ICOA Fine Foods
14th June 2008
14th June 2008
La Chai®ne des Ro´tisseurs
POSH SPICE...
The Chaine's final dinner of the season took place at Icoa in June and Executive Chef Jurgen Wevers used the opportunity to wow diners with his Michelin-grade expertise, taking them on a culinary journey unlike any other. Business Editor, Lindsey Turnbull reports.
It is right that the Chai®ne's dinner series for 2007/2008 should close with a flourish, as the eminent culinary society has enjoyed a wonderful season full of entertaining dinners that have embraced a spectacular variety of cuisines and themes over the season.
It would be fair to say, however, that Chai®ne organisers were a little hesitant at the beginning of this particular dinner, so little did they know about the culinary delights ahead.
The Chai®ne's Vice Echanson, Ross Phillips is in charge of sourcing wines to pair with the food and it is a tradition that he, along with the Chai®nes Vice Conseiller Culinaire Keith Griffin and Bailli Ian Dawson-James meet with the chef before the dinner to discuss and taste each course in detail.
Icoa broke with tradition and only provided a sneak peak at some of the spices to be used in the preparation of the meal, so the Chai®ne team were on their own when it came to wine pairing. The culinary ball could fall either way.
Upon entering Icoas sister shop, Gawk & Leer, for appetisers and aperitifs there was an immediately apparent buzz in the air, as guests greeted each other and then straight away encouraged newcomers to try the pea ravioli, which was described as a revelation. Duly diving for the spoonful of bright green mousse-like substance, I was amazed at the incredible light texture and salty zing mixed in with the earthy vegetable tones. Wow, if this was a whetting of the appetite, I was positively salivating. This and other delicious morsels were delightfully paired with a lavender-infused Prosecco (I will never drink my Prosecco any other way from now on.)
The following dinner comprised of nine small courses that would pay due deference to Chef Jurgens considerable skills, gleaned from the Michel-starred restaurants for which he had worked prior to joining Icoa. A chance to show variety and style, it seemed the Chai®ne dinner covered every culinary skill known to man.
First on the agenda was a frogs legs Beignet served with a cedar smoked tomato compote. Diners were encouraged to lift glasses shielding the course and inhale the released smoky aromas of the dish. Clever presentation but would the flavours match up? Well, of course they did. The sauce was intensely tomatoey and the smoke only added a delicate infusion rather than a full scale waft. And yes, frogs legs do taste like chicken. Diners continued to enjoy a glass of Prosecco (without the lavender infusion this time) which was a lovely accent to the dish.
A chicken liver crème then followed, served with a cereal crisp, golden raisin compote and maple syrup powder appetiser, dessert and breakfast, all in one dish! The pairing of the flavours and textures in the dish alone was daring enough, but the adventurous matching of a glass of Blandys Alvada Madeira from Portugal was enough to make Ross and co more than a little nervous. Thankfully the entire course was a marriage made in heaven, the sweet intensity of the Madeira working in tandem with the sweetness of the maple syrup powder and the compote and cutting through the rich and delicate chicken liver crème. Served with one of Icoas signature fig and walnut dinner rolls, I could have eaten this lot all night.
A thinly pounded local Yellow Tail snapper served vitello tonnato style with a tuna mayonnaise then graced diners place settings, served with a delicate quail egg salad of crunchy Boston lettuce and pickled cucumber and vadouvan (a spice blend) oil. So deliciously delicate was this dish that it only needed a light touch when it came to the wine pairing. A Bargette Gewurztraminer 2005 from Monterey County California was an excellent choice, displaying dry floral notes and an interesting minerality that perfectly captured the light notes of the dish.
The soup course followed and the celery root velouté served with smoked Gouda and scallops was almost indecently wolfed down in my quarter, a velvety smooth blend of gentle flavours enhanced by slivers of Indonesian long pepper. The Gewurztraminer again showed its mettle, nicely harmonising with the earthy yet smoky chilli-spiked flavours.
The following course consisted of local wahoo paillard (pounded and cooked quickly) which was spiced with a special Japanese seven spice mix called Shichimi Togarashi (basically ground red chilli pepper, to which is added mandarin orange peel, sesame, poppy and hemp seeds, nori and ground sansho - a relative of Sichuan pepper). Served with an orange vinaigrette and an incredibly ethereal foam on top, this dish was paired with another adventurous choice Momokawa Nigori Pearl Unfiltered Sake from California.
Ross explains the choice, We did not think this dish was particularly wine friendly with its zesty, acidic flavours so we chose this sake as a good alternative that would pair nicely with an Asian-inspired dish.
Not necessarily my cup of tea (I did at least hold my nose and swallow) the sake was well received and declared an excellent choice.
Two meat dishes followed, quite different in style yet both tremendously pleasing to the palate. The first was a pork belly spiced up with Szechwan pepper and a local papaya chutney in a dashi broth. There was a satisfying crunch to the pork skin and a sticky sweetness to the flesh that was delicious. A rack of lamb served with zucchini zatar (a Middle Eastern spice mix) chermoula and a parmesan jelly then took centre stage. The lamb was perfectly cooked and well complemented by the spicy zucchini but the parmesan cheese jelly was far too cheesy for me to attempt to eat (though others at my table had no such foibles.)
The wine chosen for the meat courses was a Xisto Roquette E Cazes 2004 from Douoro, Portugal.
Ross explains, Portugal has recently stepped up its game with some extraordinary reds recently having been released. The Roquette is full bodied, rich red and fruity and the high calibre of this wine is quite a surprise.
The wine did a nice balancing act between the two meat dishes and was also well liked by diners for its intense rich flavours.
To ensure diners went out with a bang, Chef Jurgen designed an explosive dessert a local Carrie mango caviar with sosa pop rocks (remember them as a kid when you thought your tongue was going to explode?). As a finale, Chef Jurgen carved a whole braised local pineapple table-side, which had been slowly cooked in cinnamon, rosemary, vanilla and balsamic syrup and was served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for good measure.
A glass of Grand Marnier Centenaire from France rounded up the sweet sensations nicely.
An excellent meal that truly took diners on a culinary journey crammed full of taste sensations. The US may have its Charlie Trotter, the UK its Gordon Ramsay, but thankfully the Cayman Islands also has its own top chef Jurgen Wevers.
Vive la Chai®ne!
Look out for the Chai®ne's new season of dinners which will begin in October.
POSH SPICE...
The Chaine's final dinner of the season took place at Icoa in June and Executive Chef Jurgen Wevers used the opportunity to wow diners with his Michelin-grade expertise, taking them on a culinary journey unlike any other. Business Editor, Lindsey Turnbull reports.
It is right that the Chai®ne's dinner series for 2007/2008 should close with a flourish, as the eminent culinary society has enjoyed a wonderful season full of entertaining dinners that have embraced a spectacular variety of cuisines and themes over the season.
It would be fair to say, however, that Chai®ne organisers were a little hesitant at the beginning of this particular dinner, so little did they know about the culinary delights ahead.
The Chai®ne's Vice Echanson, Ross Phillips is in charge of sourcing wines to pair with the food and it is a tradition that he, along with the Chai®nes Vice Conseiller Culinaire Keith Griffin and Bailli Ian Dawson-James meet with the chef before the dinner to discuss and taste each course in detail.
Icoa broke with tradition and only provided a sneak peak at some of the spices to be used in the preparation of the meal, so the Chai®ne team were on their own when it came to wine pairing. The culinary ball could fall either way.
Upon entering Icoas sister shop, Gawk & Leer, for appetisers and aperitifs there was an immediately apparent buzz in the air, as guests greeted each other and then straight away encouraged newcomers to try the pea ravioli, which was described as a revelation. Duly diving for the spoonful of bright green mousse-like substance, I was amazed at the incredible light texture and salty zing mixed in with the earthy vegetable tones. Wow, if this was a whetting of the appetite, I was positively salivating. This and other delicious morsels were delightfully paired with a lavender-infused Prosecco (I will never drink my Prosecco any other way from now on.)
The following dinner comprised of nine small courses that would pay due deference to Chef Jurgens considerable skills, gleaned from the Michel-starred restaurants for which he had worked prior to joining Icoa. A chance to show variety and style, it seemed the Chai®ne dinner covered every culinary skill known to man.
First on the agenda was a frogs legs Beignet served with a cedar smoked tomato compote. Diners were encouraged to lift glasses shielding the course and inhale the released smoky aromas of the dish. Clever presentation but would the flavours match up? Well, of course they did. The sauce was intensely tomatoey and the smoke only added a delicate infusion rather than a full scale waft. And yes, frogs legs do taste like chicken. Diners continued to enjoy a glass of Prosecco (without the lavender infusion this time) which was a lovely accent to the dish.
A chicken liver crème then followed, served with a cereal crisp, golden raisin compote and maple syrup powder appetiser, dessert and breakfast, all in one dish! The pairing of the flavours and textures in the dish alone was daring enough, but the adventurous matching of a glass of Blandys Alvada Madeira from Portugal was enough to make Ross and co more than a little nervous. Thankfully the entire course was a marriage made in heaven, the sweet intensity of the Madeira working in tandem with the sweetness of the maple syrup powder and the compote and cutting through the rich and delicate chicken liver crème. Served with one of Icoas signature fig and walnut dinner rolls, I could have eaten this lot all night.
A thinly pounded local Yellow Tail snapper served vitello tonnato style with a tuna mayonnaise then graced diners place settings, served with a delicate quail egg salad of crunchy Boston lettuce and pickled cucumber and vadouvan (a spice blend) oil. So deliciously delicate was this dish that it only needed a light touch when it came to the wine pairing. A Bargette Gewurztraminer 2005 from Monterey County California was an excellent choice, displaying dry floral notes and an interesting minerality that perfectly captured the light notes of the dish.
The soup course followed and the celery root velouté served with smoked Gouda and scallops was almost indecently wolfed down in my quarter, a velvety smooth blend of gentle flavours enhanced by slivers of Indonesian long pepper. The Gewurztraminer again showed its mettle, nicely harmonising with the earthy yet smoky chilli-spiked flavours.
The following course consisted of local wahoo paillard (pounded and cooked quickly) which was spiced with a special Japanese seven spice mix called Shichimi Togarashi (basically ground red chilli pepper, to which is added mandarin orange peel, sesame, poppy and hemp seeds, nori and ground sansho - a relative of Sichuan pepper). Served with an orange vinaigrette and an incredibly ethereal foam on top, this dish was paired with another adventurous choice Momokawa Nigori Pearl Unfiltered Sake from California.
Ross explains the choice, We did not think this dish was particularly wine friendly with its zesty, acidic flavours so we chose this sake as a good alternative that would pair nicely with an Asian-inspired dish.
Not necessarily my cup of tea (I did at least hold my nose and swallow) the sake was well received and declared an excellent choice.
Two meat dishes followed, quite different in style yet both tremendously pleasing to the palate. The first was a pork belly spiced up with Szechwan pepper and a local papaya chutney in a dashi broth. There was a satisfying crunch to the pork skin and a sticky sweetness to the flesh that was delicious. A rack of lamb served with zucchini zatar (a Middle Eastern spice mix) chermoula and a parmesan jelly then took centre stage. The lamb was perfectly cooked and well complemented by the spicy zucchini but the parmesan cheese jelly was far too cheesy for me to attempt to eat (though others at my table had no such foibles.)
The wine chosen for the meat courses was a Xisto Roquette E Cazes 2004 from Douoro, Portugal.
Ross explains, Portugal has recently stepped up its game with some extraordinary reds recently having been released. The Roquette is full bodied, rich red and fruity and the high calibre of this wine is quite a surprise.
The wine did a nice balancing act between the two meat dishes and was also well liked by diners for its intense rich flavours.
To ensure diners went out with a bang, Chef Jurgen designed an explosive dessert a local Carrie mango caviar with sosa pop rocks (remember them as a kid when you thought your tongue was going to explode?). As a finale, Chef Jurgen carved a whole braised local pineapple table-side, which had been slowly cooked in cinnamon, rosemary, vanilla and balsamic syrup and was served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for good measure.
A glass of Grand Marnier Centenaire from France rounded up the sweet sensations nicely.
An excellent meal that truly took diners on a culinary journey crammed full of taste sensations. The US may have its Charlie Trotter, the UK its Gordon Ramsay, but thankfully the Cayman Islands also has its own top chef Jurgen Wevers.
Vive la Chai®ne!
Look out for the Chai®ne's new season of dinners which will begin in October.
