The French Cafe is celebrating New Zealand’s black gold, black truffles with a limited-edition menu and an exclusive one-night dining event.
The French Cafe's new winter dish Celeriac Tagliatelle, Fresh Truffle, Chicken Crackling & Parmesan gives guests a chance to experience the unmistakable aroma and flavour of freshly harvested New Zealand Black Truffles.
In addition to the new dish, The French Cafe is hosting a Black Gold dining experience with a four-course dinner paired with a selection of wines from Central Otago's acclaimed Prophet's Rock personally presented by its Chief Winemaker Paul Pujol.
The French Cafe owner Sid Sahrawat said he was very lucky to be able to use the black Perigord truffle for a short time every year.
The flavour, aroma, earthiness and versatility make it an amazing ingredient to work with, he added.
When creating the dish, careful consideration was given to how it would be used without it overpowering everything else on the plate.
It was important to showcase the truffle’s delicate, subtle characteristics and to develop techniques that would elevate the truffle and the dish.
Restraint was important when creating the dish because too many ingredients would confuse its identity. Cooking the dish followed a delicate procedure that allowed all its flavours to fuse.
“We cook the celeriac briefly, then make a celeriac and truffle cream, fold the tagliatelle in the cream, then some chicken skin crackling and shaved truffle hits the warm dish.”
Sahrawat said the limited-time experience helped showcase the amazing produce from New Zealand and added a sense of luxury to dining.
The French Cafe owner, Sid Sahrawat.
It was very important for restaurants to champion New Zealand-grown produce, as some of the world's best ingredients come from here.
Sahrawat held truffle in the same regard as some other luxury ingredients, including Wagyu beef, farmed kingfish, and fresh crayfish.
Diners had an appetite for the luxurious items on the menu and were very adventurous with their palette. Some guests chose not to even look at the menu to create a sense of surprise.
The restaurant took its time pairing the dish with the right wine.
Pujol said the Black Gold dining experience would feature a rare line-up of wines, including cellar releases, unreleased vintages and bottles that have never before been poured at a wine dinner.
“Each wine has been carefully selected to complement each element of the menu and showcase the depth and complexity of New Zealand truffles at their seasonal peak. It's set to be a truly memorable evening for both wine lovers and foodies alike,” Pujol explained.
Prophet Rock’s Pinot Noir made for an obvious match to the truffle because of its earthy notes, texture and brightness, Pujol said. It worked well to lift and highlight the dish rather than dominate it.
“Customers will want to really taste and experience truffles, this rare ingredient, not have it drowned out by the wine.”
Seasonality was an important element of the wine selection. It was important to consider the weather for the guest’s experience.
Pujol said it was exciting to showcase the amazing New Zealand products, which were excelling on the world stage. With truffle being such a wine-friendly ingredient, the opportunities were endless.
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