A CLASSIC GETS A MAKEOVER Prhat is a plant-based chef who has worked with the Four Seasons Hotels and other luxury concepts to add more meatless items to the menu. Vegetarian dishes are avail- able at Delmonico’s, but “when I asked Dennis [Turcinovic] if there was demand from guests for vegan options, he said ‘there haven’t been requests.’ But I told him if you put it on the menu first, people will ask for it,” she said. While taste was of top impor- tance in developing the plant-based dish, Prhat, who has a background in nutrition, also wanted it to pro- vide good nutritional value. “I had to make sure it included all the macronutrients—protein, carbs and fat—and also be calorie-conscious,” she said. Chicken a la Keene is traditional- ly made with white meat chicken, a creamy sherry sauce, English peas, cherry tomatoes and asparagus. To closely mimic the texture and appearance of the chicken, Prhat turned to lion’s mane mushrooms, “a meat-like variety. If you char them on the outside, they taste very meaty,” she said. To heighten the umami, she adds tamari and a little liquid smoke to the preparation. The cream sauce was a little trickier to replicate, since dairy- based butter and cream were off limits. “Most of the cream sauc- es I’ve developed before were ca- shew-based, but I wanted to elevate this a bit more for fine dining,” said Prhat. Instead, she chose a cream base made from lentils and found it gave the best texture and appearance; white miso, port wine, nutritional yeast and vegan butter enrich the flavor. “I tried a soy-based cream, too, but it broke down from the high cooking temperature,” said Prhat. “I needed a more stable product.” Lentils play other roles in the recipe as well. Prhat tops the plate with crispy, flash-fried lentils in- fused with nutritional yeast to add “cheesy undertones” and crunch, and the creamy dish is served over
PHOTO: ENVATO
artisanal lentil pasta. Guests also have the option to swap in import- ed Italian wheat pasta, but Prhat’s original idea was to make the menu item allergen-free as well as vegan. Delmonico’s on-site chef, Ed- ward Hong, prepared a homemade vegetable stock to sub for the tradi- tional chicken stock. The tomatoes, asparagus and peas remain the same as in the original recipe, and both the chicken and plant-based versions are priced at $44.
Although there’s a selection of plant-based chicken analogs avail- able to foodservice, Prhat feels “it’s a cheat to use plant-based meat products and fine dining doesn’t re- ally allow for that,” she said. “I like to use elements of nature to create vegan recipes, so every bite gives you a textural and sensorial experi- ence.” The plant-based “Chicken” a la Keene joined the menu at the be- ginning of July, and so far, is doing well. “If you can get people going to Delmonico’s to order a plant-based dish instead of a steak, that’s the pinnacle of change,” said Prhat. She and Chef Hong are working on revamping other recipes into vegan options, including a Caesar Salad and a dessert.
STEAK LOVERS' SEAL OF APPORVAL
When Prhat presented the final- ized dish to Delmonico’s executive team, “they agreed it tasted very similar to the classic Chicken a la Keene,” she said.
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OCTOBER 2024 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
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