The Element of Surprise

Surprise is good.  Well, calculated surprise is good.  That is why I am fond of covered dishes and liquid filled foods.  You are expecting one thing, and the element of surprise is that one is not quite sure what they are going to get.  It brings life to a dish, it allows for a ta da moment at the table.  Today we were able to use a new dish from Bernardaud to highlight the key element of a dish.  A hot spring egg is hidden and when it is revealed, the egg is still in a hot spring, though in this case the egg rests comfortably in a mushroom stew.