CRESTVIEW — Three of the community’s top chefs disproved the adage, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” when they collaborated on a dinner for visitors noted for their discerning palates.
Multiple cooking contest winner and TV chef Sherri Williams; regional gourmet caterer and co-creator of the chamber of commerce Wine Gala, Mary Richard; and dessert specialist and Baron’s Tea owner Erica Teets joined forces to create a memorable dinner for guests from Noirmoutier, Crestview’s sister city.
And to the best of their knowledge, it was the first time such an undertaking was done in Crestview.
Until a Sept. 15 meeting at Teets’ Baron’s Tea House, the women had never met. Would such a concentration of top-notch culinary talent generate more heat than the commercial kitchen’s ovens?
“Oh no,” Williams said. “We hit it off right away.”
Over cups of tea — French crème brûlée — a menu and logistics were readily worked out for a dinner serving almost 30 guests, including 10 French visitors and their American hosts.
When the dinner guests arrived Oct. 19, many thought that given the seemingly effortless food preparation and serving, the chefs had previous experience working together.
“It came together remarkably well,” Crestview Sister City program treasurer Pam Coffield said. “It’s like they work together all the time. Our guests were so, so impressed.”
The meal began with Williams’ bacon fried tomatillos stacks with bacony crab cakes and bacon slaw.
“We Americans like our bacon,” Williams told her audience.
The appetizers segued into Richard’s salad of local greens, almonds and a crisp “Florida Delight” orange vinaigrette. Her main course, rolled pork loin with cranberry-apricot stuffing topped by cognac flambéed sautéed apples, had been roasting for two hours.
The main course was followed by Teets’ dessert tea, glazed lavender, and cream scones served with lemon curd and mock Devonshire cream.
While each chef prepared her course, her colleagues stood by to help, assembling and plating the food, and serving the guests.
“It all went smoothly,” Teets said.
As French visitor Danielle Marquet said after her scones and tea, “C’est bon!” “It’s great!”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 local chefs collaborate on Crestview's first guest chefs' dinner (PHOTOS)