Michael and the team launched a new lunchtime menu today, complementing our dinner selections that started several weeks ago. A few new additions include: Rocket Salad with black olives and Parmesan cheese, Soft Shell Crab with spicy remoulade, Lobster Friccassee with gnocchi and English peas, Whole Roasted Fish of the Day with lemon thyme and Spring Vegetable Cocotte.
Soft Shell Crab with spicy remoulade
Whole Roasted Fish of the Day with lemon thyme
Not too long ago we added the French Onion Soup Souffle to our lunch menu and its been a real hit! Some of you have even been asking for the recipe. So, here it is! Send me an email (brian@blueducktavernblog.com) if you try to make it at home.
French Onion Soup Souffle
Ingredients
Base:
1 cup milk
2 1/2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
4 egg yolks
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Egg Whites:
1 cup egg whites
1 1/2 tsp egg white powder
1/4 cup base
Building the Dish:
Parmesan cheese
butter
3 to 4 0z onion soup
1 cruton
shredded Gruyere
egg white base mixture
Method
Base: Make roux, add milk and simmer. Pull from flame and temper in yolks. Blend in cheese.
Egg whites: Whip egg whites and powder to little more than medium peak. Fold in 1/4 cup base.
Building the dish: Butter old, line with Parmesan, shaking out excess. Add hot onion soup. Place cruton on top of soup. Add a thin layer of Gruyere, top with egg whites and bake until golden brown.
Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 31! Cochon 555 - Washington, D.C. "5 pigs, 5 chefs, 5 winemakers" at Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.
Cochon 555 is the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity. Watch as I compete against other area chefs, including RJ Cooper (Vidalia), Nicholas Stefanelli (Mio), Jamie Leeds (Commonwealth Gastropub) and John Manolatos (Cashion's East Place) for the title of "Prince of Porc." We will each prepare a heritage breed hog from head to toe. Guests and professional judges will determine the winner based on creative, classic preparation and overall best flavor.
The event also raises awareness for ICompassion, an organization that works to reduce the number of individuals who die from kidney disease each year through providing support with a national live donor registry.
Celebrating a graduation this weekend? Gather with family and friends for a special three-course brunch at Blue Duck Tavern. This Sunday, May 17, from 10:30 am to 3:45 pm, you can choose from a variety of hors d'oeuvres spread throughout our open kitchen, followed by your choice of an entree and seasonal side dishes. Brunch concludes with housemade desserts from the pastry pantry.
See you on Sunday! Hopefully no rain so you can dine on the terrace.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, our pastry team participated in last night's Sweet Charity event, benefiting Heart of America. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, but our marketing department was on hand assisting Laurent with his sweets table and Minh and Kevin with the fashion show! A big thank you to the team for spending countless hours perfecting our desserts and creating such an incredible, edible costume. I also want to thank my colleague Anne, for volunteering to be our model, Belle from Beauty of the Beast. She looked sweet!!!
Tonight we are bringing our pastry team to Mandarin Oriental to participate in this year's Sweet Charity event, benefiting the Heart of America Foundation, which provides books to disadvantaged children.
Laurent has been working hard in the pastry kitchen, preparing an assortment of sweets to feed the hundreds of attendees. From what I can see, it looks he'll be satisfying one's sweet tooth with chocolate apricot macaroons, strawberry marshallows, almond mini cakes and more.
The second part of the evening includes a chocolate fashion show, sponsored by Des Alpes. Each of the participating models are wearing clothing predominately decorated with chocolate and sugar, a metaphor for every child's sweetness. My colleague, Minh, has been working day and night, designing the perfect Beauty and the Beast "Belle" costume, as this year's theme is literally classics. Here are a few pictures of the preparation. Stay tuned for the finished product tomorrow.
This year, we were once again fortunate to partner with Heart's Delight Wine Tasting & Auction, benefiting the American Heart Association. Kicking off this three-day celebration of food, wine and camaraderie, we hosted an intimate, four-course, Chef's Table dinner last night, featuring the wines of Chateau Guiraud, presented by Xavier Planty and Domaine de Chevalier, presented by Olivier Bernard. Thank The evening's dinner party was generously sponsored by Argy, Wiltse & Robinson, PC and Jeffrey Schragg & Mary Jo George.
A big thank you to Argy, Wiltse & Robinson, PC and Jeffrey Schragg & Mary Jo George for sponsoring the evening's event, which started with a champagne reception and hors d'oeuvres.
Heart's Delight is widely recognizable as a premier destination event where master winemakers, culinary greats and distinguished guests gather to play and bid in the nation's capital. This distinctive event is a three-day celebration of cozy dinners to grand tastings.
The 2009 RAMMY Awards (Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington) are almost here! Now through May 10, you have the opportunity to vote for your favorite area restaurant.
Be sure to visit the RAMMY's public voting page at http://www.ramw.org/vote/vote.php, and type in Blue Duck Tavern as your favorite restaurant!!!
Thank you to the experts at The Washington Post and the Going Out Guide, the paper's online entertainment source, for choosing Blue Duck Tavern as a "Best Bet". Blue Duck was selected from hundreds of local restaurants and is currently featured in the "Best Desserts" category.
According to the Guide, it's our American specialties (sugar cookies, cheesecake, and apple pie) that make us a winner! Congrats to Laurent and his team for creating such mouthwatering desserts!
Hopefully this Sunday's weather will be much better than last week's, after all, it's Mother's Day! If you haven't made brunch plans yet, we still have a few reservations available.
Blue Duck will offer a special three-course menu from 10:30 am to 3:45 pm. Our holiday brunch starts with an array of hors d'oeuvres spread throughout the restaurant's open kitchen, followed by your choice of entree and side dishes and concludes with an abundance of housemade desserts from the pastry pantry.
This year's menu will include Pacific Roasted Halibut with Zinfandel Reduction, Jumbo Lump Crabcakes with Remoulade Sauce, Muscovy Duck Breast with Braised Leg, and Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish and Natural Jus.
