Exmoor: All Perfect at Porlock Weir
The majority of tourists heading west in pursuit of seaside adventures tend to aim for Devon, Cornwall or Dorset. Somerset’s Bristol Channel coast often gets overlooked. However, there is a corner of the county’s littoral which, in terms of scenic beauty alone, could compete with any shoreline in the world.
The wild and untamed sweep of Porlock Bay, punctuated only by the tiny picturesque harbour at Porlock Weir, is surely one of the most exquisite jewels in all of England’s seaside crown.
Golden sands may not be much evidence, but this maritime cauldron of excellence has just about everything else. The grand, vertiginous, coast of Exmoor begins its march west right here, so the place has a truly magnificent backdrop. Indeed, Exmoor’s 1000 foot hills surround both the bay and also the comely swathe of Porlock Vale, making the entire shooting match one of the most extraordinary coastal settings to be found anywhere.
Down at the Weir, there’s a picture-perfect harbour protected from the sea by a spit of land known as Turkey Island, which is crowned by a line of thatched cottages that overlook one of the country’s only sea-bound oyster farms. On the inland side of the harbour looms a lovely old hotel - one which serves some of the best food in the West Somerset and Exmoor area.
Miguel and Michell Tenriero took over the lease of the Porlock Weir Hotel (https://www.porlockweirhotel.co.uk/) five years ago and have been getting the place just how they want it ever since. There was a lot to be done and the couple had to endure the Covid lockdowns shortly after they moved in. So, nice people running an excellent establishment, serving top quality food in a truly idyllic location… It’s an equation this series loves to celebrate. You’ll often find one or two of those ingredients in a single place but, when all the elements come together, it is definitely worth writing about.
The couple moved from South Africa 17 years ago and have been working in hospitality ever since, firstly at the Royal Castle Hotel in Dartmouth and more latterly at the Luttrell Arms, Dunster (owned by the same well-known Westcountry-based hotel family). You can see why Miguel and Michelle make a dream-team in the hospitality industry - she runs the front-of-house operations with great efficiency, while Miguel does what he loves best and that is producing wondrous food in the kitchen.
And at the Porlock Weir Hotel, it is pretty wondrous. We were served a collection of tasting plates which include a pork belly dressed in a Miguel’s own signature piri-piri sauce; Portuguese prawn rissoles with dill remoulade and cucumber ribbons; pan-roasted monkfish with courgette spaghetti, local asparagus and red pepper sauce; and crispy beef sirloin, rice noodles, homemade kimchi, pak choy, sesame and soy dressing. As you’ll see in our photographs, these were truly lovely plates of food. Indeed, I mentioned to Miguel that I thought the prawn rissoles were among the best things I’d tasted so far this year, and he kindly gave me the recipe (see our panel).
“The general theme is based on a European-Mediterranean style, but I come from a Portuguese family so there’s a lot of Portuguese influence,” explained Miguel, adding that his experience working in some of the top kitchens in South Africa has also influenced his cooking. “For example, something I haven't taken off the menu here since our first day is my grandmother's recipe for piri-piri sauce, which I serve with everything from poultry to fish. We make 20 litres at a time - it’s something and I’m looking to bottle commercially in the future.”
Miguel has a passion for the kind of nose-to-tail cooking that cuts out any waste, and he also insists on using seasonal ingredients that are as local as possible. “I really do take great care to understand where the ingredients have been produced so that we can support local farmers and suppliers and reduce food miles,” he told me.
The 17-bedroom hotel has a formal dining room overlooking the harbour and there’s also a harbour-side terrace and a cosy outdoor eating and drinking area (with a bar, barbecue and wood fired pizza oven) which boasts fine views of the bay.
If I had to devise a hit-parade of the top ten places UK in which to both stay and dine, the Porlock Weir Hotel would definitely be high on the list - not only for the exquisite food and sumptuous comfort of the place, but also because of its truly magnificent natural surroundings.
Porlock Weir to Culbone Walk
One of the very best hikes in all the Westcountry begins and ends at the tiny harbour of Porlock Weir. The seven-mile circular hike follows the South West Coast Path out of the Weir, so that you climb to Culbone - one of the most isolated hamlets in the region - before returning over the top of the hill.
Culbone Church
We turn west behind the harbour and follow the footpath that runs up across the fields to the hamlet of Worthy. It’s in the woods above this place that a fabulous fantasy-style mansion once stood with minarets and cloisters and a clutter of other architectural features which made it the most alluring of places even in the days when it lay in forlorn ruins.
The old place was demolished years ago and, sadly, they’ve even blocked up the little follies and tunnels situated here and there in the steep woods. You’ll see one on the main path to Culbone, looking like a miniature castle bridging the almost subterranean route. It was a Lady Lovelace who had this dreamland built and she even imported a team of Swiss mountaineers to lay a network of carriageways throughout her vertical demesne.
It was all kept very private and the tunnels were part of the design which allowed her to enjoy the ornate gardens and landscapes without the exasperating notion of being viewed by anyone else.
Lady Lovelace eventually despaired of the place being back-sunned and departed for the sunny side of the hill, but you can still see plenty of vestiges of her dreamscape with place-names like Apple Dumpling Point and Cherry Tree Steep.
The path used to be a long but gradual climb from here to Culbone, but in recent years, massive landslides have dissected the hill so that now there's a bit of zigging-and-zagging to be done along the way.
Eventually, the track turns away from the coast into Culbone’s deep coombe, hanging high above the grey rocks and grey sea in its enchanting glen. A visit to the tiny church is compulsory – though it takes you a couple of hundred metres out of the way. The smallest complete church in England has a nave that is 21 feet by 12 feet, and a chancel that measures 13 feet by 10 – making a total length of 35 feet. Regular services are still held - many of the congregation arrive by four-wheel drive down the steep track, which we must now climb.
It’s a long steep haul that takes us up to the small lane that terminates at Silcombe Farm. You’ll see the farmstead on your right, but we turn left a few metres until we see a track ascending the hill on our right. This takes us up over Culbone Hill to the very top of the Worth Toll Road. From there we descend through Worthy Coombe to where the footpath reaches the back-end of Porlock Weir.
Miguel’s Portuguese Prawn Rissoles
For the Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour – 240g approx.
1 cup stock (prawn, chicken, or vegetable) 250ml approx.
1 cup full fat milk 250ml approx.
2tbsp butter – 30g
Salt & Pepper
For the Prawn Filling:
400g shrimp – cleaned, peeled, and cut into smaller pieces
2tbsp olive oil – 30ml
1 medium onion diced – 150g approx.
2 garlic cloves – minced
125ml shrimp stock
80ml milk
1tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp chilli powder
2tbsp flour
Salt, pepper
Fresh coriander
For Breading and Frying:
100g breadcrumbs
100ml milk
1 egg yolk
Salt & black pepper
Vegetable oil
For the dough - place a pan over medium to high heat, add the milk, stock, and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Once the mixture starts to simmer, add the 2 cups of flour and stir vigorously. The mixture will look lumpy and as you continue to stir it will clump into a ball. Continue to mix without removing from the heat, until the dough is smooth and has gained colour.
Remove from the heat, transfer to a clean surface, and start working the dough immediately. At this point the dough will be a bit too hot to handle, you can use a rolling pin to knead it. Once it cools, use your hands to knead it for a couple of minutes
The Filling:
Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic, frying it for a couple of minutes. Add the prawns, cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and chilli powder before adding the prawn stock and milk.
Once it starts to simmer, add the flour, stir well. Continue to cook everything until it reduces, and you are left with a thick creamy mixture. Season with freshly chopped parsley and more salt and pepper if needed. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge.
Shaping the Rissoles
Divide the dough in two equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out one of the pieces until it’s about 2mm thin. Use a 10cm biscuit cutter (use the shavings to cut more circles). Repeat the process with the other piece of dough.
Place a small portion of your prawn filling in the centre of each one of the circles. Use a damp brush to lightly brush the edges of your circles, then fold the circle, gently applying pressure to glue the sides. Repeat the process
Place a small pan over low heat, add enough vegetable oil to deep fry your pastries. Meanwhile, add the breadcrumbs to a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg yolk, season it with salt and pepper. Dip the pastry into the milk mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs. Use a kitchen thermometer to check the oil temperature (should be ready at 180 °C). Don’t fry too many pastries at the same time - crowding the pain can change the oil temperature.
Once the pastries are golden brown, remove them from the oil. Place on top of kitchen paper to remove excessive oil and serve.
