Claire Phoenix is FoodBev Media managing editor – magazines. This is a personal blog and views expressed are her own.
The food whisperer is saying that the latest ingredient for food and drinks is rhubarb – an English fruit as old as the hills but today being used by chefs and entrepreneurs in totally new ways.
I was invited to Clevedon Hall near Bristol last weekend to try out their newly refurbished wedding venue and taste a menu created by talented Michelin star chef Alan Jones. It was not one of the tougher tasks I have undertaken in my working life – and a welcome break after giving three presentations in a week at Vitafoods in Geneva.
After admiring our classically proportioned grey and white room with a stunning view of the lake and a vast copper bath with brushed steel lining, we strolled the grounds and tested out the lakeside swing.
The canapes at 7:00 included duck hoisin beignets, smoked salmon mille-feuille and truffled quail eggs that looked like mini poached eggs cut out with the accuracy of a surgeon that melted and exploded on the tongue. Our expectations rose still further.
It was the accompanying sparkling prosecco though that had a fascinating aroma – a rhubarb liquer had been added to give it the palest pink colour and a memorable aftertaste. A new twist on a Kir and one I will be looking to recreate at home.
Delicate cups of lobster bisque with cognac and tarragon were easy to consume, followed by a flower picture on a plate created from carpaccio of beef with poached cherries, candied walnuts, and the main dish of slow cooked pork belly with pork popcorn and wild garlic did not fail to impress.
It was the dessert of vanilla set cream of raspberry jelly with poached rhubarb and a rhubarb and champagne chilled soup that topped the list of perfection. “We simply put the tray of desserts to set at an angle in the fridge,” explained head chef Alan Jones. He looked as chilled as his desserts, not as if he had just served up a banquet of incredible delicacy and innovation. A nicer chef it would be hard to meet.
So many ideas for all of us to think about, whether you are based in the food or beverage industry or just cooking up a storm at home, the under-rated rhubarb deserves more than a second glance. If you have more ideas on ways with rhubarb – either in ready to eat dessert format or in more savoury food or beverages – I’d love to hear.
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