Chef Martin Maginley adds the finishing touches to one of the hors d'oeuvres he prepared for the fund-raising dinner of the Culinary Federation of Jamaica. - photos by Denise Reid

Celebrating savoury dishes and fabulous chefs, the Culinary Federation of Jamaica, hosted its first fund-raising event in the form of a dinner at Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Hanover, last week Wednesday.

What made the menu so special was that it was prepared by renowned chef, Martin Maginley, and is the same menu that he prepared for the James Beard House in Manhattan, New York, in September.

Being invited to the James Beard House is akin to being awarded an Oscar. It's a rare invitation. But after Maginley wowed patrons with his meal, he was given an even more rare opportunity to return.

Traditional Jamaican dishes

Maginley told The Gleaner that the menu was created in an attempt to take traditional Jamaican dishes and present them on an international level. "We said we were going to take what we do in Jamaica to New York City."

Maginley explained that the flavours and the way the food is prepared was retained, but the dishes were somewhat refined for the North American palate.

Exotic foods like pimento skewered wild boar with water melon chutney piqued interests and tastebuds and the pumpkin soup infused with a twist of ginger was something to write home about.

The five-course meal which followed was a clever combination of Jamaican fare presented with a contemporary touch of class.

Ackee and saltfish tart with Scotch bonnet foam served with conch seviche and micro greens.

For example, the first course, which was an ackee and saltfish tart, with Scotch bonnet foam served with conch seviche and micro greens, was a tasty treat, which saw codfish that was soaked in milk instead of water.

There was a delicious fish tea that was presented in a very unique style. Traditional fish tea was dispensed with and instead of small pieces of fish floating around in the broth, the broth was poured atop savoury bammy chips, scallop capriccio and kernels of corn.

It is often suggested that oxtail be bypassed as a course in formal settings as most of the time traditional Jamaican culture would suggest that flavourful bones be sucked. However, by presenting the oxtail in ravioli, diners were not presented with this dilemma and were able to enjoy a delectable oxtail. It was a fabulous idea and a savoury dish.

An other-worldly taste

The ravioli were served atop a five-bean ragout and garnished with a delightfully delicious leaf of arugula and an Appleton estate 21-year-old cream, which had an other-worldly taste.

Just the aroma from the entrée was enough to get patrons excited and when those morsels were placed on to the tongue and came in contact with the taste buds, there was no denying Maginley's talent and flair.

The entrée consisted of a 'Boston-style' baby goat rack that was medium well, but tender and was complemented with tamarind and guava braised short ribs with coconut macaroni, which was simply delicious.

Bringing an end to an evening of fabulous food was a decadent Blue Mountain coffee crème brulée that left a really rich taste of coffee on the palate for the rest of the evening.

Oxtail dumpling on five bean ragout with Appleton 21-year-old cream.