Chapter 53

I set down my perfect Beef Wellington, and the accompanying sauce. On the outside the two looked identical, but Adam assured me that one had it’s wrapping slip a little under the pastry. I waited five minutes before presenting, because I wanted to give it a full 10 minutes to rest.

Susie was out with hers about 5 minutes before me, so they were beginning to cut into hers as I arrived. The decorations were cute, she had created little roses and thorn stem patterns across the top. I had picked a basic geometric design. The different coloration made it pop, while her decoration was the same uniform brown.

I noticed the three judges had discovered the extra bottle of wine, and helped themselves to a glass. I stepped back like Susie had, to watch.

“Chef Bramble, very nice work, please tell us about your dish.”

“I used button mushrooms, the handmade pastry, and prosciutto. The rose decorations are of my own design.”

They tried it, and enjoyed it. The meat was delightfully pink, when they praised the pastry, I offered my thanks.

“Chef Atwood, you made the pastry?” Ms Chambers asked.

“I’m not a fan of store bought pastry, I had the time over the weekend, so decided to make that an option.”

After each eating a slice of Susie’s, they sliced mine. Sitting back sipping their wine, Ms Chambers asked me to describe my dish.

“My Beef Wellington is a seared tenderloin wrapped in duxelles of shallots, porcini, hen of the woods, crimini, portobello, and chanterelle mushrooms, with a little thyme. That was then wrapped by Parma ham, and that is wrapped in a thin crepe with the purple flowers of chive and thyme. Finally, I used my handmade puff pastry, with a double egg wash and geometric design.”

She pointed at the pitcher of sauce, “Also there is a red wine reduction sauce to go with it.”

“Where did you learn to use the crepes as a layer?”

“I’ve taken a Beef Wellington Masterclass at a restaurant kitchen, and while they didn’t do it, they suggested it as an extra refinement. I’ve experimented since then to get it just right.”

“What about the sauce?” Mizz Kennedy asked.

“Some recipes call for it, others do not. I decided that I would leave it as an option.”

“I expected him to cook the recipe I gave him,” Susie objected.

I looked at her, “I challenged that I could cook a better dish, not that I could cook a recipe better. I brought sufficient ingredients so that you had the same options I did.”

“That was the challenge, the better dish. We will try it now,” Ms Chambers declared.

I waited as I watched them experience new and crisper flavors. Most people use cheap mushrooms because the other flavors tend to override them, but they really are necessary, and the mix I used brought something new to the dish. The crepes added a fourth dimension, with the garlicky thyme combination. They tried it without the sauce, then added it, and tried it again.

“Thank you, if the two of you will step out we will discuss our decision.”

I followed Susie out, and we stood away from the door. “That was fun,” I told her.

“Where did you take a Masterclass?” Susie asked.

“One of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants.”

“Jesus Christ. What dish should I have challenged you with?”

“Hard to say, I’ve perfected my puff pastry, and panna cotta recently, so dessert would be a poor choice. I can handle pretty much any meat dish, though my fish butchery needs work. Other than pizza, I don’t have much Italian experience, making fresh noodles and such, but I make a killer marinara. I do excellent sandwiches, and bon mi’s, plus I’m pretty good at pot stickers and bao buns.”

“What about breakfast?”

“I’d be happy to make you breakfast,” I said smiling at her.

She blushed at the innuendo, “How are your ice cream skills?”

“That’s more having the right machine and picking good ingredients than skill.”

“You have a point. I wonder if we could find something neither of us has made. I’m going to want a rematch.”

I let her insinuation that I had won already slide by untouched.

“I used to have my own garden, so I learned to pickle, preserve, and make my own jams. I tend to look for fresh from scratch options. What about you?”

“We’ve got about seventy recipes we cycle thru at the restaurant and I can make them all. Mostly French and French inspired dishes, but we do brunch as well as burgers and sandwiches for lunch.”

“Don’t forget those onion rings, they were amazing. I’d go for a batch or three anytime.”

“Yes, I read your article, thanks. I was afraid that if I beat you, you would take it out on the restaurant.”

“Never. I turned that article in today, so it’s in the can, barring requested revisions.”

“Still, it’s appreciated. I was so sure I was going to beat you.”

I decided to tackle it this time, “What makes you certain you lost, yours was technically perfect.”

“So was yours, and you win on flavor. That red wine sauce made my mouth water just from the smell, and when they cut into yours, the aroma was much stronger.”

“That’s the duxelles and the crepe, either one are a tiny addition, but together, bam! flavor country.”

She laughed at my bam, “Thanks for the jacket. I don’t know how you got my size, but it fits like a glove.”