Romanian chefs Nicolai Tand (picture left) and Adrian Hadean (picture right) prepared a special menu for the official lunch Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos organized for French President Francois Hollande on September 13.

France’s President was in Romania on Tuesday, September 13, where he met President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. He visited the Research Center at Magurele, where the most powerful laser in Europe will be installed, and inaugurated the new Airbus Helicopters plant in Romania.

Chef Adi Hadean wrote on his blog what preparing this meal meant for the two chefs. The time, the efforts and the funny problems. Nicolai Tand and Adi Hadean managed to cook the dishes in just three hours, using only Romanian ingredients.

The menu:

Entrée: Romanian pumpkin cream, baked parsnip puree, boletus sautéed in butter from Transylvania

Fish: fillet of trout on the stove, crawfish bisque, roasted mashed carrots, crawfish tails

Meat: Lamb tenderloin, smoked eggplants, sauce of red peppers baked on coals, chives sautéed with butter and apple vinegar, crispy carrots, boiled green bean bundles

Dessert: quenelle of cow cheese in butter, lapte de pasare (bird’s milk), whipped cream, and candied peaches with vanilla

Cheese: Romanian cheese matured in the caves, peach syrup, and black truffles

Wine selection: White wine - Solo quinta, Recaș, Red wine - Apogeum, Tohani, Dessert wine - Nectar de Transilvania, Liliac

Adrian Hadean is a well-known Romanian chef from Arad, western Romania. Besides cooking, he also writes on his blog and appears in TV shows. He was also one of the judges of MasterChef cooking show in Romania.

Nicolai Tand was born in a small village in Maramures, Northern Romania, and grew up to be one of the top chefs in Romania. He also writes on his blog in his free time, and was one of the judges in Top Chef culinary show in Romania.

French President Francois Hollande during visit to Romania: I feel like home

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Hadean.live)