British Airways Olympic menus by Simon Hulstone and Heston Blumenthal are unveiled
Menus for British Airways customers during the Olympics and Paralympic Games - created by Simon Hulstone with support from Heston Blumenthal - have been unveiled.
Hulstone's dishes have been inspired by the airline's menus dating back to 1948, the last time the Games were held in London, with the inclusion of popular ingredients from those times - such as ox cheek and fish - reinvented for today's audience.
"It's an honour to have created a menu that millions of people will experience during the Games - I can't think of a better platform to showcase British cuisine," he said.
Blumenthal mentored Hulstone through the creation of the menus, as part of the BA Great Britons Programme, which offers a global platform for up and coming British talent in food, art and film in the run up to the Games.
"Simon has created an exciting, delicious and well-balanced menu that pays homage to the Games in a clever and subtle way," said Blumenthal.
"The dishes celebrate our rich history and British talent at its best. As a mentor, chef and friend I'm very proud of what he has achieved."
Hulstone has created four menus, which will be available on long-haul flights from London Heathrow from July to September in First, Club, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins.
His dishes reflect the trends of the late 1940s and include rillette of mackerel on a pickled cucumber carpaccio with sour dough croute and fish pie using sustainable sourced hake, with Parmesan pomme purée and a warm tartare sauce.
Dishes such as braised beef chasseur with young carrots and chateau potatoes from the airline's 1948 menu has been reworked to become potted braised beef with a potato and horseradish topping, served with hispy cabbage, baby carrots and roasted shallots with a rich jus.
For dessert, Hulstone has paid homage to tinned fruit, which was so common after the war, by devising a lemon curd cheesecake with raspberry and basil compote.
Hulstone and Blumenthal will continue to work together to create a menu for the British Olympic Association's Our Greatest Team Rises ball at the Royal Albert Hall on 11 May.
SIMON HULSTONE'S OLYMPIC GAMES INSPIRED MENU
Available on British Airways flights from July to September 2012
Customers will also have a choice of options from the regular British Airways menu
First Class
Starter
Rillette of mackerel dressed on a pickled cucumber carpaccio with sour dough croutes
Main Potted braised beef, with a potato and horseradish topping served with hispy cabbage, baby carrots and roasted shallots with a rich jus
Dessert Chilled chocolate fondant with a salted caramel liquid centre, caramel sauce and spun sugar topped with hazelnuts
Club
Starter
Golden beetroot, with goat's cheese and elderflower dressing
OR
(July) Smoked salmon and Cornish crab roulade with servruga caviar gribiche sauce and summer cress salad
(August) Smoked salmon tartare with pickled cucumber ribbons radish salad and crème fraiche
(September) Gin & Tonic cured smoked salmon
Main Fish pie using sustainable sourced hake, dressed with Parmesan pomme purée and a warm tartare sauce
Dessert Lemon curd cheesecake with raspberry and basil compote
By Janet Harmer
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