BESIDES the glitzy décor, exotic themes and fabulous entertainment, the team behind Madame Zingara are also known for their top notch culinary offerings. And their latest new production, The Celebration, which started on Tuesday and runs until September 26 on The Grand Parade, will be no exception.
This time around a group of chefs have been brought on board especially for the show, reworking the menu completely. Head chef in the spectacular mirrored palace is Emile Goliath,who will join forces with top Zingara chefs Heinrich Koen and Linda Beukes to oversee the four-course menu.
Stepping into the kitchen to create an array of exciting canapés is Naseer Abdullah, who believes his background in catering has prepared him perfectly for this gig. He and his team will ensure 650 guests a night are treated to gourmet nibbles while they mingle before the show.
His canapés are beautifully presented, each a work of art, with flavours and colours carefully considered. Look out for sublime beetroot rosti topped with rocket, goat cheese and pistachio praline.
Another hit is sure to be the salmon tamari ball with sushi rice, wasabi mayo and soy sauce caviar. Platters will also include gourmet steak sarmies with basil pesto, caramelised onions and roasted cherry tomatoes; as well as mini chicken and blue cheese pot pies.
And don’t miss the salmon tartare on a wasabi cracker with avo mousseline and candied chilli; or the mini cheese tomato tartlets with chives.
Abdullah was given freedom to let his creativity run riot with his dishes. He took as much inspiration from the show as possible when planning his menu.
“I’m excited,” he says. “Everything is vibrant, and I had to do something to complement that.”
You can see that reflected in the contrasting colours he’s used.
Despite the challenge of dishing up canapés every night for the entire run, Abdullah is looking forward to giving it his all.
“The most important thing is going to be to keep up the consistency,” he says, adding that he might also consider switching things around during the run, depending on what ingredients he has to hand.
With the “Canap´e King” (as the team have dubbed him) getting the night off to a tasty start, it’ll be up to Kyle Haytread to bring the party to a sumptuous close with his decadent desserts.
At a pre-tasting Haytread plated his dessert as individual elements, but guests can expect them to be constructed into magnificent individual celebration cakes.
His creations include Callebaut chocolate marquise with a milk chocolate sphere, raspberries and hazelnut chocolate ganache; citron infused mousse on a rosewater flavoured biscuit base with berry coulis and a tuille wafer garnish; raspberry fridge cheesecake with a bitter lemon curd and Callebaut chocolate garnish; and a delightful vanilla pod pannacotta with a Callebaut chocolate spoon garnish and fresh gooseberries. Each was delicious on their own – combined they’re bound to be a show-stopper.
The dessert menu took Haytread a week to concep-tualise, and he also drew inspiration from the show.
He explains that Madame Zingara founder and director of The Celebration, Richard Griffin, wanted the dish to be “heavily garnished, with lots of reds and golds”.
Haytread particularly enjoys chocolate work, sugar work and sculpting, so expect to see his particular brand of flair arrive impressively presented on your plate.
“Put me in a high tea environment and I’m happy,” he smiles.
Both Abdullah and Haytread are thrilled with the ample kitchen space at the three-storey Queen of Flanders tent. Guests can look forward to a meticulously planned and prepared feast, all adding to the magic that is Madame Zingara’s The Celebration.
l No under-16s. Tickets: from R650, 0861 623 263, boxoffice@ madamezingara.com