Our itinerary in Brazil was just the start of an Atlantic Ocean crossing, and after four busy days exploring interesting ports, I think we were all ready for a few quiet days at sea.
But any ideas of sitting around lounging on our huge veranda didn't come to fruition yesterday at least. Our day soon filled with interesting activities, and we were ready to say “Yes, please” to them all.
Firstly, whilst sitting enjoying the lightest of breakfasts in Coffee Connection, we heard an announcement from the Captain to say that one of his officers would be doing a demonstration of a traditional seafaring skill on the top deck in a few minutes for anyone interested.
We were interested and joined a dozen or so others up top and enjoyed Safety Officer Giacomo's presentation on using a sextant to identify the ship's location. Thankfully the clouds parted enough for him to make a couple of readings before he handed the sextant over to a young cadet for practice. Later, they would compare their readings with the usual GPS location and see how they did.
We stopped to chat to friends here and there, but were keen to get going because at noon, we had a date in our diaries: the Connoisseur Wine Lunch. Though we've seen this on previous cruises, we've not taken up the offer. This time, however, we did and what a great decision that was.
When we arrived, a dozen or so were enjoying a welcome Kir Imperiale, deliciously sweet but fresh with framboise rather than cassis. Head Sommelier iKadek was busy with a few last-minute details, and ably assisted by Sommelier Joydeep and waiter Kaadeen, we were soon getting started.
Firstly, iKadek gave us an outline of his wine selections to accompany each course. Then, Chef Ricky came to give us his take on the menu and offered a few details. Whilst they spoke, Joydeep was busy pouring…
The bottle in his hand was of a Moet et Chandon Imperial Rose, a rich rosy pink to accompany our first course: Beef Tartar with coffee oil, creme fraiche, Siberian caviar and lime zest.
Thankfully, the portion size was little more than an amuse bouche, utterly delicious though and fresh with that lime zest. Perfect with the champagne.
The pace of the lunch was relaxed, and we were in no way hurrying on to the next course, but as Joydeep and Kaadeen finished serving, they were preparing for the next course, which was Goat Cheese cream with baby beets, truffle honey, pistachio dust and mixed berries. This was paired with a South African Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch.
Now, this was interesting, for taking a sip of the wine before tucking into the goat's cheese left me unimpressed, but the minute I tasted the combination, the pairing was spectacular. The oaky flavor of the wine went perfectly with the baby beets and their accompaniments. iKadek was delighted when we “got it.”
Now, the next dish will go down in legend! Both my husband and I were bowled over by the Foie Gras Espuma, served as a thin layer over a pecan caramel (yes) with a few truffle shavings on the top. Wow. The espuma alone was amazing, but when tasted with the pecan caramel, it was utterly fabulous. As for the wine iKadek had paired with it a sweet Californian sauternes-style from the Napa Valley, served chilled, was fresh and delightful. It's another win for iKadek, but I think Chef Ricky deserves a particular round of applause for this one.
A fresh cardamom and ginger-infused strawberry sorbet followed. We were pretty sure we were going to enjoy the next course. A lovely rich Malbec from Argentina was a great choice from our point of view. It was served with dehydrated olive-crusted lamb loin with a mint and chocolate jus, parsnip cream and Brussels sprouts. Fabulous.
We could have continued in this same vein for the whole afternoon, but sadly, we were nearing the final course.
Dessert was a Callebaut dark chocolate shell with a raspberry and black pepper sorbet, served with passion fruit, berries and an almond crisp. The Banyuls dessert wine was new to us and was a well-chosen accompaniment to the dark chocolate. This is one we'll look out for at home, I'm sure, and we were glad to learn of a lighter alternative to port.
By now, we were feeling comfortably stuffed and had indeed enjoyed an elegant sufficiency.
I'm Gill, and I have been writing my blog, An Elegant Sufficiency, for many years as a means of sharing the special days of my life with my family and friends. I'm an Englishwoman, and though I'm originally from Yorkshire, I now live in the scenic beauty of the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire with my husband (and hero) Mark. We love to travel, especially on a Regent ship. Some of our dearest friendships have been forged during Trivia and we have so many lovely memories of sitting around the table in Compass Rose with them. We are always looking forward to our next Regent cruise.
