Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience
The Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience for 2015 started with a buzz as the guests arrived in the Italian resort of Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley. This very special epicurean journey kicked off with a visit to Heston’s new signature Alpine surprise. Culinary wizards Heston Blumenthal, Marcus Wareing and Sat Bains along with Italian chef, Maura Gosio were the leading guests on another tantalizing gourmet adventure.
Heston, renowned for his multi-sensory approach to cooking, headed up the event, guests lifted off from his Perfectionists’ Café in the new Terminal 2 at Heathrow in London.
Seventy guests converged in Courmayeur to start three whole days of indulging in fabulous food and drink – including one rustic and one gourmet dinner on the mountain, served up by Sat and Marcus.
On the mountain Marcus and Sat prepared a ‘sharing’ menu of a couple of courses each. The pasta course was a creation from the hosting restaurant. The first night was the gourmet night with Maura Gosio, so the menu is much more extensive.
The second night was the rustic evening so the menu is a lot shorter and more relaxed. It again included the hosting restaurants pasta course. The highlighted dishes are the ones the duo cooked.
Please see below menus for dishes.
About: Heston Blumenthal is famous for his unique culinary vision. He has received international acclaim for introducing the world to multi-sensory cooking and is often described as a culinary alchemist. Heston joining guests for dinner; Second night rustic multi-sensory approach to the dining experience, but also his relentless research into nostalgia and historic British gastronomy.
Heston Blumenthal is proprietor of three Michelin starred The Fat Duck, two Michelin starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, one Michelin starred The Hinds Head, The Crown at Bray village pub, and The Perfectionists’ Café. His restaurants have been voted the best in the world and have remained at the top of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the last ten years. In addition to his career as a chef, Heston has written seven cookbooks and has a starred in several television series. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry and was awarded an O.B.E. by Her Majesty the Queen for his services to British Gastronomy.
About Marcus Wareing: Marcus Wareing is the owner of Marcus Wareing Restaurants including his eponymous Knightsbridge restaurant Marcus where he is Chef Patron, The Gilbert Scott, an elegant bar and brasserie at The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and Tredwell’s, the newest venture which opened in Autumn 2014, a vibrant West End eatery on Upper St Martin’s Lane.
Marcus, Berkeley Hotel, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RL
The two Michelin starred Marcus (formerly Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley) reopened in March 2014 following a stunning refurbishment, bringing a relaxed formality to the dining experience in a new, elegant and contemporary setting. With Marcus at the helm, working closely with Head Chef Mark Froydenlund, the heart of the food remains the same, delivering modern European menus with British influence using the highest quality produce, creative thought and exacting execution. marcuswareing.com
About Sat Bains: Sat Bains is chef/patron of Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms in Nottingham. He has been recognized by fellow chefs and food writers from all over the world for his innovative style of cuisine. Since opening his restaurant in 2002, he has garnered two Michelin stars, the ultimate 5 Rosettes from the AA, 9 out of 10 in the Good Food Guide and two honorary university degrees. Sat has long championed the use of quality local produce and artisans and has represented the UK at worldwide gastronomic congresses including Japan, the USA and Australia. He has made numerous television appearances including Great British Menu, Saturday Kitchen, The Roux Scholarship and Market Kitchen.
His debut book titled “Too Many Chiefs, Only One Indian” was released in October 2012 and has won eight international awards including Best Designed Cookbook at the annual awards of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in San Francisco.
About Maura Gosio; Maura Gosio recently joined the team at the 5* Grand Hotel Royal & Golf in Courmayeur, one of the most renowned hotels in the Aosta Valley. Maura is closely involved with the hotel’s main restaurant as well as the smaller “Le Petit Royal” which is also in the hotel and was recently awarded 1 Michelin Star. Maura and her husband Andrea Corradi who runs the hotel bar, began their adventure in 1999 opening La Piazzetta in Ferno in the province of Varese which was awarded a Michelin star in 2005.After a brief collaboration with the restaurant Al Quarto in Cremona, Maura came to the Grand Hotel Royal & Golf in December 2012 where the Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience guests will be staying in the heart of Courmayeur on the pedestrian area of Via Roma.Maura’s cuisine can be summed up in this quote: “My passion for cooking began at home, where I used to invite friends and I enjoyed experimenting with all types of ingredients found in the local markets.” Maura has a very respectable CV with the Michelin star she obtained at La Piazzetta in Ferno in the Varese Province and she has a philosophy: cooking is not a job but a passion! A passion that the gourmet restaurant of the Grand Hotel Royal e Golf in Courmayeur embraces in full. Maura’s menu is characterized by traditional Italian flavours and particularly those of the Aosta Valley. She focuses on simple ingredients found in local markets in sophisticated combinations with a highly personalised presentation.
Momentum Ski was set up by Loredana Barindelli and Amin Momen in 1996. Momentum Ski offers a fantastic personalised tailor- made service for short skiing breaks & holidays to the best destinations in the Alps. Their experienced sales team can advise on the right resorts to suit any requirements, arranging flights, private transfers or car hire and hotel accommodation, with insider tips to give a complete and cohesive package with carefree enjoyment and the peace of mind that ATOL protection offers. momentumski.com/services/
Momentum Ski has experience in the ski industry dating back to 1986. With a team of ten full-time staff, Momentum Ski has been voted the UK’s Best Winter Corporate Operator, and taken thousands of happy skiers and snowboarders to the Alps. The core principles: unforgettable Alpine experiences put together with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the mountains and the craftsmanship of a Savile Row tailor. Visit momentumski.com
La Chaumiere Gourmet Dinner
10 January 2015
Loch Duart salmon ‘Mariniere,’ dill, roe
Salmone Loch Duart alla marinara, aneto, uova di pesce
Sat Bains
Saffron rice, chicken oyster, green tea, black truffle
Riso giallo, ostrica di pollo, te verde e tartufo nero
La Chaumiere
Dorset crab, cucumber, sorbe
Granchio di Dorset, cetriolo, sorbe
Marcus Wareing
Quail, beetroot, turnip
Quaglia, barbabietola, rapa
Marcus Wareing
Braised mutton, shallot ‘textures’
Montone brasato, consistenze di scalogno
Sat Bains
Chocolate, yoghurt, cumin, lime
Yogurt al cioccolato, cumino, lime
Sat Bains
Limoncello, ice tea, meringue
Limoncello, te freddo, Meringa
Marcus Wareing
Wines
Metodo Classico 2010 Ermes Pavese;
Petite Arvine 2012, Elio Ottin
Istante 2004 Franz Haas (magnum)
Passito di Pantelleria 2007, Ferrandes