The tranquil world-renowned Round Hill Hotel and Villas was the venue for the 2019 induction ceremony and dinner of the Jamaica chapter of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Round Hill Managing Director Josef Forstmayr, General Manager Omar Robinson, F&B Manager Seon Walker and Executive Chef Martin Maginley delivered a fantastic gastronomic tour of some of Round Hill’s finest historic culinary exploits under the theme “Round Hill… Past & Present — Epicurean Delights with Caribbean Inspired Delicacies”. With the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ French origins, the chefs conducting many of our global events have sought to replicate and at times improvise on some the classic dishes made famous by the French masters like Auguste Escoffier, the most renowned and famous chef in history, and Fernand Point, still regarded by many as the “father of modern French cuisine”, to name a few.

Our first course was a lesser known Escoffier classic — Escargot à l’Alsacienne. This was served with Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin 2007 from Burgundy, France. Wines from Gevrey-Chambertin, which is the largest wine-producing village in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or region, have the great aging potential. This region’s style is typically deeper in colour, firmer in body and more tannic in structure than most red burgundies. This 2007 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin has a dark ruby colour. On the nose there are lightly wooded blackcurrent notes. These notes are once again revealed upon tasting; this time, however, mixed with hints of liquorice which accompany a slight spicy touch on the back palate, all highlighted by the present yet subtle tannins. This Pinot Noir has beautiful structure in the mouth.

The second course was the Soupe aux Truffes Élysée conceptualised by Paul Bocuse and created for the Élysée Palace on the occasion of his receiving the Legion of Honour from President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. Voted by many as one of the best dishes of the evening, this modern classic combined a double chicken consommé with truffles, wood mushroom, foie gras and a migonette of vegetables sealed under a thin crust of puff pastry.

On the heels of a refreshing sorbet au Citron Vert et Safran, the third course was a very exquisite Anton Mosimann inspired Mousseline Coquilles St Jacques aux sauce écrivisses. A blend of scallop, grouper, heavy cream and egg white which was cooked “à la sous vide” for 45 minutes, this divine mousse dish was served with a flirty Swiss white wine, the Balgach “Blancuvée” AOC St Galler 2014 from Rheintal, Switzerland.

Next up was the very tasty wood fire-seared Duck Breast with burnt orange sauce and Farina “Orange Peko” served with The Prisoner Napa Valley Red Blend 2017, a California fruit-forward red blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Charbono.

The main dish was a Chef Maginley farm-to-table creation, a Roast Saddle of Goat served with Piquant Sauce Straw Sweet Potatoes and Arugula Tempura and paired with Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne. This was the first time many were having a tender, spicy fillet of goat, which did not disappoint.

Following the Plateau à fromage, the dessert course of Crêpes à la confiture de mangue (mango crêpes) was a perfect finale to a wonderful dining experience.

This year’s induction saw, for the very first time, 100% of all inductees being professionals in the hospitality industry. They included Chef Rôtisseur Martin Schmied (Executive Chef – Sandals Royal Planation), Maître Rôtisseur Ignazio Podda (Executive Chef-Moon Palace), Maître Restaurateur Diana Dominguez (Food and Beverage Manager – Moon Palace), Maître Rôtisseur Gloria Palomino (The Grog Shoppe), Maître Restaurateur Lancelot Wilson (Food and Beverage Manager – Sandals Royal Plantation) and Maître Restaurateur Seon Walker (Food and Beverage Manager – Round Hill).

The Chaîne also recognised individuals who have been long-standing members. Silver Commandeur pins were awarded for members achieving 10 years’ membership, Gold Commandeur pins for those achieving 20 years’ membership, and Officier Commandeur pins for those achieving 30 years’ membership. Recipients included Dame Minna Israel (Silver Commandeur), Maître Restaurateur Frank Ventura (Gold Commandeur), Officier Sharon Lake (Silver Commandeur), Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Honoraire Larry Watson (OfficierCommadeur), Chevalier Barrington Chisholm (Silver Commandeur).

As is customary, Petit Fours & Cordials were on offer in the bar after the pinning ceremony where all the Round Hill staff members that served the event were publicly recognised for their service.