Krug in the Kitchen is a culinary initiative by the champagne house Krug, centered around celebrating the versatility of the carrot. [read the full champagne story]
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Krug Ambassade Chefs from around the world participated in a cooking challenge, experimenting with this humble vegetable in diverse culinary creations. Their innovative recipes, designed to pair with Krug Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé, are compiled in a cookbook titled Root for Thought. This project reflects Krug’s philosophy of experimentation and the pursuit of exceptional quality, drawing parallels between winemaking and culinary artistry. Readers are invited to explore these gastronomic experiences through exclusive dinners, the cookbook, and by subscribing to the Krug newsletter.
Ah, the humble carrot.
An unsung hero of the root vegetable realm, often relegated to the side-lines, a mere supporting act in the grand theatre of gastronomy. But hold your horses, dear epicureans, for Maison Krug, with its audacious spirit and unwavering commitment to excellence, has decided to thrust this unassuming orange (and sometimes purple, yellow, even white or black, we are told) protagonist into the spotlight with their intriguing “Krug in the Kitchen” initiative. And who are these culinary alchemists tasked with this verdant elevation? None other than their Krug Ambassade Chefs, a global collective of gastronomic luminaries.
A cookbook …
The premise, as I gather, is a celebration of creative experimentation, a dare, if you will, to reinvent the carrot in ways that resonate with the exceptional character of Krug Grande Cuvée and Krug Rosé. The result? A cookbook, “Root for Thought,” boasting no fewer than 146 recipes. A testament, perhaps, to the notion that variety in carrots influences not so much their inherent flavour profile, but rather the subtle nuances dictated by region and the turning of the seasons. Indeed, the carrot, we learn, is a chameleon, readily transforming in texture, flavour, and aroma, embracing methods from baking to juicing, from savoury to sweet, crunchy to creamy.
Let us delve into the singular visions of three such culinary artisans who have embraced this root-centric challenge: Arnaud Faye, Cassidee Dabney, and Vicky Cheng.
‘The creative process is rooted in sensitivity and driven by curiosity. I believe it is deeply connected to seasonality and the quality of the ingredients.’
ARNAUD FAYE
Épicure***
Le Bristol Paris
Paris – France
Chef Arnaud Faye
Arnaud Faye, the esteemed chef of Épicure*** at Le Bristol Paris, speaks of a creative process rooted in sensitivity and driven by an insatiable curiosity. His culinary compass, he notes, is deeply connected to seasonality and the inherent quality of his ingredients. His contribution to this carrot-centric odyssey is the Touraine Carrot Pizza with Lemon, Coriander and Carabineros. A playful yet sophisticated composition, this dish promises a symphony of textures – the yielding chew of the handmade pizza dough, the smooth embrace of the carrot base, and the gratifying crunch of meticulously prepared garnishes.
The preparation, spanning a considerable 48 hours for the dough alone, hints at a meticulous dedication. The carrot base, a silken purée of orange carrots cooked in their own juice with lemon zest and then enlivened with ricotta, sounds utterly divine. And the garnish? A veritable treasure trove: succulent carabineros (those scarlet jewels of the sea), vibrant mini carrots prepared with precision, and a fragrant curry vinaigrette dancing with preserved lemon. The final flourish involves a return to the oven for a fleeting moment, followed by anointing the creation with carrot shavings, verdant coriander sprouts, a whisper of lemon zest, and the glistening caress of lemon oil. The pairing, we are told, is with the iconic Krug Grande Cuvée, a champagne whose generosity, aromatic intensity, and sheer pleasurable character find a harmonious echo in Faye’s creation. One can imagine the salty tang of the carabineros playing against the wine’s layered complexity, the earthy sweetness of the carrot finding a counterpoint in its vibrant acidity.
TOURAINE CARROT PIZZA
WITH LEMON, CORIANDER AND CARABINEROS
Serving: 1 person
Preparation time: 45 mins (+48 hours)
Cooking time: 3-4 mins
INGREDIENTS
Pizza dough:
1kg T00 flour
600g water at 170°C
30g olive oil
23g salt
3g fresh yeast
Carrot base:
500g carrots
250g carrot juice
50g olive oil
100g ricotta
Spicy seasoning, to taste
Garnish:
3 carabineros
20g carrots
20g onion
5cl Cognac
3 mini yellow carrots
3 mini round carrots
3 mini orange carrots
2 mini purple carrots
Curry vinaigrette, to taste
5cl lemon oil
½ pack mini coriander
1 lemon (for zest)
‘The majority of these ingredients in this recipe were all growing together in our garden. What grows together, goes together. I love incorporating fire and smoke into my cuisine, as well as finding creative ways to preserve the season’s harvest.’
CASSIDEE DABNEY
Walland, TN, USA
CHARRED PICKLED CARROTS
FENNEL, SWEET ONION, CAULIFLOWER, ROASTED RED SHRIMP AND GRILLED SPRING ONION AIOLI
Serving: 6-8 people
Preparation time: 24 hours
Cooking time: 60 mins
INGREDIENTS
Charred pickled carrots, fennel and sweet onion:
300g peeled baby carrots
150g julienned sweet onions
150g julienned fennel
320g white wine vinegar
320g water
110g sugar
8g salt
500g avocado oil
35g additional avocado oil
20g minced garlic
Zest of 2 lemons
Grilled spring onion aioli:
275g cleaned green onion tops
125g avocado oil
2 egg yolks
3.5g kosher salt
10g lemon juice
20g water
Cauliflower:
100g cauliflower florets
2g kosher salt
10g avocado oil
Roasted Red Shrimp:
1kg red shrimp, peeled and deveined
2.5g kosher salt
10g avocado oil
Garnish:
4g thinly sliced
Chives
Chef Cassidee Dabney
Then we journey across the Atlantic to Walland, Tennessee, where Cassidee Dabney champions the philosophy of “what grows together, goes together”. Her culinary heart beats for the incorporation of fire and smoke, and for the art of preserving the season’s bounty. Her offering is the Charred Pickled Carrots, Fennel, Sweet Onion, Cauliflower, Roasted Red Shrimp and Grilled Spring Onion Aioli. This is a composition that speaks of rustic elegance, a celebration of textures and flavours both contrasting and complementary.
The preparation, a meticulous affair stretching over 24 hours, involves pickling, grilling over medium-heat coals until a light char is achieved, and roasting. The interplay of the sweet and tangy preserved carrots, the smoky notes from the grill, the brininess of the roasted red shrimp, and the creamy richness of the grilled spring onion aioli paints a vivid picture of a dish bursting with character. The aioli, crafted from charred green onion tops blended into a vibrant oil and emulsified with egg yolks, sounds particularly intriguing, a testament to Dabney’s inventive spirit. Once again, Krug Grande Cuvée is the chosen companion, its finesse and richness deemed the perfect foil for the myriad of textures and the smoky-sweet-tangy-briny flavour profile of the dish. One can envision the wine cutting through the richness of the aioli while enhancing the delicate sweetness of the shrimp and the subtle earthiness of the charred vegetables.
Chef Vicky Cheng
Finally, we find ourselves in the vibrant culinary landscape of Hong Kong, where Vicky Cheng of VEA Restaurant* embraces creativity as an act of exploration, risk-taking, and the joyous manifestation of new ideas through food. His contribution, the Cajun Carrot with Caviar, is a bold statement, a fusion of seemingly disparate elements that promises a surprising and delightful encounter.
Here, the carrot takes centre stage in two forms: a silken purée infused with Cajun spices and a whole Ninjin carrot, roasted to achieve those coveted almost-burnt edges and then glazed with honey and more Cajun spice. This fiery core is then juxtaposed with the luxurious salinity of caviar, all presented atop a crisp disc of puff pastry. The layering of textures and the unexpected marriage of earthy sweetness, fiery spice, and oceanic brine intrigue the palate. For this audacious creation, the recommended pairing is Krug Rosé, a champagne whose layered flavours of elegant fruit and spicy notes are said to complement the roasted carrot and caviar while standing up to the boldness of the Cajun spices. The complexity of the Rosé, we are told, allows it to interact beautifully with the diverse flavours at play.
Through these three distinct interpretations, and undoubtedly the many more within the “Root for Thought” cookbook, Maison Krug has achieved something quite remarkable. They have not merely showcased the versatility of a humble vegetable, but have provided a canvas for their esteemed chefs to express their individual philosophies and creative prowess.
The “Krug in the Kitchen” initiative, it seems, is more than just a collection of recipes; it is a testament to the spirit of experimentation, a belief that, much like Joseph Krug’s own revolutionary approach to champagne making, pushing boundaries and embracing innovation are the keys to unlocking truly exceptional culinary experiences. And if these three glimpses are anything to go by, this carrot-centric adventure is one that promises to be both enlightening and utterly delicious.
One can only hope to secure a copy of this “Root for Thought” and perhaps even experience these creations firsthand in the hallowed halls of a Krug Ambassade.
‘The carrot, it appears, has well and truly had its moment. And what a glorious moment it seems to be.’
