CRAB FEST -CODA & EPILOGUE: Decapoda Brachyura
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art!”
— Grimod de La Reynière
Decapoda Brachyura
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain, sometimes referred to as the ‘Happiness Hormone’. Healthy levels of serotonin are known to help regulate our mood, maintain emotional balance, and provide us with a sense of well-being and stability. Low levels of the hormone are associated with mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
Crab meat is well known to be a good source of the non-essential, simple amino acid known as glycine, along with other amino acids such as arginine, alanine, proline, glutamine, and taurine. Glycine plays several important roles in the body, including being a building block of protein and supporting collagen production. However, its main function appears to be that it acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem, helping to calm neural activity and promote relaxation.
In many studies, glycine has been shown to have several benefits for mental health and to stimulate the production of serotonin in raphe nuclei, the main source of serotonin in the brain. Elevated serotonin levels boost mood, sleep, and cognitive functions.
The high levels of glycine and glutamic acid in crab meat also make it rich in delicious, sweet, umami flavours, which are further enhanced when cooked, especially grilled. This incredible combination of rich sweetness and umami, along with the firm, flaky texture, makes crab irresistible when prepared in an exceptional kitchen by an experienced chef.
Along with diet and exercise, building and maintaining strong social connections can also help boost serotonin. So, coming together with friends and colleagues to eat delicious crab starts to sound like an incredibly sensible idea.
CODA
CRAB BRÛLÉE A unique twist on a classic brûlée, blending the delicate sweetness of crab with a caramelized sugar crust.
A daring dessert that ensured the finale was not only in tune with the rest of the evening, but was a talking point to finish the degustation. Louis Sipp, Vendanges Tardives, Gewurztraminer, Alsace France, 2015.
The dessert pairing was an exceptional Louis Sipp, Vendanges Tardives, Gewurztraminer. The term simply means ‘late harvest’ in French and refers to the later picking and much higher sugar concentration in the grapes. This showed exceptional aromatics with persimmon, dried apricot, wildflowers, vanilla, ginger, and wild honey. The palate was lush with lychee and nectar characters balanced by some nice fine mineral acidity.
Trimbach, Eau de Vie, Grand Reserve, Framboise, Alsace France
The final act took us back to Trimbach with this fragrant, clean, and attractive distillation from raspberries, as fine an Alsatian digestif as one could ever wish for.
Epilogue
“There may be more beautiful times, but this one is ours.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre
To be honest, there was tension in the group, with too many bookings, an ambitious menu, too many suppliers to deal with, and some nervous doubts. Like Rabbi Abraham’s crab at the dentist, I was beginning to feel the stress and pressure contained in the event. The deadline, like a crab’s shell, seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as it closed in. Day and night, leading up to the dinner, it was as if Sartre’s crabs were coming to work with me, following me home, and disturbing my peace.
As the old TV host Dennis Norden used to say, “It will be alright on the night,” and it was. It was, in fact, so much more than alright; it was spectacular. Such is the brilliance of Alsace wines and my affection for them that the precision quality and laser-like acidity of the wines cut through my stress as if piercing crab shells and casting them aside with ease. Guy Baldwin had created a masterpiece, a symphony of crab; the libretto of wines was able to sing ever more brilliantly because of Baldwin’s exceptional score.
The Alsace region makes some truly magnificent and incredibly interesting wines, from a number of attractive and highly appreciated grape varieties, varieties that reach a unique perfection in these terroirs. At their absolute best, they transcend expressions of variety and place, of their history and their people, to become stimulating, evocative, and ingestible works of great art for the senses: sight, smell, touch, and taste. They are also perfect wines to chill down in hot climates, pair perfectly with a raft of Asian and South East Asian cuisines and should be a staple part of the mix in every wine lover’s cellar, wine fridge, or on any respectable wine list across Asia. In Cambodia, the wines pair exceedingly well with the local cuisine and bring out the very best in its finest dishes; so, here’s to much more of it being poured and enjoyed in the kingdom of wonder.
Darren Gall
Crustaceans & Alsatians
On the 11th of May at 7 pm, eighteen gourmands gathered upstairs at Baldwins Restaurant to partake in the dining on an extraordinary menu of crab dishes, paired with the magnificent wines of Alsace.
The Menu
GOLDEN POTATO-WRAPPED CRAB MOUSSE Crab mousse wrapped in a crisp, buttered potato cylinder, offering a perfect balance of flavour and texture.
CRAB BISQUE WITH CHILI BISCUIT Crab bisque served with a warm chili biscuit for a touch of spice.
CRAB TARTARE WITH GINGER AVOCADO & SMOKED SALMON EGGS Fresh crab tartare mixed with ginger and creamy avocado, topped with smoked salmon eggs for a rich, savoury finish.
KAMPOT CRAB WITH COCONUT CURRY SAUCE Kampot crab served with a coconut curry sauce, highlighting bold flavours and fragrant spices.
SURF & TURF 100g cold-smoked Australian beef tenderloin, king crab leg, served with smoked mash, grilled asparagus, and roasted beets.
HONEY LIME & GINGER SORBET (PALATE CLEANSER) A refreshing sorbet made with honey, lime, and ginger to cleanse the palate between courses.
CRAB BRÛLÉE A unique twist on a classic brûlée, blending the delicate sweetness of crab with a caramelized sugar crust.
The Wines
Crémant d’Alsace, Louis Sipp, Cuvée Assemblage, Alsace France
Gustave Lorentz L’ami des Crustacés Pinot Blanc Classique, Alsace France, 2023
Domaine Paul Blanck, Wineck-Schlossberg Pinot Gris, GRAND CRU, Alsace France, 2017
Trimbach Gewurztraminer, Alsace France, 2019
Domaine Paul Blanck, Schlossberg Riesling, GRAND CRU, Alsace France 2017
Gustave Lorentz, Reserve, Pinot Noir, Alsace France, 2021
Domaine Paul Blanck ‘F’ Pinot Noir, Alsace France, 2016
Louis Sipp, Vendanges Tardives, Gewurztraminer, Alsace France, 2015
Trimbach, Eau de Vie, Grand Reserve, Framboise, Alsace France
“You know, any time you get your Chinese, your Brazilians, and your Italians all agreeing on something, it’s pretty clear it’s a really good idea. Everybody agrees that this complicated-looking creature with all those troublesome shells is worth the work.”
“When people started demanding boneless stuff, like chicken without a bone or crab meat without the actual crab or lazy lobster, that was the beginning of the erosion of our society as we know it.”
-Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown
“A land between the mountains and the river, with a rich and complex history of political turmoil, and battles for control between the Romans, French and Germans, is it any wonder that these wines are so magnificent, so full of tension and such a contradiction of rich, juicy, seductive and often sweet fruit and bracing, invigorating, armour-piercing” acidity.
-Darren Gall, Vindochine
