Executive Chef Heinrich Lauber of La Terrasse, the 16 points GaultMillau restaurant at the Bellevue Palace in Bern, Switzerland, shares his recipes for a delicious three-course dinner.
Not many chefs can say that they were invited three times to the White House by United States Presidents (Bush, Reagan, and Clinton); then again, not many chefs have such as interesting life as that of Executive Chef Heinrich Lauber of La Terrasse at the Bellevue Palace.
He is a member of the Club des Chefs des Chefs, an elite membership of chefs for Heads of State, and it was in this capacity that he was invited to the White House. In addition to his Executive Chef position at the Bellevue Palace, he also cooks when there is a state visit to Parliament, located next door to the hotel.
Now approaching his 25th year at the Bellevue Palace, Chef Lauber's career has taken him around the world, working with Hilton Hotels for twenty years in (Rome) Italy, Kuwait, Malta, (Caracas) Venezuela, (São Paulo) Brazil (where his son was born), (Amsterdam) Holland, (Cairo) Egypt, and (Geneva) Switzerland before joining the Bellevue Palace. Chef Lauber is someone that has always wanted "to look to the future." When the owner of the Bellevue Palace approached him re: working at La Terrasse, he told the owner his culinary plans, and the owner said, "Okay, do what you want." Chef Lauber said, "We do what we want in the kitchen; it is a wild kitchen, and an honest kitchen." His diligence has earned him 16 points GaultMillau, to which he modestly added, "How I obtained the 16 points during my time, I do not know." Having seen this dynamo in action, and tasted his culinary prowess, he earned the points the old fashioned way, through dedicated hard work and passion.
La Terrasse Menu
Pan-fried Halibut with Crunchy Fried Scallions and Mashed Pumpkin
Oven Roasted Strip loin of Milk-fed Veal with Tarragon and Potato Basket with Artichoke Bottoms and Wild Mushrooms
Pear Half in Poire Williams Cream with Cocoa Sherbet
Pan-fried Halibut with Crunchy Fried Scallions and Mashed Pumpkin
Pumpkin
Method: Cook the pumpkin until tender, mash and season to taste with fresh cream, butter, salt and pepper.
Halibut
Ingredients:
|
100 |
grams (3.5 ounces) |
Halibut (1 whole filet) |
|
|
|
Lemon |
|
|
|
Salt and pepper |
|
|
|
Olive oil |
|
|
|
Scallions and celery leaves (garnish) |
Preparation: Season the halibut with the salt and pepper, add lemon juice and olive oil, and panfry the fish. Deep-fry the scallions and place on top of the fish, and garnish with the hearts of celery leaves.
Oven Roasted Strip Loin of Milk-fed Veal with Tarragon and Potato Basket with Artichoke Bottoms and Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients:
|
60 |
grams each |
Roasted strip loin of veal (2 slices) |
|
3 |
tablespoons |
Veal stock, slightly thickened |
|
|
|
Reduction of red wine, tarragon leaves removed om tarragon vinegar, butter, salt and pepper to taste |
|
1 |
|
Potato basket (deep-fried using a basket maker) small roasted potatoes, artichoke bottoms, and an assortment of wild mushrooms found at the market (steinpilze, pfifferlinge, and fresh shitake). |
Presentation: Arrange the roasted veal on a plate and pool the reduction sauce around the meat, top with the potato basket filled with the roasted potatoes, artichoke bottoms, and mushrooms.
Pear Half in Poire Williams Cream with Cocoa Sherbet
Preparation: Place half of a pear in puff pastry cut to resemble a pear, and bake. Meanwhile, thin pastry cream with whipped and fresh cream mixed with Poire William Brandy. Serve the dessert warm, with cocoa sherbet or chocolate ice cream.
Presentation: Place the pear in the center of the plate, pool the sauce around the pear, place the sherbet off to the side of the pear, and decorate.
Read other articles on the Bellevue Palace in the Hotels and Resorts and Restaurants sections.
La Terrasse
Bellevue Palace
Kochergasse 3-5
CH 3001 Bern
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 31 320 4545
Fax: +41 31 311 4743
Email: info@bellevue-palace.ch
www.Bellevue-Palace.ch
The Bellevue Palace Bern is part of the Victoria-Jungfrau Collection, www.Victoria-Jungfrau-Collection.ch.
Read other articles on Switzerland in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants,Chefs' Recipes, Spas, Liquor Cabinet, Wine Cellar, Gastronomy, Luxury Products, and Adventures sections.
For information on Switzerland, please visit: www.MySwitzerland.com. For information on Lucerne: www.Luzern.org. For information on Interlaken: www.InterlakenTourism.ch.
For information on Bern: www.BernInfo.com. For information on Zurich: www.Zuerich.com. For information on Swiss International Air Lines: www.swiss.com. For information on the Swiss Pass: www.SwissTravelSystem.com.
© March 2007. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.
