Our annual spring lunch at Le Gavroche - which has been running for four decades and was scheduled to take place this Thursday - is one of the highlights of our events calendar; so we are wistful about its unavoidable cancellation this year. Happily, we have access to our archives and have been able to look up past food and wine pairings that have proved a success in the dining room at 43 Upper Brook Street to create some simulation of what might have been. Whilst we can't comment on your own culinary skills – although surely they must have improved recently – we can vouch for all of the wines.
With canapés we'll serve a sublime, sparkling Crémant d'Alsace from Maison Léon Beyer. It is a bottle-fermented blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois with a fine mousse and fresh finish guaranteed to stimulate the most pedantic of palates. Our amuse bouche is a Tartare de Dorade (sea bream tartare) with a dill and avocado purée that we partnered with an ethereal Corsican Vermentino from Domaine de Torraccia. Our next dish is one of Chef Michel's finest creations, the celebrated Bhaji de Homard Parfumé au Curry. Yes, that's a spiced lobster bhaji that you have to eat to believe. This was a sublime match with Alain Graillot's white Crozes-Hermitage – a Marsanne-Roussanne blend that had enough weight and depth to cope with the heat.
Our seasonal main course is Veau Cuit au Beurre (butter roast veal served with wild garlic, spinach and morel mushrooms). Our first red is Stefan Meyer's unimpeachable 'Aus Rhodt' Pinot Noir from the Pfalz that received a round of applause (and sold out) when last featured on the menu. We'll follow that with a slightly weightier Syrah from the Rhône, Maxime Graillot and Thomas Schmittel's 'Equinoxe' bottling of Crozes-Hermitage. Its sleek black fruit and peppery undertones marry marvellously with the morels.
As a glow of contentment pervades the room and crockery is cleared by the most dexterous front of house team we look forward to our dessert - Mille-feuille aux Framboises - the puffiest of pastries and ripest of raspberries with a wonderful summer berry coulis. We have paired that with Pascal Labasse's Jurançon Mœlleux – a heavenly honeyed Petit Manseng from the foothills of Pyrenees - that is a failsafe crowd-pleaser. With coffee and petits fours to round things off, I'm sure you'll agree we've had a stupendous lunch and must come back soon!
To 43 Upper Brook Street, Mayfair in my least constrictive suitings to meet Silvano Giraldin, Michel Roux and super sommelier David Galetti to select the menu and wines for our keenly-anticipated Spring Lunch next Thursday. If I had £1 for every time I've been told that I have an enviably cushy job and that this doesn't constitute proper work I'd be able to dine there more frequently and besides, people have no idea how much effort goes into making things appear effortless.
Alongside some delicious canapés we road-tested a couple of sparkling wines and had a very clear winner in the form a Crémant de Loire rosé, whose gentle summer berry scents and flavours met with universal approval - so we will definitely kick-off with that next week.
Team Work!
You need an iron will to strike a well-executed Soufflé Suissesse from the race card, especially one that has found a perfect partner in the form of a young Jacquère from the Savoie, but with ruthless saing froid we rejected it in favour of new season's asparagus with parmesan shavings and a truffle dressing that had a marvellous affinity with an interesting, organic Faugères Blanc from Château des Estanilles.
Asparagus with parmesan shavings and a truffle dressing
If that decision was a tough one the next was harder still. After sampling various different piscine plates we ended up with a near dead heat between a garlic risotto with squid and galinette et ratatouille. The latter won the day on points as it absolutely shone alongside an on form Cassis: Clos Sainte Magdeleine 2013. Provençal Perfection - I would not have been surprised to open my eyes and find myself sitting in a cove beneath Les Calanques!
Galinette et ratatouille
After leaning towards lamb with spring vegetables for our main course our heads were turned by an audacious dish of pork loin and belly served with macaroni, wild mushrooms and a green mustard sauce that romped home hotly pursued by Fredrik Fillitreau's sublime old vine Saumur-Champigny and a tub-thumping Bandol ‘Mas de la Rouvière'.
Silvano and Chef Michel
The assiette des desserts at Le Gavroche is a thing of wonder and I for one struggle to forgo the peerless and unashamedly boozy rhum baba but Silvano is a stickler for seasonality and pointed out that more sophisticated palates than mine might appreciate a delicate rhubarb and ginger panna cotta. To partner this heavenly creation we plumped for a Jurançon Moelleux from Domaine Bellegarde, packed with honeyed, orchard fruit and offset by a fine acidity this should bring proceedings to a suitably uplifting conclusion.
Writing this back in the more profane atmosphere of our office I'm already looking forward to my return visit next week!
As someone who spends an indecent amount of time browsing and sluicing under the pretence of working I am frequently asked to name my favourite restaurants. Of course it is tempting to rattle off a list of ultra-fashionable, Michelin be-starred dining establishments where mortals cannot obtain a table at a time anyone would actually want to eat but, here I thought I would set the record straight and give you the low down (in no particular order) on the places I most frequent.
Hardy's – 53 Dorset Street, London W1. www.hardysbrasserie.com
This brilliant neighbourhood brassiere in the heart of what estate agents call 'Marylebone village' is an understated gem. You can call in for a coffee and a croissant or enjoy a four course expense account blow out and you will be given an equally warm welcome. The whole enterprise is presided over with élan by savvy patronne Dominique de Bastarrechea who has compiled an excellent wine list through which she will happily guide you.
Eat: Double-baked smoked haddock and cheddar soufflé.
Drink: Sancerre 'Les Perriers' 2013: André Vatan.
The Thai Kitchen – 8 King Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11. www.thaikitchenfrome.com
This bijou family-run local has no frills but the front of house service is exemplary and the food is sensationally fresh and very reasonably-priced. There is no wine list but corkage is minimal and they have a terrific shop stocking over 200 authentic Thai ingredients.
Eat: Som Tam - papaya salad.
Drink: Lime juice.
Andrew Edmunds – 46 Lexington Street, London, W1. www.andrewedmunds.com
I was first taken to this Dickensian Soho stalwart by my Dad when I was an undergraduate in the 1980s and the earth moved for me – if not for him. Until that point I hadn't realised it was possible to combine simplicity and sophistication to such great effect and I can still recall being impressed by the wonderfully minimalist 'Modern British' menu and arcane list of world class wines. Today the food and wine are as good as ever and I am happy to count myself as a regular.
Eat: Beef shin ragu with rigatoni.
Drink: Collioure 'La Pinède' 2012: Domaine la Tour Vieille.
The Talbot Inn – Mells, Somerset, BA11. www.talbotinn.com
I am a man with a mission to sustain the tradition of the 'working lunch' when two or three colleagues or associates get together and vaguely touch upon business matters while enjoying some really good food, wine and company. The Talbot lends itself well to this although it is an excellent dinner venue too. The grill, housed in an old coach house, where we recently held our staff party, is particularly good. Its sister establishment the Beckford Arms in Fonthill Gifford is also exemplary.
Eat: Home-smoked trout terrine.
Drink: Butcombe bitter.
Otto's – 182 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1. www.ottos-restaurant.com
Otto Tepasse and Jason Yapp
In an era when chains proliferate and bean-counters seem to be running the show Otto's is a refreshing throwback to fin de siècle glamour when the customer was king and nothing was too much trouble. Tour d'Argent-trained owner Otto serves up inimitable treats such as pressed lobster or duck (advance booking required) that have gastronomes and greedy hogs (like myself) beating a path to his door. The wine list is superb and very benignly-priced.
Eat: Hommard à la presse.
Drink: Condrieu 'Couteau de Vernon' 2012: Georges Vernay
Le Gavroche – 43 Upper Brook Street, London, W1. www.le-gavroche.co.uk
My impecuniosity and its' popularity mean that I don't dine at Le Gavroche as frequently as I might wish - but does anyone? Fortunately, I have a long-standing arrangement to host wine lunches there so do get through the doors fairly regularly. For me this represents perfection – an insightful 21st century take on classic French cuisine run by the best-drilled team in the business.
Eat: Oeuf poche Victoria or soufflé Suissesse.
Drink: Whatever chef sommelier David Galetti recommends – he's inspired!
L'Hôtel de France – Saint-Pardoux la Rivière, Périgord, France. www.hoteldefrance-cibot.com
I have been visiting this small town Hôtel and restaurant, which is run with panache and passion by the Cibot family, for over twenty years and it ought to be subject to a preservation order. It never disappoints but is at its best in the summer when we meet up with other families to share an enormous table on the terrace for long and languorous lunches. The 'Menu de Jour' is ridiculously good value but I love the 'Menu Perigourdin' which features wild mushrooms, foie gras and confit du canard.
Eat: Omlette aux cèpes.
Drink: Chilled Saumur-Champigny.
The High Pavement Evening Café – 8 Palmer Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11.
This gem of a local, located in an old townhouse, is bijou and bustling so advance booking is advisable. It is only open on Friday and Saturday evening and is run with infectious enthusiasm by Stuart Bastiman in the kitchen and Aimee Snell at the front of house. The cuisine is Iberian and Moorish in its leanings and the short, regularly-changing menu, is well considered and very well executed.
Eat: Smoked aubergine and feta croquettas.
Drink: 'Tandem' Syrah du Maroc 2011: Alain Graillot
Bellamy's of Bruton Place – 18 Bruton Place, London, W1. www.bellamysrestaurant .co.uk
I have a nagging doubt that I seriously lower the tone of this smoothly-run Mayfair institution every time I pitch up but the attentive owner-operator Gavin Rankin keeps a stiff upper lip and has yet to banish me. It is renowned for its caviar and oysters but there isn't a duff dish on the menu and the wine list has something for everybody and some interesting offerings by the glass.
Eat: Whitebait.
Drink: Vouvray Sec 2012: Domaine Aubert.
The Dragon Pearl – 18 Palmer Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11. www.dragon-pearl.co.uk
This family-run Chinese restaurant is situated on the top floor of a former department store giving marvellous views and the air of being on an ocean liner. It is a great place to meet up with a group of friends to share an array of dishes decked around a Lazy Susan. We regularly take advantage of an excellent, weekday fixed-price deal and major on starters such as chicken satay, prawn toast, wantons and chilli squid before seguing on to crispy aromatic duck and then noodles. The service is very friendly and efficient and the wine list is well put together.
Eat: 'Salt and pepper' king prawns.
Drink: Marques de Caceres Blanco – Rioja.
To the impressive new 'Chef's Library' private room at Le Gavroche to meet with Michel Roux, Silvano Giraldin and head sommelier David Galetti for a marathon of food and wine matching to make our selections for our annual Autumn lunch this Thursday. That may sound like a first class ticket on the gravy train but I assure you that a direct audience with three of the hospitality industry's pre-eminent figures does focus one's attention.
David Galetti, Michel Roux & Silvano Giraldin.
Fortunately we got off to a good start as we were in unanimous agreement about which wine worked best as an aperitif to accompany canapés and soon settled upon a Vouvray Mousseux Brut from Domaine Aubert as a crowd-pleasing fizz to prime palates for the ensuing feast. Then, after much deliberation and samplings of the kitchen's legendary Soufflé Suissesse and mi-cuît Scottish salmon we settled upon a Carpaccio of Beef with pickled beets and rye toast as a delicious and unusual amuse-bouche that really shone out alongside a scrub-scented Corsican Vermentino from Domaine Saparale.
For our starter a dish of seared scallops with white bean purée and truffled mushrooms was on everybody's short-list but it took us a while to find a really resonant wine match. Eventually we hit upon an organic Marsanne-Roussanne blend from the Languedoc called 'Les Mûriers' from Mas Bruguière whose wild herb notes and oily texture married marvellously with the shellfish and the more earthy mushroom flavours.
We all concurred that we should feature a really indulgent and comforting dish alongside a brace of chest-thumping reds to herald the onset of Autumn. After sampling some delicious lamb and unimpeachable pheasant we had a clear winner - a slow-braised rump cap of beef served with the smoothest, creamiest mashed potato I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. There was universal agreement on the wine front too. Firstly a black-fruited Brézème 'Grand Chêne' 2012 - a tarry straight Syrah from the base of the Northern Rhône followed by the terrific Domaine Richeaume 'Cuvée Tradition' a sumptuous, organic blend of Rhône and Bordelais grapes from Provence.
By way of a finale we worked our way through the entire 'Assiette du Chef', a heavenly selection of miniature desserts that featured a divine rum baba and a perfect panna cotta. We eventually agreed upon a dish of caramelized apples, almond cake and vanilla ice-cream that was a clear favourite paired with our stalwart – Muscat de Beaumes de Venise from Domaine de Durban – a heady, sweet nectar that left us all smiling.
I'm already looking forward to re-visiting our selections in the full confidence that they have been thoroughly road-tested by the best in the business!
(For those unable to attend, we have put together a mixed case of the wines featured in our Autumn Lunch - available on our website here).
To 43 Upper Brook Street, London, W1 at Le Gavroche for my bi-annual bean-feast with front of house legend Silvano Giraldin to select the food and wines for our sell-out Spring lunch. If I had £1 for every time I’d been told that this was an enviable task I wouldn’t have to sit here and write this. The truth of the matter is that it is an enjoyable experience but it is not wantonly hedonistic or particularly easy. Executive chef Michel Roux, head chef Rachel Humphrey, head sommelier David Galetti and restaurant manager Emmanuel Landré, not to mention Silvano himself, are a formidable team and they expect one to offer informed opinion and insightful critical judgement. You could easily make a fool of yourself if you got carried away and tried to a pair a Sauternes with the Soufflé Suissesse!
This was a first for me as we were tasting in the ‘Chef’s Library’ the lavish, new private room that was a fringe benefit of January’s root and branch kitchen refit. I was pleased to be showing several new listings for the scrutiny of the panel to both ring the changes and hopefully find some exciting new food and wine pairings. As ever the kitchen produced a stunning array of sensational seasonal dishes for our delectation. The difficulty was not what to include but what could we possibly leave out.
David Galetti, Jason Yapp and Silvano Giraldin hard at work in the chef’s library!
To partner some cracking canapés a sparkling Saint-Péray from Jean-Louis Thiers in the Northern Rhône found firm favour with everybody. With ripe orchard fruit scents and flavours a lively mousse and long, elegant finish this should get us off to a good start. We elected to offer diners a choice of sampling it with or without Gabriel Boudier’s peerless Crème de Cassis.
There was collective agreement that it would be good to feature some new season’s asparagus and the kitchen did not disappoint us when it produced a beautiful dish of perfectly al dente spears beneath fine shavings of summer truffle. The winning wine here was an unusual IGP Duché d’Uzès ‘Cuvée Amanlie’ 2012 from Lionel Pourquier’s Domaine Camp Galhan – an exotic Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne blend from the edge of the Cévennes. As well as being a gifted wine-maker Lionel also cultivates asparagus so perhaps it was no surprise that this combination worked so well.
With some stiff competition from an octopus salad, seared scallops in chorizo and parsley oil and the aforementioned soufflé we finally chose a dish of braised stone bass with red rice and ras-el-hanout spices (me neither but I wasn’t admitting it) for our second course. These strong Oriental flavours required a characterful wine accompaniment but not anything so powerful it would overwhelm the fish. After much deliberation we settled on Jean-Louis Chave’s beguiling white Saint-Joseph ‘Céleste’ 2012 that is made from a small parcel of mature Roussanne vines grown in a single vineyard in Mauves. We were in unanimous agreement that this was an inspired pairing.
Braised Stone Bass with ras-el-hanout spices
Despite being bedazzled by a beef fillet that had been slow-cooked with olives we eventually decided it was a tad too robust for a Spring menu and so elected to serve roast duck breast with wild mushrooms, celeriac and port jus on the day. For this we settled on two contrasting reds – Fred Filliatreau’s youthful, berry-scented, organic Saumur: Château Fouquet 2012 (an object lesson in cool climate Cabernet Franc) and the dense, briary Saint-Chinian 2010 from Château Milhau-Lacugue which was, quite rightly, rated as ‘outstanding’ in a recent blind tasting by Decanter magazine.
David Galetti with Muscat
Personally I always struggle to forgo the Gavroche’s acclaimed assiette des desserts because I am a greedy hog and the chance to sample five different puddings at one fell swoop is practically irresistible. It does not however facilitate straightforward wine matching and ultimately we decided to plump for an ambrosial partnership of roast apricots on pain perdu served alongside Lina Piretti’s heady Muscat du Cap Corse - a personal favourite of David’s which had him grinning from ear to ear.
Pain Perdu with Baked Apricots
After a restorative expresso I tottered back out in to the sunlight happy with a job well done and the thought that I would be revisiting the highlights in a few days time!
Our annual Autumn lunch at Le Gavroche which takes place tomorrow is always a highlight of the epicurean calendar but this year Michel Roux, Silvano Giraldin and their team have upped the ante with a superb seasonal menu. Silvano, it has to be acknowledged, is a persuasive fellow and he had little difficulty in convincing me that, having rested it for several outings, we should open the race card with our popular, own label, Champagne Yapp. It is made by our old chum Gilles Dumangin in Chigny-les-Roses on the Montagne de Riems from a judicious blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. It is a really bright and fruity, elegant and crowd-pleasing fizz that never fails to kick festivities off with a bang. For what, I have long suspected, are reasons of pure visual theatre Le Gavroche sommeliers, under the sage leadership of David Galetti, like to serve half their audience with an additional admixture of Crème de Cassis (from Gabriel Boudier) making a plum-robed Kir Royale. Personally, although partial to cassis, I think Gilles' wines need no embellishment but the alternating golden and purple flutes do have certain fin de siècle flamboyance that you seldom see in a domestic setting.
Silvano Giraldin
If there is one thing I like more than a canapé it is an amuse bouche and this year we are sampling an old Gavroche standard 'Souffle Suissesse', which is definitely one of those dishes best executed by a master chef. It is made from the lightest cheese and egg mousse served on a silky cream sauce. Our wine match, which was a clear winner in a strong field, is a Savoie 'L'Orangerie': Domaine L'Idylle 2012. It is a pure Jacquère, grown at high altitude in the Isère valley, memorably described by Victoria Moore in the Telegraph as being 'Like a meadow-scented lungful of Alpine air'. An awful lot of nonsense is written about food and wine matches but this pairing is the real deal.
Michel Roux Jr
Gurnard, which thankfully sounds much more appetising in its French 'galinette', gets a bad rep as being an ugly fish. Who cares? What it lacks in looks it repays in flavour. Michel has elected to serve it roasted with artichokes, ceps, lardons and a tarragon vélouté. Just delicious. Seafood with a clever autumnal undertone. What wine to serve with it though? Bellet Blanc: Domaine de la Source 2011 - of course. A rare Rolle from the Riviera that has heady wild herb scents, a tangy citrus-edged palate and long, elegant finish.
Bring on the main course. Roast suckling pig with confit shallots and a Marc d'Alsace sauce. Now we are talking, but a big dish needs big wines. Our first red, by common consent, will be a Lirac 'La Fermade' 2011 from Domaine Maby. This earthy, southern blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre is a real wolf in sheep's clothing. Close your eyes and you could easily be 12 kilometres further east in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Bags of warming garrigue berry fruit ripple over fine-grained tannins.
You won't find our next wine in a supermarket. Vin de Corse Porto Vecchio: Domaine de Torraccia 2010. An organic blend of Nielluccio, Sciacarello, Syrah and Grenache. This powerful, peppery, ink-dark wine has an untamed edged that betrays its roots in the Maquis. It is a chest-thumping, life-affirming red that will take the piglet in its stride.
To round things off another often overlooked classic Dartois aux Poires – a fine pear pastry. We have teamed this with what is arguably the rarest wine of the day. A Savennières Mœlleux 2009 from Château d'Epiré. This idiosyncratic, sweet, botrytised Loire Chenin has delicate orchard fruit flavours and an ethereal, gently-honeyed finish. Another match made in heaven or Mayfair to be precise.
All of which I look forward to revisiting with appreciative abandon.
There is just one problem. How on earth do we follow up that line-up when we reconvene in Upper Brook Street in the Spring?
Jason Yapp
After 18 months of service to Yapp Brothers I was kindly invited to their bi-annual luncheon at Le Gavroche last week. 100 guests took over the entire restaurant keen to sample great wines matched to a seasonal menu prepared by Michel Roux Jr.
Upon arriving in Waterloo we were advised by several other colleagues to pay a visit to a Hedonism Wines, a new fine wine and spirits boutique in Davies Street. Given that it might take some time to browse their entire collection, Meirion and I were given a brief yet informative guided tour - well worth a visit!
Being fashionably late (as always!), I arrived at 43 Upper Brook Street just after 12.30pm and the upstairs bar area was almost full. Crémant de Limoux Brut from Domaine Collin was the chosen aperitif. This excellent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend proved a versatile crowd-pleasing fizz belying its modest price tag!
Having become a fan of Masterchef recently, I was eager to meet Chef Michel himself. Once seated, we were delighted to be joined by Michel Roux Jnr who talked us through the delicious menu he had devised. The “amuse-bouche” of salade de homard aux truffes set the standard before commencing vinous proceedings with the white Menetou-Salon 2011 from Domaine Teiller – ripe, juicy with floral aromas and citrus flavours. Next we were served the very elegant white Brézème Côtes du Rhône, an unusual blend of Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier which complemented Michel’s starter gratin de crabe et penne wonderfully.
The main meal of supreme de pintade roti et son jus was superb with the Lalande de Pomerol - La Chenade which was showing beautifully – crimson in colour with prominent cedar and cassis characters. Our Château Fouquet 2011 from Domaine Filliatreau, is a delightful organic cabernet franc, whose spicy, peppery flavours seemed much more enhanced when served in a Gavroche-style Burgundy glass.
A refreshing dessert of delice de fraises, glace au lait et “honeycomb” was ideally partnered with our luscious Muscat du Cap Corse: Domaine Pieretti 2011. Several guests on our table described this as having a “marmalade nose” which worked exceptionally well as partner to the fruit-based dessert.
We rounded off the event with coffee and petits fours. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a privilege to eat at such a renowned establishment. Although officially ‘work’, sharing my table with such a relaxed group of interesting people, eating some of the finest cuisine and of course drinking some of the best wines made for a very pleasant day at the office!
It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. Last Friday lunchtime I met with Silvano Giraldin, Michel Roux Jnr and head sommelier David Galetti at Le Gavroche to help select the menu and wines for our forthcoming Autumn lunch on Thursday 11th October. As ever we were spoiled for choice with a succession of stunning dishes which we road-tested, with varying degrees of compatibility, against a diverse cross-section of the Yapp portfolio. Strangely my notes are less legible than I had hoped but I can confirm that we will be commencing with Philippe Collin’s inimitable Crémant de Limoux ‘Cuvée Selection’ as our aperitif followed by a salad of black truffles and lobster served with a nervy, white Menetou Salon 2011 from Domaine Jean-Jacques Teiller. The following dish will be a creamy gratin of crab meat and pasta accompanied by a rare Brézème blanc – a Northern Rhône blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. For the main course we selected braised guineau fowl with puréed carrots and mashed potatoes which saw of some stiff competition to partner Fredrik Filliatreau’s precocious 2011 Saumur: Château Fouquet and Denis Durantou’s sumptuous Lalande de Pomerol ‘La Chenade’ in the terrific 2007 vintage. To round proceeding off Le Gavroche will serve a délice des fraises, a magnificent concoction of cream and wild strawberries alongside Lina Pieretti’s ambrosial Muscat du Cap Corse.
David - Silvano - Emmanuel
Fully sated by what, for my money, is the finest cuisine in the country I just had time to nip into the kitchen and congratulate Monica Galetti on her victory the previous evening at ‘The Rumble in the Kitchen’ a charity boxing match organised by members of the culinerati to raise money for Galvin’s Chance – an admirable scheme to provide career opportunities in the hospitality industry for disadvantaged 18-24 year-olds. Those wishing to know more about that and / or make a donation should follow this link: http://www.justgiving.com/Kitchen-Rumble-Monica-Galetti
At the time of writing we still have a few places available for lunch on 11th October so if you enjoy fine wine, excellent cuisine and convivial company do give us a call on: 01747 860 423.
Twice yearly Yapp Brothers enjoys the great privilege of taking over the entire restaurant at Le Gavroche for our annual Spring and Autumn lunches. A fringe benefit of this is that approximately 2 weeks beforehand I convene with my old friend Silvano Giraldin under careful supervision from maître’ d Emmanuel Landre and chef-sommelier David Galetti and road test numerous different food and wine combinations in order to devise an exciting seasonal menu and pair it with appropriate wines.
Three wise men – David, Silvano and Emmanuel
Yesterday was the appointed day for this gastronomic girth-stretcher so I enjoyed the lightest of breakfasts before embarking for Upper Brook Street’s hallowed temple of haute cuisine. By coincidence a wine-loving Aberdonian chum and Gavroche regular, Steven Keenon, called me that morning and asked me if I would like to join him for lunch there.
I explained that I was already heading there for lunch myself and reciprocating his goodwill managed to get Steve promoted to the tasting panel.
The welcoming committee soon had us seated with glasses of Champagne from J Dumangin Fils and Saint Péray Mousseux Brut: Domaine Biguet to compare and contrast over some cracking canapés. We then sampled a heady selection of amuse-bouches and starters including a terrific duck gizzard and potato terrine, some superb mi-cuit salmon and delicious English asparagus – all of which we cross-referenced with an equally diverse selection of wines. The line-up of main courses included fillet of beef, guineau-fowl in a cream and mushroom sauce, curried stone bass and a leg of rabbit with broad beans and carrots. Desserts were equally numerous and appetising and I was beginning to wonder whether I had the stamina to complete our Leviathan lunch. Fortunately a few words of encouragement from Michel Roux himself saw me over the finish line and, after much debate over coffee, we managed to finalise our food and wine selections.
Attendees on May 17th who don’t want to know the menu in advance should look away now!
At our Spring lunch we will serve a Saint Péray Moussex comme aperitif with or without an optional shot of Crème de Cassis from Gabriel Boudier. Our pre-starter will be the mi-cuit salmon served with a Cassis blanc from Clos Sainte Magdeleine followed by a divine gratin of shrimps and mushrooms accompanied by André Vatan’s palate-cleansing Sancerre rosé. The rabbit was the firm favourite for the main course which we will partner with a 2003 vintage Vacqueyras and a budget-busting Domaine de Trévallon 2001. By way of light relief our dessert will be a coconut and mango panna cotta served with a Coteaux du Layon from Château la Tomaze.
I, for one, can’t wait to relive the experience!
Jason, Steve and Silvano
It was a treat to be back at Le Gavroche for our annual Spring lunch yesterday playing to a full house of 100 diners keen to sample wines matched to a seasonal menu devised by Michel Roux Jr.
We kicked-off with a lively Vouvray Mousseux Brut from Domaine Aubert by way of aperitif, which guests could elect to taste with or without the addition of a dash of Gabriel Boudier’s peerless Crème de Cassis. The exercise of trying to serve canapés and drinks to 100 people in the bijou upstairs bar area at 43 Upper Brook Street always reminds me of seeing how many students can cram into a phone box. Fortunately, we have a loyal and resilient clientele and the intimacy of the surroundings definitely broke the ice.
Once seated in the comfort and splendour of the downstairs dining room the revels could commence with a fine pairing of a rare white Chinon from Château du Ligré and a weightier, oilier, organic Côtes du Luberon from Château la Canorgue – both in the newly released (and very promising) 2010 vintage. I then talked guests through the first 3 wines and Le Gavroche’s Executive Director, Silvano Giraldin, told us how the dishes we were about to sample had been selected and prepared. Kent asparagus with aged parmesan and truffle vinaigrette proved a popular pre-starter and had a terrific affinity for the white Chinon (see previous entry) but the ‘Oeuf Poche Victoria’ that followed was a veritable show-stopper. This dish is an old Roux family favourite – a poached egg served on a bed of lobster on top of an artichoke heart. There were lots of different flavours at work here and personally I thought this offering favoured the Château la Canorgue.
Our main course was a sublime collar of lamb confit served with white beans and wild garlic. We partnered this with a youthful red Vin de Corse Sartène 2009 from Domaine Saparale. The wild Maquis scents and tastes of this unusual Nielluccio-Sciacarello blend married perfectly with the tender, salty lamb so it was going to be a tough act to follow. Fortunately, Ron and Elva Laughton from Australia’s celebrated Jasper Hill estate in Heathcote were in town for the Natural Wine Fair and we indulged ourselves with their iconic Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz 2005. Ron told us about his non-interventionist wine growing philosophy and explained why he is an ardent champion of ‘dry-grown’ (un-irrigated) root-stock despite the pressures of draught and global warning.
A delicate dessert of vanilla panna cotta with Alphonso mango and ginger went down very well with Pascal Labasse’s Jurançon Mœlleux 2008. This unctuous sweet wine has a lovely palate-cleansing acidity to offset the tropical fruit flavours and I think it met with widespread approval.
We rounded off a very convivial event with coffee and Petits Fours and some stout-hearted folk even availed themselves of the digestif trolley before dispersing back into the daylight fully sated.
I am already keenly anticipating to our next visit in the Autumn because if you want to enjoy classic Gallic cuisine with superb service in elegant surroundings Le Gavroche sets the Gold Standard!
