LATAM Airlines has launched a new menu showcasing flavours from Latin America in its Premium Business cabin. It means that a broader choice of regional products will feature alongside international dishes. The options will vary each month, according to the departure point of the flight, reflecting the ingredients of each country.
Felipe Gutiérrez, LATAM Airlines’ Executive Chef, has overseen the introduction of a menu which expands the options from Latin America. Ingredients such as fish and shellfish from the Pacific Ocean, tropical fruits, seasoning and tubers from the high plateau will be used in dishes that add variety to internationally recognised dishes.
The food is accompanied by a selection of wines overseen by Héctor Vergara, the only Master Sommelier in Latin America. More than 500 pairing possibilities were tested before settling on matches that best highlight the continent’s flavours.
“We are a multicultural company and, in this sense, we want to bring our customers closer to the flavours of our continent with a new menu that highlights local products and high-quality cuisine,” said Paulo Miranda, Customers VP at LATAM Airlines Group.
The changes to the Premium Business menu are being introduced following the completion of a series of improvements in the service on the airline’s short-, medium- and long-haul routes. It means a greater variety of dishes with hot and cold alternatives, the predominance of local products and an emphasis on sustainability which aligns with the strategy of the LATAM Group.
The cold starters available on the new Premium Business cabin menu include dinner cold smoked salmon with wakame seaweed salad and sour cream with chives. Foie gras with almond crust, fig compote and cherry tomato confit is available, as is marinated prawns with avocado puree, Campesino cheese and crispy Parmesan cheese with quinoa. Creamy smoked cod salad with potatoes, fresh lime cream, asparagus ribbons and caviar is another option. So too is Iberian ham with grilled artichoke, Kalamata olives and pickled chilli plus an antipasto of smoked picanha, radish, Mozzarella di buffala cheese and red pepper jelly.
Grilled beef steak with red wine sauce and old fashioned mustard, roasted broken potatoes, carrots and kale is offered as a main course. An alternative is grilled beef steak with lomo saltado (Peruvian stir-fried steak and potatoes) sauce, tricolour quinoa risotto and sautéed vegetables.
Pasta-based choices include goat cheese stuffed ravioli with roasted tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese plus white cheese ravioli with herbs, concassé tomato sauce, Mozzarella bocconcini and Brazil nuts.
Dishes with local touches include Cognac chicken with sauce, sweet potatoes, courgette and roasted tomatoes from Chile. Also from that country is grilled grouper with creamy white wine sauce, corn cream, roasted vegetables and crispy capers.
From Peru, the dishes available include perico, grilled tropical fish with macho sauce and sautéed vegetables plus grilled chicken thigh with hot huancaína sauce, ollucos cake and grilled vegetable sticks. The Brazilian options include a Signature Dish of baiao de dois – rice and beans with seafood – presented in collaboration with Chef Nara Amaral. Poached cod with ratatouille and chips, a favourite from Spain, will also feature.
Salad lovers can look forward to the likes of marinated goat cheese salad with cherry tomatoes, dried apricots, walnuts and a variety of lettuce with the optional addition of serrano ham or pastrami. Roasted chickpea salad with cumin, feta cheese, roasted onion, roasted cherry tomatoes and a variety of lettuces can be served with roasted shrimp.
Dessert options range from caramelised apples with orange custard and coconut crumble to manjarate – caramelised condensed milk mousse with chocolate ganache and brownie pieces
Gulupa mousse with mango and biscuit pieces as well as coconut caramelised condensed milk with strawberry compote, toasted coconut and cocoa nibs are also available.
In addition to international egg-based dishes served for breakfast, the options with a local touch encompass churrasca, a Chilean bread that is traditionally made in a frying pan, over a kitchen fire, stuffed with goat cheese, avocado and roasted tomato. Also from Chile are pancakes with caramelised condensed milk and strawberries.
From Peru, meanwhile, pan con chicharrón (pork bacon sandwich with fried sweet potatoes and mayonnaise) is an option. Pancakes with banana, salted caramel sauce, vanilla sauce and cashews plus the misto quente sandwich of grilled bread, Prato cheese and ham both have their provenance in Brazil. And from Portugal, the breakfast option of fatias douradas, sweet toast with applesauce and cinnamon, is offered.
The options will vary monthly and alternate according to the departure point of the flight, referencing local flavours of that country.
