Restaurant Series - Gordon Ramsay's Petrus Restaurant

For all my foodie subbies, I've decided to start a Restaurant Series for this blog.  After all, what's the point in enjoying delish food if you can't share it?  The first in this series - Gordon Ramsay's Petrus Restaurant in London.

Awarded a Michelin Star in 2011, this stylish and modern French restaurant was at the top of my list for eats when we were on holiday in London.  A short walk from our B&B in the lovely Belgravia neighborhood, I made sure this was our dinner the first night we were in London.  (You should always start things with a big bang, right?)  Upon entering the restaurant, my taste buds were tingling with excitement.  It's Gordon Ramsay for crying out loud!  My husband, however, was more enamored by the gorgeous glass wine cellar smack in the middle of the entire restaurant.  Lo and behold...

Let's just dive into the food - my husband and I both opted for the Chef's Menu.

Before the first course from the Chef's Menu arrived, we were given this amuse bouche.  For the life of me I couldn't catch what the server described it as because he was so soft spoken but I caught "foie gras" and some sort of cheese.  Regardless, it was oh so delicious.  The square noshes you see above contained the foie gras.  The sweetness of the foie gras paired with the crisp ...whatever it was that sandwiched it in... was to die for.  The tubular noshes you see above contained a cheese that was melt in your mouth.  The cheese also had a sweet quality to it.  It was a great preview to what was coming.

Another amuse bouche that was also nothing short of amazing: watercress mousse topped with salmon tartare on a crouton.  UH-MAZE-ING!

First course: ballotine of landes foie gras with semi-dried grapes, green beans, and hazelnut crumble.  BOOM!  Hello first foodgasm!

Second course: pan fried scallops with cauliflower, anchovy and capers, lemon beurre noisette.  Foodgasm part 2.

Third course: Roasted suffolk pork fillet with crispy suckling pig belly, apple, and madeira jus

Ok, the pork fillet disappointed.  It was bland and a bit dry.  I was disappointed in the right half of this dish.  However, the pig belly was nothing short of amazing.  The skin was oh so delightfully crisp but the meat underneath somehow managed to be so tender and succulent.  It's so hard to blog about this pig belly because I want more more more!

We were spoiled by the staff when it was time for dessert.  This pretty concoction was put before me: Mango sorbet with coconut crisps, ginger sponge on top of coconut foam, garnished with fennel.  Who knew these pairings went so deliciously together??

Frozen vanilla bean ice cream with a white chocolate shell.  We were generously given a second round of this.

(Apologies for the photo quality) Mini lemon and mascarpone ice cream in a cone.  OMG I loved this.  LOVED.  THIS.

Ahhhh and the famous Chocolate Sphere with Milk Ice Cream and Honeycomb

Watch my video for how the chocolate sphere dissembled:

This was such an amazing meal and fabulous kickstart to our holiday in London.  Thumbs up Gordon Ramsay!

Featured Recipe: Dark Fudge Apricot Brownie with Coconut Vanilla Whipped Cream & Hazelnuts

In October of 2012, I had the fortune of accompanying the culinary talent over at Insatiably Epicurious to an open call for Master Chef.  For those unfamiliar with the show, home cooks compete through a series of elimination rounds in hopes of the ultimate goal of becoming Master Chef.  They are mentored and judged by three power houses in the culinary world: the legendary Chef Gordon Ramsay, winemaker and restauranteur of some of the most celebrated Italian restaurants in the country Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot, the mastermind behind the first "bistronomic" restaurant in Chicago.

Needless to say, I was inordinately excited to accompany my friend for moral support.  Ok, so I was also hoping for a glimpse of Gordon, Joe, and Graham but that was a secondary priority.  Anyway, I was fascinated by the hundreds of home cooks, their culinary creations, their presentations, and their personalities.  Some came prepared with practically a mini kitchen for the casting call!

My friend from Insatiably Epicurious, however, is the epitome of "more than meets the eye."  As soft spoken as she is, as unassuming as her persona and the way she disclosed she merely baked a brownie for this casting call to other contestants, Top Chef alum Jamie Lauren raved (after emphasizing that brownies are her thing) "THAT is a damn good brownie" after but one bite of my friend's Dark Fudge Apricot Brownie with Coconut Vanilla Whipped Cream & Toasted Hazelnuts.  Thereafter, the remainder of the entire judging panel literally surrounded her station to get a bite of the brownie.  Jamie Lauren even came back for seconds.

So without further ado, I present:

Dark Fudge Apricot Brownie with Coconut Vanilla Whipped Cream & Toasted Hazelnuts
by Insatiably Epicurious

Special  equipment:

double boiler or large metal bowl over pot of boiling water

electric mixer

sifter

8x8x2 baking pan

Parchment paper

Whip Cream Dispenser

Biscuit cutter (optional)

Glaze Ingredients

18 oz Smuckers Apricot Preserves

1 tbsp orange gelatin powder

¼ cup water

Glaze Directions:

In a small sauce pan, bring water slowly to boil, add gelatin, and mix thoroughly.

Pour contents of preserves into dissolved gelatin and mix.

Bring to a boil for 2 minutes and remove from stove. Strain liquid and preserves. Set aside separately.

Coconut Vanilla Whipped Cream Ingredients

14oz coconut cream

1 vanilla bean

1 ½ cup heavy cream

Whipped Cream Directions

1. Slice open vanilla bean. Use a knife to scrap the inside of vanilla bean. 

2. Place vanilla scrapings, heavy cream, and coconut cream into medium bowl. Whisk gently to 

combine. 

3. Add contents into dispenser. Chill for at least 1hr.

4. Shake thoroughly right before use.

Brownie Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted sweet butter

9 oz Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chocolate

1 cup cake flour

1 cup & 6 tbsp granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped hazelnuts- toasted

¼ tsp salt

Brownie Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Cut 2 lengths of parchment paper to line bottom and sides of baking dish, across and down. Fold 

down parchment paper along the sides of the baking dish and set aside.

3. Set a pot of water to boil. Reduce to medium heat. Place a large metal bowl over boiling water. Place 

chocolate and butter into bowl. As contents begin to melt, use a small whisk to mix contents 

thoroughly.

4. Set bowl of chocolate mixture onto a flat surface. Put a lightly damp folded towel under the bowl to 

keep it steady. Set aside to cool until lukewarm.

5. In a separate bowl, use mixer to beat sugar and eggs until well blended.

6. Blend in chocolate mixture into eggs.

7. Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture. Fold to blend.

8. Pour 2/3 of brownie mixture into pan. Tap bottom of pan against hard surface to even out.

9. Evenly distribute apricot preserves over surface of brownie mixture.

10. Pour in remaining brownie mixture to evenly top surface. Tap again.

11. Bake for 45-50min. Remove from oven and cool for at least 30min.

12. To serve, use a biscuit cutter to cut a perfect circle into brownie. Lift carefully and place onto 

serving plate. Add whipped cream to surround brownie. Top generously with toasted hazelnuts. Using 

a spoon, drizzle apricot glaze onto brownie and a bit over whipped cream.

13. Serve immediately.

Head on over to her blog for more delicious recipes!

Bon appétit mes amis!