Last night, in honor of National Scotch Day, Short Order headed over to Michael's Genuine Food & Drink for some seriously old scotch and a tasting of pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith's latest creations.
The Macallan brand ambassador Randolph Adams was our host for the evening, and led us through a flight of progressively older scotches, each paired perfectly with one of Hedy's desserts.
First up was the West Indian ginger spice cake, with dried fruit compote, candied ginger, and a toffee sauce made with the 12-year-old sherry oak Macallan, with which the course was also paired. The star of the dish, and perhaps of the night (along with the 25-year Macallan) was the smoked vanilla ice cream, made by smoking the cream before freezing.
Next we moved up to the 15-year fine oak, which Hedy paired with a roasted white chocolate semifreddo and chilled apricot soup. Hedy admitted that she's not a big fan of white chocolate in its typical form, but when cooked low and slow in the oven, it becomes more intense and caramelized, allowing it to play perfectly with the scotch.
The third course was the richest of the night, a milk chocolate and butterscotch pie with creme fraiche and roasted peaches. Paired with it was the 18-year sherry oak, cutting right though that richness with hints of spiciness and wood smoke, which Hedy played off of with a chipotle-inflused chocolate sauce and smoked fleur de sel.
Just as our bellies began to beg for mercy, Randolph broke out the 25-year-old sherry oak, and, as if driven by heightened super-senses only a master chef could possess, Michael popped in for taste. Hedy, not to be outdone, finished our sweets-only meal with a plate of confections, including smoked chocolate truffles, chocolate-cinnamon marshmallows, and summer fruit gelees.
Hedy tells us that some components of last night's dishes will make into onto the menu, so consider this a sneak peek at some of her latest creations. Bring back the smoked vanilla ice cream, Hedy, you nailed it with that one.
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