Royal Wedding Celebrations at Galvin at Windows

London Hilton on Park Lane is rolling out the red carpet for this year’s much anticipated Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. In the heart of Mayfair, London Hilton on Park Lane is close to all that London has to offer, from musicals and theatres to world-famous landmarks, such as Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square. Located on the prestigious Park Lane, the hotel is only a stone’s throw away from Buckingham Palace, making it an ideal location to celebrate the day as the wedding unfolds.

Boasting sweeping views across London’s spectacular skyline, with Buckingham Palace prominently in sight, Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows Restaurant and Bar on the 28^th floor of London Hilton is another ideal venue to celebrate the festivities and toast to the Royal couple with a specially created ‘Royal Wedding Lunch’ menu. Exquisitely designed by André Garrett, head chef, Galvin at Windows, the menu features divine ingredients such as fresh dorset crab, kohlrabi, espelette & honeycomb and poached fillet of wild turbot, oyster, cucumber & wasabi.

The menu is available from the 26 April to 29 April, from £45 per person from 12 to 3 pm daily. On 29 April the £45 menu will be limited in availability so book early to avoid disappointment. To book, please call +44 (0) 20 7208 4021 or visit www.galvinatwindows.com

For a sensational culinary experience, London Hilton’s ‘Divine Royal Affair’ Royal wedding package offers guests a three-night-stay in a newly refurbished Deluxe room, with a champagne breakfast each morning, and (on one evening) a special meal at Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows on the 28^th floor.  The ‘Divine Royal Affair’ package is available from £1,025 (excluding VAT) per room for a three night stay, from 27 April, based on two people sharing.

For more information on the hotel please visit www.hilton.co.uk/londonparklane or to book, please call reservations on +44 (0)20 7493 8000 or email reservations.parklane@hilton.com.

Discovering the truffle…with me, Andre Garrett

Did you ever wonder where this delicious and exclusive ingredient - the truffle  – comes from?  

Truffles are ‘the fruiting body of underground mushrooms’ and have been described as ‘the diamond of the kitchen’ back in the 18^th century by Brillat – Savarin a Fench gastronome. Today, truffles are considered a highly exclusive food – used in international haute cuisine.

Therefore, I wanted to find out more about the allusive truffle and so earlier this year, I went on a discovery trip with Jeff Galvin and our Classic Fine Food supplier to Vaucluse in France to find out everything about their cultivation.

We were fortunate to visit Plantain – a family run business that showed us the process from start to finish. Very simply explained, first the oak trees are planted in lines in chalky soil before the roots are injected with the spore of the truffle – very technical. Then, the farmer has to wait for up to 15 long years to see if he is lucky enough to cultivate these much sought after truffles! A well trained dog, usually very expensive joins the farmer to help hunt and dig out the truffles.

Farmer in action

 Truffles found!

 

 During the trip myself and the rest of the ‘explorers’ were thrilled to find 600g of truffles in 45 minutes! 

Galvin at Windows’ supplier has brokers all over this area in France buying off farmers every week, so there is always a fresh supply in the restaurant.

Why don’t you come and try for yourself the delights of this so exclusive truffle? Check out our Menu Prestige for more details… http://galvinatwindows.com/menus-prestige.php

 

 

 

Marco’s New Year’s Eve cocktail

Bar Manager Marco Ercolano’s special cocktail to toast the New Year.

English Fireworks

•  10ml Pimm’s
• 10ml peach schnapps
• 20ml blackberry purée
• 20ml raspberry purée

Mix all the ingredients in a big glass with ice and top up with Nyetimber English sparkling wine.

Serve in a coupette glass and garnish with a skewer of fresh raspberries.

Enjoy!

Fred’s suggestions for a party menu at home…

• Aperitif: Champagne (Nyetimber English sparkling wine is very good), or a cocktail. Serve big Italian olives without pips, and make some bruschetta (sourdough bread, a bit of olive oil, a touch of garlic, and dressed crab marinated in garlic, parsley, olive oil, pepper and salt), cut into manageable pieces.

• Starter: Smoked salmon served with lemon, capers and buttered brown bread – no stress. When your friends are at your house, they are often happy to help, so if your guests like oysters, you can get them to help you open them. Serve the oysters with shallot vinegar. Langoustines served in their shells also make a very effective dish – you could make a seafood feast. If your guests don’t like seafood, you could serve goat’s cheese, warmed in the oven, with a mixed salad and olive oil or walnut dressing. Be careful if any of your guests have allergies.

• Main course:  Beef Wellington with green beans and gratin dauphinois. You can prepare the beef Wellington early and keep it in the fridge, and then put it in the oven to cook on the night. Cook the green beans and the gratin dauphinois in the morning, take them down in temperature and put them in the fridge covered in cling film, and then you can just heat them up when you need them.

• Drinks: If your guests have favourite drinks, make sure you have them. If they like ale, have some ale in the fridge. Match the wine with the food, but always think about what your guests prefer. That’s what it’s all about. I would go for a very dry Riesling from Alsace and a beautiful Bordeaux for the beef.

• Cheese: Serve one or two cheeses – Roquefort and Saint-Nectaire – with a salad on the side, bread and crackers.

• Dessert: Something light, such as sliced, ripe pineapple with coconut ice cream.

• Coffee, served with chocolates and maybe some light little cakes. 

Of course, if you don’t want the hassle of hosting a New Year’s Eve party and you want to hand the hard work over to Fred and his team, you can reserve your place for a special New Year’s Eve dinner or a party in the Galvin at Windows Bar by calling 020 7208 4021.

How to throw a great New Year’s Eve party

General Manager Fred Sirieix’s Top Ten Tips for hosting a wonderful party at home:

1. A great way to start planning a dinner party is to first decide who you want to invite, as it is the people who make a party. Make sure they all get on with each other.
2. Decide if you want to theme it, as everything should then follow, from the food and music, to even what your guests wear. My personal favourites are: 1930’s – 40 (glamorous dames and gangers), Moulin Rouge (extravagant and fun) or 70’s Disco (glitter and glamour).
3. Once you’ve confirmed how many people will be attending, then devise your menu accordingly. You don’t want to have too much to do once your guests arrive – it’s your party and your time to celebrate as much as theirs. You want a menu that is simple, easy to execute and effective. Think of your guests – what do they eat and what don’t they eat? Don’t be too experimental. (If you need some inspiration, check out my party menu suggestions on the blog.)
4. On the day, make the house beautiful to start with. Think about how you will dress the room or table. I like to keep it simple, but it depends on how intimate you want to be. Have unscented white candles and stylish, colourful flowers, such as a display of yellow Calla Lilies in a clear glass bowl.  Think about how you are going to set the table – the crockery, the cutlery, the glassware and everything else. Put party poppers on the table, ready for midnight!
5. Think about what time the party is likely to finish and once your guests arrive book taxis for them in advance so they can get home safely – taxis are likely to be booked up on New Year’s Eve if you leave it too late. Prepare another room (or sofa) in case anyone can’t get home or wants to stay over.
6. Don’t forget the music as it sets the scene. If you have a theme, then try to match it. If you don’t have a theme then you could start off with some jazz or Frank Sinatra before moving onto more current and uplifting music, like Katy Perry, Michael Bublé or The Black Eyed Peas. Avoid turning on the TV.
7. In case there are children we don’t want them to feel left out. Have a small table set and make them a fruit juice aperitif so they can join in. They could eat the same menu as you, but earlier in the evening, or you could give them something like cannelloni cheese that is quick and easy to make – pasta with bacon, mushrooms and onions, a bit of cream and cheese on top. Maybe have a little gift for each child, such as a book or puzzle. 
8. When you are ready to eat, plate everything on dishes in the middle of the table, rather than plating food individually. It will be a feast for the eyes! Plus, YOU can also enjoy the party, rather then being stuck in the kitchen. Try to be bang on and not have too many leftovers. If you do, you could have friends over the next day and have another party.
9. Before midnight, have a count down to midnight. Then at midnight, play a recording of the chimes and celebrate with a glass of champagne. Make New Year resolutions, set off the party poppers or even fireworks in the garden (but be careful not to be too drunk!).
10. Make sure you have fun night to remember. Then once it’s all over, plan the next.

Fred Sirieix, General Manager

Christmas Celebrations

Join us this Christmas for some festive celebrations. Take a look at our Christmas Brochure for more information.

Christmas Brochure: http://bit.ly/foxJbk

To make a reservation please call 020 7208 4021.

André’s Game Pie

Game Pie

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

•  2 kg venison shoulder, boned from the butcher
• 200g pancetta
• 100g wild mushrooms
• 4 large carrots
• ½ swede
• ½ pint good quality beef stock (supermarket ok)
• 2 handfuls plain flour
• Short crust pastry
• Egg yolk, for glazing
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbps corn oil

1) Dice the venison in even large (3cm) pieces, coat with flour, season and brown in casserole dish with corn oil. Drain and remove the venison.

2) Chop all the vegetables into even sized large pieces, add pancetta then season and brown in same dish. Add venison.

3) Pour in the stock to half way and bring to simmer, turn down heat.

4) Allow to cook slowly for 1 hour. Take off and let cool for 30 mins.

5) Cover with pastry, brush with egg yolk and bake in the middle of the oven at 140 degrees for 1.5 hours.

6) Take out and rest for 20 mins before serving.

Enjoy!

Send in your pic’s of your pie, the best will get a FREE cocktail.

Welcome…

…to the Galvin at Windows blog. Stay tuned and get to know the people behind the scenes. Follow our blog and find out secret tips from André, how to make the perfect cocktail, win amzing prizes and more….