Wirral Life February 2020 | Page 38

W L THE ART SCHOOL 'A SPECIAL GUEST DINNER WITH TOM PARKER' by Karen Booth Last month saw top chef Paul Askew invite notable guest chefs to his restaurant for evenings of culinary excellence. Our evening saw Michelin Star Chef Tom Parker of The White Swan, Fence and of the Great British Menu fame take the helm and join forces with Paul to welcome diners to sample some exquisite food in the beautiful surroundings of the Art School Restaurant. sublime mushroom sauce with the added delicious crispy chicken skin, which brought the dish to a truly superb level. The evening commenced in the Art School Cellars bar with a welcome reception of Charles Hiedsieck Champagne and Art School canapés. This was to be followed by a fantastic gastronomic journey with matching wine flights. The general feel of the menu had Japanese influences running through most of the dishes with a modern British twist and using only the finest ingredients. To begin... MAIN COURSE Yorkshire venison, Hen of the woods, celeriac and perigord truffles. A truly beautifully executed and presented dish. Melt in the mouth venison with a wonderful sauce and enhanced by the taste of texture of the fantastically intense perigord truffles. The entire dish was cooked to perfection. CHEF’S SNACKS AND AMUSE BOUCHE Chicken liver parfait with shavings of foie gras with freshly baked sourdough. Delicious creamy and indulgent. Poached Morecambe bay oyster with January king cabbage and an oyster emulsion. Morecombe bay shrimp broth with Rouille. Each seperate dish was incredible and worked perfectly as the pre starters to our main menu. TO START Marinated Orkney scallop, English wasabi, yuzu, dill and sturgeon caviar. The freshest delicate seared scallop with a fantastic depth of flavour from the wasabi. The flavours and textures married perfectly with dill and caviar. Wine pairing: Minius Godello, Spain 2017 - A very live yellow colour with hints of citrus and floral aromas, along with white fruits notes and herbs like fennel, soft and elegant in mouth. INTERMEDIATE West coast turbot with seaweed dashi, shiitake mushrooms and chicken skin. This was a truly outstanding dish with the most amazing depth of flavour from the exquisitely cooked turbot to the 38 wirrallife.com Wine pairing: Domaine du Monteillet St Joseph ‘Cuvee du Papy’ France 2016. The purity of Northern Rhône Syrah and the delicate perfume of violets shine through. A refined bottle of wine. Wine pairing: Podere Castorani, Amorino, Casauria Montepulciano D ‘Abruzzo, Italy 2013. A delicious deep ruby red, with violet notes, spicy liquorice, aroma’s of small forests fruits, with light hints of pepper, vanilla, and chocolate. PRE DESSERT Hot and cold caramel. DESSERT Michel Cluizel chocolate soufflé, liquid centre coconut and Mexican lime. The soufflé of all soufflés. Theatre on a plate. The most exquisite light and fluffy soufflé, hand served coconut centre with a wonderful rich and velvety chocolate sauce. Exceptional. Wine pairing: Cline Cellars, Late Harvest Mourvedre, California 2016. This wine is luxuriously sweet and divinely tempting. Layers of coffee, chocolate, black berries and prunes. A truly wonderful gastronomic journey from start to finish with the highest levels of service and attention to detail at every stage. Bravo to Paul and Tom for a fantastic evening.