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Flower power

A visit abroad inspires a tasty new menu

March 22nd, 2006 issue

A fresh treatment of a familiar dish, with garnish straight from the garden.

In search of inspiration for my new spring menu, I recently traveled to South Africa, where the local cuisine reflects a variety of cultures — not only typical African, but thanks to migration waves in the region, also Dutch, Portugese, Spanish and Asian.

It was a gastronomical experience beyond my wildest dreams, a chance to sample unusual exotic ingredients, including colorful meals decorated with edible flowers — roses, poppies and marigolds. These are a typical African specialty. In Port St. Johns, a tiny town on South Africa's Wild Coast, I visited a woman named Mrs. Tia, who grows edible flowers. From her, I learned about a range of salads made with these unusual ingredients.

While my new menu is inspired by spring, its symbol is definitely the edible flower. I have collected at least 40 recipes from a variety of locales, and the spring menu at Zahrada v Opeře will showcase these delicacies. Our new menu is appropriately named New Flower Fusion, and here's a sample of what we'll be offering.

Radek Příhonský is a chef at

Zahrada v Opeře,

Legerova 75, Prague 1 — New Town

Tel. 224 239 685

CHICKEN BREAST ROLLS WITH CAMEMBERT AND HOT PEPPERS with potato pea puree and blue cheese sauce(Serves four)
Ingredients
    For the rolls
    • 400 grams of chicken breast
    • 100 grams of peppadew or broiled and peeled pickled paprika
    • 200 grams of Camembert or hermelín cheese
    • 4 slices of English bacon
    • 12 slices of philo pastry, 15 x 20 centimeters
    • 1 egg
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    Potato pea puree
    • 1 large potato
    • 200 grams of frozen peas
    • 100 grams of salty butter
    Blue cheese sauce
    • 60 grams of Roquefort cheese
    • 0.2 liters of table cream
    • Edible flowers such as poppies, rose petals or marigolds
 Preparation
  • Tenderize chicken breasts, add salt and pepper and a slice of bacon. Wrap a piece of peppadew around cheese, and make into small, neat rolls. Cover the philo pastry with butter and wrap the roll in it. Cut off the heel of the roll and slice into symmetrical pieces. Put the slices into a greased pan and bake at 200 until golden. Heat up the peas and mix with butter.
  • vCook the potato as you would when preparing a mash and mix it with peas. Stir well.
  • Heat up the sauce and melt the grated blue cheese into the cream.
  • To serve, place the puree in the middle of the plate. Place the roasted chicken rolls on top, pour cream cheese sauce around them, and decorate with edible flowers or fresh herbs.


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