CATIES best dessert -

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Rosanna Smith
6 years ago
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1 CATIES best dessert -

2 HRH PRINCE HARRY SENTEBALE FOUNDATION ROYAL CULINARY STORIES WITH PRINCE HARRY

3 BEST DESSERT DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT The call from St James s Palace in London, UK was probably the most exciting phone call we have ever received. HRH Prince Harry was making his way to South Africa for a charity Gala Dinner in aid of his Foundation, Sentebale, and we were the only Catering Designers they had approached for this regal event. We realized that we would have to keep this news confidential but this Royal appointment got us very excited as we started conceptualizing the innovative new menu and décor design for our premium event four months in advance - a very long time to keep a secret! 3

CONCEPT & OBJECTIVES OF THE DESSERT Sometimes dreams do come true: it was our aspiration to cater for the young Royals and we had been given complete freedom in the creation of this plated dessert.

4 CONCEPT & OBJECTIVES OF THE DESSERT Sometimes dreams do come true: it was our aspiration to cater for the young Royals and we had been given complete freedom in the creation of this plated dessert. The goal of our professional culinary design team was to create a dessert that would showcase the delicious, fresh African cuisine in a way that would impress and surprise the many selectively invited VIP guests. With this in mind we conceptualized an incredibly memorable dessert, both visually and with gastronomic and geographical relevance and integrity. Nuts, berries and beetroot are typically South African and the combination of these elegant ingredients made a perfect match for dessert. 4

Presentation is absolutely paramount for us, with the link between creativity of the menu using iconic South African ingredients, and dazzling visual presentation evident in all areas of the dessert

5 Presentation is absolutely paramount for us, with the link between creativity of the menu using iconic South African ingredients, and dazzling visual presentation evident in all areas of the dessert design. The very presence of the young, dignified Prince Harry at our event, set the celebratory tone of the night, yet further enhanced the culinary expectations of our Company. The tone was set by Prince Harry who through his relaxed, fun nature lent a more informal atmosphere to the night, and the guests (who ranged from business tycoons, cultural and political celebrities as well as sports Olympians), were eager to support his charity with open arms. The objective of the dessert and presentation was to finish off the meal on a high note as they experienced the luxurious taste of local sweet treats and, to showcase our award-winning confectionary techniques. The greatest impact was made by the visual appearance of the dessert and the subsequent hidden gem of imbedded chocolate within the pistachio mousse, as we created a royal fine dining soiree. 5

6 ORIGINALITY OF PRESENTATION As the night commenced, our guests realized that they were in for a royal culinary feast. Being leaders in our field, we were tasked with creating a dessert that would be delicious and inspiringly original. Of course, this got our creative juices flowing as our team gathered a repertoire of our favorite tastes and looks, and created the perfect dessert for this event. We adored the idea of a unique sweet, and wanted to add an original African flair to the presentation so we mixed it up with indigenous fresh produce as well as gold leaf which is mined in our city - an iconic trademark of the country. The dessert presentation was superbly polished as we paid extreme attention to the quality of every single item that was put on the plate making sure not to replicate any ingredient. 6

Our unique flavor combinations were very unique as we used unusual flavours like tamarillo, purple basil and beetroot in the recipe, lending an unexpected twist to the look and taste of the gourmet

7 Our unique flavor combinations were very unique as we used unusual flavours like tamarillo, purple basil and beetroot in the recipe, lending an unexpected twist to the look and taste of the gourmet dessert. Even the plate we used was original - a long rectangular metallic bronze creation with detailed edging, to echo the mineral rich heritage of our country. The piece de resistance of course was the explosion of flavor as you cracked the little ball of nutty chocolate that was hidden in the centre of the mousse dessert - a tasty bomb of gastronomic pleasure. 7

8 The dome shape of the pistachio mousse, coupled with the elegant slimness of the caramel praline shard and the excessive mélange of ripe delicious fruit on the top, gave the dessert a very unique appearance. No royal affair would be complete without a bejeweled accessory, so we incorporated a generous amount of gold leaf flakes to the top to crown the dessert with-a regal touch indeed! DESSERT PRODUCTION AT THE EVENT We love sweet delicacies and the royal feasts of bygone eras-the smell of warm caramel, fragrant basil and crushed framboises, managed by a large passionate on-site pastry team. Upon arrival at the venue, our confectionary designers and pastry chefs assembled a sample of the dessert plate to ensure that everything was presented as we had planned. We also pasted pictures from the internal food tasting on the walls for reference. the form of tamarillo fruit wedges, purple basil and crushed pistachio nuts. We made an impression with the delicately shaved chocolatedipped beetroot petal and then decorated with gold leaf atop the mousse- the crowning glory of the menu! CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES We took several measures beforehand to ensure the success of this sweet creation because with so many complicated and unfamiliar elements, this dessert could be risky. By far the biggest concern was the great expectation, and the fact that we were catering for Prince Harry and there was no margin for error. Our Founder and CEO was an invited guest and we would have to proceed without her leadership in the kitchen at that time. To overcome this, we put many hours of meticulous planning and practice into this event beforehand. We had prepared the pistachio mousse in our kitchen and carefully placed them in the freezer at the venue when we arrived, until needed. About 40 minutes before dessert service, we painted the raspberry beetroot coulis on to the rectangular plate in a circular pattern. Another challenge was to create an entirely new, South African dessert. Even though we could pre-make the pistachio mousse, the plating of the dessert was very labor intensive and complicated with many delicate steps to create the perfectly finished dessert, at the last minute. The pistachio mousse bombe dessert was then placed to the extreme left side of the plate on the coulis, with a long praline shard from the top for dramatic effect. An abundant celebration of flavors and colors were placed on top of the dessert, in To remedy this, we brought an abundant amount of experienced pastry chefs to assist with this sweet finale. Additionally, the venue adhered to strict programme timelines which put even more pressure to our team. 8

Thankfully, with the right attitude, the tempo of the

positive vibe in the kitchen, the meticulous checking

astoundingly finished product that had every guest

9 Thankfully, with the right attitude, the tempo of the night, the substantial amount of experienced staff, the positive vibe in the kitchen, the meticulous checking and the thorough pre-planning, we produced an astoundingly finished product that had every guest marveling at our silky synergy between prestige, pressure and pastry elegance. 9

10 COLLATERAL: FULL EVENT MENU SENTEBALE GOURMET CULINARY GALA DINNER Savoury Macaroon Taste Journey Basil infused macaroon topped with Springbok carpaccio,basil aioli and parmesan shards Butternut scented macaroon with creamy gorgonzola cheese and crushed pistachio nuts Lemon flavoured macaroon topped with smoked salmon,lemon zest ribbons and cracked black pepper Curried crocodile set on a black pepper macaroon with,shallot marmalade and fresh baby herbs Amuse Bouche Parmesan sable biscuit with branches of silky thyme Oven fresh bread Petit knotted rolls,focaccia shards and flatbreads with a trio of unique flavoured butters: satin thyme / truffle and volcanic salt / crushed chilli Starter Signature delicately poached herb infused prawns,served with seared scallops on chargrilled crostini with zesty citron crème, fresh pea tendrils and juicy nectarine slices. * vegetarian option available on request Main Course Seared herb-crusted free range Karoo lamb rack with merlot jus on whipped leek mash, courgette twirls, peppered gooseberries and candied walnuts. * vegetarian option available on request Vegetarian Main Course Venetian artichoke and asparagus risotto with our tomato balsamic Dessert jam,served with candied hazelnuts and orange zest ribbons Pistachio mousse bombe on waves of mint-scented raspberry and beetroot coulis,with caramel praline shards,tamarillo,purple basil and gold leaf flakes. Friandises served on vintage silver cake stands bespoke friandises COLLATERAL: RECIPE Pistachio mousse bombe on waves of mintscented raspberry and beetroot coulis with caramel praline shards and gold leaf flakes Ingredients: Pistachio Mousse Bombe: 2 cups milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup chopped pistachio nuts 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cup heavy cream 6 Ferrero Rocher chocolates Mint Scented Raspberry and Beetroot Coulis 100 gr fresh raspberries 50 gr fresh grated peeled beetroot 10

11 100 gr white sugar 20 ml fresh mint Garnish: Caramel praline shards Fresh raspberries Fresh tamarillo fruits Fresh mint leaves Purple basil Beetroot petals dipped in chocolate Edible gold leaf Method: Pistachio Mousse Bombe: Scald the milk in a heavy bottomed pot and be careful not to burn. Pour into a clean bowl. Place the cooled milk inside a cold fridge. In a separate bowl,beat the egg yolks until light creamy yellow and add the sugar Mint Scented Raspberry and Beetroot Coulis In a pot, bring 100 ml water to the boil Add the white sugar and stir until completely dissolved Add the raspberries and beetroot and allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced to a sticky syrup consistency Strain the syrup and allow to cool down Add the finely chopped mint to retain the colour and flavor. Your coulis should resemble a thick jam Assembly: Brush some raspberry beetroot coulis onto the plate Once completely set, turn out the pistachio mousse onto the circular coulis pattern,to one side. Garnish with the fresh fruits, mint leaves,purple basil and caramel praline shards on top of the mousse Add gold leaf and beetroot slices dipped in dark chocolate for visual effect. Drizzle with confectioner s sugar and enjoy Beat the mixture until the sugar dissolves and becomes light yellow On a low stove,pour the milk from the refrigerator into a heavy bottomed pot and add the egg mixture slowly, stirring continuously to avoid lumping. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens-about 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool then add cream, extracts, and crushed pistachio nuts Mix gently but thoroughly Pour into freezing molds and freeze for about 1 hour. When the mixture has partly set, place a Ferrero Rocher chocolate(without the wrapper) into the middle of the mousse and place back into the freezer to set, at least 12 hours until firm 11

12 COLLATERAL: LETTER OF THANKS FROM PRINCE HARRY S FOUNDATION - SENTEBALE 12

13 THANK YOU 13

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