ICAAC’s Traditional and Molecular Cuisine Dinner
THE CULMINATING dinners of the International Culinary Arts Academy of Cebu (ICAAC) graduates are one of my best dining experiences in Cebu.
Twenty-four graduates aspiring to be chefs presented “An evening of Food & Wine” under the tutelage of dean/chef Jeremy Young and chef Justin Mechill last Jan. 13. I wouldn’t miss the dinner even if it means driving through a downpour. Thankfully, I was able to negotiate the muddy excavations on the road leading to the new ICAAC school building in Guadalupe.
I welcomed a glass of sparkling white wine as my husband Ed and I took our seats to enjoy the 10-course dinner presented in small servings so each course can be enjoyed. We started with Hamachi and Ossietra Caviar (Russian sturgeon eggs). Duck Prosciutto followed this with homemade apple jelly. Prosciutto or Parma ham is a dry–cured ham. Duck breasts instead of the choice pig’s rump muscle were cured. Foie Gras, the prized goose liver I love was cooked sous vide, a modern method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time at an accurately determined temperature for even cooking using a Thermal Immersion Circulator. The delicately succulent Foie Gras was presented with gingerbread puree, strips of kabocha or Japanese winter squash, pomegranate reduction, gingerbread streusel and Japanese micro greens. The next course, the wickedly rich Beef Marrow, which was carefully boiled and roasted, was served with Toasted Brioche, Fried Capers and Himalayan Pink salt on the side. The tasty fat was good spread on the brioche. A light course, the Crab Meat on a bed of crisp greens tossed in cultured buttermilk with cream was not as guilt-free with the haligue (the female crab’s yellow-orange fat) vinaigrette. The Proseco Mirage, Italian sparking white wine, delightfully complemented the courses. To refresh our palates, Watermelon Granita with Mango Spheres was served. A novelty, mango spheres are prepared using hydrocolloids for molecular gastronomy where a substance (polysaccharides and proteins) forms a gel in contact with water. I have heard about molecular gastronomy from Manila chefs but I was delighted to know more about it. Actually, the molecular technique allows chefs to create almost any shape and achieve almost any texture using food without compromising the flavors.
The second part started with Gnocchi and Lobster followed by US Diver Scallop on Rice with Soy Foam, Edamame, Bonito Flakes and Wasabi Pearls. Here, the hydrocolloids are used again with the creation of soy foam and the wasabi pearls that bounced in my mouth. Chilean Bass with Pommes Maxim or thinly sliced potatoes baked with clarified butter completed the seafood courses, which were paired with Chardonnay, another sparkling white wine. For the meat courses,we had the Pork Belly, roasted and served with Chili Foam, Balsamic lace and Braised Mustard greens and US Angus Beef Wellington. Italian red wine drew out the flavors of the meat.
The Dessert Buffet was an assortment of petits fours prepared by the graduates under the direction of veteran Pastry Chef Gabriel Garcia.I singled out the scrumptious French Macarons and selected a few more—Nougat Montelimar, Coconut Truffle, Strawberry Jacket.
