Leaping Salmon jumped into my good books (LeapingSalmon.com)

Member Name: Divvyellen

Product:	LeapingSalmon.com
Date:	25/03/03 (403 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes fantastic, Quick and easy, Learn new skills

Disadvantages: Not for healthy eaters, More expensive than a ready meal

Being a bit of a foodie I have been on the Leaping Salmon mailing list for some time but had never gone the whole hog and used them. So, come Valentines when I was looking to do something special but different, I decided to give them a try.

They offer same day delivery to most London postcodes and overnight delivery to the rest of the UK mainland. There are also a number of ‘drop points’ in London for same day delivery where you can collect your order from.

Despite being in the same day delivery zone I opted to order in advance. I was a little concerned when it arrived at 10 am on the day as I was worried that, even though it was in a cool bag, the ingredients might be past their best by the evening. As the meal kit came cleverly packed in a Leaping Salmon branded cold bag with two ice packs I needn’t have been worried, the ice blocks included in the pack were still frozen 24 hours later! I also got a new cool back and ice packs for future use.
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We had:
Baby Asparagus (Thin Asparagus Spears Sautéed in Lemon Butter and served in bundles bound with Chives)

Bonfire of Chicken (Chicken Breast baked in a Cajun Honey Sauce with a Creamy Saffron Mash, served on a bed of Nutmeg-infused Spinach and a rich Red Onion Marmalade)

Passion Fruit Crème Brulée
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The kit came with all the ingredients beautifully packaged and precisely measured and prepared so absolutely no preparation was necessary. Each course had its own illustrated, easy to follow instructions and followed the meal chronologically so even though you are eating the asparagus first, it tells you to put the chicken in the oven at the outset, ensuring everything is ready at the right time.

The asparagus starter was very pleasant a
lthough the lemon butter was a little strong, somewhat masking the delicate taste of the asparagus.

The bonfire of chicken was a real treat. During the preparation I had fun mixing the honey with the spices as the honey was as cold as the rest of the kit and almost solid. This was easily overcome by a quick zap in the microwave.

The red onion marmalade was a treat that I have since repeated it as it was so nice. We were worried that such a large quantity of onions and fresh chillies would be overpowering however cooking them slowly with butter and sugar, finishing off with a spoonful of fish sauce created a wonderfully sweet and aromatic (once the fish smell had passed) accompaniment.

We’re not so keen on saffron so only used half of it in the mash, which was just about right. You were supposed to beat the mash continually for 15 minutes whilst it heats but after a few minutes my arms felt like they were going to fall off so I settled for stirring it between sips of wine which seemed to work fine.

The crème brulée is prepared whilst the chicken is cooking. The mix came ready prepared so all I had to do was bung it in a couple of ramekins, top with sugar, grill and chill. I must have overcooked it or something (too much wine sipping during the mash perhaps) as when I took it our from under the grill all the sugar had completely vanished. Still, it tasted wonderful and by the time we found the sugar crusts at the bottom of the ramekins we had had so much wine we didn’t really care.

Being complete gluttons we are always wary of portion sizes that are not as generous as intended however we needn’t have worried as there was more than enough to fill us to bursting.

Overall we had a really really nice meal. It wasn’t cheap but then it isn’t marketed as a budget package. Considering the quality and quantity of the food, the fact that we didn’t have to pay restaurant prices for the w
ine or worry about taxis, I think it was very reasonably priced.

So what were the drawbacks?
Nothing really big, just a few niggly things really. The meal kit for three courses is actually quite heavy and it was a burden to walk any distance with.

Because the meal is ready in 30 minutes you have to attend to it constantly so not good if you are entertaining as you can’t leave the kitchen.

They do mean the ability ratings. I am a pretty accomplished cook (except in the crème brulée department) and found the medium skill applied to the chicken was accurate. It would have been a bit hit and miss for a novice.

The meals are also not for anyone watching their calorie/fat/cholesterol intake, as everything is butter cream and sugar all the way. Probably what makes it taste so good.

Kiosks.
As well as the delivery service, Leaping Salmon have a number of kiosks in London where you can collect kits.. The packaging isn’t as nice but then it doesn’t need to be, and you do save on the delivery charge (£4.95). Since the Valentines extravaganza I have used the kiosks for a main dish once and will definitely use them again.

Summary: