Having decided to go over the falls at this meal, I told James that he was in charge of the wine, and we should drink well-we opted for the food. and wine pairing, which I always recommend here. What followed was one of my best meals of 2023. After a soothing shot of deeply earthy cep soup as an amuse-gueule, we began with a delicate composition of scallop carpaccio with shaved fennel and several types of citrus, a dish that was light, fresh and refreshing.
“Maybe it’s the season,” said James, “but this dish reminds me of the Nutcracker Suite – it’s so festive and sincere.” Next up, carrots that slow roasting had sublimated into a dish that was umami-rich and carnal in taste and texture.
“How fascinating,” said James. “Normally I loathe carrots, but these are sort of sexy, really.” I wasn’t sure about assigning leggy glamour to an innocent root vegetable, but either way, they were delicious. If I’ve already partially tipped my hand when it comes to the risotto, nothing prepared me for the perfectly poached and very tender tail of lobster and plump knob of claw meat flanking a glossy black spoonful of caviar atop a tidy mound of risotto glossed with the single best beurre blanc (sauce made with butter, shallots, white wine and herbs) I’ve ever eaten. It was silken and spritely with a faint edge of acidity that brought out the sweetness in the flesh of the crustacean and underlined the richness of the stock used to make the perfectly al dente rice.
I couldn’t quite imagine how the caviar would play out in this composition but its sensually slippery and softly grainy texture and unguent salinity mingled magnificently with the lobster, rice and sauce. It was quite simply one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten.
James was pretty dumbstruck, too, which is why we skipped the cheese course and were less appreciative of the beautiful dessert – a mixed citrus tart with quince ice cream than we might normally have been.
“That was just…” James sputtered on the pavement while we were waiting for our Ubers after dinner. I knew what he was trying to say, so I’ve said it for him right here.
Comice, 31 Avenue de Versailles, 16th arrondissement, Paris,
Tel. (33) 01 42 15 55 70,
www.comice.paris,
prix-fixe €120
From France Today Magazine