Archive for December, 2009
I have been busy lately and must apologise for not updating the site. 
Though the build up to the festive season means that the restaurant is less busy, the team and I have been hard at work behind the scenes getting the menus and dishes ready for Christmas and the New Year.
One of the items on our New Year Gala Dinner menu is our new dish of “Beef Carpaccio”. Like any dish that is featured on our “a la carte” or “Tasting Menus”, this has had its trials and been tested on members of staff as well as restaurant guests to get their impressions.
“Carpaccio” is typically a dish that uses thin slices of dressed beef, however, nowadays you can find Tuna, Salmon, and even Pork Carpaccio´s on restaurant menus. You can even find Vegetable versions or Dessert ones too! 
In fact, any dish that uses wafer thin slices of a main ingredient can be called a Carpaccio!
For my version I had to add an Asiatic accent to it, and that came in the guise of Sesame Oil. This oil when used alone can be quite overpowering and strong, but when mixed with other oils, it becomes a “dance partner” of sorts.
I also wanted to add a touch of “luxury” to what is in essence a simple dish (originally the recipe called for thin slices of beef dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and topped with Parmesan shavings and Rocket), and what better luxury ingredient to use than Truflles!
Black Truffle shavings would be way too expensive for this dish, therefore I made a sauce from them. The slices of beef are drizzled with the sauce and then topped with some fresh salad and herb leaves. Olive Oil is blended with Sesame Oil and perked up with some citrus flavours and soy sauce for saltiness.
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One of our cooks adds the finishing touches to the dish for our “Gala Dinner Rehearsal”.
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“Beef Carpaccio with Black Truffle and Citrus, Soy and Sesame Dressing.”
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