Dinner Party Degustation

[Sher.eats]

Many thanks to the incredible wattacetti for the constructive comments!

Any thought as to wine pairings?

Start off with a dry white, maybe a brut champagne?

Then introduce a Bordeau Red (Leoville Poyfere?) just before the beef is served.

Finish off with a honey sweet Sauternes (perhaps Rieussec?)

Sea urchin

Presentation's a little blah especially in regards to color. Would be interesting to see this as a free-standing cube of jell-o but that would be difficult unless you intend to also stabilize the cream and the oil.

Any thought as to a contrasting flavor and texture to play off the soft and creamy?

You can clarify the lobster stock by using the synerisis technique (add gelatin to the stock; let set and freeze; thaw block through a coffee filter).

It totally looks BLAH 'brownish' and lacks colour. Ideally I should have dripped Parsley Oil on top but I ran out of parsley and when I resorted to wasabi, which didn't help at all.

The Jello cube is a really great idea, and stabilizing the cream isn't too difficult.

Ravioli

I originally sided with the pea since I felt that the taste would be fresher overall than onion soup, but I can also see Shalmanese's point in that "it's been done." Now that the crackling is paired with the ravioli, how does the crackling fit with this apart from just being another texture either before or after the sphere?

Flavor-wise, I've had ham and peas before, but they were together on the same plate (and as a side). Others have already discussed how to encapsulate a solid within the liquid but doing that sort-of defeats the purpose of having crackling.

I've been slightly unclear on the ravioli and cracking. It's not really eat together-alongside... but more "eat the ravioli, then eat the crackling". Almost like how some people eat their soda crackers after they drink some soup.

foie gras

Why the necessity of a duo?

The guests have said on occasions that they like FG, so we're demonstrating a tasting of FG in two ways. The Pan-seared FG and the Terrine will be an opportunity for them to compare FG two ways side by side.

cheese

Tell me again why there is an insistence on keeping three cooked cheese dishes for your cheese course? Doesn't show off the cheese and just feels unbalanced.

Since the guests have never had a proper cheese course, we thought making the roquefort, brie and goat cheese into "dishes" would be more welcoming in the guests' perspective. Each cheese dish will be bite-size as not to scare them off.

If they are open and like the cheese, we can give them a hardcore platter of 'uncooked' cheese the next time.

I've edited my menu v2.0 so to clear up any confusion, esp. regarding the foam of ratatouille. I know it sounds odd, but amazingly it does really work.

Well, thank you very much!

[David Ross]

Nice job on your menu. I'll need a full report, with photos, on your final dishes as presented to your guests. You should be very proud. I really like your menu. Good luck.

[wattacetti]

Interesting clarifications.

Sea urchin

Not sure if parsley is the best idea in the world to liven the color; I suspect that the flavor of the herb is going to overwhelm your lobster jell-o.

Tony Adams (Tonyy13) demonstrated the plating involving a gremolata gelée within his eGCI Plating and Presentation course (click here), and that's a good place to start for presentation ideas.

There would be others to give you better wine pairings but I'm not loving the idea of champagne with this. I've been leaning more towards junmai ginjō sakes when serving delicate seafood preps.

Ravioli

The sequence feels somewhat jarring but you'll see how your guests react. It better be one really good pea preparation though.

Foie gras

I'd still go with only one preparation regardless of what they may have said in the past. This is a tasting menu, which generally necessitates smaller portions. If the foie is too small, they may not fully appreciate the differences (the one spoonful is nice, but… scenario). If you up the amount, you may overload them and they may not necessarily be able to appreciate the rest of the meal without resorting to a couple of rounds of Shalmanese's mid-meal pause.

Why not pick just one preparation that they've never seem before? I'm pretty sure that they know what poêlé looks like and I'm pretty sure they know what terrine looks like. Alain Senderens was renowned for his foie in cabbage at Lucas Carton, Ginor's foie gras cookbook has plenty of options, and there's always Iron Chef.

By the way, this is where I'd go with the Sauternes but it ultimately depends on the preparation you elect to stick with (I've done foie with Argentine Chardonnay, auslese Rieslings and Puligny-Montrachet). All Sauternes are sweet but some are better suited to savory applications than others. Why Rieussec in particular?

Ratatouille

Whipped ratatouille foam is now a standalone vegetable dish because you're saying that "its appetizing flavor seems like an appropriate introduction into the beef course."

Fine, but you also describe your guests as "foodies, but unfamiliar to french cusine and are virgins to the modern techniques."

I can see someone sitting at the table thinking "you're telling me that this is a vegetable dish but all I'm seeing is you using a whipped cream dispenser to blow purply-grey sputum into my bowl."

Are you planning on serving something to go along with that appetizing foam? They're going to need some more wine if you don't.

Beef

Léoville-Poyferré: why this particular second-growth? I have a couple of bottles of the 1996 which I think may be good to go some time next decade. I would have leaned more towards a Syrah due to the plum (assuming the sirloin isn't also sauced).

You should re-think the plating because eating from two plates during the same course takes a lot of real estate and isn't necessarily fun. Percyn, mobyp, BryanZ and others have plated some really interesting beef in the Dinner! thread (click here), though with 701 pages there's a bit of digging to find them. Ditto Kamozawa & Talbot on their Ideas in Food blogsite (click here).

Cheese

Dunno. Transforming Brie, Roquefort, goat and ricotta still seems to be a waste, and if they don't like cheese, I'm not sure that Roquefort and goat are going to convince them otherwise. Unless they're really adventurous, the guest perspective would be to ease them in with something mild and non-threatening: sharp and blue don't quite fit that criteria.

Still think one transformation (ricotta), one mild soft cheese, one mild hard cheese (Wensleydale?), accompaniments and a really good white.

Dessert

Never one of my strong points, but is your dessert a straight rip from the French Laundry?

--

All in all, it's definitely more manageable than V1.

I still think texture is missing: soft jello, soft ravioli, crackling, soft foie, soft foie with soft bread, goo, chewy beef, soft beef (with purée and soft carrots), crispy cheese x2, soft cheese. There are 11 components in the first 6 courses; only course #2 and #6 contain something crisp, while #5 has a chewy one. However, every single plate has something squishy that only needs to be gummed.

Rubino-style plating is also another time killer and not a nice place to be tripped up on. I shouldn't talk because my own stuff doesn't show it, but minimalism is a really nice way to go (re: Ideas in Food).

Anyway, one week until your big day. As with everyone else, I'm curious to see your photos (prep and actual service) and more than curious about your guests comments and reactions. Major props to you if you can pull off your vision.

[broadway]

cheese

Tell me again why there is an insistence on keeping three cooked cheese dishes for your cheese course? Doesn't show off the cheese and just feels unbalanced.

Since the guests have never had a proper cheese course, we thought making the roquefort, brie and goat cheese into "dishes" would be more welcoming in the guests' perspective. Each cheese dish will be bite-size as not to scare them off.

If they are open and like the cheese, we can give them a hardcore platter of 'uncooked' cheese the next time.

←

What's the problem with uncooked cheese? Could you explain a bit more.

Edited September 8, 2007 by broadway (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I'm really enjoying this discussion. Thanks for putting the bull's eye on your chest!

My latest dart is just to pile on about the cheese course. It seems as though you are hell-bent to serve cheese even though your guests seem unlikely to find a non-cooked cheese course not quite right. In addition, in every other course you are committed to showcasing outstanding ingredients in a manner that preserves their best qualities, yet in the cheese course you're not doing that. Finally, at least one of the cheese dishes seems forced; perhaps I'm not being very imaginative, but that cannoli seems out of place on this menu and not very Sicilian to boot.

So I guess I don't get it. Why not just eliminate the cheese course entirely?

[wattacetti]

The problem with uncooked cheese (in Asia) is that cheese isn't a common component of Asian cuisines and there is an aroma issue that pretty much everyone I've ever met talks about (fermented tofu is okay, but even bocconcini has a "smell").

The most common forms that I saw available were very mild white cheese and very mild orange one (it's as if the Ontarians had a lock on supply). The most common usages in restaurants were also… cheeseburgers (orange) and pizza (white).

Anyway, I have this impression that the cheese course is going to stay in there because in the best "Americans always put ketchup on their food" tradition, tasting menus always include cheese courses (which they don't).

All three of the cheese dishes are a little forced. Brie en feuilleté: seen it but adding pepper and watercress (?) makes me think starter. Roquefort in a trifle. And a *canoli*. Makes me want to ask where's the mini-quiche?

[Shelby]

I'm really enjoying this topic, also!

Mainly because I don't have a clue how to make anything on the menu and I'm very impressed Sher!!!!

Good luck with your dinner and I'd love to see some pictures if you get a chance.

[Kouign Aman]

I think sweet salty seafood followed by peas sounds like a good progression.

I'm very curious about Roquefort trifle. It could be delightful.

[Chris Amirault]

Any updates?

[wattacetti]

It's now 4:50p or so EST on 15-Sep-2007, which if my P990 is to be believed, is now about 5:50a HK time 16-Sep-2007.

By now Sher.eat's tasting menu has completed (unless it's actually tonight and not Saturday night). Anyone else curious about how it went and whether she served a real cheese plate? I for one would love to hear the comments from her guests as well as her impressions of pulling of a multi-component meal.

[Shelby]

I can't wait for updates and pictures!!

[Sher.eats]

Finally, what many of you have been waiting for... AN UPDATE!!!

The dinner came and passed at the start of last week, but I've been super busy since then and I haven't been able to update!

Thanks to everyone who helped out and shared all your wisdom!

Without further ado, here's the actual dishes that were served.

Sea urchin

I scaled this down to each person having a small cube of the jelly embeded sea urchin. An umami packed amuse-bouche, welcomed by all the guests.

Pea Soup Ravioli

The fresh flavors of the pea soup was a gentle appetizers. The 'ravioli'ness was very 'amusing', especially for the kids. The raviolis were extremely fragile, and popped the moment it entered one's mouth.

The Iberico crackling was eaten after the ravioli... an crunchy umami kick!

Foie gras

The two foie gras were loved by all (including the kids). One being Pan-fried and served with a white wine & pear sauce, the other a torchon, drizzled with port glaze. Both served with toasted brioche.

Tomato Consommé

Clear tomato consommé, with a golden tint in color. Served in small Chinese teacups to play the fact that it looks like tea. The cold consommé had a soft sweetness alongside the savory tomato-iness. A nice rejuvenating drink that lead on to the beef course. Everyone asked for seconds! heheh*

Beef

Pan-seared US DA Beef, a classic bold beefiness that everyone loved. Medium-rare of course. =] But if only I had a charcoal grill... =[

Braised Beef Cheek was tender and infused with the rich aromas of red wine. Texture was loved by all, but I had contrasting comments on the primary flavor, one guest saying that it was a tad bit too sweet, another saying it was a tad bit too acidic. Perhaps I should have sprinkled some salt flakes to bring out more savory to compensate and cover any additional sweetness or sourness. Despite that, we all agreed that the sauce had a lovely plum and red wine scent.

The potato puree and caramelized carrots supported the beef cheek very well in terms of both flavor and texture. Only complements in this category, =]

Elderflower & Honey Foam

I made an espuma of Elderflower cordial, sweetened with honey. Served in small espresso cups as a refreshing cleanser before the cheese course. Also welcomed by all.

The Cheese Course transformed into a cheese platter of the following cheeses:

Cashel Blue (Ireland)

A blue cows milk cheese, pasteurized. Soft creamy with gentle blue veins. Slightly grainy though, quite savory.

Stinking Bishop (Gloucestershire, England)

A semi-soft cows milk cheese, pasteurized. Smooth, creamy with a nutty and hint of pear scent.

Brie de Meaux (France AOC1980)

A soft-ripened cows milk cheese, unpasteurized. Soft melty with a trace of ammonia.

Quince Paste (Spain)

A jelly-jam-like red-orange paste. Sweetness of quince enhance the savory notes of cheeses when eaten together.

Comté (France AOC1958)

A semi-hard cows milk cheese, unpasteurized. Savory, lightly sweet and quite nutty. The overall mild flavor essentuates when its warmed in one's mouth.

The guests liked each cheese a lot, and voted Stinking Bishop and Brie de Meaux as their favorite. As for the kids, they liked Comté the best.

Dessert

Poached Apple w Creme Farine and Cinnamon puff pastry stick & a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Nice poached apple, nice 'cinnamon stick', lovely icecream, but the creme de farina wasn't all that great. The star anise, cinnamon and clove flavor in the creme farine seemed a bit too strong, next time I should just use vanilla seeds to flavor the farine. Nevertheless, the dessert plate was polished by all.

Dark Chocolate Truffles, rolled in dutch processed cocoa powder, served with freshly brewed coffee. A luscious ending to a satisfying meal.

Pictures of the meal will come soon! (taken by guest, cuz we were soo busy in the kitchen)

Thanks to everyone for all the constructive comments and suggestions throughout the planning process!! =]

[wattacetti]

Interesting, and congratulations by the way.

I see that the ratatouille foam and the petit fours didn't make the final cut, and you changed the foie preps. Probably some other tweaks but I can't really tell from the V2 menu description and the final product. You also served a proper cheese plate (good for you! and your guests).

Wine pairings?

[Sher.eats]

Wine pairings... hmm...

Well on the day, we assigned one of our guests (my BF's uncle) to be the "sommelier" whilst we simply became the "chef+server". So he provided the meal with a New World White (I'll have to check with him for details), and a Léoville-Poyferré 2002 (he's a big fan of the Léoville Poyferrés and recently purchased a case).

The white being a pale and rather bland dry blend with simple tones and little aftertaste. The Poyferré 2002, was surprisingly acidic and tannic compared to another bottle of Poyferré 2002 I had a few weeks before that. I think it needed a bit more decanting and definitely more aging.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Sher.eats (log)

[wattacetti]

I have a Bordelais friend who would probably be screaming "infanticide!" right now. Pretty sure the bottles in that case are pretty closed down, but if he offered, give it a go.

I am looking forward to your finished photos.

[Shelby]

Thanks for the update Sher!

Sounds lovely....only wish I could have been there lol.

Can't wait for pictures!