New Menus

Developing new menus is an ever-evolving process at Kalm Kitchen. ‘It never starts and never stops, ‘ says James Middlehurst, Executive Chef at Kalm Kitchen. ‘We’re always bringing new ideas to the table. In the first place, the kitchen team will come up with concepts, and from there we’ll extensively test them. After that, we present them to front of house (very important),  take on their feedback and finesse them with the help of the whole company. In the end, we come up with dishes that we can all stand by, and that everyone believes in.’

From an initial list of anywhere around 50 contenders, the team whittle it down to a shortlist of around 25 dishes. And what makes for a successful menu which becomes a firm favourite at weddings? ‘The art is in finding the balance between taste, appearance and perfect delivery of the product,’ explains James. ‘The food should be fun, make people talk and leave a lasting memory.’ And the ultimate measure of success? ‘I like to hear the sound of wow as it gets delivered,’ he confides.

We asked James which are the plates he’s particularly proud to share from the latest collection…

Salmon 99er with beetroot crisp

‘This canapé is pure fun. Resembling the classic ice cream cone, you get a visual shot of salmon pink. We specifically designed it to give a punch of flavour. Fennel blossom and flowers give it a hit of aniseed, and the beetroot crisp provides a lovely crisp texture.’

Chicken liver parfait choux bun with pistachio

‘Taking a classic dessert concept, we create a superbly rich chicken liver parfait, which is cooked at a low temperature and packed with flavour, which comes from the addition of port, shallots and thyme. It’s all encapsulated in a bite-sized choux bun and finished with a nutty sprinkle of pistachios.’

Charred salmon with cauliflower panna cotta and watercress veloute

‘Well, visually this dish is stunning. We cook the salmon sous vide to keep it tender and almost rare all the way through. Then we char it for a lovely, smoky flavour. It’s served alongside our take on a savoury panna cotta on a watercress velouté which brings a peppery hit to the dish. Lastly, we like to add some Romesco, both charred and pickled, which brings acidity, and of course it looks stunning too.’

Lamb Nicoise and pickled walnuts with a caramelised onion puree

‘Nicoise is such a classic, but we’ve given it a modern spin. We take a fillet of lamb and wrap it in Nori, the umami flavour of this edible seaweed gives the dish a real complexity. The expected elements of a Nicoise are there – quail’s egg, Violetta potatoes, and a potato glass. But we also add some pickled walnuts. The end result is mature and complex.’

Seared venison with black pudding salsify, potato fondant and blackberry jus

‘We’ve balanced this rich, gamey meat with a sweet jus, and delicate salsify. The result is a lighter version of what you might consider a traditional game dish. It looks exceptionally stunning too.’

Bread and butter pudding with pineapple salsa, rum custard and coconut ice cream

‘A taste of pure nostalgia, we get lots of requests for bread and butter pudding. We’ve created a lighter version though using brioche and tropical flavours of coconut, pineapple and rum. A pineapple salsa adds a welcome sharpness to the dish.’