Confrerie de la Chaine Des Rotisseurs
Young Talent Wows Garden State at
Shakamaxon
November 19, 2006
Oh to be young, gifted and wearing chef whites! Ryan Foo, a young chef at the Shakamaxon Country Club in n Scotch Plains provided one of the highlights of the fall season with a stunning dinner in November in the club’s warm and welcoming living room. Foo won the first place in the Mid Atlantic region’s annual Jeune Commis competition in 2006 and went on to place fourth in the in the national competition held at the CIA last summer. Tonight he would be cooking for his fellow members of the Garden State bailliage.
Warmed by a roaring fire in the fireplace and the hospitality of the club’s staff headed by manager Jerome Louie, we began with champagne and hors d’oeuvres presented buffet style. Lovely fresh and smoked seafood delicacies set the stage for a dinner that we would have a hard time forgetting. In what our bailliage has found to be a great deal of fun, members brought their own wines to dinner.
We began with a crustille of frog legs, presented with a creamy risotto and fresh herb sauce. Tender bits of frog legs filled the crustille complimented perfectly by the herbs in the presentation. The next course of pan seared cornmeal crusted diver scallop and poached Maine lobster first dazzled us with the simple beauty of its presentation then with its interesting tastes of fava bean relish, fizzled leeks and crisp shallots, anointed with a vanilla bean vinaigrette.
Foo continued to show us the range of his talent with a beef carpaccio also presented artistically with mache greens, Kalamata olive oil, Meyer lemon, capers and fresh herbs. The presentation was a stunning and pleasant surprise.
Also presented beautifully was the pomegranate and cherry espuma that prepared us for the main course of bacon wrapped oven roasted tenderloin. The pork was beautifully accented with sweet potato puree, a wild mushroom fricassee, roasted asparagus, caramelized pecans, and aged balsamic and port reduction. The balsamic underscored the rich tastes of this dish perfect for a fall evening,
The dessert plate combined a number of decadent and delicious tastes, a warm chocolate gateau, Bailey’s Irish ice cream, and Frangelico Malt – dishes that appealed to many of the senses.
Balli Robin Jacobs and Balli Provincial George Muller brought out the club’s kitchen and service brigades for recognition. Executive Chef Richard Bishop, who entertained the bailliage on other occasions, introduced Foo who received a Chaine plate from Jacobs. Louie also received a Chaine platter for his many gifts to the chapter. The hearty applause recognized that we had all been at the beginning moments of what is sure to be an exciting and successful career for Foo.