Training and skills development
A culinary exploration of
flavours and textures Conceptualising, preparing and serving a beautiful plate of food is an art in its own right but the actual taste is the real pièces de résistance. A food phenomenon that has become quite synonymous in trendy restaurants is Food Degustation, which literally means to taste, or sample different things.
DEGUSTATION CAN BE anything from five to 20 courses consisting of tiny, sample dishes that can include many, or just one desired sensory component. ‘The food can be quite complex, or in fact as simple as your mom’s macaroni and cheese - as long as the skills, techniques and, most importantly, flavours are true,’ says Marlise Whelan, chef lecturer at leading training institution for Hospitality Management and Professional Cookery, Capital Hotel School. To better understand the concept, Whelan shares some tips to keep in mind when designing a degustation dish.
FLAVOURS ‘The flavours should be intense seeing that the dish is small. The different components’ flavours What is degustation? It is the careful, appreciative tasting of various foods, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company. It is more likely to involve sampling small portions of all of a chef’s signature dishes in one sitting.
should complement each other, in order to create ‘magic’,’ Whelan notes.
TEXTURES The textures promote and aid the ‘mouthfeel’ to help in the overall experience. To achieve this, you should consider cooking methods and techniques such as molecular gastronomy (Spherification, foaming, leathers, jellies etc.)
FOOD GROUPS Protein, starch and vegetables - the richness will also play a role in determining the amount of courses.
COLOURS The dish should look appealing. You create excitement from the first time you see and smell a dish up to the time you put the first bite in your mouth. You can look at a degustation meal as a ‘theatrical’ experience. From the first dish to the very last – it leads up to the highlight/ climax. Food Degustation is constantly evolving, and it is a great way to develop your palate and explore different flavours and textures
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck restaurant serves ‘forest floor’ as part of its threeMichelin-starred food journey degustation
MENU PREPARED BY CAPITAL HOTEL SCHOOL CHEF MARLISE WHELAN AMUSE BOUCHE Spicy shrimp, cucumber and melon Bread & Butter French Country Loaf Olive Butter STARTERS Tomato soup, celery pearls Grilled Salmon, Pea & Pancetta Ragout Foie gras, Brioche, Grilled Peaches, Noble late harvest reduction Palette Cleanser Strawberry Vodka Sorbet, black pepper crumble (pipette of vodka, dry ice) MAIN Lamb rack, Pommes fondant, Wild mushroom ragout, Root vegetables Demiglace DESSERT Sautéed apple crepes, poached blueberries, calvados caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream FRIANDISE Lavender Madeleines, Macaron, Truffles Capital Hotel School – www.capitalhotelschool.co.za
Full Serv ce | March 2019
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