"The Taste of Luxury": Mercedes-Benz opens "Ten Star Restaurant" for one night only

The stars were out in force at the Airbus facility in Hamburg-Finkenwerder for yesterday's world premiere of the new S-Class when for one night only Mercedes-Benz opened a globally unique "Ten Star Restaurant" in the Airbus A380 delivery centre. Five German star-rated chefs specialising in different culinary styles were on hand to indulge the approximately 750 international guests from the worlds of politics, industry and media with a variety of culinary specialities. The gourmet creations were served up at several live cooking stations by chefs Juan Amador, Douce Steiner, Tim Raue, Matthias Schmidt and Wahabi Nouri, and formed the crowning touch to the evening's 'flying menu'.

With some unique dishes specially arranged for the world premiere, the chefs brought a further touch of refinement to the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz luxury saloon - a vehicle which is an exclusive first-class mobile office and a centre of well-being, all rolled into one. And just as the new S-Class is once again setting standards in terms of luxurious automobility, all five of the chefs are characterised by their exceptional culinary skills.

Juan Amador: veal cheeks in curry sauce, coconut jelly and mango mayonnaise

Well known and highly praised for his avant-garde compositions and flavour contrasts, three-star chef Juan Amador surprised guests with veal cheeks in curry sauce, coconut jelly and mango mayonnaise. Born in Swabia and with a German/Spanish background, he is regarded as one of the most innovative chefs around. He specialises in classic French haute cuisine as well as in the techniques of molecular gastronomy. In his own creative studio, the 44-year-old chef develops new cooking methods, researches completely new aromatic combinations, and also redefines or completely reinterprets familiar dishes. He earned his first Michelin star at just 25 years of age. He runs the "Amador" restaurant in Mannheim, which is currently rated with 18 points by the Gault&Millau gourmet guide.

Douce Steiner: diced turbot in lemon sauce with green asparagus tips and sorrel

Douce Steiner, the first German female chef to earn two Michelin stars, served diced turbot in lemon sauce with green asparagus tips and sorrel. Hailing from southern Baden, she is well known for her love of vegetables and herbs – and also famous for her light sauces. In 2007 she took over the "Hirschen" hotel and restaurant in Sulzburg, in the Margravian region of southwest Germany, from her father, under whom she also served as an apprentice. In 2011, the 42-year-old was named "Rising Chef of the Year" by the Gault&Millau gourmet guide. Two years later she earned her second star with her light, Mediterranean-inspired style.

Tim Raue: wasabi langoustine

Two-star chef Tim Raue, from Berlin, delighted guests with an Asian dish - wasabi langoustine. The current edition of the Gault&Millau guide describes the work of the 39-year-old chef as a "love affair with Asia". His dishes are characterised by the careful composition of spices and aromas from China, Japan and Thailand. Deeply rooted in the traditions of Asia, Raue's creations reflect an intense sense of harmony and a strong balance between sweet, sharp, sour and salty highlights. With 19 points, he is one of the few chefs to come close to the maximum score in the current Gault&Millau guide for his restaurant "Tim Raue".

Matthias Schmidt: frozen cress with sorb purée and mustard caramel

31-year-old Matthias Schmidt from Frankfurt am Main is one of the leading creative chefs from the younger generation. As a bold chef, he has earned a reputation which stretches way beyond the boundaries of the banking metropolis. This is because he has turned his back on classic haute cuisine and now works only with (organic) regional products. As part of his approach he opts for little-known products which are not often found in high-end gastronomy, such as sorb and few-flowered leek. His recipe for success lies in the use of often hand-picked ingredients used in his typically innovative style, full of contrasting flavours, to create high-quality, top-class dishes. For the S-Class he created frozen cress with sorb purée and mustard caramel. The two-star chef runs the "Villa Merton" restaurant in Frankfurt. The Gault&Millau guide has awarded the chef's ground-breaking cuisine 17 points.

Wahabi Nouri: Frisian shoulder of ox braised in ras el hanout with celeriac polenta and pickled mirabelle plums

Wahabi Nouri was born in Casablanca and has a reputation as something of a wizard when it comes to the finest culinary delights. As such he charmed the guests at the premiere with Frisian shoulder of ox braised in ras el hanout with celeriac polenta and pickled mirabelle plums. His imaginative dishes are considered to be works of art. They are based on classic delicacies from French cuisine, which the 43-year-old chef combines discreetly yet emotionally with influences from his Moroccan homeland, as well as some modern twists. In 2002 he opened the "Piment" restaurant in Hamburg and one year later earned his first Michelin star. In 2010 he was named "Chef of the Year" by the Gault&Millau guide.

World premiere of the new Mercedes-Benz luxury saloon in Hamburg

The S-Class gourmet creations of the top chefs

Five of the best German chefs brought a further touch of refinement to the world premiere of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Hamburg with some unique gourmet creations.

Juan Amador: veal cheeks in curry sauce, coconut jelly and mango mayonnaise

4 veal cheeks
butter freshly ground white pepper
50 g butter
20 g purple curry
20 g beetroot granules breadcrumbs
hazelnut oil Maldon salt
curry paste
50 g nut butter
80 g dried honey bread

Curry sauce

1 dsp chopped shallots
1 tsp purple curry
200 ml red Banyuls wine
ground arrowroot Maldon salt
1 dsp chopped garlic
30 ml red wine vinegar
500 ml veal jus butter

Coconut jelly

1 l coconut milk 4 gelatine leaves
1 pinch Maldon salt 10 g agar agar
1 pinch sugar

Mango mayonnaise

400 g mango purée
200 ml olive oil
6 g lota (Textura)

Preparation

To make the curry sauce: gently fry the shallots and garlic in a little butter. Sprinkle over the purple curry powder and deglaze with the red wine vinegar. Add the Banyuls and allow to simmer until syrupy in consistency. Add the veal jus, bring to the boil and simmer to reduce by a half, then pass through a sieve and thicken with a little arrowroot.

To make the coconut jelly: bring the coconut milk to the boil with the salt and sugar. Stir in the agar agar, bring to the boil then remove immediately from the heat and sieve before stirring in the softened gelatine. Pour into 2 cm-deep moulds and allow to cool. Before serving, mix the jelly with a little argan oil in a thermomixer to form a smooth cream.

To make the mango mayonnaise: bring the mango purée to the boil and stir in the lota, then add the olive oil to the warm mixture using a hand-held blender until an emulsion is formed. Keep warm. Vacuum-seal the veal cheeks individually with a little hazelnut oil and immerse in a water bath at exactly 60°C for 12 hours.

To make the curry paste: melt 50 g butter and 50 g nut butter in a pan. Add the purple curry, breadcrumbs and beetroot granules. Season with salt and keep warm.

Remove the veal cheek from the bag, season with salt and pepper and fry briefly on each side. Coat with the curry paste, sprinkle with a little Maldon salt and serve.

Douce Steiner: diced turbot in lemon sauce with green asparagus tips and sorrel

Turbot

4 x 60 g turbot fillet salt and pepper
1 dsp vegetable oil
1 dsp butter
1 sprig lemon thyme

Season the fish and fry on each side in the vegetable oil until golden; roast for about 3 minutes in the oven at 180°C, then add the butter and thyme and baste continuously for about ½ minute. Serve with the lemon sauce.

Lemon sauce

2 shallots, finely chopped
2 lemon grass stalks, crushed and roughly chopped
3 saffron threads
2 dsp lime-infused olive oil
½ l chicken, fish or vegetable stock
3 lemons, grated zest and juice
6 sprigs lemon thyme
50 g cold butter
freshly ground salt and pepper
1 tsp pink pepper, crushed

To make the lemon sauce: gently fry the shallots, lemon grass and saffronn in the lime-infused olive oil. Add the chicken stock and the grated lemon zest and simmer until reduced by about a half. Add the thyme and simmer for a further 1-2 minutes. Pass the mixture through a sieve and return the liquid to the pan. Add the lemon juice and butter, season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly just before serving. Sprinkle with the pink pepper as a final touch.

Green asparagus tips and sorrel

Trim 4 spears of asparagus and boil for approx. 5 minutes with salt, sugar and 1 dsp butter, then rinse in cold water so it retains its lovely green colour. Just before serving, halve the spears and fry quickly in a dsp olive oil. Place on top of the fish, which should already be on the plate with the lemon sauce, and scatter with the sorrel.

Tim Raue: wasabi langoustine

Langoustine

4 langoustine tails
2 dsp cornflour
Wasabi mayonnaise
7 dsp Japanese mayonnaise
1 dsp wasabi powder
2 dsp freshly grated wasabi root
1 dsp lime juice
4 tsp green rice

Dressing

80 ml Nuc Nam fish sauce
50 ml rice vinegar light (Marukan)
50 ml lemon squash (e.g. Rose's)
3 dsp finely diced carrot
3 dsp finely diced mango
1 dsp chopped coriander stalks

Toss the langoustine tails lightly in the cornflour and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Fry in hot fat (160°C) for 3 minutes.. Blend the wasabi powder with the lime juice, then stir all other ingredients into the mayonnaise. Fry the rice in hot fat at 160°C for a few seconds, place on kitchen paper to drain, season lightly with salt. To make the dressing: mix all liquid ingredients together, then add the carrot, mango and coriander. Serve chilled.

Matthias Schmidt: frozen cress with sorb purée and mustard caramel

The sorb, also known variously as the service-tree, checker tree or sorb apple, is a wild fruit tree related to the rose.

Sorb purée

300 ml apple-quince mead
400 ml glucose
4.5 g dried woodruff
600 ml parsley root juice
35 g garden cress
250 g Boskoop apples
250 g Povida apples
3 g agar agar
3 leaves gelatine
150 g ripe sorb apples
Mustard caramel
60 g sugar
30 g mustard seed

Boil the quince mead with the glucose, add the woodruff and leave to steep for 24 hours and then pass through a sieve. Blend the cress, the parsley root juice and the woodruff mixture together in a mixer until the cress is completely liquidised. Freeze the resulting mixture.

Extract the juice from the Boskoop apples, bring to the boil and pass through a fine cloth. Core the Povida apples, chop finely and allow to soften in the hot Boskoop apple juice. Add the agar agar to the hot mixture, boil for one minute and then add the softened gelatine. Blend everything together to a smooth purée. The sorb apples should be so ripe that they are completely brown and can be pressed through a fine sieve to separate out the flesh of the fruit. Mix the two purées together.

Allow the sugar to caramelise until golden yellow; add the mustard seed and then remove the mixture immediately from the pan onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Allow to cool before cutting into small pieces with a knife.

Wahabi Nouri: Frisian shoulder of ox braised in ras el hanout with celery polenta and pickled mirabelle plums

Frisian shoulder of ox

ox shoulder, approx. 1.5 kg in weight
2 pimientos
1 clove ½ cinnamon stick
2 onions ras el hanout spice mixture
15 g ginger
1 bay leaf
0.5 l white wine zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
250 ml veal stock salt

Chop the onions roughly and allow to marinate for at least three days with all the other ingredients. Sear the meat, season with salt and ras el hanout; add the onions and continue to cook gently. Pour over the marinade and allow to braise for about three hours at 80°C until tender. Remove the meat and place on one side to cool. Sieve the sauce to remove residue and simmer to reduce to the desired consistency. Warm the meat through in the sauce.

Celery polenta

½ head of celery
50 g parmesan
250 ml chicken stock
100 g polenta
100 ml milk
20 ml olive oil

Extract the juice from the celery and immediately bring this liquid quickly to the boil before passing through a fine cloth. Mix this stock with the remaining ingredients to create a soft polenta, then refine with grated parmesan and olive oil.

Pickled mirabelles

100 g mirabelle plums
50 g sugar
50 ml water
25 g white balsamico
salt
2 g agar agar

Halve the mirabelles and bring to the boil with the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the agar agar. Allow to steep and remove any stones. Add the 2 g agar agar and bring to the boil; allow to cool, liquidise and sieve.