V-Flyer

On a recent VS flight I had the amazing fortune to sample some airline food that I feel in love with [:0]

Flying LGW - LAS VS was offering a Chicken with pasta in a mushroom sauce dish that I have to say was amazingly good.

Anyways, don't know if this can be found but would anyone happen to have any idea what the recipe is for it?

Personally I think you will struggle to get this.

Most caterers treat their recipes as proprietary and its really difficult to get information about them - some of this is because they dont want a competitor to be able to "cost" it and some of it is because the are not necessarily using the "finest" ingredients.

Which class were you in?

The chicken breast with broccoli and penne in a mushroom sauce is served in Premium Economy and Economy.

And it is also my favourite meal onboard![:p]

Well Dave maybe not an airline food but on Monday I ate at the Encounter Restaurant at LAX (you know that weird Jefferson's looking thing). I had the Mushroom Ravioli with garlic cream sauce plus sour cream on top that was really great. That blended with watching A340s, B744s, B772s plus Lindsey made for a great day. Also the Encounter is a ten minute walk from the VS terminal at LAX.

I think it's my favourite Y meal too. Way above most average Y airline dinners.

I think the chicken breast is marinated, certainly well seasoned, before it's grilled/roasted (my guess is it's done using a combination oven - I know Rational are popular in mass catering like airline catering. I remember seeing some reference they had from LSG Skychefs).

The pasta is just a simple penne in a mushroom cream sauce, and the side is a steamed broccoli, as I recall.

Cheers!
Mike

My fave PE/Y meal is the mushroom risotto, but I was not impressed with the "pasta with cheese on it" or rather some sort of wheat and water with yellow mush that had absolutely no gastronomic resemblence to any cheese I've ever had on my PE flight on saturday[n]

VS.

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
Well Dave maybe not an airline food but on Monday I ate at the Encounter Restaurant at LAX (you know that weird Jefferson's looking thing). I had the Mushroom Ravioli with garlic cream sauce plus sour cream on top that was really great. That blended with watching A340s, B744s, B772s plus Lindsey made for a great day. Also the Encounter is a ten minute walk from the VS terminal at LAX.

You mean the 'Theme building', the LA Cultural and Historical monument? Nice restaurant, very reasonably priced especially when compared to the rip-off at LHR/LGW thanks to BAA.

Thanks,
Richard

You mean the 'Theme building',

It is the encounter restaurant, isn't it?[:?]

Whatever it's called, the view certainly looks good.

VS.

The building is the 'Theme building' which houses the Encounter restaurant.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion
The building is the 'Theme building' which houses the Encounter restaurant.

Thanks,
Richard

And some offices, a deli and other things. Parking is $6.00 for a valet to drive about 20 feet. Silly. Sorta feels with the SFO CH.

Surely the recipe would have been written so as to be palatable at altitude? Would proably taste disastrous at ground level....like most of my cooking [}:)]

Originally posted by VS045
My fave PE/Y meal is the mushroom risotto, but I was not impressed with the "pasta with cheese on it" or rather some sort of wheat and water with yellow mush that had absolutely no gastronomic resemblence to any cheese I've ever had on my PE flight on saturday[n]

VS.

The mushroom risotto is my favourite too. Sadly it was followed by a chicken caeser salad roll which was dire [:$]

Lesley

Originally posted by catsilversword
Surely the recipe would have been written so as to be palatable at altitude? Would proably taste disastrous at ground level....like most of my cooking [}:)]

Probably the only differences are more salt to hold moisture in, and more moisture to begin with to keep it from drying out (the reason for the sauces). Cooking at 8k has its pitfalls, one soon learns - drying out is number one, due to boiling water which isn't hot enough (water boils at lower temps the higher one goes, so you must cook longer), or leavened goods doing the awful and odd.

For the chicken recipe itself, try marinating your chicken in a wine/herb marinade containing a bit of salt for at least 30 minutes, then grill it quickly at relatively high heat. Keep it basted with fresh unused marinade if you need to use an oven. Quick grilling (searing the outside) and moisture are the key ingredients to the taste. If you keep those two things in mind, it's easy to reheat it later. And the flavor develops as it sits. That's why it seems 'well-seasoned.'

The reason the broccoli seems so wonderful is the plain fact that it's been blanched first before being plated for reheating/steaming, something most home cooks don't do. Any good cookbook gives blanching directions, give it a go. Make sure you use unsalted butter and salt to taste with either kosher or plain salt, not any salt containing iodine. Steam with good water, too; if your water smells like a pool, your food will too. Ugh.

The pasta seems straightforward, mushroom sauce on top of al-dente pasta. Try making your own instead of using a premade, and it will taste a lot better.

Funny; I hate cooked broccoli, and I am not fond of 'shrooms. This meal looked so good I wanted to trade. 'PE/Y' meal? So what! I wasn't alone in coveting it, maybe it should be a J menu item...