Our best friends Grant and Sarah got married on Sunday evening and after a lovely ceremony, we celebrated their marriage at The French Horn in Sonning.
We were greeted by a roaring fire and trays of champagne and canapes. After plenty of mingling and munching (the cheese straws were particularly good) we were shown into a private dining room.
The first course was a tiny bowl of celeriac soup. I'd never had celariac before (at least, not knowingly), so I was pleased to find that it was really rather fabulous. I may now be brave enough to actually buy a root and make something adventurous with it.
This was swifly followed by a plate of superb smoked salmon. The salmon was sliced incredibly thinly and spread in a single rosey layer over the entire plate. Hands down, this was simply the best smoked salmon I've ever had. I could happily eat it daily.
Tiny dishes of snowy-white champagne sorbet were then served to refresh our palates. The champagne flavour was very pure and the sorbet was deliciously boozy.
The main course was Boef en Croute with Parisienne Potatoes. Oh my god! This was the best beef I've ever had; meltingly tender and full of flavour. The duxelles surounding the beef were also bursting with flavour. I can't say enough good things about it... Dave even had seconds. It was that good.
Before dessert was served, we had the cheese course. A slice of really spectacular blue cheese (I have no idea what it was; it wasn't stilton though) and some very good brie with the classic accompaniments of crisp apple slices and juicy grapes.
As you can see above, dessert was a trio of desserts. A tremendously cute baby Creme Brulee with an exquisitely thin layer of brulee. Next was a Chocolate Marquise; at least I think it was! I'm ashamed to say that this is the first time that I've been completely unable to identify a chocolate dessert! It seemed to be layers of chocolate genoise and ganache, with the ganache melding somewhat into the genoise. Whatever it was actually called, it was gorgeous! Finally, the piece de la resistance, a delicious confection of raspberries, meringue and the most intense raspberry sorbet I've ever tasted. Everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed over it and the plate was just too pretty for me to eat without snapping a quick picture.
Dinner was concluded with some very good coffee and petits fours. Alas, I was too full from dinner to sample them all. However, the butterscotch banana slice (fresh banana) on a tiny circle of shortbread was fabulous. I must add that to my repetoire....
Congratulations, Grant and Sarah! We hope you have many happy years ahead of you!
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For the sake of precision, the name of the chocolate cake is "Opera".
1. Posted by marion on November 20, 2007
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Hi Marion, I don't think it was Opera cake. There was no coffee syrup or coffee buttercream involved. It is very similar with the large numbers of layers involved though!
2. Posted by Angela on November 20, 2007
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Sorry then! could it have been a Trianon?
3. Posted by Marion on November 20, 2007
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That's my final wedding over for the year - I think going to 5 out of 8 was quite an achievement! Roll on next summer :)
4. Posted by Neighbour of teh Hoors on November 20, 2007