A Dejeuner Amicale at the Tmum Restaurant Mgarr, Gozo on Sunday the 7th of July 2024
The Malta Bailliage hosted its fourth event of 2024, a Dejeuner Amicale at the Tmum restaurant, Mgarr Gozo on Sunday the 7th July 2024.
This is the introductory speech made by Chancelier Charles Gatt:
‘Good afternoon confreres and consuers and guests.
Once again, we meet in this little gem of a restaurant, which is one of the few restaurants awarded a Michelin plate in the first ever published Michelin Guide Malta.
Paul Buttigieg is the chef de cuisine and a Chaȋne Maȋtre Rôtisseurs. He is a talented chef who nurtured a love for cooking from a young age, found experience in various kitchens abroad and then decided to return home to join his parents in a family business. I am therefore confident that what he has prepared for us today will be nothing short of excellent.
I must congratulate Paul on the newly refurbished restaurant which is modern yet has kept its cosy atmosphere.
Today we are 29 diners having received 3 late cancellations. A good cosy number and we are not crammed or have to split some inside and some outside. We thank Paul for making this room exclusive for us.
Again, this time Paul prepared a total package for us to include food and wine. The Pol Roger champagne was excellent and so were the canapes.
The menu before us looks sumptuous. Paul chose the wines and our Echanson will brief us on the choice in a moment.
May I mention with sadness that Dame Elizabeth Eager`s mother passed away a few days ago and i sent Elizabeth a message of condolences on your behalf.
One happier bit of news is that Maȋtre Hotelier Honoraire Alain Rigodin has accepted our Bailli`s invitation to join the board of administration as a Charge de Mission. Paris has been duly advised and he will get his blue ribbon at a Chapitre either in Malta or elsewhere. Hopefully, he will attend our Chapitre in March next year.
After the summer break, we shall have another Dėjeuner here in Gozo, at Ta Frenc on Sunday 27th October.
Ladies and gentlemen bon appėtit and Vive la Chaȋne.’
Following the introductory speech by the Chancelier the wines were then introduced by our Echanson Dr. Iro Cali Corleo who gave an overview of their characteristics. His comments can be found below accompanying the menu (ICC).
Pre-Lunch Reception
A Selection of Canapés
‘The canapés were well commented on but what stood out was the variety of textures and tastes and the imaginative combination of ingredients. (JX).
The canapes were amazing, very nice looking and tasty, with a combination of different textures (MB).’
Aperitif: Reserve Brut Champagne N.V. - Pol Roger
‘This is the 2nd dryest type of champagne from a well-known house, The term reserve has no definition in France unlike in Italy, Spain and Portugal. It had a refreshing citrusy acidity with a good perlage and a light to medium body with notes of Apple and Pear as well as some yeast (ICC).’
Menu
Tuna Tartare leche de tigre - citrus gel - pickled onions, chilli
‘The tuna tartare was well presented and seasoned. The hint of chillies and crispiness of the pickled onions was a very good match for a very good and fresh summer starter. (MB).
The tuna tartare was amongst the most refreshing I’ve ever tasted with the citrus gel and the pickled onion contrasting the richness of the fish beautifully. A hint of chilli made this amouse a triumph (JX).’
Wine: Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc - Famille Perrin
‘Perrin is a leading Rhone producer & negociant. Owners of Beaucastel and Clos des Tourelles. They also make Miraval, an excellent rose but more famous because of its owners, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Perrin is an organic and biodynamic maker of very good value but reputable wines regularly receiving average critical scores of 89-91/100 This wine is a southern Rhone blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier and the rest is Marsanne and Rousanne. It was a fresh, floral and balanced wine with notable minerality, and some notes of tropical and white fruits, characteristics given by the Viognier grape in particular. (ICC)’
Monkfish cheek Ravioli cuttlefish ink-clams - white vermouth sauce
‘The Monkfish cheek Ravioli with cuttlefish ink , clams and white vermouth sauce was very well presented too and the filling was very tasty, nicely complemented with the light vermouth foam (MB).
What better way to highlight the delicate flavours of the monkfish cheek than to package it in an even more delicate pastry infused with cuttlefish ink? The accompanying vermouth sauce was, of necessity, understated so as not to overpower the ravioli but the addition of star anise gave it an added dimension (JX).’
Wine: Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc - Famille Perrin
Duck Leg Confit butternut squash purée - madeira duck jus tender stem broccoli - crispy mille feuille potatoes
‘The main course of Duck Leg Confit , butternut squash purée , madeira duck jus tender stem broccoli and crispy mille feuille potatoes was well executed and nicely complemented with a very tasty reduced jus and a lovely potatoe mille feuille who had the right texture of crispy outside and moist on the inside (MB).’
‘The confit duck leg was in complete contrast to the previous two courses - classic to the core, served with millefeuille potatoes. The subtle addition of orange to the butternut squash purée was a nod to the even more classic duck a l’orange. Inspirational! (JX)'
Wine: Kirchhügel Cabernet Riserva - Cantina Kurtatsch
‘This is a Co-Op of 190 families (a whole village) in Alto Adige who make a diverse array of wines from sloping vineyards, the ones producing this wine are around 300m elevation with gravel and loam soil ideal for the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine, It has an unusually high 13.5-14% alcohol for a northern wine thanks to its particularly warm and sunny microclimate. Critical scoring for this wine is almost always 90+/-1 This wine is fermented in steel and aged in large wood barrels. On the nose there was some spiciness with dark fruits and sour cherry. On the palate, it was full bodied, with blackberry/blackcurrant from C. Sauvignon and savory spiciness from the C. Franc. Tannins were robust yet not harsh and the finish was medium long (ICC).’
Textures of Valrhona chocolate - white - caramelized - milk – dark
‘The dessert was a surprise, the presentation was very original, it was very nice looking, like an explosion of chocolate. The taste of the good quality chocolates was very well complimented with the different textures. A good attempt for a very good ending to a very good lunch.(MB).’
Wine: 20-year-old Tawny Port - Quinta De La Rosa
‘This is a Single Quinta winery right on shore of Douro river that also makes the excellent and good value La Rosa Riserva. This port was rich and dark with a concentrated acidity that balanced the residual sugar and at this age there were the expected fine mature tannins. Notes of nuts, orange and honey. A long finish with touch of bergamot. Critics average score is 91/100 A perfect match for dark Chocolate and Caramel (ICC).’
Coffee/Tea and Petite Fours
Wine Supplier: Tmum Restaurant
Chef de Cuisine: Maitre Rotisseur Paul Buttigieg
Here are some more general comments made by various members of the committee regarding the lunch:
‘The common thread in these dishes was the hidden ingredients that elevated them to greater heights.
Our compliments and thanks go to Paul and his brigade as well as Dora, his partner, and the white brigade for another unforgettable occasion.
Paul and his team are at the forefront of Gozo’s bid to be nominated European Culinary Capital for 2028 under the direction of our own Amand Veranneman (JX).’
Thank you and well done to Paul and his brigade.(MB).’
‘Chef Paul is to be congratulated for his wine choices especially the Kircugal and the 20-year-old Port (ICC).’
‘The table seating was appropriate allowing for good conversation. Regarding the different courses the tuna tartare, black ink ravioli, duck confit finally the deconstructed chocolate mousse was very well executed. The menu reflected what was served. Pairing with the wines in particular the Cabernet was a good fit. The Côtes du Rhône which is not necessarily well appreciated was a good fit with the carpaccio and ravioli. The port wine (older would have been even better) did harmonize well with the chocolate. Finally, the service did not disappoint (can only talk for my table) and must be as well complimented.(Alain Rigodin)'
As usual below is a link to a photo album of the event
