The Soto Room - Cracked Conch
DINNER SUMMARY

Chaîne dinner at the Cracked Conch

Pushing out the culinary boat

The last dinner of the Chaînes culinary year took place in the elegant Soto Room at the Cracked Conch and more than satisfied the organisations mission to bring together those who enjoy fine wine and great food in convivial company. Business Editor, Lindsey Turnbull reports.

The Cracked Conch has been a cornerstone of Caymans culinary scene in one guise or another since it first graced West Bays shores 21 years ago. Still basing its menu on the freshest seafood infused with a Caribbean beat, the restaurant has blossomed since its stunning renovation following Hurricane Ivan.
Its long and slender cocktail bar, for example, resplendent with a dazzling bubble-filled water feature would not look out of place in any capital city hot spot, while its charming Soto dining room is the perfect setting for secluded groups who enjoy dining together in stylish surrounds.
The Chaînes final dinner of the year began proceedings with a glass of New Zealands Lindauer Brut in the cocktail bar a bit of a tight squeeze with just under 50 diners meeting and greeting each other, yet non-the-less a great way to quickly get acquainted.
According to Ross Philips, the Chaînes Vice Echanson, the Lindauer is a great wine to be served at such events.
He states, As Champagne prices increase world wide I like to keep my eyes open for excellent alternatives such as Lindauer. It is made from the two principal grapes used in Champagne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the same method. Just like good Champagne, it is extremely versatile with different canapés and lends a sense of elegance and festiveness any event.
Upon seating, diners plunged straight into the first course of lobster tartar a delicate little mountain of Maine lobster that had been ever so lightly poached and then gently enhanced with a lime aioli and a scattering of cilantro, chives and thyme. The lobster was served with scallop carpaccio.
Ross and Chaîne Bailli Ian Dawson-James had spent the previous evening deliberating over which wines should be served with the meal and decided on the 2006 Hall Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley to pair with the lobster and the following course. Having recently visited the winery, Ross was particularly au fait with this wine, which is a new label for Cayman.
He says, The Sauvignon Blanc displayed just the right amount of acidity to complement the light acidity in the lobster dish.
Sauvignon Blanc is generally thought to be a great wine pairing with seafood however the scallops were served in a yellow curry sauce, spicy flavours that could have easily overwhelmed a delicate Sauvignon Blanc. Thankfully this was not the case and the Sauvignon Blancs floral notes harmonised well with the zingy flavours, evening out the dish nicely.
A consommé of oxtail with green papayas was one of those dishes that intrigued diners and Cracked Conch Chef Bernhard Prahauser was brave enough to attempt to fine tune a local favourite into high end cuisine. Oxtail is such a flavourful meat that the consommé could not lack punch if it tried, yet creating that clearest of French broths has no doubt caused many a good chef immense heartache. Chef Bernhards achievement should therefore be commended, especially as he revealed that it had taken around 60lbs of oxtail meat to produce the soup, along with another 30lbs to clarify it.
For my personal taste, the green papayas were an unnecessary addition but no doubt enhanced the local feel of the dish.
Ross explained to diners that a transition wine was needed to guide the palate from the first two seafood courses into the more intensely flavoured soup, as he says, We needed a wine that wouldnt overpower the soup that would be light yet successfully enhance the meaty flavours.
A 2005 Duckpond Pinot Noir from Oregon was chosen to accompany the next course as well, which was a turtle ravioli in a pink peppercorn sauce.
Ross says, I find combination of this lighter-style Pinot Noir with the subtle flavours of the turtle ravioli is a great match.
Chef Bernhard explained to diners that only the best meat from the turtle was used, creating a beef-like filling, and urged everyone to be adventurous with their palate.
Indeed, diners were delighted with the pastas delicate texture and the meaty morsel hidden beneath, yet, on my table at least (which was top-heavy on the male contingent) there were cries for more. Diners thought that perhaps a trio of ravioli would have looked perfect on the plate and filled the stomach slightly more.
The palate-cleansing sorbet of grapefruit and rosemary that followed was also a tiny portion but necessarily so, so intense were the vibrant flavours.
Properly prepared for the main course, a triple whammy of pork, beef and veal made up the following dish of a three filet in potato puff pastry (at which point diners then realised the necessity for smaller portions in preceding dishes).
Chef Bernhard again displayed his adventurous spirit with this complicated creation, which was nicely rounded off with a black truffle and port wine glace, which enhanced the meat and pastry and helped marry the delicious flavours with the wine.
The Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils, Clos de la Mousse, 2003, was an inspired choice of wine and greatly appreciated by diners.
Ross explains, We tried three different wines with this dish but this particular wine really stood out as the clear winner in the pairing. The 2003, in particular, is a bigger wine than normal, as 2003 enjoyed a heat wave, producing fruit that created a big robust and flavourful wine.
According to Ross, this wine had all the guts of the other wines tried but it is also more approachable at a younger age.
He states, It displays a softness and a longer, sweeter finish and a finesse that made this pairing exceptional.
Chef Bernhard continued pushing out the culinary boat for his dessert a baked Pina Colada ice cream and dark chocolate rum cake served with marinated and grilled pineapple. This was served along with a glass of Chateau Coutet, Barsac from 1999.
Ian says, This is a rich and perfectly balanced dessert wine from Bordeaux that displays notes of pineapple, vanilla and honey and a sweetness that we felt would work wonderfully well with the equally fruity and sweet dessert.
Vive la Chaîne!

Chaîne Bailli Ian Dawson-James presents Chef Bernhard Prahauser with his Chaîne award