Yesterday was Neptune's Dinner, a dinner that features various seafood dishes. I found one that was particularly interesting for all the wrong reasons, and a rare slip up for a Crystal kitchen. In culinary school we had a saying that French Cuisine can be summed up in one sentence; Saute a hunk of protein, deglaze the pan and finish with butter or cream. Of course, the cuisine is more than that, but probably 75% of the dishes are a variation of that formula. I have worked for several European chefs, and all of them had a hard time incorporating ethnic trends into their cooking.
This was not the case with American chefs. We have been eating cuisines from around the world since we were kids. By the time I really got serious about cooking, I was on familiar terms with Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Med-Eastern and Japanese food. Stretching my cooking to incorporate these cuisines was not a hard stretch of my imagination. European trained chefs start at 16 working in kitchens, and may not experience these foods until well after they've learned their culinary chops.
Last night's dinner showed what can happen when a European chef gets loose and tries Asian fusion. We had a wonder Ahi tuna fillet, served with bok choy and Basmati rice. So far so good, but where does red onion confit fit into this flavor pattern, or for that matter green apple vinaigrette. The sweetness of these accompaniments did not work, and only could come out of a European tradition. Teriyaki glazed something, roasted veggies, even grilled veggies with a soy marinade would have worked. To me, it was a bad conception, however, I was the only one who noticed this. By the way, the tuna was great and cooked to perfection. We enjoyed an August Kessler Riesling from the Rheingau that was spectacular.
Well, tonight is another night. I forgive Crystal for the Red Onion Confit, which by itself was very nice, just not put on the right dish.
Tomorrow, Victoria and then melancholy as we head home. Thanks for reading.
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