Ketchup in your haute cuisine, is that possible?
We went for an upscale meal at Andaz Amsterdam and were served a three-course dinner featuring Heinz Tomato Ketchup as its common thread.
Oh, why?
Well, it turns out Ed Sheeran is absolutely crazy about Heinz Ketchup. And he often sits quietly in very fancy restaurants wishing he could simply have a dollop of ketchup with his molecular masterpieces. So Heinz and he entered into an Edchup-collaboration. Naturally, professional chefs then had to get involved to bring this brilliant idea to life and turn it into fine dining, so the challenge was to incorporate ketchup into a Michelin-star-(Ed)-worthy menu.
How so?
Take the starter, for example: beef tartare with a quail egg, herb mayonnaise, mustard ice cream and ketchup jelly pearls.
Did that work?
Absolutely! Raw meat with a soft egg and mayo: interesting flavours, but in terms of texture it was all bite, no chewing required, swallow and gone. The ketchup pearls gave you something to bite into, with a deliciously fresh, sour ‘pop’.
And what else?
Then came the main course: an incredibly good piece of beef tenderloin, half covered in panko crumbs, a beautiful Hasselback potato, pickled onions, Brussels sprout and aubergine. The ketchup bottle was on the table. You were allowed to do that part yourself.
Did you?
Yes, out of politeness. The world turned upside down, right? It wasn’t necessary, but it wasn’t a waste either.
And then?
There was ketchup ice cream. That wasn’t quite so enjoyable. Fortunately, it was served alongside a very creative ‘burger’ made from soft choux pastry, chocolate mousse and marshmallow disguised as cheese. A strong performance by the chef, who gave a fun twist to a ketchup classic.
Conclusion
As far as we’re concerned, ketchup’s highly specific flavour has no place in a sweet dessert, no matter how skilfully you cook. But the pearls were incredibly tasty with that excellent tartare, and although everything in the main course was already very delicious on its own, the ketchup wasn’t an elephant in a china shop here either.
Fancy giving it a go?
Start with an easy marinade for pork chops or chicken thighs:
4 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper. Coat the meat, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, and preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Grease an oven dish, place the meat in it and cover with aluminium foil. Bake for 15 minutes covered with foil, then for another half hour uncovered. Yum!
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