“It’s all about the sauces. They need to be bold and strong; they need to carry depth. But they also need to be simple.”
With a signature like Xara Collection on your chefs’ whites, the pressure is always high. A Chef inside the de Mondion kitchen strives for perfection. Chef Clint Grech’s role is to achieve that perfection with every service; steering his brigade in the right direction with Head Chef Gabriel Caruana smoothing the way to glory.
This dish is a personification of that achievement of glory. Catalogue Entry No. 1, for Xara Palace’s de Mondion is pigeon breast, Xara beetroot and celeriac.
The Story
With pigeon as the constant; this dish is constantly evolving. It’s exact time of conception; unknown.
This dish is a celebration of seasonality combined with that signature de Mondion touch. Featuring a staple Chef Clint protein; locally sourced pigeon as well as a Xara staple, the humble beetroot. Grown in the Xara Gardens along with the herbs used in hay-smoking the dish.
Using a handful of ingredients to complete this entry, the expected standards of the de Mondion kitchen are signified with bold sauces carrying depth and strong flavour where umami provides body, balance and a unifying accent in the dish.
Chef Clint’s elaborate process and philosophy of simplicity attract palates with cohesion in composition, amplification in flavour experience and mastery of technique. With sustainability guiding the brigade; constant adaptation is expected; this version of pigeon breast, Xara beetroot and celeriac is Chef Clint Grech’s 1st entry into The bajtra Catalogue.
Tasting Notes
The bravura of this dish is in the synchronisation of aroma, flavour and experience. This dish is a blur between ‘how did he do this?” versus “of course he did this”. While the pigeon carries the leading role exceptionally well, the celeriac and beetroot are equally developed characters supporting this dish. Chef Clint Grech’s mastery of balance is unshakeable.
