"A house in which to entertain, and be entertained," is how Viscount Astor describes Cliveden, only hotel in the country to hold five red stars from the AA, and the place where he spent the early years of his life. Usually, only a select number of hotel guests can discover the truth of the Viscount's statement but in association with British Meat, Caterer & Hotelkeeper will be inviting 60 readers to test its validity when they attend the second Chef Eats Out event of 2001, on Tuesday 22 May.
Guests will be treated to an impressive seven-course menu specially devised for the occasion by Cliveden's executive chef, John Wood.
The menu will showcase the skills of Wood's 40-strong brigade - skills that Wood has encouraged and developed since taking over at Cliveden 18 months ago. "I want to reskill rather than deskill," he says, "to get back to teaching the art of jam-making, smoking salmon and butchery. We do training sessions every day."
The dishes featured on the enticing menu all have Wood's hallmark of clean-lined full-flavoured food, cooked with classic techniques but bearing seamless international allusions which reflect Wood's culinary career. (Early training was at the Savoy, followed by spells working abroad in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany and South Africa).
"I'm a great traditionalist. I don't like messy food - it's a case of giving my interpretation of the classics. Of course, my overseas experience makes me look at things slightly differently, but I don't class myself as an East-meets-West chef. The key is to understand how to cook things properly, to treat ingredients with respect and bring out flavours and taste."
Kicking off the meal, after a Champagne and canapé reception, will be a terrine of black leg chicken and sweetbreads, beetroot pickle and warm potato bread - the pickle giving an acidic contrast to the sweetness of the chicken and sweetbreads. "It's a dish we worked with for a while in Waldo's [Cliveden's one-Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant]," explains Wood. "It's basically a pressed terrine of French chicken with the sweetbreads - they just marry so well. We half-confit some roast chicken down, break the meat off and blend it with potatoes. The sweetbreads are pan-fried and finished off with the juices from the chicken. I'm not into moussey terrines, I like to have something a bit more substantial."
Next up is a duo of Oriental tuna and crab - a subtle expression of Wood's knowledge of Asian cuisine and, again, a dish perfected in Waldo's - followed by a palate-cleansing Granny Smith sorbet with coriander froth. The coriander is included to lift the flavour of the apple.
Centre stage will go to a dish of herb-roasted beef, artichoke and potato rösti, oxtail and spring greens served with a morel cream, while a "very lightly" double-baked soufflé of St Maure goats' cheese, served with a delicate home-made pear and saffron chutney and a seasonally-apt assiette of orange desserts round of the day's treats.
"You've got to hang on to the seasons. You get the optimum flavour when everything is served at its natural time," says Wood.
Surprisingly, given the range of culinary delights lined up, Wood is offering the lunch for just £45, including wine and a tour of the hotel. Guests will be asked to arrive at 12 noon for the Champagne reception.
If you would like to reserve a place at the event, send a cheque made payable to Cliveden Ltd for £45 per person, accompanied by the completed reservation form which can be obtained by contacting Sarah Sutton on Tel: 020 8652 8349.