Dig into scrumptious Mediterranean fare at Mövenpick

Backed by more than 70 years of culinary excellence, the brand’s expert chefs have perfected a new innovative range of pestos (Italian) and pistous (French) to create seven dishes, available at Mövenpick restaurants worldwide throughout October 2019.
The brand’s twist on these two classic European sauces, both based on the aromatic herb basil, which is harvested in late summer, brings globally popular dishes to life, from savoury favourites including seared Ahi tuna with olive and eggplant pesto and seafood soup with tarragon pistou to a sweet treat with a real difference – Bundt cake with chocolate-mint pesto, served with a Mövenpick Espresso.
“True to our rich culinary legacy and passion for innovation, but without compromising quality and authenticity, our latest gastronomic showcase tells our guests the delightful tale of two luscious basil-based sauces in a way they have never experienced before,” said brand manager Jochen Krautheim.
“Our talented chefs have taken inspiration from a time-old European tradition, with this aromatic herb harvested in late summer and conserved in a way that it can be savoured in autumn by blending it with unconventional ingredients to create a selection of inventive pesto and pistou variations,” said Thomas Hollenstein, director of Food & Beverage Europe, Mövenpick. “These surprising blends are guaranteed to excite the palates of even the most experimental foodies with flavours reminiscent of a Mediterranean summer.”
Italian pesto, which originates in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy, is blended from garlic, basil, pine nuts, grated pecorino cheese (or sometimes parmesan) and olive oil, while its French cousin, pistou, is a Provençal cold sauce with similar ingredients, but without the pine nuts and with or without cheese.
Mövenpick’s versions add new ingredients to the blend, while preserving the essence of both Mediterranean specialty sauces to create seven pesto/pistou-inspired dishes:
• Ahi tuna with olive and eggplant pesto: pan-seared yellowfin tuna fillet with a modern interpretation of ratatouille, pine nuts and black tapenade;
• Seafood soup with tarragon pistou: a touch of tarragon and a unique blend of sweet aniseed and mild vanilla bring this specialty seafood dish to life;
• Tagliolini with walnut-basil pesto: walnuts replace pine nuts to create an imitable new pesto blend that is smooth, sweet and deliciously buttery;
• Black cod with pesto rosso: accompanied with risotto made from aged Acquerello rice to absorb every ingredient and flavour in full;
• Beef fillet with red cabbage pesto: a traditional winter vegetable with a sweet edge gives this pesto dish punch;
• Corn chicken breast with bell pepper pesto: with peas, snow peas, egg, a basmati rice galette and sublime bitter-sweet yellow-red pesto;
• Bundt cake with chocolate-mint pesto: a timeless German cake with a cool mint and rich chocolate pesto twist, served with a Mövenpick Espresso.