The MHUCC Youth Group Fine Dining Experience

Diners enjoying our fine dining experience fundraiser

by Fiona Case | Jan 23, 2023

The MHUCC Youth Group offered a fine dining experience fundraiser – a four-course table d’hôte menu for $45 in a sophisticated environment. It was an outstanding success. 47 customers enjoyed an excellent meal and we raised money for the building materials (lumber, concrete, roof tiles etc.) for the house we are building in Mexico with Casas de Luz next month.

Salads

Plating brownies a la Mode

The team!

Our Maître d’ and two of our waiters

The recipes:

You can recreate the MHUCC fine dining experience in your own home!

Carrot & coriander soup
Brownies (we halved the amount of sugar in this recipe since we were serving them with ice-cream)
Quick Coq au Vin
Cheesecake – traditional Merrick family recipe

French onion soup:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
2 quarts home-made chicken stock
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions:

1. Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Now add the chicken broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

2. When you’re ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Ladle the soup in bowls and float the Gruyere croutons on top.