D

Andrew Chalk: Report on New Bruno Davaillon Dishes at the Mansion

Andrew Chalk visited the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek to sample chef Bruno Davaillon’s new menu and give us a report. You might have seen recaps on other sites, but Chalk’s is the most detailed I’ve read. Jump for it.

A new chef arriving at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek is as big an event as a new quarterback arriving to play for the Cowboys. A huge amount of hometown pride and curiosity is at stake for both events. We went along to The Mansion to find out what’s new and talk to Chef Bruno Davaillon. He has been in town only about two weeks and although he has started to introduce his dishes to the menu incrementally, these are early days. So what follows is an impression rather than a review.

Ahi tuna amuse bouche

Dinner started with an amuse bouche of ahi tuna, cut as a square slice about a quarter of an inch think, topped with wasabi and placed atop a bed of diced apple. This had the desired effect of exciting our taste buds, leaving us anxious for more.

An appetizer of Maine lobster salad was quite formidable. Lobster tail had been sliced about a quarter of an inch thick and three rounds placed atop a concassé of chopped avocado, tomato and lobster meat. A green salad was sprinkled on top and two small pools of crème fraîche straddled each side of the plate with a handful of beads of caviar on top. The sinewy lobster meat was sweet and rich in the mouth, and I predict this dish will prove popular with lobster lovers. Our other appetizer was Mushroom Risotto with Confit of Duck. I find risotto is tough to make. The problem is getting the rice just right. It must be soft enough to yield readily to the bite, but firm enough to need to be chewed rather than just dissolving in the mouth. Another important element is the infusion of flavor to the rice from the stock and added ingredients. Davaillon’s example should be used as a reference point in Dallas in this respect. The mushrooms’ flavors are intense and their flesh chewy, all set against the al dente firmness of the rice. A substantial confit of duck occupies pride of place on top of the risotto layer. I love duck confit and I have French sensibilities about the liberal use of salt. But this confit was a little too salty, even for my palate.

Bison tenderloin.

Next, the main courses. Bison Tenderloin au Poivre with Autumn Vegetable Fricassee was hearty winter nourishment. After tasting this example I conclude that bison is the tenderloin for steak lovers who want flavor. The two-inch filet was rich and sweet with that iron taste of medium-rare red meat. The vegetable fricassee consisted of small potatoes cooked in their skins, along with carrots, onions and parsnips. Each vegetable  was prepared so the distinctive flavor is preserved.

Sous vide pheasant.

Our other main dish was pheasant cooked sous vide. One hardly ever sees pheasant on Dallas menus, even when it’s in season, and this was the daily special. In addition to the breast and leg meat, a pheasant sausage was also served. The meat was  accompanied by potatoes, poached pears, and green vegetables that included, unusually, grapes.

Davaillon used to be a pastry chef and has turned his hand to a few of the desserts on the menu. We had the Mansion Candy Bar, an addictive peanut and chocolate creation that will surely be stolen (in concept, if not in substance) by Hershey’s. It was astoundingly light for such a dessert. This was served with lemon sorbet which proved to be a good compliment. Our other dessert was a study in apples. Apple slices in the body were surrounded by apple foam and incised with gossamer-thin apple chips. Conceptually brilliant, this is an Iron Chef winner when apple is the ingredient du jour.

What does this all mean? More visits are necessary for a conclusive judgment, but some early signs do emerge. Davaillon will take the Mansion in a French direction, but do not expect to see heavy sauces or exotic organs you didn’t know that animals had. Instead, expect a very light hand with fresh and local ingredients (when possible) designed to emphasize their inherent flavors rather than the sauces or seasoning that they come with. His upbringing and early training in the Loire region (“the market-garden of Paris”) portends an emphasis on vegetables that will make them more than just an accompaniment to some bruiser protein. He will, in fact, introduce two tasting menus, one wholly vegetarian. Desserts are also going to be a strong suit. His style is very exact and very focused on the flavors in the dish. Many of his dishes will not have the photogenic quality on the plate that is popular with some people, but this should not blind one to the detail and precision in the preparation.

DISCLAIMER: Our meal was paid for by The Mansion and I was not anonymous.