The Harrods Guide to Gourmet Food
Words by Bill Knott
Can Champagne be too cold? How does the way that smoked salmon is cut affect the flavour? And did you know that when it comes to making the most of truffles, keeping it simple is the secret? You may be au fait with the finest fare, but are you up to speed with the best way to enjoy it? When it comes to the world’s most decadent food and drink, these dos and don’ts should help steer you in the right direction.
Oysters
Oysters are graded according to size – connoisseurs often choose the medium-sized 3 – and should be eaten soon after opening. Try them with mignonette sauce, a mix of finely diced shallot, wine vinegar and cracked black pepper. Rock oysters are also (purists, look away now) delicious cooked and served on the half shell, most famously to make oysters Rockefeller, for which they are typically covered in a deep-green herb-rich sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and grilled until bubbling. Find them in many of our restaurants, from Sushi by MASA to the Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar.
Caviar
Only a bone, wooden or mother-of-pearl spoon should be used to taste caviar – metal can taint the flavour. Ideally, the tin should sit over crushed ice, with crème fraîche and a mound of warm blinis alongside. Alternatively, for a truly decadent breakfast, spoon caviar over buttery scrambled eggs piled onto toasted brioche, allowing 30g per person for the full experience; as the saying goes, there is only one thing worse than no caviar, and that is not enough caviar. Read our Caviar Guide to discover more on how to properly store, serve and cook with the delicacy.
Champagne
Champagne is one of the most versatile of wines, unmatched as an aperitif but also pairing beautifully with food. A delicate blanc de blancs, made from 100 per cent chardonnay grapes, is perfect with seafood, while a richer pinot-based blanc de noir is great with cheese and charcuterie. Beware of serving it too cold as that will suppress the wine’s myriad aromas and nuanced flavours – around 10˚C is the suggested optimum drinking temperature.
Bubbling over with more fizz-related queries? Check out our Champagne Guide and discover our buyers' eight toast-worthy bottles for Christmas in The Best Party-Perfect Champagnes.
Black Truffles
The black Périgord truffle – named after its heartland in southwest France – is arguably the most prized fungus on the planet. Should you manage to get your hands on a ‘black diamond’, carefully brush any soil from its surface, use a truffle grater or mandolin to shave it into thin wafers, then use it simply: among the layers of a potato gratin; as a luxurious garnish for fried or scrambled eggs; or over a pasta dish, perhaps. There is no shortage of truffle condiments at Harrods; from oils and honeys to salts and sauces, read our editor-approved picks in The Best Truffle Products to Serve This Season.
In this recipe for charcoal spaghetti with truffle-infused egg yolk and shaved truffle, the delicate taste of black truffle brings a whole new flavour profile to the egg, then is shaved to perfection to top it all off.
Serves 2
Cooking time 40 minutes (excluding the three-day truffle/egg infusion).
Ingredients:
200g fresh charcoal spaghetti
1 bulb garlic, top sliced off
15ml extra virgin olive oil
100g unsalted butter
1 black Périgord truffle
2 large eggs
Method:
1. Place the eggs and the whole truffle in a bowl with a fitted lid and refrigerate for three days to allow the aroma of the truffle to permeate the shell of the eggs.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lay the garlic bulb on a sheet of foil, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Gather the corners of the foil to create a sealed parcel and bake for 35 minutes or until the garlic is golden and tender.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a little salt. Drop in the fresh pasta and cook for 2 minutes or until it is just off al dente.
4. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in another large pan and squeeze in the cloves from the garlic. Using the back of a fork, crush the garlic to a smooth paste. Add 60ml of pasta water, stir to form a sauce, then add the cooked pasta and stir to coat. The pasta should be glossy with a thin layer of sauce adhering to it; add a little more pasta water if needed.
5. Divide the pasta between two bowls. Separate the eggs and gently place each truffle-infused raw yolk onto the nest of pasta; then generously top the pasta with truffle shavings.
Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon is usually either long-sliced, in which instance the blade is held parallel to the fish, or D-cut, where the slicing is perpendicular to the side of salmon. Connoisseurs often choose the latter: the taste is different on the surface (the belly of the fish), in the centre and next to the skin, so the D-cut offers the perfect balance of all three in one mouthful. Serve with warmed blinis and crème fraîche – and bear in mind that the best smoked salmon absolutely doesn’t need drenching in lemon juice.
Ready to put your new knowledge to the test? Make sure you're serving in style with a table dressed to the nines and our pick of the most sophisticated glassware, tableware, and cutlery.
