Meat Fruit (c.1500)
Mandarin, chicken liver & foie gras parfait, grilled bread
Buttered Crab Loaf (c.1710)
Crab, cucumber, pickled lemon, golden trout roe & stone crab
Roast Halibut (c,1830)
Admirals sauce, shrimps, leaf chicory, brown butter & capers
Hereford Ribeye (c.1830)
Mushroom ketchup & tripe cooked chips
Tipsy Cake (c.1810)
Spit roast pineapple
Espresso
It is often thought that the heavy use of spices during the middle ages was a way to disguise the taste of rotten meat but, in fact, the exotics spices introduced to Britain over time by the Romans, Venetian merchants and knights returning from the crusades were far too expensive to be wasted on meat that wasn't fresh; instead, spices were added to show how rich, refined and extravagant you were.
In 2014, I celebrated my 35th birthday at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. The above anecdote was written underneath the menu clasp. According to the restaurant's website, Chef Heston Blumenthal wanted a menu that was inspired by historic British gastronomy. I thought the anecdote was fitting as I paid $175 for a spice rack from Dean & Deluca. I'm so fancy...you already know
Anyways, it was nice change to order from a traditional menu. I knew our time in London and Paris would be filled with tastings galore. But I can't deny the reason I was here was for the Meat Fruit. It was glorious. Foie gras lovers rejoice.
Do I need to say more? This post was inspired by someone I recently met from Toronto. Dear friend, don't burn the foie gras.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
66 Knightsbridge, London, UK SW1X 7LA
+44 207 201 3833
http://www.dinnerbyheston.com
