A June Chef's Table

The Chef’s Table

at the

University and Whist Club

Of Wilmington

June 17, 2011

Reception

Crab and Corn Fritter~ Yellow tomato cocktail sauce

Venison Tartare

Matanzas Creek, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County, 2007

Denver Leg of Venison provided for a nice alternative to beef tartare.  Balsamic caviar beads provided an unexpected burst of sweet and tart.

Sweet Corn and Crab: a classic pairing.  Yellow cocktail sauce was stripped down to its basic components: fresh horseradish, fresh tomato, vinegar and sugar.

Fresh hydrangeas were rescued from the yard.  In summer the club is surrounded by alternating powder blue and rust-purple blossoms.

Amuse Bouche

Chilled Tomatillo Soup

with Sope, toasted cumin and Fava Bean Puree

Chateau St. Michele, “Eroica” Riesling, Columbia Valley,

Washington, 2008

This close-up of the garnishes for the soup features a warm sope, corn relish, cilantro blossom and fava bean puree.

First Course

Mediterranean Mussels

Leeks, tomato, tarragon, semolina

Joseph Hofstätter, Pinot Bianco, Atlo Adige, 2009

Ten pounds of Mediterranean mussels gave their lives for this course.  Here they are simmering in leeks with their steaming liquid, white wine and butter.

With their counterparts: tomato, tarragon and toasty semolina bread.

Second Course

Veal Cannelloni

With Hand-packed ricotta, beech mushroom and sweetbread ragout

Domaine Dominique Guyon, Bourgogne,

Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2009

Continuing with a course of hand-made pasta, a veal ragout and artisan ricotta fill a cannelloni, while beach mushrooms and sweetbreads back up the earthiness.

Intermezzo

Watermelon, Tomato Vine and Basil Sorbet

Main

All-Natural Dry Aged Beef Loin

Braised beet greens, poached garlic and sauce foyote

Marchesi Antinori, Tignanello, Tuscany, 2007

A whole strip loin was slow roasted and carved to order.  Placed atop tender braised beet tops with a traditional bearnaise sauce enhanced with fortified veal stock and roasted garlic cloves.  Magnificent with the Tignanello.

Cheese

Goat Cheese Tasting

Cowgirl Creamery “obanon”, Toma Della Roca, Midnight Moon

And Moilterno al Tartufo; macerated apricots

One of my favorite cheese courses yet, the truffle cheese was just as exciting as any- but the apricots macerated in riesling stole the show.

Dessert

Cherry Clafoutis

with Armagnac and Honey Ice Cream

Domaine Carneros, Rose “Cuvee de la Pompadour”, NV, Carneros

Perhaps one of my favorite desserts of all time, the classic Cherry Clafoutis, here with frangipan and cherry-port reduction.  The ice cream lent a decadent richness hard to put into words.

This wine (and winery) is very underrated.  Nearly all pinot noir, the fruit was superb for the clafoutis, and another refreshing summer course.

Friandises

French Macarons

Strawberry, pistachio, Lemon and Praline

Our pastry department came up big with these textbook French macarons.