Portfolio : Ultimate Gourmet

Ultimate Gourmet

One night we did an ultimate goumet evening for 20 people with recreations of the signature dishes from the world’s greatest chefs…you know…just to show off!

Asparagus, Quail Egg & Beet

First course: Asparagus Salad with Pickled Quail Egg and Beet Vinaigrette by Patrick O’Connell of the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, USA. At the time in the 80’s-90’s this was voted the best restaurant in the United States. Over 70 miles away in the sticks from Washington DC, capitol dignitaries would fly by helicopter to eat at this restaurant.

This appetizer involves blanched asparagus, pearls of beetroot, toasted pistacios, capers, crème fraîche infused with beet juice and vinegar, and quail eggs cooked to the soft stage then steeped in beet juice for color

Pea Flan with Carrot Vinaigrette

Second course: Minted Sweetpea Flan with Carrot Vinaigrette by Mario Batali of Restaurant Babbo, New York.

Basically a pea custard that calls for fresh pea vines as the greenery on top. Who can find that outside of a Korean grocer? So we use cress instead. Chef Batali says, humourously, that this was his way of making people eat their peas and carrots

Crisp Paupiette of Sea Bass

Fourth course (the third was a ginger/champagne granita): Crisp Paupiette of Sea Bass in a Barolo Sauce by Daniel Boulud of Le Cirque in New York.

Voted the best new recipe of last quarter of the 20th century, Chef Boulud combined what was once taboo: fish and red wine. This dish combines local robalo (sea bass) inside a crisp, thin potato crust, sprinkled with mountain thyme, and served on a sauce that is the reduction of two entire bottles of barolo wine, homemade chicken stock, cream and chives. It is the ultimate of luxury.

Rack of Lamb Provençal

Fifth course: Rack of Lamb Provençal with Ratatuoille by Raymond Blanc of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire.

A careful craftsman, Chef Blanc stresses to cook this lamb at lower temperatures to insure the green herb crustt stays green and the lamb is perfectly medium rare. The ratatuoille is simply brilliant in its simplicity

 

Mousse of Aborbora Squash

Dessert course: Mousse of Aborbora Squash (the Algarve’s equivalent of the pumpkin) with Banana, Cream and Lemon Zest