco would all work well, too.

These last for a week in a fridge, if not longer.


PS If you've got a favourite marinated olives recipe, I'd love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a link to your recipe in the comments section.

Marinated olives, Spanish style
(Marineeritud oliivid)
Serves four to six as part of a tapas table

about 200-250 g olives (in brine, drained weight)
1 Tbsp Spanish extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine viner + 1 Tbsp sherry)
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar
1 thyme sprig, leaves only
1 rosemary sprig, leaves only
0.5 tsp dried red chilly flakes
1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Place the drained olives into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
Leave to macerate for at least couple of hours before serving.