Celebrating arrival of 2011

My friend Lum joked that this dinner was the longest dinner ever because it started in 2010 and ended in 2011! Well, it's the truth stretched a bit...because we did begin in 2010 and when it was time for the infusion and dessert, it was already way past midnight and into 2011. I chose a black and white themed table setting with mostly gold or silver accented porcelains exception for the tiny celadon vintage Theodore Haviland plates that were given to me in France by Jean Paul as side plates.

While waiting for others, something spicy to tickle the palates...stir fried clams with leeks, fermented black soya beans, dried chilies and Chinese rice wine.

Toast with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Swedish sweet bread with salmon cream.

Gelee of fish scales accented with Tobiko.

Truffle infused butter for the first course...

Steamed prawns on a bed of cucumber with truffle cream.

Main course: Duck confit with green beans (haricots verts) in black olive tapinade.

Something in-between waiting: minced meat in reduced white wine and sun-dried tomatoes accompanied by a sliver of grape fruit and accented with the fragrant leaves of Chekur, a type of locally grown ginger of the genus kaempferia.

Salad of beet roots, radish and baby spinach in sherry vinaigrette accented with pumpkin seed oil and cheese.

For desert: Fried banana (fine local pisang berangan) with coconut cream, fresh strawberry coulis and shaved chocolate, a house speciality.

When the hour arrived, foie gras with onion confit and toast. Tchin!

Recipe for the first course, adapted from a beautiful lobster-based recipe from a famous restaurant in Chateau Belmont:

for 4 persons:

12 large prawns, skinned and de-veined, leaving the tail
1 cucumber
Cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce:
1 egg yolk
Grape seed oil
1 small truffle, about 40 g
sherry vinegar or lemon juice
fresh cream
salt to taste

-Grate the cucumbers and marinade with the vinegar, salt and pepper and set aside for about 15 mins in the refrigerator.
-Marinade and steam the prawns for about 6 mins. Set aside.
-Make the sauce with the egg yolk as you would for mayonnaise, adding the finely minced truffle and its juice, adding the cream at the last moment to thin its consistency.
-Serve the prawns on a bed of grated cucumber, decorate with thin slices of cucumber and coat the base with a ladle of the cream. Reserved a thin slice of truffle to decorate the prawns and serve with toast and truffle infused butter. Bon appetit!