Gary Klaner was determined to do something that would make chefs sit up and talk, furthering his reputation as an accomplished banqueting chef. Proving that restaurant food could be served in extreme circumstances, Klaner delivered a menu at the Chef Conference dinner that most restaurant chefs would be proud of.
The five-course meal comprised a first course of parfait of foie gras, apple chutney; a beautifully confited piece of Scottish salmon, asparagus and truffle sabayon; English beef fillet and braised oxtail, served with an Anna potato tower, parsley cream and Cabernet Sauvignon sauce; a cheese course of Brie de Melun with herbs, celeriac fondant and pear sorbet; and a dessert of warm almond and pickled ginger strudel, rhubarb jelly.
"We cooked the beef at such a low temperature (80°C for about one hour), you couldn't have got it more tender than it was," Klaner says. "The cooking temperature reduces shrinkage by about 20% and means the meat doesn't need to rest when it comes out of the oven. It was beautifully coloured right the way through.
"You can plan and plan for these things, but it is difficult cooking for these numbers, especially when you are cooking on a different level to the function room itself. We plated it as soon as we cut it, so it's hard to keep its colour and temperature when the first table is such a distance from the kitchen. But we did our best and from the feedback we've had, I think it went down well."
Diners were given the choice of opting for their own food and drink pairing session - with bottles of chilled beer on the table - while wine was poured throughout the meal.
Klaner and his brigade of 20 were assisted by two second-year professional chef diploma students from Westminster Kingsway College - Philip Wheeler and Andrew Geldart. But how did they get on?
"It must have been very intimidating for them coming into such a busy kitchen," says Klaner. "I didn't want to put them under too much pressure. They're still at college, so it was a slightly unfair situation, but I gave them some mise en place to do and they got involved with one or two of the simpler courses. They worked hard, though, and I hope they enjoyed themselves."
The menu
Parfait of foie gras, apple chutney
Sauvignon Blanc La Foufflerie, Vin de Pays d'Oc 2001
Confit of Scottish salmon, asparagus and truffle sabayon
Hoegaarden
English beef fillet and braised oxtail, Anna potato tower, parsley cream and Cabernet Sauvignon sauce
Leffe Brune
Duckbill Shiraz, Western Australia 2001
Brie de Melun with herbs, celeriac fondant and pear sorbet
Warm almond and pickled ginger strudel, rhubarb jelly
Belle-Vue Framboise
Coffee and petits fours