THE ONE WHERE THE THEME IS TITANIC
A menu to commemorate a canonic moment in Film
Menu to serve 6 people
CRISPS À LA JACK - Crisps with Caviar and Crème Fraiche
ICEBERG AHEAD! - Iceberg Lettuce in Crab Dressing
ROSE’S DOOR - Trout en Croûte, Légumes au Beurre
A HANDPRINT ON A STEAMY CAR WINDOW - A “Faked” Alaska
Before we start, have you listened to my new podcast Lunchbox Envy? If you like food and have always wondered what my voice sounds like, it will be perfect for you!
I shall begin today's post by explicitly explaining - this menu is themed around the 1997 motion picture Titanic starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio, directed by James Cameron. It is not in any way a historically accurate depiction of the food eaten on the real Titanic, which sank in 1912. Nor is it making light of the disaster. More than anything it is supposed to be a lighthearted love letter to a movie that for me, as a millenial woman, has been an enduring obsession since my teens.
I most recently watched Titanic for perhaps the 15th time around 8 weeks ago. I had a night alone at home and was in between series. Before my brain even knew what was happening, my thumb had entered T-I-T into my remote, and the haunting tin whistle lament of My Heart will Go On was filling my living room. With a bowl of instant laksa on my lap and an ice cold coke at my side, I settled in for what was sure to be the best night a girl of 35 can have by herself. I was feeling so smug that I shared my joy on my instagram stories, to which my friend
replied “Can you do a Titanic theme on the newsletter”. And so, the idea for this episode was born.
I did research the original menus from the Titanic and it is absolutely fascinating stuff, particularly the differences between classes. I found however that there were not that many dishes served that I cared to accurately recreate, in part due to many of them sounding a bit gross, and in part due to the fact that they would take an unreasonable amount of time and effort. So, in order to inspire our Dinner Party, I turned to the story and lore of my sweet obsession, the movie. For those of you who are actually interested in the true events of the Titanic, I really recommend The Rest is History Podcast mini series on the subject. It also does a great job of comparing the real story with the film.
If you haven’t seen the movie, allow me to very briefly summarise it for you. Aboard the maiden voyage of the superliner Titanic, a young lady named Rose (Kate Winslet) is trapped by both her privilege and her scheming mother in a loveless, abusive engagement with a nasty piece of work called Cal (beautifully played by everyone's favourite Billy Zane). On the first night at sea she almost ends it all by tossing herself into the waves, when she is stopped by a handsome wastrel named Jack (Leo DiCaprio), who was only on the ship due to winning a hand of poker in a Southampton pub a few hours ago. He saves her life, their chemistry is obvious, and the chaos of a girl-meets-boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks storyline ensues, all with the looming foreshadowing of a terrible disaster. As the ship hits the iceberg a few days later (50-ish minutes later in movie time, with 2 hours left to go), Jack and Rose have finally just shagged in a car down in the hold while Cal and his cronies search for them. A few other things have happened by then - Jack tries caviar, HATES IT, he’s drawn a lovely picture of Rose naked and she's also done some first class Irish dancing, though not at the same time. They then cavort through the sinking ship escaping various misdemeanors while it fills with some of the most inviting looking water I have ever seen.
As the ship goes down, slippery Cal escapes and Rose almost does too, before throwing herself back aboard to stay with her lover Jack. They enter the freezing water together but Jack finds Rose a nice door to lie on, saving her from the biting cold and guaranteeing his own fate. Jack dies and Rose is rescued, and starts a new life with a clean slate in New York. This whole story is actually told by present day Rose aged 100, through a complicated subplot about a man searching the shipwreck for a necklace. I don’t have the time to go into that bit right now though. Let’s just say that Rose is still as sassy as always.
SO. The menu. I wanted it to feel reverent to the Titanic in style, but also modern enough that you would all actually want to make it. I also wanted to call out the most iconic characters and moments somehow without making it too theatrical and bonkers. I would say, looking at the finished article, that I have achieved that today.
Our snack is Crisps à la Jack aka. Crisps with Caviar and Crème Fraiche. Now, I know Jack hates caviar. But, I think that what this snack is really trying to say is that you can dress up something as humble as a crisp in “black tie”, but what really matters is what is underneath. The quality of the crisp is the most important thing, and Jack is a really, really good crisp who does everything he can to love his gal Rose, including wearing black tie like he’s doing it a favour.
Next, we couldn’t have a Titanic themed menu without an Iceberg lettuce making an appearance. Iceberg Ahead aka. Iceberg Lettuce with a Crab Dressing is an homage to the secret third main character of the film, the iceberg. Fortunately I LOVE iceberg lettuce and think wedge-style salads are an absolute gift to a dinner party menu. This isn’t the kind of dish that will sink you in the kitchen, if you know what I mean. It’s large, crispy and slams into your mouth like a realisation of doom in the best way.
Our Main Course is Rose’s Door aka. Trout en Croûte, Légumes au Beurre. Possibly one of the most underrated and iconic props of the film, the door that Jack finds Rose to lie on is actually from the first class cabin. It symbolises her privilege, and despite her trying to escape it, it is ultimately what saves her life, along with Jack’s devoted selflessness. Her second chance, thanks to the door (into her future…?), means she does finally shed the privilege she had and begins anew. This dish is the closest we get to something that might have actually been served in the restaurant. Our Trout en Croute is stuffed with beautiful fish, leeks and spinach, and is served with buttered vegetables and a rich and creamy tarragon sauce, which serves perhaps as the cloak of ice that covers the floating bodies, or perhaps a cloak of cloying guilt that the richer passengers feel after making their escape. Separately, I just really love this bloody door. It is a moment in culture, so it had to be on the menu, sorry.
Finally we have a bit of a showstopper for a pud. When Jack and Rose finally consummate their love, they are in the back of a wonderful motorcar in the hold of the boat. Their vigorous activity creates enough heat and moisture so that the windows steam up and in a moment of ecstasy Rose’s hand smears down the window. It’s iconic filmmaking. So, our dessert is therefore called A Handprint on a Steamy Car Window aka a “Faked” Alaska. Scoops of ice cream, cubes of brioche, raspberries and chocolate sauce are piled into a coupe and frozen together to make a cheats version of the classic Baked Alaska. It is then covered in meringue and blow-torched to golden perfection. It’s iconic dessert making if I do say so myself. And if you really, really squint, the meringue could be a steamy handprint.
Right. Enough waffling. FULL STEAM AHEAD.
CRISPS À LA JACK
Crisps and Caviar isn’t exactly new, so I won’t go on and on about it. What I will say is that a dressed up crisp is a spectacular party starter, and so easy to do. You can treat them as little canapés, like these, or you can reverse engineer your favourite dips and make your chip and dip a chic one bite experience. My advice is to buy good quality crisps, I prefer crinkle cut both for stability and for long lasting crunch.
Serves 6
1x pack crinkle cut crisps - I like these
150g Crème Fraiche
100 jar lumpfish caviar - this is the cheap stuff. If you want you can of course buy high quality caviar
A small handful of chives, finely chopped
Lemon wedges to serve
Arrange some of the more perfect, easily toppable crisps on a plate. Top with the crème fraiche, caviar and some chives. Let guests squeeze lemon over them as they eat them (if you do it before they will get soggy).
MAKE AHEAD -
These are best made fresh.
SUBSTITUTIONS -
Trout roe or even grated bottarga would be lush too.
ICEBERG AHEAD!
Iceberg lettuce gets a bad rap I think, when actually it is one of the most delicious and texturally pleasing leaves to eat. If I am ever stuck for a starter idea, I often fall back on a nice wedge of the stuff dressed in plenty of strong flavours. To stick with our oceanic theme I’ve gone for a luscious and easy crab dressing, which is just so glorious with the lettuce and some buttery baguette. I know the crabs roaming the wreck of the Titanic would be proud to see themselves represented here.
Serves 6
200g white crab meat
1 lemon - zest of the whole thing, juice of half
1 red chilli, finely chopped
8 drops tabasco sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
180g mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
For the rest
1 large iceberg lettuce
1 small punnet of salad cress, stalks snipped
A small handful of chives, finely chopped
Baguette and butter, to serve
Season the crab meat with some salt, pepper and half the lemon zest. Combine the rest of the lemon zest and juice with the chilli, tabasco, mustard and mayonnaise to make a rich sauce. It’s kind of similar to a Marie Rose but more piquant without the ketchup. Perhaps we should call it Titanic Sauce? Anyway, I digress.
Cut the lettuce up into 6 large wedges and arrange them on your platter. Drape over the sauce first then pile the crab on top. Finish with the cress and chives and plenty of salt and pepper and serve.
MAKE AHEAD -
The Titanic Sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge. Don’t dress the crab until the day of, however.
SUBSTITUTIONS -
Use brown shrimp, atlantic prawns, crayfish tails or even your favourite tinned fish instead of the crab, if you prefer.
TROUT EN CROÛTE, LÉGUMES AU BEURRE
This is a simply stunning main course, very classic in style but not dated, I don’t think. It’s also forgiving to prep ahead, in case you were worried about the fact that it is a bit stagey. The trout fillets are cured to firm up, which also really helps prevent them from seeping liquid in the cooking. Our filling is made with cooked leeks, spinach, herbs and cream cheese, again creating a firm but divinely creamy base for the fish. The sauce is a super simple shallot, cream and tarragon affair, and the veg are served classically in butter. I like to think the potatoes represent Jack and his humble origins, while the Romanesco is our beautiful Rose and her voluptuous, mesmerising curves.
Serves 6 - 8
For the fish
800g trout fillet - this could be up to 6 fillets - ask your fishmonger to skin and pinbone them for you.
20g caster sugar
20g fine salt
For the filling
3 small leeks, thinly sliced
30g butter
200g baby spinach, roughly chopped
10g dill, finely chopped
Small handful of parsley, finely chopped
250g cream cheese
60g creme fraiche
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 sheets of All Butter Puff Pastry
1 egg, beaten
For the sauce
20g butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
10g tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped, stalks kept
150ml white vermouth
300ml double cream
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Lègumes au Beurre
800g Charlotte potatoes
6 mini Romanesco
80g butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Start by curing your fish. Check your fishmonger has removed all the pin bones from the fillets. Pop the fish onto a tray, ideally on a rack if possible. Mix the sugar and salt together and then sprinkle it on both sides of all the fish fillets. Place the fish in the fridge to cure for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.
To make the filling, cook the leeks in the butter on a medium heat until they are softened and gleaming green. I like to do this with the lid on my pan, so that they steam and don’t caramelise. Add your spinach and let it wilt down for 2 to 3 minutes in the pan, then remove from the heat. Let the leeks and spinach cool for around 20 minutes, then squeeze out the mix in a sieve to get rid of any excess moisture. Mix them with the dill, parsley, cream cheese, crème fraiche, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge to firm up for 10 to 15 minutes.
Unroll one of your sheets of puff pastry onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread around one third of the leek mix into a rectangle on the bottom, leaving a large border of around 2 inches on all sides. Remove the fish from the fridge and wipe off any excess cure. Layer the trout fillets on top of the leek mix, to create a dense trout rectangle about 2 - 3 inches high. I used 2 fillets per layer for mine. Now use the rest of the leek mix to cover the trout rectangle, a bit like you are icing a cake. You can even use a palette knife to make it easier. Once the fish is covered completely, place the tray into the fridge to firm up for a few minutes.
Take your second piece of puff pastry and, on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll it out slightly or it will not cover the rectangle. I made mine 28cm/38cm and this was perfect.
Remove the base from the fridge and brush the exposed border with the beaten egg yolk. Carefully lay the larger piece of pastry on top, pressing together the two layers of pastry on the border making sure there is no air trapped and creating a firm seal. Use a knife to trim the sides of the pastry to make sure it is completely even, then use your thumb and forefinger or a fork to crimp and seal the border shut. I like to create a scale pattern on the top of mine using the edge of a palette knife or a piping nozzle, but you don’t have to do this if you are short on time. Glaze the whole thing really well with the egg and then return to the fridge to firm up for 1 hour minimum - the pastry is at risk of melting or shrinking when you cook if you skip this step.
Preheat the oven to 200 fan. Bake the trout en croute for 20 minutes at this temperature, then turn down the oven to 175 and bake for a further 30 - 35 minutes. The pastry should be a deep golden and the internal temperature should be over 65 degrees celsius. Remove the croute from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving.
To make the sauce, heat the butter in a small pan and then use it to soften the shallots on a medium heat, with a pince of salt. They shouldn’t take on any colour. Add in the tarragon stalks too. When the shallots have softened, pour in the Vermouth (or white wine) and let it come to the boil and then reduce by half. Finally pour in the cream and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a light simmer, before removing from the heat. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and then stir through the tarragon leaves.
For the vegetables you can boil or steam them, I find boiling a bit easier though. Cook the potatoes from cold in salted water, bringing them up to the boil and then simmering for 15 minutes or until tender. Cook the romanesco gently in just simmering water for around 15 minutes, a bit like you might with large chunks of cauliflower. Drench both the potatoes and romanesco in butter, salt and pepper and arrange around the edge of your Trout en Croute.
MAKE AHEAD -
You can cure the trout up to 12 hours ahead of building the croute.
You can also make the filling up to 24 hours in advance and build the trout en croute up to 6 hours in advance.
The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead, only add the freshly chopped tarragon when reheating before serving.
SUBSTITUTIONS -
You can use salmon here, but I am not using salmon at all at the moment due the fact that farmed salmon (the most popular fish in the UK) is fundamentally unsustainable and is destroying our marine and freshwater ecosystems in Scotland. Learn more here.
Add other herbs to your filling like tarragon, chives, wild garlic (coming into season) or mint.
A HANDPRINT ON A STEAMY CAR WINDOW
This is one of those puddings that makes you look far cleverer than you actually are. I am always lusting after a Baked Alaska, they are so kitschy and fun and I think anything involving blow torches is cool. But they are quite a lot of work, so we are skipping a few steps here. Piling scoops of ice cream, cubes of brioche, raspberries and chocolate sauce into bowls and then covering it in meringue is all it takes. You do need to allow for freezing time, but actually this is another easy get-ahead showstopper. The hardest bit is making the meringue, and that's not even that hard. You have to make this, because it is SEXY AS HELL.
For the filling
Around 2.5l ice cream - I like to use 2 flavours, vanilla and chocolate for example. Pistachio would be amazing too.
200g brioche, cut into cubes
120g raspberries
For the chocolate sauce
130g dark chocolate, chopped
15g butter
100g double cream
2 tbsp golden syrup
Salt to taste
For the meringue
4 egg whites
200g caster sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
I approached this a bit how a food stylist would approach an ice cream shot and that is how I advise you to do it too. By this I mean doing one extra step which is so, so helpful. Scoop all your ice cream first onto trays - you need 4 scoops per bowl, so 12 total. Then return the trays of scoops to the freezer for at least an hour, so they are really firm and easy to build with when you need them. I also chill the bowls too, for extra adhesion. Prep all your other fillings while you wait. For the chocolate sauce, gently melt all the ingredients on a low heat in a pan until you get a smooth and thick sauce, then leave to cool slightly before using. I then stuff ice cream scoops, cubes of brioche, raspberries into the bowls, drizzling the thick sauce over as I go. It can be quite haphazard and rough, no need for perfection here! Just create something fun and magical. Freeze the filled bowls for at least another hour before the next stage.
To make the meringue, pop the egg whites and cream of tartar into the clean and dry bowl of a stand mixer, or into a large bowl. Whip them on a medium speed either with your mixer or electric beaters until they reach soft peaks. Then, while still on a medium speed, start adding in tablespoons of sugar at a time, waiting for about 15 - 20 seconds in between each addition. Continue doing this until all the sugar has been used up - your meringue should be thicky, glossy and airy. Turn the speed up to high and mix for another 5 minutes and then turn it off. Put the meringue into a piping bag with the end cut off, you don’t need a nozzle. Remove the frozen ice cream bowls from the freezer and pipe a thick layer of meringue all over. It doesn’t need to be perfect again, in fact I love it looking rough and ready and a bit like a covid emoji. You can now freeze them again for up to 3 hours before blow torching, or you can do it straight away and serve.
I only recommend a blow torch for this, as using the grill will just melt the whole thing. Carefully torch all sides of the meringue to a wonderful rusty brown and serve immediately while the meringue is still crisp.
MAKE AHEAD -
I recommend you make this ahead of time - the filled ice cream bowls can stay in the freezer for up to 6 hours before they start to get freezer burn.
The bowls with the meringue on can sit in the freezer for 3 hours.
SUBSTITUTIONS -
Use any combination of ice creams, fruit and sauces that you like - peanut butter would also work well, as would marshmallows.
You can soak the brioche in booze, if you would like to make this a bit more grown up.
TIMEPLAN
This first plan should help you see what you can get done in advance, so that for each course on the day you have at least 1, maybe 2 major parts of it taken care of. I appreciate that not everyone’s weeks are easily peppered with dinner party prep, but if you’re hosting after work or on a day where you can’t be in the kitchen, getting ahead is going to save your arse.
MISE-EN-PLACE
This is the fancy name we give to the food prep each section in the restaurant needs to do for their dishes. Hopefully breaking down each dish like this will help you feel organised.
Use the hour before your guests arrive to organise your space too- I find it helpful to group ingredients by dish so it is all in the same place. Little ramekins are really useful for this.
Epic
Impressive and fun, Rosie!