A Taste of Provence

The luxury hotel and restaurant association, Relais & Chateaux located on Beauchamp Place, asked Mackintosh’s to cater for its South of France themed event for its Provencale, French Riviera and Corsican delegation.  As a special attraction two Michelin star chefs, Chef Jean-André Charial from Oustau de Baumanière and Chef Serge Gouloumes, from Les Mas Candille were invited to demonstrate a special dish from their hotel in front of the guests.  As can be imagined everyone was soon queuing to watch and taste their culinary expertise.  Mackintosh’s was very proud to be working along side these well-known and extremely talented chefs and hope that in the near future Relais & Chateaux will have a similar event to test its culinary expertise.   

Chef Gouloumes prepared wild sea bass with baby artichokes. 

WILD SEABASS AND BABY ARTICHOKES
Â
Ingredients:
(for 4 people)
Â
8 baby artichokes
2 spring onions
4 150gms wild sea bass fillets
2 baby fennel bulbs
8 baby asparagus spears
6 cloves garlic
3 sprigs Chervil
3 sprigs of Chives
½ liter of chicken consume (cube form can be used)
Salt and ground white pepper
50 gms butter
100 gms of softly whipped cream.
Good quality lemon oil.
2 edible flowers with the leaves torn into small pieces.
Â
Steps:

1. Peel the artichokes: Remove 3 or 4 layers of leaves, keeping only the tenderest part. Using a paring knife, peel the outside of the base without detaching it from the leaves. Cut right across each artichoke to remove the upper half of the leaves.
2. Finely chop the spring onions 
3. Quarter the fennel length wise. 
4. Cut the asparagus length wise.
5. Blanche the fennel and asparagus in boiling water, then plunge in iced water and drain.
6. Pour half the olive oil into a well-heated sauté over medium heat.
7. Sweat, with minimal colouring, the artichokes, fennel, onions, halved garlic cloves.
8. Add the chicken consume.
9. Let simmer 10 minutes until cooked but crisp. Adjust seasoning and add the herbs (keeping a little aside for decoration) and asparagus and set aside.
10. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the raw fillets.
11. On the baking tray, season the flesh side with salt and ground white pepper.
12. Place under the broiler three minutes, skin side up.  Be careful not to overcook the fish, so when cooked leave in a warm place for a couple of minutes until ready to serve. 
13. Reheat the sauce and vegetables and stir in the butter and cream.   
14. Spoon the vegetables and sauce on to the plates carefully placing on top the fish skin side down.   
15. Sprinkle on the lemon oil, the flower leaves and remaining herbs.