ICSA 20 : Maximizing Minimalism

by Mongol

For my inaugural competition, I thought I would take the concept of minimalism and use it to make a very elegant meal. It's very easy to prepare the classiest of meals when you have access to unlimited culinary resources, but when you have to limit yourself, it is very important to use quality ingredients which can be applied to multiple dishes. So, for this ICSA competition, I have prepared 4 dishes using all 12 of the allowed ingredients.

The Menu

• Black Bean and Mushroom Risotto
• Beef Wellington with Shallot Relish
• Grilled Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan and Balsamic Reduction
• Chocolate Mousse

The Ingredients

The ingredients I used to prepare these dishes are as follows:

• Shallots
• Arborio Rice
• Red Wine
• Black Beans
• White Mushrooms
• Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
• Eggs
• Beef Tenderloin
• Heavy Cream
• Asparagus Spears
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Bittersweet Chocoloate

As well as the following "freebie" ingredients:

• Butter
• Beef Stock
• Salt
• Pepper
• Flour
• Vegetable Shortening
• Safflower Oil
• Olive Oil
• Water
• Sugar

The Meal

There you have it. Serve these dishes paired with the same wine used in the risotto and relish and enjoy. Buon Appetito.