The Gourmet Festival is a firm fixture on the St Moritz calendar and many regular visitors time their arrival to coincide with it.
Each hotel hosts a different chef every night, with the grand finale dinner taking place at Badrutt’s Palace.
Those fortunate enough to have secured an advance ticket enjoy lively and gastronomically superlative experiences over several days. Those who haven’t bought a ticket can walk down the main street and partake of the festive spirit by sampling food at different hotel stands on an early evening.
2013 was the 20th year celebration of the Festival and saw a stellar gathering of celebrity chefs from different European countries.
The program ranged from fun to serious culinary events over a period of 5 days.
This is an event for the very serious foodies and indeed, regulars fly from all over the world for this intensely epicurean experience.
The guest chefs this year were Massimo Bottura, Cornelia Poletto, Dieter Koschina, Klaus Erfort, Alvin Leung, Gert De Mangeleer, Markus Glocker, Alain Solivérès and Jean-Georges Klein.
The daily Chcocolate Cult at Badrutt’s lobby, courtesy of Confiserie Sprüngli was a constant and seldom resisted temptation.
Particularly popular were the ‘Gourmet Safaris’, accompanied by a ‘ranger’ who took guests to each of the festival partner hotels where every master chef prepared one course of ‘Chef’s Table’ menu in hotels’ respective kitchens. The safari evening ended with a desert buffet at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, attended by all participants.
The culmination dinner of the anniversary festival , ‘the Great Valser Gourmet Final’, took place at the Carlton Hotel.
There, the guest chefs, assisted by the resident chefs of the festival partner hotels, created a multi-course menu for a privileged gathering of some 300 guests. The sheer logistics of cooking outstanding courses for a multitude of diners would have been enough to put the fear of God in most – having to do so under the scrutiny of the diners who observed it all on giant TV screens must have been even more unnerving.
We salute the unquestionable stars of the culinary of the world who acquitted themselves with great panache and even gave brief interviews in between.
Each course and its accompanying wine is described below. What words fail to describe, of course, is the sinful pleasure each mouthful delivered.
Courses and Chefs
Tuna ballotine, smoked soy bok choy, sweet ginger, ossetra caviar
Chefs: Markus Glocker & Mattias Roock
Bo Dan Dan Noodles
Chefs: Alvin Leung & Michel Dome
Entenleberpraline, Rhabarber-Himbeerkompott, Vanille
Chefs:Dieter Koschina & Bernd Schützelhofer
Tortellini in crema densa di Parmigiano Reggiano di razza bianca modenese Tartufo
Chefs: Massimo Bottura & Mauro Taufer
St. Jacques et foie gras marinés, petite salade d’artichauts
Chefs:Jean-Georges Klein & Bernd Ackermann
Pot-au-feu with Brittany Lobster
Chefs:Klaus Erfort & Markus Rose
Fondue de queue de boeuf, céleri-rave croquant; Mousse légère d’oignons et carpaccio de truffes
Chefs: Gert De Mangeleer & Kurt Röösli
Tourte de canard tradition Taillevent
Chefs:Alain Solivérès & Hans Nussbaumer
Chocolate and passionfruit dessert
Chefs: Cornelia Poletto & Salvatore Frequente
Wines, selected by Martel AG St Gallen and Caratello Weine St Gallen included:
Furmint 2011, Heidi Schröck, Burgenland
Misco 2011, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Tenuta di Tavignano, Marche
Lemartine IGT 2011, Poggio Antico, Montalcino, Toscana
Corimbo Uno 2009, Bodegas La Horra, Ribera del Duero
Champagne: Laurent-Perrier Brut, Tours-sur-Marne
Mineral water was offered by the main sponsor, Valser
Luxemburgerli Kir Royale was offered by Maison Sprüngli, Zurich
Coffee by Amici Caffè
Digestifs by Nonino Distillatori S.p.a.whose excellent grappas were a hit during the dancing hours
Cigars were offered by the Oettinger Davidoff Group
This was followed by dancing to the sounds of a retro band, Nonino grappas and Davidoff cigars.
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