The artful presentation of food under 3-Michelin- Star Chef Daniel Humm at 11 Madison Park
Many of the world’s top watch brands align themselves with top chefs. The relationship seems natural – fine dining, fine watches. Blancpain and three-Michelin-star chef Daniel Humm see it as more of a similarity of arts. “Creating great meals is an art,” said Humm at a private dinner with Blancpain at Eleven Madison Park. Humm is also the chef for New York’s Nomad – but Eleven Madison Park is a New York icon and Humm has brought it a long way during his past few years in charge.
In the kitchen at 11 Madison park
According to Humm, being a world class chef is much like being a master watchmaker, the success lies in the knowledge and the ability to execute that knowledge with precision and hand craftsmanship. Blancpain has partnered with Daniel Humm as a friend of the brand for that very same reason. According to Blancpain vice president Alain Delamuraz, it is a great fit. Humm was born in Zurich and is very familiar with fine Swiss watches. During the dinner event, Blancpain presented him
The making of the Widow’s Kiss
with a very special Tourbillon. While that was a whirlwind for Humm, the very select dozen or so dinner guests (me included) enjoyed a whirlwind of our own: a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen and an incredible culinary experience.
In the pristine and extremely quiet kitchen, dozens of sous chefs worked together to create artful renditions of Humm’s
alcohol and liquid nitrogen and secret ingredients — it was a winner!
finest creations. While we watched as they prepared, we also were treated to a delightful liquid-nitrogen edible cocktail. Called the Widow’s Kiss, the cocktail starts out in all liquid format, but ends up (thanks to the creative use of liquid nitrogen and top-notch secret ingredients) in a partially solid format that is delectable to eat with a spoon. Following the tour, we enjoyed a six-course meal, complete with wine pairings – with the main course being Humm’s famous duck. Each finely prepared meal was also complemented with a presentation of some of Blancpain’s most exquisite hand-made timepieces. Stay tuned for a special moment in time with the humble and likeable Daniel Humm.
