Ich bin ein Berliner. (or will be, occasionally)

  Having too much fun and not enough sleep meant that the flight home was almost spent passed out snoring and drooling instead of giving you a review of the third and final part of my latest triptych. Fear not though because I roused myself enough to tap out some kind of nonsense.

  Quite simply it was (another) roaring success and I’m happy to report I actually remembered to get some snaps before the food went out so I can offer you a glimpse of the plates as well as a picture of me having a chat about food with some happy diners. I should mention that though it may look like I’m a giant surrounded by Smurfs, I was just sitting on a tall chair.

  The starter was the same broccoli soup I’d served at the vegan dinner the night before, but the main course was designed for a crowd with no restrictions.  There was a risotto that I’d managed to nail, which I was really happy about because I’d had to cook a lot and hold it without overcooking it. Not only did it contain pea, mushroom and parmesan but I had made it with a mushroom stock so it had a delightfully strong flavour. The rice had just the right amount of bite and once it had been finished with crème fraiche, it was endless mouthfuls of comforting, creamy sumptuousness.​​​​​​​

  That was accompanied by roasted chicken breast, which I’d pan fried first to give a bit of colour before covering and putting in the oven. This meant it came out nicely moist and ready for the tarragon cream sauce that added an extra layer of opulence. The two orange accents you see are a carrot with hijiki seaweed and a carrot pickle. I quite liked the cream and orange symmetry of the plate, which was an extra bonus. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked with this much dairy and, (forgetting about being healthy for a moment), it was a real indulgence. This could be why I got so many clean plates back, it was pure comfort food.

  When I’d served everyone and told them a little about the food, I turned and headed back to the kitchen while they tucked in. Then something remarkable happened. I’ve been at tables where people are enjoying their food too much to talk but never for this long or with so many people.  A real complement indeed. I served the same fruit dessert as the day before but with a dollop of crème fraiche, (to make sure) and enjoyed a sit down and a chat before everyone started heading home.

  The week was such a success that we’re already planning the next. At the moment we’re talking about four of these weeks a year as well as putting a bit of money into the kitchen so it’s all set up for me. Making lots of new friends and getting to know the city has been a bonus too but I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop as I'm finding it hard to...

(We found him face down in his computer snoring so sent what he'd written -Ed)

Kirk out

RevoltingFood.com