Eat like a movie star: film festival menu

The Cannes Film Festival is on at the moment (11-22 May) and we sent Good Housekeeping Institute’s Caroline Bloor to investigate the food angle on the opening night. She came back with the gala menu of the opening night and a taste for glitz! Here she gives a flavour of the festival (boom, boom!) and we bring you the allaboutyou alternative Cannes Film Festival menu (scroll down for the magazine recipes). Invite some friends over, insist on evening dress, get a new release on DVD (The King’s Speech would do nicely) and feed your friends. Enjoy!!!

'Set against a backdrop of palm trees, swanky hotels, Gucci, Vuiton and Cavalli stores and an azure coastline dotted with a flotilla of yachts - going to the cinema doesn’t get glitzier than it does at Cannes. This year the festival is in its 64th year, and it’s playing host to a feast of international films over its 12-day duration, from the darkly compelling We Need to Talk About Kevin (inspired by Lionel Shriver’s best-selling novel) to the latest swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean (yes, Jonny Depp and Penelope Cruz are both in town). And the illustrious jury making the official selection this year includes Robert de Niro, Uma Thurman and Jude Law. Judging movies must sharpen the appetite if the opening night gala dinner is anything to go by.

'I caught up with Pascal Feraud, gala chef (and chef at the Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower) to find out some food facts and get tips for allaboutyou readers. At the opening night gala dinner he caters for 650, preparing 350 lobsters and 80 kilos of veal filet mignon – they get in 700 bottles of red and white wine and 150 bottles of champagne! Alain Ducasse (with his 28 Michelin stars) and his entourage of 40 chefs did the hard work in the gala kitchen, using state of the art kitchen equipment, including custom-made induction hobs by Electrolux, which supplies 50% of Michelin kitchens worldwide.

'“Don’t make your menu too complicated,’ he told me. ‘Go for something simple with 2-3 tastes on the plate. When you’ve decided on your menu, pick good quality produce. Start the food preparations in good time. Give it some passion – if you give from the heart when you cook, you will see the passion in what you create on the plate.”'

The menu from Cannes Film Festival opening night gala menu:
Starter Marinated lobster, romaine lettuce, crispy Vegetables, confit tomatoes and olive royale
Main Veal filet mignon gremolata style, roasted almonds and zucchini flowers
Dessert Layered chocolate, bergamot tea, lemon zest and Madeleine cake

The alternative allaboutyou Cannes Film Festival menu:
Starter
Prima’s crab and prawn cocktail salad
Good Housekeeping’s crisp green salad with blue cheese dressing
Main course
Country Living’s veal chop with lemon and sage butter sauce served with simple mash and petit pois.
SHE magazine’s crisy courgette fries or River Cafés zucchini flowers
Dessert Prima’s layered chocolate mousse or Good Housekeeping’s lemon syrup cake