Covid is back, all the shops and resturants are closed and all business is suffering for survival again. Yes, some money is coming in to supprt the salaries of the staff, but so many people already have been laid off. When covid finally disappears again we want restaurants to still be existant, so how to you do that now?
Exactly, you order the home cooking package of fine restaurants in the neighborhood so they still make a buck. An experiment so you can be a chef as well. At least, I was for 1 evening!
I ordered my home package at a fine restaurant in the area here called Dijk9. Normally this is a bit high end and white table cloths so not really my style, but the dishes are actually really good. A perfect way to try it out.
Check out these veil parts with langoustines with egg creme and teriyaki gravy. Look restaurant worthy right? It took me literally 8 minutes of oven time for the langoustines and the rest was throwing it all on a plate. Everyone can do this.
On their website it will tell you exactly how to make these things, and you only need your oven and a stove and some plates. The rest is pre-cut and ready to put on a plate. They made youtube videos with it to show you how to plate it stylishly even so you can learn to make stylish dishes. Even with no Dutch skills this is worth watching.
The Main Course
As a main course there was flank steak on the menu. The pieces of meat were already marinated nicely and the veggies were also already seasoned and cooked. They only needed a little tick in the oven, which actually can not go wrong. as a suggestion they also said to put some plates in the oven to pre heat, which was brilliant and really gives the fine dining feeling.
Now as you see mine didn't turn out so sweet and nicely plated as theirs did in the video, but you get the gist. It is about placing a little drizzle of sauce here and there and I have to say the combination of flavors was really delicious.
That is the difference with real restaurants, they know how to give something the good flavor and how to preserve it in the mean time. Adding how to plate it is the other 50%. The eye needs something as well. Here was the video how to make it!
Again...Looks easy to do right? And indeed, it literally took me just as long as in the video, and my cooking skills are not really hero ones, haha.
Desert Time
With an awesome caramal creme this evening ended perfect. I don't like mkaing deserts because they have a way too big of a fail rate if you ask me. I'm not good at it. But these things were also already pre made, and the only thing you have to do was nice them nicely together.
The combo of the caramel creme with some pistachio nuts and sweet straberry sauce was just sublime. Here was the how to video:
With a small coffee afterwards it felt like a night out, but all of this was happening in my own house. It felt good to do something fancy in times where the sweatpants are celebrating their days. And with the idea to help this business survive the covid year this is even better.
I hope I can visit them when all is actually opened again.
Disclaimer: The pictures are the dishes made by me, and the pictures are also mine. The instruction videos are all on the courtesy of Dijk9 restaurant located in Eindhoven, Holland. They are the ones who are the masterminds behind the dishes. I hope they survive this economic disaster