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Menu maker game

GTO

By GTO
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GTO

GTO

Posted
Posted

We haven't had a good game in a while and I think this one will get everyone thinking.

I'll provide a starter. The aim, is to complete the menu with a Main and a Dessert.

Once you've completed the menu, post a new starter for the next person.

So, let's begin with a starter of:

Asparagus with a honey-brown butter sauce & Speck.

Please take a quick look at my stuff.

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Blood Sugar

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ChefJohnny

ChefJohnny

Posted
Posted (edited)

In keeping with the "spring" feeling of the 1st course, with the asparagus, Im going to throw in a pasta course, or main if you'd like.

English Pea Risotto with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Crispy Proscuitto

-Chef Johnny

Edit: BTW, what is "Speck?"

Edited by ChefJohnny (log)

John Maher
Executive Chef/Owner
The Rogue Gentlemen

Richmond, VA

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Jon Savage

Jon Savage

Posted
Posted (edited)
Edit: BTW, what is "Speck?"

In a word Bacon - too many different kinds though to be able to pinpoint which variety he used in the first course. Flavors range from mild to smokey to sweet to spicey depending on country/region it came from. Mostly N. Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

Edited by 6ppc (log)

Jon

--formerly known as 6ppc--

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jscarbor

jscarbor

Posted
Posted
Edit: BTW, what is "Speck?"

In a word Bacon - too many different kinds though to be able to pinpoint which variety he used in the first course. Flavors range from mild to smokey to sweet to spicey depending on country/region it came from. Mostly N. Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

Maybe a smoked proscutto would be a better description?

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jscarbor

jscarbor

Posted
Posted
In keeping with the "spring" feeling of the 1st course, with the asparagus, Im going to throw in a pasta course, or main if you'd like.

English Pea Risotto with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Crispy Proscuitto

-Chef Johnny

Edit: BTW, what is "Speck?"

I'm thinking of a little spring menu to go with wines that a group of my friends and myself buoght while in Napa. I was thinking peas for something maybe even risotto but the meyer lemon sounds really cool. Can you give me a little guidance on how to prepare?

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ChefJohnny

ChefJohnny

Posted
Posted (edited)
Interesting. Thanks for the clarification.

-Chef Johnny

I believe chef johnny, it's your turn to suggest a menu item!

Well, if I am not mistaken, we still need a dessert. So I will go ahead and see what I can pull off.

Tasting of Rhubarb

- Rhubarb Confit "Batons"

- Rhubarb/Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

- Warm Rhubarb "Tart"

- Pistascio "Crumble"

- Rhubarb/Campari "Glace"

-Chef Johnny

BTW, this is quite fun. :) Good thread GTO! We should do another spring menu, so I can throw in my all time fav spring ingredients, wild ramps and morels!!! :)

Edited by ChefJohnny (log)

John Maher
Executive Chef/Owner
The Rogue Gentlemen

Richmond, VA

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ChefJohnny

ChefJohnny

Posted
Posted
In keeping with the "spring" feeling of the 1st course, with the asparagus, Im going to throw in a pasta course, or main if you'd like.

English Pea Risotto with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Crispy Proscuitto

-Chef Johnny

Edit: BTW, what is "Speck?"

I'm thinking of a little spring menu to go with wines that a group of my friends and myself buoght while in Napa. I was thinking peas for something maybe even risotto but the meyer lemon sounds really cool. Can you give me a little guidance on how to prepare?

The English Pea/Meyer Lemon Risotto is one my favorites. Stunning in its simplicity. For the meyer lemons:

Make 2 cuts lengthwise (top to bottom) on the lemon, making sure to not cut all the way through. Take equal parts kosher salt and granulated sugar and mix to thoroughly combine. Now, at TFL, we would put the lemons, with the salt/sugar mix, into bags and cryovac them, then keep them in the freezer. If you dont have a cryovac machine handy, Im sure a ziploc bag would work just fine, but would take a bit longer to preserve. After about a week, rinse the lemon and cut the rind from the lemon and either julienne or brunoise. Just add that to the risotto.

If you want the full TFL recipe Id be happy to post it as well. Good luck with your menu.

-Chef Johnny

John Maher
Executive Chef/Owner
The Rogue Gentlemen

Richmond, VA

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ludja

ludja

Posted
Posted

So, the first menu is:

Asparagus with a honey-brown butter sauce & Speck.

English Pea Risotto with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Crispy Proscuitto

Tasting of Rhubarb

- Rhubarb Confit "Batons"

- Rhubarb/Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

- Warm Rhubarb "Tart"

- Pistascio "Crumble"

- Rhubarb/Campari "Glace"

Next first course: Parsley Spring Soup garnished with creme fraiche

(To make it easier for the "next person" in the game, consider copying the precediing the course(s) for the meal you are adding on to...

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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ludja

ludja

Posted
Posted

Spring parsley soup garnished with creme fraiche

Fresh egg tagliatelle, pinkeye peas, bacon, sage

...?

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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GTO

GTO

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

Well, we've had creme fraiche, bacon and sage, so lets have some brown sugar for dessert.

Spring Parsley soup, garnished with creme fraiche

Fresh Tagliatelle, pinkeye peas, bacon & sage

Brown sugar glazed oranges with fresh mint ice-cream (Maybe some nice dark chocolate?)

New starter, which is actually what I had for dinner tonight.

Melted Gouda with Cumin & tomatoes on toasted crusty bread.

Edited by GTO (log)

Please take a quick look at my stuff.

Flickr foods

Blood Sugar

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Pontormo

Pontormo

Posted
Posted (edited)
So, the first menu is:

Asparagus with a honey-brown butter sauce & Speck.

English Pea Risotto with Preserved Meyer Lemon and Crispy Proscuitto

Tasting of Rhubarb

- Rhubarb Confit "Batons"

- Rhubarb/Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

- Warm Rhubarb "Tart"

- Pistascio "Crumble"

- Rhubarb/Campari "Glace"

Can I play restaurant critic? :biggrin:

All these dishes sound lovely :wub: and absolutely in keeping with the spring theme. I'm particularly partial to rhubarb, prosciutto is my favorte food and Parmesan up there on the short list, BUT:

Prosciutto was proposed before ChefJohnny's question about speck was answered. Rather than seeing the first two dishes as complementary--and in keeping in the "riff" trend that informs dessert, I wonder if there isn't a bit of a redundancy here. I'd go for morels in the risotto though I do like the way the Meyer lemon follows the asparagus...

Second point: while it is a practice in North America to eat risotto as a main course--or as lunch in Italian bars--it's really a first course following an appetizer.

I would like to suggest that the first menu isn't fully written yet. A simple, light, seasonal main course (secondo) is in order. Protein!

Also, with such a lovely meal, I do hope a sommelier arrives with a wine list.... :smile:

Edited by Pontormo (log)

"Viciousness in the kitchen.

The potatoes hiss." --Sylvia Plath

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ChefJohnny

ChefJohnny

Posted
Posted

I actually wanted the risotto to be a pasta course, but said that it could be used as a main. Granted, there is no traditional "protein" but I thought it was a nice addition to a spring menu.

Anyway, new menu is starting. I also have a suggestion. Maybe whoever starts the menu can set a theme or season just to keep the menu "flowing." Again, just a suggestion.

-Chef Johnny

John Maher
Executive Chef/Owner
The Rogue Gentlemen

Richmond, VA

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ChefJohnny

ChefJohnny

Posted
Posted
chef johnny, the preserving of meyer lemons sounds good. I'm not sure i follow how you slice the lemons top to bottom to get the sugar/salt into them

Ok. So. Visualize the lemon. You have the 2 "knobby" ends. Stand it up on one of them, so the lemon is standing vertically to your board. Cut straight down, as if cutting the lemon into quarters. Just dont cut all the way through, only about 90%. Put the lemons in a bag with the salt/sugar mix and give it a light shake to disperse the salt and sugar.

Hope this helps.

-Chef Johnny

John Maher
Executive Chef/Owner
The Rogue Gentlemen

Richmond, VA

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