Nespresso in Action at Langdon Hall
How great coffee elevates fine dining, one dish at a time
IN THE KITCHEN AT LANGDON HALL, chef Jason Bangerter inserts a capsule of Ice Intenso (expertly crafted for coffee over ice) into his Aguila machine, sets it to brew, and explains his latest coffee pairing recipe collaboration with Nespresso. The chef has admired the brand for a long time – much longer than his decade at Langdon Hall. He was in fact introduced to it in the nineties, when he was a young chef working at the legendary private club Mosimann’s, in Belgravia, London.
I’d never tasted better coffee – everything about it was perfect, every time, Bangerter recalled. Later I learned it was Nespresso.
Much later, back in Canada, Bangerter started working with the brand – serving their most exclusive Grand Cru coffees, developing savoury recipes, and by special invitation, visiting their main Swiss facility.
“I was so impressed by their quality control,” he recalls.
More than that, he was struck by the innovation of their recycling programs as well as their community initiatives in the countries they buy coffee crops. Because innovation, farming, and conservation have become the calling card of his tenure at Langdon Hall, too.
When Bangerter landed in the kitchen there in 2013, many of its ingredients were imported, nowadays 85% of what shows up on its elegant plates is Ontario-grown. In summer, 90% of their vegetables and greens along with most of their fruits are grown on the property itself. Most of it cultivated, but some foraged. So when Bangerter was thinking of an iced coffee recipe that would reflect both his and Nespresso’s values, he decided on a variation on maple syrup that would better capture the Langdon terroir.
We actually have a lot more black walnut trees on the property than maple
Bangerter explains of the 30 acres of woodland attached to the hotel. So, they tap those to make black walnut syrup – a floral, nutty, and complex syrup that’s become a signature flavour of his kitchen.
Now, Bangerter adds a generous glug of it to the coffee, stirs, tops it with whipped cream, a second drizzle of syrup, and then applies a finishing flourish to his iced latte: a grating of black walnut, which he describes as emitting an aroma like a fermented flower.
“Delicious,” he says.
As are the other recipes and pairings Chef Bangerter came up with to showcase the qualities of select Nespresso coffees. Like a panna cotta infused with Origin India, its woody, spicy, and savoury notes lifted with a Kahlúa-spiked sabayon. And a bouchon cake sweetened with Langdon Hall maple syrup paired with velvety-smooth Nespresso Professional Exclusive Selection Nepal Lamjung.
Chef Jason Bangerter Recipes with Nespresso
