Chocolate, Cognac and the World's Rarest (and Most Expensive) Eaux-de-Vie Blend

May 29, 2009 11:47 am

Chocolate, Cognac and the World's Rarest (and Most Expensive) Eaux-de-Vie Blend

$Behind the Burner: Chocolate, Cognac and the World\'s Rarest (and Most Expensive) Eaux-de-Vie Blend$

Divya, Aditi and I recently went on a uniquely adventurous epicurean journey: Cognac and Chocolate. For dinner. Where did we encounter such a strange, sweet-savory fusion? Le Cirque of course. Heralded for their global flavors and unexpected pairings, Le Cirque put together an exquisite and rare Chocognac Dinner, an exclusive dinner featuring a one-of-a-kind menu, perfectly executed by Chef Craig Hopson. Chocolate lovers: if you ever come across such a delightful menu in your life, I implore you to dine immediately and prepare for cocoa heaven. Don't wait, these dinners are rare and hard to find: two have debuted worldwide to date. The preparations are so novel, so refreshing and so sweet-but-savory...you'll never look at chocolate the same way again. This makes Mexican mole seem almost boring.

The Chocognac Dinner started off with a cocktail and savory bites. Deceptively wine-like, the Hardy Pineau De Charentes cognac was light, smooth and momentarily transported me to the banks of the German Rheingau. Tastes like a rich Riesling, but with a little bite. Created from fresh Charentes grapes, with Cognac added before fermentation, this drink will charm even the most "brown spirits" adverse.

Next, we guided our taste buds and palates through four flights of Hardy Cognac perfectly paired with Chocolat Michel Cluizel. First up, a Buffalo Fillet Carppaccio with Cherries, Chicory and Shaved Chocolate. Dark chocolate from the renowned line of 'Premier Cru de Plantation' chocolates, the Michel Cluizel "Concepcion" 66% from Venezuela is a handmade, dark chocolate with hints of orange and berry, and the cocoa beans are fermented, dried and polished via the same traditional methods used since 1902. The fruitiness balanced the savory, slightly-gamey-but-delicately-thin Buffalo meat and the Hardy XO 25 Year Old, with a blend of Grande & Petite Champagne Cognacs, rounded out the course.

The second course was a sinfully-delicious guilty pleasure: a delicate, creamy Foie Gras Lorchon with Cocoa Nibs and Bacon Caramel. I'm drooling writing this, and that dinner was two weeks ago! The chocolate: a Michel Cluizel Los Acones 67%, exceptional single estate dark chocolate from the Santo Domingo plantation. The cognac: Hardy Noces D'Or. This award-winning, medium bodied is made from 40 different Grande Champagne Cognacs and aged a minimum of 50 years. Age does a Cognac good.

Course three brought Roasted Squab Breast with Kumquats, Chocolate Feuillete and a Chocolate-Peppercorn Vinaigrette. The light, flaky, buttery puff pastry combined with the citrusy kumquats and extra dark 72% Noir de Cacao chocolate made me eat it all without shame and only minor guilt.

No tasting menu would be complete without dessert and Le Cirque didn't disappoint. No more savory--the rich, decadent Mangaro Chocolate Composition with Mousee Sorbet, Croquant and Cognac was melt-in-your-mouth luscious. The chocolate this time came from Madagascar, another delightful chocolate blend from the renowned Michel Cluizel 'Premier Cru de Plantation' line, featuring a blend of dark (64%) and milk (50%) cocoa. The Hardy XO 25 Year Old pairing complemented nicely with rose, vanilla, dates, butter-scotch and hints of tobacco.

The grand finale: a decadent, exclusive taste of Hardy Perfection Cognac, a limited edition 140 year-old Cognac estimated at $8,000 a bottle (that's approximately $250 for a small glass). What makes this one so special and wildly expensive? It's the world oldest unblended Cognac made with extremely rare grapes (that literally don't exist anymore). The Hardy Perfection Cognac is distilled from 100% Colombard grapes in the Grande Champagne region harvested just before the phylloxera plague destroyed nearly all of Europe's native grapevines. Only 300 bottles were made. I feel lucky to have experienced a rare taste of history. When the last bottle is c'est fini, this perfect Cognac will be gone forever.

Le Cirque
150 E 58th Street
New York, NY 10022
212.644.0315