Menu feedback

Hey all.

I'm the sous chef at a golf course/resort. We do a charity auction every year & a couple of the items is a chance to have us(being primarily myself or the head guy or both) do a multi course dinner in someone's home. The head guy will be out of province for this one so it's all mine. I did the last one solo too, so nothing too new. I've got the F&B manager coming to be the sommalier(since i don't drink that's a really good thing). The clientele are well off. Most people in that neighborhood are retirees, & alot of them are of the upper income group. They appreciate good food, as well as variety. But nothing too over the top. No roasted tarantula this time i'm afraid.

I have a budget & outside of the protein everything so far is pretty cheap. I'm going to come in at a pretty good cost.

Anyways, i've come up with a menu that i think is pretty decent. There's a couple of weak spots that i have not addressed as yet. I didn't really have a theme in mind for this one. That'll probably be pretty obvious.

I'm curious to see what kind of feedback it generates. I've seen some of the stuff that has come up here & know this is the right place for it.

Anyways, fire away.

Amouse-Hot steamed saltspring mussel, tomato relish, drizzle(lime/tobasco/olive oil) on one half shell, bloody mary sorbet on the other half.

Apps-Proscuitto wrapped date stuffed with lemon/rosemary mascarpone

-Smoked salmon & prawn terrine

-Duck confit crostini, roasted garlic clove, asiago

First course-Raddichio, herbed chevre, brasil nuts, grapefruit segments,blackberry & lemongrass reduction

Second course-Watermelon & basil gazpacho with mint creme fraiche

Third course-Marinated & grilled swordfish, capers, olives, tomatoes, sultanas, pine nuts, olive oil, fresh spinach,  with sweet potato gnocchi sauteed with butter & tarragon

Palette cleanser-Orange granita

Fourth course-Duck fat larded bacon wrapped buffalo striploin, sauce viande, shitakes, parsnip puree, fennel crisp

Fifth course-Pecan(or almond not sure yet) caramel amaretto tart/flan, peach creme glace, raspberry coulis

Sixth course-Classic aged gouda-sharp & nutty

-Pierre Robert/Saint Andre triple cream-buttery with a tangy finish

-Buttermilk blue-creamy blue as opposed to a crumbly

-Grapes, Armenian flatbread, maybe some nuts or dried fruits

Like i said, there's a couple of weak spots/works in progress. I think the basic framework is there it's just a matter of hammering out the specifics. I do think i've overused tomatoes, though.

Ramble, ramble....ignore me. Anyways, fire away. Thx, G.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze 

First, this comes across as solid evidence that you're a talented and thoughtful cook.  So, don't take what I'm going to say as an obituary.  It's a good menu, but it can be improved. 

 

The front end of your menu is overloaded. 

 

For intsance, you've got an amuse that's really two amuse -- one in each shell; and then an app that's a trio of amuse. 

 

You have two cold course in a row -- a salad and a cold fruit soup (which for whatever reason you're calling "gazpacho") with a granita not long after.  You've got to lose one of the cold courses. 

 

The back half of the menu makes a lot more sense, but the way you're preparing the buffalo seems heavy for the season.  And, you're right about not having a theme.  I don't really see how you can fit the Mediterranean swordfish with the Canadian plains buffalo strip -- especially since the buffalo strip isn't exactly screaming "summer."  You may want to go with a fish that feels more local and tweak everything towards North America, or go with a more Mediterranean red meat -- lamb for instance if your members are into it.  Or maybe -- dare I say it -- poultry for the second course.

 

You may also want to handle either the fish or meat as a simple grill with a very light sauce to leave some room for contrast with the more complicated protein.  Your swordfish squeaks in under the line, but just barely.

 

Here's an example of a California/Mediterranean Summer themed menu: 

• App:  Trio of Amuse
• First:  Moules Mariniere
• Second: Salad (as proposed)
• Fish:  Grilled Swordfish with Chile-Clementine Compound Butter
• Palate Cleanser:  Teacup of Minted Watermelon Soup
• Meat: Roast Loin of Lamb with Green Olive Cream, Roger Verge
• Cheese Plate (cut it to three of the proposed cheese, plus grapes and nuts)
• Dessert: Choice of Fresh Wild Berry and Peach Gallette; or All From Scratch Chocolate Sundae

 

I'm not saying you should do this, just that it's an example of a themed seasonal menu -- in this case pointed towards an older clientele looking for great quality and excessive amounts; but who don't want to be challenged, and expect to be treated as more sophisticated than they actually are. 

 

Also, something you want to look for is a sequence of dishes with a good flow -- nothing too difficult for the back or service staff.

 

BDL

Hmm....right you are. I didn't even pick up on the two cold courses in a row. I've got a guy at work who's been making cold fruit soups all summer & calling them 'gazpacho.' I'm getting slack in my attentiveness. 3 kids under the age of 7 will do that.

I'll start with your last comment. There will be one service staff, the F&B & myself cooking in these people's home. Basically i come in & take over their kitchen, & start pumping them full of wine & food.

I'm thinking dump the swordfish. I really want to lean towards the Canadian/game side of things for the main protein. The strip preeration does seem a bit heavy, but it's not going to be a huge portion. That was one comment from the last dinner i did. They were stuffed by the fifth course so i'm conciously scaling back the ptn size this time around. & i really want that nice lean strip to get some fat.

There's so much fresh local fish right now it'll be fairly easy to replace that.

Thanks for the input. I really do appreciate it. I've seen alot of your comments on this site & was kinda hoping you'd chime in.

I'm going to get some reorganization done on this & get the flow in there. I liked the items, but it just didn't seem to fit. Kind of like ADD on a menu.
 

Well, the day after i posted i found out there is two celiacs in attendance. So, some minor alterations were made. I checked out the house where i'm doing this yesterday afternoon. Wow. Words cannot describe. I think i'm going to ask them to adopt me.

Anyways-

Amuse-Hot steamed mussel, tomato relish, on one shell, bloody mary sorbet on the other shell(made the sorbet yesterday. It's got a kick to it. Going to be a nice starter)

Apps-Proscuitto wrapped medjool date stuffed with lemon & rosemary mascarpone mousse

-Wild mushroom duxelle, white truffle oil, asiago, served on white ceramic spoon

-Pan seared Qualicum Bay scallop, pomegranite red pepper jelly(found this yesterday, really nice stuff), cucumber slice

First course-Brazil nut, herbed chevre, raddichio, grapefruit segments, lemongrass & blackberry reduction, honey drizzle

Second-Sweet potato & carrot puree, parsley oil, mint creme fraiche

Third-Panseared sablefish, stewed compote(capers, olives, sultanas, pine nuts, tomatoes, olive oil) over zucchini linguine

Palette cleanser-Orange granita

Fourth-Duck fat larded bacon wrapped buffalo striploin, sauce de viande, shitake mushrooms, parsnip puree, fennel crisp

Fifth-Pecan caramel amaretto tart with almond & raisin crust, peach creme de glace, raspberry coulis

Sixth-One year aged gouda

-St Andres

-Saint Agur blue

-Armenian flatbread, grapes, maybe some nuts & dried fruit

So the people will come in for cocktail hour, have their wine/beer, etc. Weather dependent they'll sit out on the deck where the amuse & apps will be served. If not i'm pretty sure they can find suitible space inside for it(did i menton the house is huge & beautiful?).

Second course-ditched the cold fruit soup( the breadcrumb question brought the deer-in-the-headlights look to the surface). Went with something simple, earthy & warm.

Third-i did want to play with swordfish, but some other time. Instead i went with a nice West coast fish, nice fat content & kept the basic flavors from the first dish but with a different angle. I'm going to stew it all down a bit & use it as a garnish/topper i believe. The zucchini linguine will be a nice substitute with the silly-yaks in mind.

Fourth-i've been told by my lovely sysco rep that the buffalo strip will be close to not making it. So beef tenderloin will be on there instead if that occurs. I'll find out tomorrow(i'm gonna be p'oed if that happens. Oh well. Maybe i can kill a local buffalo before Friday. It is the Great White North & those things roam freely throughout our neighborhoods).

Fifth-going to use nuts & raisins in a 2to1 ratio & blindbake it to get some crunch for the celiac sensitive crust. In my head it sounds really good.

Cheeses-found close to exactly what i was looking for. There a specialty shop downtown with a wise cheesemaster running it. As usual i ended up with more st.andres than i actually need. Going to the gym after this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuan 

Is the Armenian flatbread gluten free?

 

I've always wondered about squash "pasta."  Do you precook and rewarm or how do you do it?

The armenian flatbread is not gluten free. I'm just an idiot. Writing without thinking again. I'll figure out a suitible alternative tomorrow sometime. I've got 144ppl coming in tomorrow night for Mens Night. Yeehaw.

Mandoline the zukes for thickness, run a knife through them, saute at service. Little bit of olive oil, S&P & finish with garlic & a splash of white vino.

I don't see any way that you could precook it without having a real mess at service time. But i'm not always real imaginitive at this time of night.

Sous vide squash? ;)

Dinner was a smashing success. Buffalo didn't show so i went with tenderloin. Sigh...

It's alright, though. The wine pairings were outstanding as well. Everyone had a good time.

Think i may even post some pics.