Trackside tucker gets the Guillaume Brahimi treatment, plus his dessert recipe for raceday parties

From culinary collaborations with Stella Artois at Paris Fashion Week in June, to his exclusive appearance at the brand’s Caulfield Cup marquee, Guillaume Brahimi dons his French chef’s hat to curate a fashionable menu for VIPs at the track.

The French-born and Sydney-based chef, who spends 150 days a year in Melbourne overseeing Bistro Guillaume at Crown, says the emphasis in the invitation-only Stella Artois marquee is on simple yet substantial dishes.

“I always start by thinking to myself what would I like to eat at the races,” says 50-year-old Guillaume Brahimi who moved to Australia at 23.

“Partnering with Stella Artois means I have dishes that work well with a cold beer,” he adds.

It’s prawn cocktails for arrival – think large king-sized ones with lashings of thousand island dressing, avocado and Yarra Valley salmon rose plus some crispy lettuce.

“Prawns and beer are such a classic combination and we’re serving them in the most elegant manner for the guests,” he says.

Brahimi has created four signature dishes for the marquee which he says will be in abundance on the day.

A carbohydrate meal never goes astray either – hence his decision to add pasta to the menu. He’s chosen pea tortellini filled with asparagus, goat’s cheese, mint and olive oil.

Then there’s the braised spring lamb shoulder served with ratatouille, black olive tapenade, crushed kipfler potato and zucchini flowers.

For the sweet tooth, a dessert duo of sorbet raspberries comes with fresh lemon cream, caramelised white chocolate pistachio cake, meringue and marshmallow.

“French food is the cornerstone of every cooking,” Brahimi says.

“I am so proud of my heritage and proud to be able to bring it to the marquee for the first time this year. I am a classical chef and will never say otherwise, but I love bringing a touch of contemporary to the finished concept.”

Brahimi says his Parisian fare is pitched to the health conscious, too.

“People are trying to eat healthier and want lighter dishes, so we try to amend the French way of cooking to suit a 2018 lifestyle,” he says.

He admits that French food fits in nicely with the Belgium beer brand’s messaging – both holding an esteemed seat in the bistro dining space.

“What I do with my cooking is engage a sense of celebration – it’s what Stella does with its beer too,” he says.

Matching lager with French food might sound tricky, but Brahimi isn’t one to compromise his ambitions to be the best at it.

“French food has always been about using seasonal produce, so it’s not dissimilar to fashion which delivers collections twice a year on average. We’ve brought that concept to the marquee to show our most fashionable side too,” he says.

Brahimi is looking forward to overlooking the kitchen and celebrating in the marquee with friends at Caulfield Cup.

“The winning trifecta is for quality food, cold beer and good company,” he says. “We’re ticking all the boxes.”

Duo of raspberries with lemon cream, white chocolate, pistachio and meringue

Makes 10

2 punnets raspberries

Elderflowers

Lemon Curd

75g lemon juice

75g pouring cream

135g whole eggs

55g sugar

1 sheet gold gelatine

30g butter

 Soak gelatine in cold water. Combine cream and lemon juice in a small pot and bring to a simmer, remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Pour cream onto eggs and return to pan over medium heat. Whisk until 80 degrees C or until thick. Remove from heat, squeeze gelatine to remove excess water and add to lemon curd with butter. Whisk until combined, strain and chill in fridge.

Caramelised White Chocolate

100g White Chocolate 

Preheat oven to 120 degrees C. Chop chocolate into pieces and place onto a tray lined with baking paper. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir and continue to bake until golden. Allow to cool and then chop into small pieces. Reserve in fridge.

Meringue

100g egg whites

200g caster sugar

Pre heat oven to 100 degrees. Whip whites until foaming, add sugar and whip until thick and stiff. Place into piping bag and pipe into ½ cm dots. Place into oven and cook for 1 hour or until crisp.

Raspberry Sorbet

500g raspberries

130g sugar

12g glucose powder

100g water

Juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Strain and churn in ice-cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. Reserve in freezer.

Crystalized Pistachios

100g roasted pistachios

50g caster sugar

25ml water

4g salt

 Place the sugar and water in a pot and take to 115 degrees C, Remove from the heat and add the nuts and salt, stir until nuts are crystalised, pour onto baking paper. 

To assemble

Pipe lemon cream on to a dish, sprinkle with chocolate and raspberries, quenelle between two spoons a small scoop of sorbet and place on top, sprinkle over pistachios, meringue and elderflowers. Can also be arranged in individual glasses.