The idyllic Seehof between Küchensee and Ratzenburger Lake has been hosting German Gault Millau Chef of the Year, , part of the 28th Schleswig-Holstein Gourmet Festival.
Rüffer, of two-Michelin-starred restaurant Haerlin at Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, has trained with the greats of German cuisine, such as Otto Koch, Claus-Peter Lumpp and Harald Wohlfahrt. His cooking style is modern and diverse with a European vision. He says: “I am not alone in the kitchen, my whole team is responsible for the success.” He loves to experiment with new combinations and textures to create works of art on the plate.
In Rüffer’s festival menu he presented the following creations:
Fjord prawn with horseradish foam, green apple and lamb’s lettuce
Holstein beef tartar with herb cream, cucumber-chorizo vinaigrette and iced mustard pearls
Chestnut cream soup with Ratzeburg Lake smoked eel
Zander with chive potatoes, creamed cale and Sylt oyster beurre blanc
Sachsenwald venison with trumpet mushroom jus, red-white winter vegetables and cassis
“My Frisian Cake” with Lübeck marcipan ice cream and caramellised puff pastry
The 4-star hotel with private boating dock and 50 nautical-themed rooms is a hideaway in the North of Germany. The restaurant has a lake terrace to enjoy the sunshine and a conservatory. Inside it also has an open fireplace.
For more information about the Schleswig-Holstein Gourmet Festival, please visit gourmetfestival.de
Images © S. Plaß