A little Nice dinner with Chef Jen Carroll!
A couple weeks ago, Eric saw an email about a little dinner party. He checked for tickets, and sent me a text message. I then looked at my email, and texted back, “Book it!!!” It’s not cheap, but it was worth every penny. The theme for that night’s dinner was the South of France, more specifically, Nice. For those of you new to my blog, one thing that you should know is that I love French cuisine. I love the smells, flavors, textures. The feeling that you’re not in the United States, but the country that you have decided to be transported too. The simplicity of not having to cook dinner, clean up the mess, or spend a ton of money to buy everything needed for said dinner.
In the case of our amazing hosts, preparing a five-course dinner for ten is not as harrowing as it may sound like! The menu was simply divine to the senses! We started with a classic done with a little twist, tuna nicoise. The classic version includes olives, frisee, potato, and chunks of tuna. This dish was not that. It was very elegantly plated with sea bean, pickled radish, and olive focaccia bread to pick everything up. It was a fantastic start.
The second course was a tomato roll, paired with a smoked creme fraiche, heirloom tomatoes, and basil. As an extra, there was some deliciously pickled mustard seeds as garnish. It was incredibly light, but very well balanced with the richness of the homemade bread. The dish made you think of cool breezes, and plenty of chilled wine during that perfect summer’s day. I could’ve had several more pieces!
The third course, let me tell you, was one of the best uses of simple ingredients. Scallop stuffed squash blossoms, perfectly fried, nothing seeping out, not greasy at all, paired with the most decadent corn soup you’ll probably have. It came with beautifully cooked fennel, with truffle buttered New Jersey corn. A symphony of richness, sweetness, with a touch of acidity. This, I must say was my favorite course because it incorporated incredibly fresh ingredients, and it was prepared in the simplest manner. And, I almost forgot to mention that that truffle butter was made from scratch, using real black truffles. Unless you want to spend a couple hundred dollars for a few ounces, get the truffle oil, and use sparingly.
The fourth course was the last savory dish, and trust me, it did not disappoint. It was by far Eric’s favorite dish of the night! Chicken Paillard, with English peas, braised leeks, and roasted chanterelle mushrooms. Perfectly done, the chicken breast was pounded out just thin enough to retain its juiciness, the chanterelles were perfectly tender. The perfume of homemade Herbs De Provence transported you to the South of France. It was a spectacular dish, and kudos to Chef Jen, and her partner, Chef Billy, for a beautiful dish.
For dessert, we had a stone fruit tart, with frangipane, honey glaze, and homemade mint ice cream. A lovely end to a fantastic dinner. When eating all the components, it brought to mind those Tastykake jellied krimpets that those of us born and raised in Philadelphia used to demolish like monsters when we were kids. A very nostalgic end to a fabulous dinner. I would like to thank Chef Jen, Chef Billy, our server Kim, and everyone that recorded and photographed, our amazing dinner. For more information on Chef Jen, her monthly dinner party series, events, etc. head over to Carroll Couture Cuisine, or any of her social media channels.
If you are looking for something different to do, check out Carroll Couture Cuisine, and Chef Jennifer Carroll! Au Revoir!
