BURGUNDY FOOD & WINE TRAIL WITH CHEF LORENZO SEVERINI

CHEF LORENZO SEVERINI

The mention of Burgundy conjures up images of lush French countryside blessed with scenic expanses of vineyards that produce some of the most exquisite and expensive wines of the world. Also, Burgundy's traditional cuisine, which is a melange of local household favourites to delicacies that originated in royal kitchens of France is not less illustrious either.

But, rarely do we see Burgundy's gourmet offerings showcased in depth in Mumbai. So if you want understand what Burgundy cuisine is all about, then 'An Evening in Burgundy' or simply the Burgundy food and wine trail at Le Cirque Signature at The Leela Mumbai is the perfect setting to commence your Burgundy exploration, both in terms of wine as well as food. Chef Lorenzo Severini, Chef de Cuisine at this Franco-Italian specialty restaurant is unravelling culinary marvels of Burgundy this month in Mumbai through a very specially curated menu.

An Italian who fell in love with food and cooking courtesy his lovely nona, Chef Severini went on to graduate from prestigious Fratelli Pieroni culinary school in Barga, Italy. He is an ardent proponent of French gastronomy and has his own innovative take on French cuisine. For this Burgundy fest, he is not merely putting together a menu of Burgundian classics but recreating them with his personal touch in a way that will make epicures explore and admire Burgundy’s cuisine. His food menu not only boasts of use of some exceptional French cheese but also meats like quail, duck, rabbit and much more.

One cannot hold a Burgundy celebration sans wines. The reason for the reverence of wines from Burgundy is that they are produced in limited amounts, hence are expensive and not available widely. The reds from Burgundy are made from Pinot Noir grape varietal while the whites come from Chardonnay. The Burgundy fest at Le Cirque Signature is offering wine enthusiasts a wonderful avenue to enjoy some of the premium Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Beaujolais, Chassagne Montrachet by the glass rather than having to engage in purchase of entire bottle.

In order to match the exceptional food Chef Lorenzo is dishing up, in-house sommelier Jimmy Writer has paired classic Burgundy wines in a way that the body of wine compliments the body of food.

So here what you can expect in terms of food and suggested wines with each of the dishes to have a splendid Burgundy dinner experience:

APPETIZER COURSE:
This course reflects the simplicity of the region’s produce and Chef Lorenzo has gone to the extent of not sourcing but making his own chevre or goat cheese for a dish. The CHEVRE CHAUD entails goat cheese smeared on a buttered, French baguette slice, which is then toasted in the oven. Served along with an unpretentious lettuce salad, the dish is simple yet sumptuous in its own right.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay

Quails are a prevalent sight in Burgundy countryside and form part of the diet of local folk. The quails have merely been seared in butter and served up with fresh vegetables as CAILLE SALADE.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Joseph Faiveley Mersault

Burgundy abounds in wild asparagus so it’s only befitting that they are included in the festival menu. Chef Lorenzo is cooking locally available asparagus in cream, milk, butter and encasing them in a French crepe. These are then topped with oodles of cheese and gratinated to arrive at the dish called GRATIN DES LEGUMES.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages

COQ AU VIN

MAIN COURSE:
Chef Lorenzo hails from Italy so through the first dish in this course he is bringing the best of French and Italian cuisines to the fore with his CANARDE A L’ORANGE raviolli. The Canarde A L’Orange already has both the French and Italians vying for its origins, so chef thought of treading an interesting path with this sole pasta dish in a French menu. Roasted duck has been carefully enveloped into pasta sheets and doused with bigarade or orange sauce. A garnish of dried orange slices completes this sought after dish.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages

A Burgundy food trail would be incomplete without the presence of COQ AU VIN or chicken that has been gradually braised in red wine. This dish originated as a one pot meal made for Sunday afternoons. Legend has it that women would mix the ingredients and on the way to church for Sunday mass would leave their pots at the local bakery to be put in the oven for cooking. On the way back from the mass the pots would be collected and the breads would be purchased from the same bakery. Recreating this story chef is serving the Coq Au Vin in a copper pot covered with short crust that takes up the part of the bread in the story. Also, the short crust proves a great way of cutting through the tanginess of the wine.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Joseph Faiveley Chassagne Montrachet

Combining elements of the royal French dish of Lièvre à la Royale consisting of wild hare meat and Burgundian rabbit stew, Chef Lorenzo has created LAPIN ROYALE that entails not wild hare but rabbit meat made into a roulade that ensconces foie gras and mirepoix (diced vegetables) flavoured with black truffle. A carrot puree and baby potatoes form accompaniments to this roulade.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin

BAKED BRIE SOUR RATATOUILLE is the only vegetarian offering in this course and comprises of fresh brie cheese baked in oven to achieve a molten texture and this is then served along with a tart vegetable stew.
Suggested Wine Pairing: Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages

CHARLOTTE

DESSERT COURSE:
This course has two archetypal French sweet delights paired with not wine but yet another characteristic alcoholic French beverage, the cognac. The first one being TARTE TARTIN or the popular upside-down pie comprising of butter-sugar caramelised apple chunks served with vanilla ice cream. The second sweet delight is a decadent berry preparation called CHARLOTTE that consists of raspberry mousse and savoiardi (lady fingers) biscuits. A dash of dried flower salt plays the role of garnish in this dessert.

So, do not miss this rare opportunity of experiencing the revered food and wines of Burgundy this month only at Le Cirque Signature at The Leela Mumbai.

Till then, HAPPY EATING…