Results - Caramel Pecan Slice

So before I get to the glorious results, I might let everyone know the little story behind my signed copy of Vanitas Gourmet Collection, The culinary stylings and splendour of an inspirational hotel. Not exactly a funny story, more like a series of strange occurrences. On the night of our dinner at Vanitas, the maitre de handed us the highly stylized cook book, a chance for us to flick through it and drool at all the beautiful photos. We were quickly informed that we could purchase a copy if we so pleased, and that Steve Szabo would sign it. Say no more, Maria has bought the line....hook and sinker. I let the maitra de know that I was interested in buying the book and getting a signed copy about half way through our meal. We had just received our 4th course out of 8 and were heading for a very full belly. The maitre de came back shortly after letting us know that Steve had left for the night and would be back the following day. I thought, hang on a sec, we're half way through our meal and the head chef has already gone home??....hmmm I wonder who's calling the shots in the kitchen right now. He let us know that if we wanted to return tomorrow night, before dinner service began, Steve would be happy to sign the book then. I thought, ok, that works out perfectly. We had planned to spend the following day at Sea World, which was only just up the road. So once we were done at Sea World we could make a quick stop in at hotel Versace before dinner begins.

I was pretty excited to tell the truth. I was a shoe in for getting a signed copy and it was highly likely I might actually meet Steve. Considering we had been pretty friendly with the staff the night before, and they all seemed so helpful there was no reason for me to believe they wouldn't be exactly the same the next day. We walked into the hotel at around 5.30pm, not too early, not too late. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts, nothing strange in and around Surfers Paradise in Summer. Vanitas is towards the back right hand side within the hotel lobby. Since I could see the same maitre de from the night before we headed straight for the door. By the time we walked in the guy had disappeared, so we waited for someone to come speak to us. About 30 seconds later we were kicked out and told to stand on the other side of the door. I explained what we were there for and shortly afterwards the same maitre de greeted us. I had to explain the entire story to him, because some how in the last 24 hours his memory of us was completely wiped! Very strange I thought, considering the whole book signing thing and telling us to come back the next day. Once we had worked out what was going on he said he'd check the kitchen to see if Steve was in and would be right back, but left us standing on the other side of the glass doors, with a completely empty restaurant staring at us....mocking us with it plush seats. It felt like we were kids and mum had just mopped the floors and we were covered in mud from playing in the garden and weren't allowed in until either the floors had dried or we cleaned ourselves up. He returned a short time later, letting us know that Steve had not shown up yet. What!!??!! Its now pretty close to 6, when does this guy show up for work? Considering this place is supposed to be a top kitchen, I'm sure there would be plenty of prepping to do and apprentices to whip. He then let us know that Steve actually stays in the hotel, so it wouldn't be long until he came down. He took the book away and we waited. He returned a little while later, with the book signed and an unhappy look on his face. The whole ordeal was a little off putting. It completely ruined the whole experience for me, and in a way I wish I had just eaten my meal and never bought the book!

So that's the story. More annoying rather than anything. But now I have many recipes I can attempt and miseries to live....hopefully in my own home kitchen, rather than outside a restaurant door.

So back to the results! I decided to make this slice for a work morning tea. So I left all the fancy stuff off and only made a slice, with a slight change. I used hazelnuts instead of pecans.

I have too things to say about this recipe. Sweet but delicious. The sugar content will rival any diabetics sugar high, but after one bite you'll always want more. I cut the slice into tiny portions, keeping in mind the sweetness of it. I couldn't imagine what it would taste like with the praline topping and vanilla syrup. As a complete dessert it would need something tart to compliment the sweetness.

I would highly recommend trying this. The recipe is dead easy, and the pastry does exactly was it says it will and shrinks just a little. I keep getting requests to cook this again. I have an up coming blood test, so not until I get my results from that first!!

Caramel Pecan Slice

Restaurant: Vanitas (Queensland)

Recipe from book "Vanitas Gourmet Collection, The culinary stylings and splendour of an inspirational hotel" - Chef Steve Szabo

2010 Rating: Number 81, 1 Star

Last year in March Daz and I went to Queensland for a holiday involving copious amounts of eating and theme parking! Both activities were extremely enjoyable, and to be honest, its difficult for me to rate one above the other. One of our more notable experience was dinner in the luxurious hotel Versace at Vanitas. It was notable for a couple of reasons, both good and bad - to this day that scallop and rock melon soup sticks in my mind!

I'm sucker for restaurant cook books, so I jumped at the chance to purchase their publication. Yes, it was VERY expensive, I probably could have had another nice dinner somewhere else for the price of the book, but then I wouldn't have the book. We trekked back to Vanitas on the following day of our dinner so I could get Steve Szabo to sign it. I never actually got to meet Steve, and to tell you the truth the whole signing ordeal was a bit strange - but thats another story.

For twelve months this book has been staring at me. There are some very interesting recipes in there, some difficult, some extremely difficult. I thought I would start with probably the easiest one in there, a complete no brainer - the Caramel Pecan Slice. Heres the recipe, so stay tuned for the glorious results!!

Apparently this is what the caramel slice is "supposed" to look like...pretty huh??

Caramel Pecan Slice

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 fig, quartered

4 fresh mint tips

Sweet Pastry

75g butter, softened

30g caster sugar

1 egg

1 cup plain flour

Caramel topping

1/4 cup golden syrup

75g unsalted butter

395g tin condensed milk

50g pecans, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

Pecan praline

100g sugar

1/2 tsp water

30g pecans, lightly toasted

Vanilla syrup

100g sugar

1 1/2 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp honey

1 vanilla bean, split length ways, seed removed and cut in half to make 4 batons

1/4 cup caster sugar

Preheat oven to 160C

Method

Lightly grease and line a 2- x 30cm baking tin with baking paper

To make sweet pastry, cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl. Slowly add egg and flour and bring together, being careful not to overwork dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. When chilled, on a lightly floured work surface, work dough gently with your hands for 1-2 minutes or until soft enough to roll. Roll out to a thickness of 5mm and place in prepared baking tin, making sure that dough is pushed well into corners and comes about 1cm up sides of tin - this is to allow for shrinkage. The aim is to have a flat pastry base that covers the base of the baking tin only. chill for another 20 minutes then transfer to oven for 10 minutes or until pastry is firm but not coloured.

Increase oven temperature to 170C

To make caramel topping, combine golden syrup and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add condensed milk and pecans and mix well. Pour caramel over pastry base and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until set firm. Return to refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours add slice into 8cm squares using a knife dipped in hot water. Line baking tray with baking paper.

To make pecan praline, melt sugar and water in a heavy based saucepan over low heat for 10-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat, add pecans, coat well with caramel and pour on to prepared baking tray. Allow to set at room temperature. Once cold, chop into small pieces or place in food processor and blitz until fine. Be careful not to over process as praline will heat up and stick together. Praline can be kept in an airtight container for 1 month in pantry.

To make vanilla syrup, bring sugar and water to the boil, add honey and cook for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and carefully dip vanilla bean lengths in syrup for about 20 seconds. Remove and roll in caster sugar. To finish syrup, add seeds scraped from vanilla bean and allow to cool.

To serve, sprinkle crushed pecan praline on top of 4 portions of caramel slice. Place each slice on a serving plate. Stand a fig quarter beside caramel slice and decorate with crystallized vanilla bean baton, mint and vanilla syrup.

Vanitas

Dining Date: March 2009

2009 Rating: 59st

2009 Star rating: 2

Chef: Steve Szabo

Location: Palazzo Versace, Sea World Drive, Main Beach, Queensland

When you think of Palazzo Versace you think of decadence, style and refinement. Vanitas embodies every aspect of the Versace style, from the Versace crockery/cutlery to the marble clad floor. Usually I'm not intimidated by restaurants, regardless of their location or reputation, and to tell you the truth I feel comfortable in places from formal fine dining to Ugg boots establishments. But as soon as I stepped through the doors at Vanitas I felt like I was out of my element. I can't tell you exactly why I felt uncomfortable, but it just didn't feel welcoming. Regardless, food conquers all and I'm sure I'd feel comfortable as soon as I took the first bite.

We had the tastiest little bread rolls, they tasted almost like croissants. Daz accidentally threw his on the floor before he even got to take a bite, something to do with a slippery knife. We didn't even need to alert the waiter as to what happened, he arrived shortly after the incident with a fresh roll and said not to worry about it, which gave me the feeling that we were being watched. 

Slippery bread

***

We had decided to go with the degustation menu, that was a huge mistake. Not that the degustation menu was bad, it's just that we were tossing up between the rib eye for two, at $120 which represents great value, or the 8 course degustation menu. Which consisted of a rib eye craved at your table with fries and other sides to boot. It seemed like everyone else in the restaurant ordered this dish and it was constantly being wheeled out in front of us, followed by the accompanying moaning from happy costumers. Word of advice for future customers of Vanitas, order the Rib eye!

First course, Foie gras mousse with brandy, Madeira jelly broiche and lobster sandwich. The foie gras was salty and a bit too rich but tasty. The madiera jelly ontop was sweet without being over powering, which added a nice dimension to the saltiness of the mousse. It would have been nice if it had been more mousse like in texture rather than a thick pate. Not sure what happened to this batch of foie gras mousse. It became very difficult to eat towards to end, considering it's richness. The lobster was soft and flavoursome and the scattered salmon pearl caviar was a dream contrasted with the broiche, in my mind this dish seemed like two separate dishes presented on the same plate.

Foie gras mousse with brandy, Madeira jelly broiche and lobster sandwich

***

Second course, Chilled rock melon soup with wasabi cream, marinated Atlantic salmon and grilled scallops. The scallops were perfectly cooked, not over done or under done - which is so easy to do. And the marinade that was used on the salmon made it tender while still keeping the oily/fleshy integrity of the salmon intact. It was so good that although matched with rock melon, the marinade still managed to be front of stage on my palate. I thought the melon soup was too overpowering for the delicate flavour of the salmon and scallops. The concept was very interesting and well thought out, but the execution was well off. In my opinion, the melon soup should have been more subtle, like a melon consume or even a broth, that way the flavours in the seafood had more chance to sing. I suppose this was one of those dishes where opinion is truly parted. I HATED it with a passion and didn't finish it, in fact I ate the seafood and maybe two spoon fulls of the soup, whereas Daz LOVED it and devoured every last morsel!

Chilled rock melon soup with wasabi cream, marinated Atlantic salmon and grilled scallops

***

Third course, Quail, salad with coriander, mint, basil and honey soy dressing. The Quail was very tasty and tender, just the way I like my little quail, the honey and soy dressing was in the foreground of this dish, which was a pleasant change from the acidity of the salad. The salad consisted of Vietnamese mint, basil, lime segments, coriander, cucumber, spring onion, chilli and a Thai vinaigrette. My only complaint about this dish was that it was too acidic. It could have done without the lime segments and they could have played up the sweetness in the vinaigrette to compliment the honey on the quail. But besides that, I really enjoyed the dish.

Quail, salad with coriander, mint, basil and honey soy dressing

***

Fourth course, Roasted loin of venison with sausage and grilled polenta, caramelized apple and shitake mushrooms. Perfect dish! - The polenta was crispy on the outside but soft in the centre. It tasted like it had Parmesan cheese incorporated into it, making it both tastier and creamy, but I'm not entirely sure. There was surely something in it to reduce the blandness of polenta alone. The mushrooms were soft and pungent. The venison was perfectly cooked. The addition of the apple played up the gamy taste in the vension. 

Roasted loin of venison with sausage and grilled polenta, caramelized apple and shitake mushrooms

***

Fifth course was the cheese. Before the meal had started I had decided that I didnt want to try the cheese that night. Considering there were 7 dishes in the degustation menu, I feared that I would not have enough room for the cheese and all the other food. But after the vension, the waiter wheeled all the cheese out on a massive trolley. It was a huge spectacle, all heads in the restaurant turned to watch this poor waiter wheel out a marble trolley covered in SOO many cheeses. As soon as the cheese was presented to me, I couldn't say no. 

Cheese trolley

***

Forgive me as I can't remember ALL the cheeses that night, but I'll try my best to describe whats on the plate. Starting from the fron/center and working around anti-clockwise - Morbier, dried apricot, triple cream cheese from Traralgon in Victoria, figs soaked in port, Pecorino cheese, dried nashi pear and dried apricot, a hard cheese made from a combination of sheep's and cow's milk, more nashi pear and dried apricot, Shadows of blue from the Gippsland region in Victoria, and in the center some fresh quince paste, served with warm walnut bread. 

Sixth course, Vanilla bean ice cream with Pedro Ximenez sherry. This was described to us as a palate cleanser in order to have a subtle transition from the savoury to the dessert section of the meal. I loved this even thought it was just a palate cleanser. The ice cream was creamy, but not too sweet with the sherry adding an adult element. 

Vanilla bean ice cream with Pedro Ximenez sherry

***

Seventh course, Mango souffle with raspberry sauce and lychee sorbet. The lyche sorbet - 100% perfect! The lyche flavour was dead on fantastic. The consistency was so perfect that it remained frozen in its dish and only melted when it was placed in your mouth...a bit like m&m's. It was great, I love well made sorbets and this was one of the better ones I've had. The souffle on the other hand was a little disappointing. The "V" tattooed onto the top made it attractive and enticing, but the flavour of the mango completely failed to exist and some how the raspberry sauce managed to be the tartest thing I have ever experienced. I'm no sugar fiend but this dish deserved a bit more sugar. 

Mango souffle with raspberry sauce and lychee sorbet

***

In the end I was glad the last course was a light one, I couldn't fit another thing in.....

Except......

Coffee and petit fours!!

Overall, I was a little disappointed, somehow I expected a little more from Vanitas, especially considering the total of our bill! There were certainly many elements in the dishes that I really loved, and I might try to recreate them at home , good luck to me...I'll need it! Now where can I get me some of those crazy plates? At 135 Euro for 1 cup and saucer, I think I might have to save up for a full dining set!