The second trip was taken under a
considerable risk. I did not know and could not find the name of the
restaurant. At that time in the early years of the 21st century not
all searches on the internet gave results. I knew from memory that it was down
at the river and they had just one specialty.
This all happened during the time
when Estonia
was not yet part of the European Union and Schengen agreement and it was not
uncommon to be asked for the reason of the visit by the entry guards at the
airports. And so did the border guard at Luxembourg airport. I answered: “Holiday” and the guy in the uniform looked suspicious. It
was probably unusual that Luxembourg,
a tiny country with a Duke and lots of banking and steel industry and some
European Union/European Commission sessions going on, attracted tourists. I
wonder if the border guard would have been less or even more baffled if the
answer would have been “A meal in the restaurant down by the river that serves big
scampis with copious amounts of garlic”?
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| Garlic Scampis |
The air in the restaurant was hazy with the
thick smell of garlic like in the past places used to be grey from cigarette
smoke, the fact that almost everyone in the restaurant was eating the same
thing and the meaty prawns dripping with garlicky oil got me hooked for life. They
were brought to the table flaming in the baking dish. Now I have two very clear
memories from that place. We have a saying that two will not stay without the
third…I am so hoping for that to be true.
I was relieved, to an extent, when I saw
that the editor of the Food & Wine Magazine in the May 2012 edition
declares that she took a trip to Copenhagen
just to eat at Noma. Makes me feel a bit better. I do think this is luxury and
am grateful for having been able to do this.
Where have you travelled for the ultimate
food experience?
Garlic tiger prawns
Ingredients: (makes 2)
Olive
Oil (a few knobs of butter optional)
1
head of garlic
3-4
tiger prawns per person
Sea
salt
Wedges of lemon
Crusty
bread and/ or fresh green salad
Heat the oven to 230°C. Cut the crust lengthwise
with scissors on the back side up until the tail. Then cut the meat lengthwise
for 2/3 into the depth to make the butterflies. Crush the cloves of the head of
garlic with a pinch of sea salt with the mortar and pestle.
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| Crushing the garlic with sea salt |
 |
| Spread garlic on prawn butterflies |
Place the prawns in the baking dish and spread
the garlic on the prawn butterflies and generously cover with oil.
Bake in the hot oven for ca 10 min. Be
careful not to overcook to avoid the prawns become chewy.
Serve with wedges of lemon, crusty bread and a green salad.
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| Tiger prawns with garlic in oil |
The restaurant in Luxembourg is
Chez Bacano. They serve steak as well but if you truly love garlic and scampi I
recommend you try this flagship dish. If you do not like garlic and scampi I
suspect the steak would not taste what you are expecting and the whole garlicky
experience may possibly not provide and equally positive unforgettable
experience. The atmosphere is casual. Be prepared that you smell garlic in your
clothes for some time.