Valentine’s Lunch Fit For Royalty originally published on Food and Fond Memories on February 16, 2016 by sandyaxelrod 0 Comments (Edit)
Valentine’s Lunch Fit For Royalty
Country House Cook Penny Lewis and Me
On the most romantic day of the year my husband Steve and I were invited to a Valentine’s Day lunch. What made this so special was that this lunch was prepared by country house cook Penny Lewis who is in South Florida for the month. Chef Penny hails from Great Britain and has the distinct honor of being one of the chef’s to cook for Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip. What Penny lacks in size she more than makes up for with with tenacity. Don’t let her quiet demeanor fool you because in the kitchen she is a real Welsh dragon! According to Penny she is not a chef because she doesn’t cook in a restaurant, catering hall or large-service facility. She calls herself a country house cook because “dinner parties with ladies dressed in gowns and men in their their tuxedos or smoking jackets are more her style.
Seared Scallops with Tomato Consommé and Julienne of Courgette
When Penny isn’t preparing delicious meals for the posh set she holds cooking classes at her storybook cottage near Abergavenny, Wales. Her students live at The Culinary Cottage while they are learning the techniques of basic cooking and the intricacies of haute cuisine. Somehow in her busy schedule she has carved out a spot for Wellington, Florida to visit friends and bring her magnificent meals to a select few very lucky people. And Steve and I were among the fortunate few.
We were invited for 12:45pm with service at 1. Upon arrival we enjoyed a Pimm’s Aperitif and a few moments to meet the other guests. Promptly at one we were seated at a beautifully and properly set table and our champagne flutes were filled. Our first course was a lovely dish of perfectly Seared Scallops with Tomato Consommé and a Julienne of Courgette (Zucchini). It was a delicately balanced dish where the sweet succulent scallops played nicely with the ever so slightly acidic tomato broth and the zucchini added another dimension with its slightly crunchy texture.
Beef in a Basket with Sliced Filet, Creamed Cauliflower, French Green Beans and Potatoes Anna
That was followed with an entrée of Beef in a Basket with Sliced Filet, Creamed Cauliflower, French Green Beans and Potatoes Anna. For me the real star on the plate was the Beef in a Basket. The meat was so richly flavored which can only happen when you cook the beef shank low and slow until it falls off the bone. And this fabulous meat was shredded and filled a beautifully golden and crisp, yet tender, puff pastry basket. The mushrooms, shallots and burgundy wine that the beef shank cooked in created the most amazing sauce for the filet and the buttery potato cake and green beans rounded out our main course.
Summer Fruit, Rose and Champagne Jellies with Hazelnut Crinkles
Our dessert was a perfect Valentine’s Day show stopper. The Summer Fruit in Rose and Champagne Jellies was as pretty as it was tasty. And the Hazelnut Crinkles that accompanied the dessert added a delightful change of pace with its nutty crunch. I can’t believe we have to wait a whole year to experience the joyful spirit and exquisite food of Penny Lewis!
