From recipes inspired by the royal wedding, to Luxembourgish regional specialities, culminating in a gold-leaf-crowned dessert – the menu for the esteemed guests at Grand Duke Guillaume's coronation gala dinner has been revealed.

The gala dinner will take place at 7.15pm on Friday, following the Grand Duke's toast and both the European and national anthems. 130 guests will be seated in the Grand Ducal Palace's reception hall for a night of gastronomic refinement.

For the first course, Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie have chosen to revisit fond memories of 2012. "The starter is inspired by the one at their wedding. They had precise and happy memories of it and wanted to rediscover the dish," explained Franck Panier, who has been the Grand Duke's chef for the past 15 years.

A 'magical' pairing of foie gras and langoustines 

A sea bass and langoustine tartare will be paired with foie gras and presented in a spherical crust designed by Pierre-Antoine Langhendries, the couple's chef.

"The foie gras-langoustine pairing is magical on its own, but with the addition of lime and crispness, it creates an explosion of flavours in the mouth. The acidity, roundness, and creaminess form an explosive ensemble ," he said.

An avocado and pea mousse, nicknamed "princess mousse", will add lightness and originality to the starter. "The combination of a tropical fruit with local vegetables reduces the fat content and provides a creamy texture," Panier elaborated.

Luxembourgish veal as the main star 

The main course will feature Luxembourg veal from Meyer in Bascharage. The cut is stuffed with porcini mushrooms and cooked for 24 hours at a low temperature to preserve all the flavours.

"The advantage of the low temperature is that it allows all the flavours to be preserved and everyone to be served at the same time ," explained Langhendries.

The veal will be served alongside a seasonal vegetable tart and rectangular vegetable tempura to play with the shapes on the plate. "Aesthetically, you have to break up the roundness of the meat with the straightness of the tart and the tempura, and add edible flowers for the final touch ," described the chef. The dish is topped with a veal jus sautéed in butter and truffles, a "house secret" of the Palace kitchens.

A dessert crowned in gold

To conclude the meal, pastry chef Lindsay Delorme has created a mango and passion fruit Bavarian cream dish, reinterpreted with a passion fruit lava cake and topped with a crown gilded with edible gold dust.

Why mango and passion fruit? "The royal couple made this choice, firstly because the fruit allows us to reduce the refined sugar used, but also because the flavours pair beautifully with the dark Belgian chocolate the dessert is served in," Delorme explained.

Served at room temperature to preserve all the subtlety of the aromas, the dessert will be accompanied by brioche bread and a mocha coffee.

To complement the meal, three vintage wines will be served: a Riesling Grevenmacher Groärd 2020 Bernard-Massard, a Château Quintus 2016 Saint-Émilion grand cru (Domaine Clarence Dillon) and a Riesling vendange tardive 2016, Clos des Rochers.

In the kitchen, Franck Panier, Pierre-Antoine Langhendries, and Lindsay Delorme manage a dozen motivated assistants to serve 130 guests. "I am confident about the future of gastronomy. I see a new generation emerging, and I don't share the fears for the profession," said Panier.

The guests: famous faces and a hint of royalty

This gala dinner is not just about culinary excellence: the guests are made up of a number of dignitaries and royal personages. Alongside the Dutch and Belgian royal families, several European leaders will attend, including French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, as well as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender.

Luxembourg will be represented by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister, accompanied by their spouses. On the media side, journalist and presenter Stéphane Bern will also attend.

In the dining room itself, the tables have been meticulously and immaculately put together by Palace experts. Candlesticks and discreet floral arrangements, subdued lighting, and background music all serve to create an atmosphere that is both warm and ceremonial.