October 27
A Vegetarian Feast
[mashshare]Last weekend we celebrated the beautiful wedding of Lindsey and Kieran. Our Executive Chef Tom worked with the couple, who are committed vegetarians with many treasured memories of Italy, to create an incredible Italian themed vegetarian menu for their guests to enjoy.
During the menu planning, the couple highlighted that squash and pumpkin were their favourite vegetables so ahead of the big day, Tom planted and grew two different varieties which were used throughout the whole menu.
Guests’ appetites were initially whet with a selection of canapés including:
- Chickpea fritters with verbena harissa dip
- Rice paper roll of courgette, broad bean, pea & mint brandade
- Sicilian Arancini with Arrabiata sauce
- Carta di Musica (Sardinian music bread) with rosemary & sea salt, served with beetroot hummus, pickled beetroot & borage flowers.
#ChefTomSays:
“Carta di musica is Italian for music sheet. This name given to a type of bread is a reference to its large and paper-thin shape, which is so thin before cooking that a sheet of music can be read through it.”
For the starter, guests enjoyed crown prince pumpkin ravioli, aged parmesan, sage served with pumpkin puree, roast pumpkin chunks, sage beurre blanc, beurre noisette and herb oil.
#ChefTomSays:
“We made our ravioli using organic 00 type flour from the nearby Wessex Mill in Oxfordshire. It was stuffed with slow roasted crown prince pumpkin with thyme & garlic which had been crushed with aged parmesan & sage. The key to incredible ravioli is getting the right shape. A perfect ravioli should melt in your mouth, allowing the flavours to spill out and wow your senses.”
Watch the chefs work their magic here: Ravioli Making
For the main course, guests were treated to an Autumn squash wellington, served with glazed baby carrots with pine nut crumb, runner beans & baby spinach.
#ChefTomSays:
“For this vegetarian take on the traditional Beef Wellington, we incorporated root vegetables such as parsnip, celeriac, swede, turnip, carrot & ‘Tromboncino squash’. We used whole roasted vegetable strips to provide texture in the absence of the beef fillet. The Wellington was served with salt baked carrot puree, runner beans, baby spinach & pumpkin seeds, whole roasted baby carrot with pine nut & carrot crumb. To make the carrot powder for the crumb, we dehydrated carrots over 24 hours!”
To end the meal, guests were served a dessert of chocolate & hazelnut delice, served with chai tea ice cream & cocoa nib tuil.
#ChefTomSays:
“A ‘delice’ is something that gives pleasure and from guest reactions this dessert certainly seemed to do that! It’s crucial to create the perfect balance of bittersweet, and we did this by blending Valrhona 70% dark chocolate with milk chocolate.”
