Each year, the House of Krug honors its philosophy by celebrating a single ingredient among the most modest, while inviting the renowned chefs of the Krug Embassies to create food and champagne pairings to accompany the new Edition of Krug Grande Cuvée and Krug Rosé. This year, the ingredient was lemon, and one thing’s for sure: the beauty of the zest was on display!
Each year, the House of Krug celebrates its expertise and founding principle of individuality by inviting the chefs of the Krug Embassies to express their creativity around a unique ingredient.
For the 2023 edition, associated with lemon, the House has brought together 12 chefs and Julie Cavil, Chef de Caves Krug, for an inspiring culinary experience in Brazil. In this country where over 200 varieties of this citrus fruit grow, the chefs showed great imagination in pairing them with a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 171st Edition or Krug Rosé 27th Edition.
For three days, these culinary artists explored this fruit in all its forms, flavors and colors. The smells of lemon trees, the scents of leaves and the tastes of zest inspired chefs from 11 different countries.
Partner chefs
Jacob de Neergaard, Stefan Fäth, Pierre Chomet, Paolo Lavezzini, Vicky Cheng, Kenta Kayama, Ki-hak Lim, Kenjiro Hashida, Nina Compton, Rafa Zafra, Justin Cogley and Theo Clench were able to compare taste memories and make connections through unique experiences. At the Citrus Center in Sao Paulo, Brazilian researchers shared their knowledge of lemon preservation.
Just like Krug with its vineyard plots, lemon productions cultivate their differences. Each variety, such as Citron Meyer, Cravo, Sicilien, Lime de Tahiti, Eureka, Harvey or Main de Bouddha, offers a new sensory experience. Cellar master Julie Cavil and the other chefs were also able to meet with local producers. Whether it’s a wine from a single plot in Champagne or a lemon from São Paulo, Maison Krug and the chefs share a deep respect for terroirs and the men and women who cultivate them. At once appetizing and acidic, nutritious and surprisingly complex, lemons play a key role in many recipes.
Challenges and recipes
At the end of this three-day adventure, Julie Cavil and the chefs fully savored this unique ingredient, creating surprising recipes to accompany the flavors and aromas of Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition or Krug Rosé 27ème Édition. The tart character and energy of lemon bring tension and balance to pairings with Krug.
The Krug Embassy chefs were creative in their recipes. On the menu, they had to compose around the challenges “Une touche citronnée” (amuse-bouche using the pulp), “En un seul zeste” (recipes with a maximum of five ingredients and ready in 30 minutes), “Zéro gâchis” (using the lemon in its entirety), “Un zeste de gourmandise” (lemon recipes from the simple to the most sophisticated), and “Se mettre au (citron) vert“ (recipes featuring lime).
In addition to the trip to Brazil, the House also invited its global network of chefs from Krug embassies in 25 different countries to get creative with the fruit. The result is a collaborative anthology of 112 lemon-based recipes. Entitled “The Beauty of Zest”, this book reveals unlimited creative possibilities.
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