I was recently invited to a press event by the tourism agency of Chile (yes, the country), held at The Culinary Loft (where the Top Berry luncheon was also held, coincidentally). Broadening my culinary knowledge and horizons is something I constantly seek, so off I went, taking DT with me.
At each place setting, there were a row of wine glasses and a row of flavored/infused olive oils, and the menu. Ohhh, the menu.
Doesn’t that menu sound delicious? The Executive Chef for this event was Pilar Rodriguez, a Chilean native who has extensive culinary experience with Chilean ingredients, and a very impressive resume to boot.
The back of the menu listed the purveyors, where to get each item that we’d be sampling.
The man on the left with the pink tie – Michael Green – acted as Master of the Ceremony, so to speak, speaking briefly before each dish and keeping up a bit of a patter. While I personally wasn’t a huge fan of his style – he managed to work in the word “synergy”! (that’s an Office Space reference, if anyone gets it) – I did learn that Chile is ranked 16th in the world in terms of food export, that due to Chile’s unique shape and size, the terroir is extra diverse with many varying crops, and that Chef Aaron Sanchez was in attendance at the event just a few seats away from where I sat. (Unfortunately, I didn’t know who he was before the event, ah well.)
First up were the trio of our appetizers…
Quoting from my notes: salmon carpaccio – fresh, light tasting, good use of ingredients Salmon Carpaccio, Red Onions, Granny Smith, Micro Cilantro Salad, Crispy Capers, Lemon Infused Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dressing – I really liked how the flavors played together here, with the apple and lemon creating a bright, sweetly citric counter to the buttery soft salmon. I enjoyed this dish a lot and could see recreating it at home, with a few simple tweaks to turn down the snooty vibe one might get from it. (Well, that might be partially a snooty vibe from me, too…)
Patagonia king crab salad – avocado mousse, light, airy, creamy – very yummy tho crab (flavor) doesn’t stand out Patagonia King Crab and Clementine Salad and Avocado Oil Dressing – As you can see from my notes, I didn’t taste the crab much in terms of flavor. While the texture was there, I just didn’t get any of the sweet, slightly briny flavor I am used to from Alaskan King Crab. While overall pleasing, I didn’t think this recipe did a good job showcasing what I would think is the star ingredient.
Abalone – basil oil – didn’t think it would go with seafood but it works against the dense meatiness of the abalone Chilean Abalones, Parsley and Basil Emulsion Drizzled with Merken Infused Organic Extra Virgin Oil I haven’t had abalone in a long time; growing up, it was a “Chinese banquet staple” (anyone who’s ever sat through 10 courses at a Chinese banquet – wedding, one month baby party, golden/silver anniversary, birthday, whatever – knows EXACTLY what I’m talking about), but once I got a bit older, it just simply became one of those food items that fell off my radar. I wish it hadn’t – the basil really did stand out against the meatiness of the almost creamy abalone, bringing the dish to near-orgasmic levels. Yummm.
From top left, clockwise: roasted lamb chop sprinkled with smoked sea salt and myrtle berry sauce; roasted lamb chop sprinkled with smoked sea salt and chestnut gnocchi; tomatoes and fresh herbs with barrel aged Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar dressing; roasted pumpkin quinoa risotto drizzled with garlic infused organic extra virgin olive oil.
The roasted lamb chop with myrtle berry sauce was succulent, perfectly medium rare and tender. I stress here that the odor of lamb – that gamey smell that some people like, some people don’t – was not present, in fact, I was surprised to see lamb on the menu after we sat down, as last time at The Culinary Loft, as soon as we’d walked in, that gamey scent was present in every corner. In any case, how do I describe myrtle berries? They are small, tangy, and pop pleasantly in your mouth when you press them to the roof of your mouth with your tongue; sweet but tangy at the same time, what I would call a “dark” fruit – the sweetness is heavy in nature, though not the foremost flavor. As a foil to the lamb, I found them excellent, and the Cioppolini onions alongside absorbed some of the fruit, bringing their sweetness a whole new dimension. I really enjoyed this dish, and would love to replicate it.
Roasted lamb chop with chestnut gnocchi – well, the lamb was again cooked to perfection, but I found it a bit drab by itself, and so many pieces found themselves being dipped in the myrtle berry juice next door to it 🙂 The chestnut gnocchi I expected to hate, because I am not a fan of chestnut… and the first piece didn’t disappoint, I wasn’t a great fan of it. But with the next bite, I found the chestnut shining through in a slightly sweet manner, and it offset the lamb very well… although I still preferred dipping the lamb in the myrtle berry juice, and eating the chestnut gnocchi solo.
The tomato salad – well, the tomatoes were sweet, but otherwise, this was a fairly plain dish, allowing the lamb to be the star.
The roasted pumpkin quinoa risotto was texturally interesting… but that’s really all the positive things I can say about that. I wasn’t a fan.
I love the gorgeous plate and matching cup/bowl with its foggy design… Gorgeous!!!
But even better? Ulmo Honey Panna Cotta and Grilled Citrus Carica Salad (this isn’t really a carica salad, it’s “just” a piece of carica but that is PERFECTLY FINE BY ME).
You know, I’ve talked about panna cotta extensively on this site. It is, hands down, my 2nd favorite dessert – I’m not much of a dessert person – but the more I think about it, the more I realize it should be my absolute favorite. It’s not always on the menu, and the subtle sweetness of the dessert makes it much more suitable to daily eating (teehee!) or eating whenever. (Tiramisu, my other favorite dessert, contains quite a lot of caffeine, to which I am hyper-sensitive, so I greatly restrict when I eat it.)
I also talk quite a bit about textures in my food. I’ve had panna cotta that is too soupy and soft, and I’ve had panna cotta that is too firm.
Well, Goldilocks, I have found the panna cotta that is just right. The ulmo honey brought this amazingly light, delicate sweetness to each spoonful, but the panna cotta itself – I am dying to get my hands on the recipe – was perfect in its texture. It was smooth, creamy, not too dense and yet not too airy… yielding to my mouth when I wrapped my lips around a spoonful, but not melting away into nonexistence as I spooned my way to heaven.
Separately, I tried the carica, which struck me immediately as having the flavor of a mango, but the texture of a slightly cooked bell pepper – a little crunch and resistance to bite, but overwhelmingly smooth and ultimately… delicious. I was alternating bites of the carica with spoonful of the panna cotta when DT hissed at me, “What are you doing? They’re even better together” and yea, she was right of course, it was amazing.
I cannot enthuse enough how tremendously delicious the dessert was, despite my normally not being one for desserts or hyperbole. There’s no two ways around it though: this was the dessert of my dreams. This was the dessert of a lifetime. THIS… will be one of my favorite food memories for a long time to come. A very long time to come.
Sadly, Chef Pilar has been too busy to pass long her recipe – I know panna cotta is meant to be easy to make, but to duplicate this texture, I need her exact recipe. But ulmo honey and carica can both be purchased around the city in various specialty shops, and should definitely be sought out for their wonderful and delicate flavors.
In fact, DT purchased ulmo honey and attempted her first panna cotta, and said it was fantastic (I was not around to try any, boo hoo…). I would gather that you can use any general panna cotta recipe with the ulmo honey to good result… served alongside the carica, I’m sure it would be fabulous.
As for me, I’ll keep dreaming about that panna cotta until that recipe lands in my greedy little hands. Swoon.
Yvo says: Ok, this isn’t a restaurnt review, so technically shouldn’t have an “Yvo says” section. However, I just wanted mention that nearly every product we sampled from Chile was really quite remarkable and delicious, and worth seeking out in order to cook with, especially the carica and ulmo honey. The myrtle berries were a good foil for lamb, and I can imagine being good in many other applications like with steak, even. Definitely check out your local specialty shops and check around for these items in particular.
amy says
btw, i made the panna cotta for a potluck secret santa event on saturday and every single person asked me what the hell the carica was, and said the carica was delicious, and could they please bathe in it. carica is a universal crowd pleaser it seems.
Lizz says
Yvo the food looks amazing! You know I recently heard that all or most of the time they serve ‘abalone’ in those Chinese banquets it is usually fake – like mushrooms instead! Something about abalone being too expensive and hard to transport from the west coast. Just thought it was interesting but not sure if that was true – I’ve only had the supposed fake abalone before!