This afternoon I had a tasting on the Yachts de Paris with some clients who are getting married here next month. As you can imagine, one of the many perks of being a wedding planner in Paris is attending the tastings. This particular wedding reception will be a “cocktail dinatoire” instead of a sit-down dinner, and my clients have chosen to have several different stations (called “Animations“) set up around the boat. One of the stations that we sampled today was the Foie Gras Station, and it was absolute heaven.
The buffet was laid out with 3 different types of foie gras, (including an amazing foie gras cinq epices), several different types of breads, and about a half dozen glass bowls which held a colorful selection of spices and sauces. After you choose your foie gras and bread, the chef (who
stands behind the station) skillfully puts your selection together, then leaves it to you to create your masterpiece: a dash of fleur de sel with chopped parsley, a daub of tomato, mango and almond compote, or how about a balsamic-soaked cherry on top? And as if that wasn’t enough, the chef also creates foie gras “lollipops”- a creamy foie gras sandwiched between thin slices of beet-red “pain rustique” and served on a skewer. So delicious!
It being France (where weddings, like everything else, are ALL ABOUT THE FOOD) the tasting didn’t stop there. My clients are also having a Côte de Veau Sation, where the chef serves up tiny plates of thinly sliced, perfectly prepared veal, and guests select their accompaniment: mashed potatoes with grilled pistachios, warm almond-infused figs, or (you guessed it!) foie gras.
We also tried about a dozen of the passed appetizers. The venue did a great job of adding American touches to the French menu: mini hotdogs and mini hamburgers were served alongside things like Macaron Glacé Carotte Coriandre (chilled carrot and cilantro macarons), and it really worked.
No French wedding would be complete without the cheese course, and even though we were literally bursting at the seams, we had to partake. Which really left us no room for the dessert buffet (although I did manage to squeeze in a Brochette Pasteque à la Menthe, which looked like tiny little snow-globes but were actually made of melon with mint jello).
Three hours after we’d arrived, we rolled off the boat and down the street, desperately searching for a cab… because we were late for the cake tasting! La vie est belle…
Côte de Veau Station
Veau with mashed potatoes, fig and foie gras
The cheese station (the manager assured us the presentation would
be much bigger on the Big Day!)
Selection of appetizers
Melon Mint Jello Snow-globe!
• To make the meringue, beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar plus 2 tablespoons of water on a low speed for 10 minutes.
