In Wes Anderson’s 2014 movie, A writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge. Source

Anderson must love dining. He has saved some of his best dialogue for scenes involving food and drink, and they’ve often been used as key plot points to set up tension and drama. They’re some of the most memorable parts of his films. Source

“Two ducks roasted with olives, rabbit, salad, Pouilly-Jouvet 52, plus a split of the Brut.”

The Scene: The author asks Moustafa how he bought the hotel, to which Moustafa replies, “I didn’t.” Moustafa invites the author to dinner, with the intention of telling him how he came into possession of the Grand Budapest Hotel. The scene shifts and we see Moustafa and the author dining in the ballroom of the Grand Budapest. Moustafa orders a lavish meal of ducks, rabbit, salad, and drinks.

Fun Fact: There are two Pouilly’s in the wine world, both French. The first is Pouilly-Fuissé (pronounced poo-yee fwee-say), which is a Chardonnay from the Macon region in Burgundy. The second is Pouilly-Fumé (pronounced poo-yee foo-may), which is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.

There’s a Pouilly-Fuissé from a producer called Theodore-Jouvet, but the producer doesn’t seem to exist anymore and you wouldn’t call the wine Pouilly-Jouvet. So, it appears Wes Anderson made up this quirky hybrid wine, which is in line with all of the amazing small and richly creative details he has in every scene of his movies. Source

Alas the scene cuts to Moustava’s story which becomes the basis of the whole movie so there are no direct shots of the meal. However raise a glass to this next recipe for its decadence.

Today we will be making:

Canard aux Olives
(Roast Duck with Olives)

Based on a recipe from Allard, this bistro favorite calls for a rich sauce, made by simmering green olives, herbs, and stock, to accompany roast duck.

Ingredients

1⁄4 tsp. fennel seeds
12 parsley stems
8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 lb. chicken wings or backs (if using backs, cut into 2" pieces)
1 (4 1/2 -lb.) muscovy duck, legs tied, neck and gizzards reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 medium yellow onions, minced
1 1⁄2 tbsp. flour
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups dry white wine
1⁄3 cup tomato paste
1 lb. large brine-cured green olives, pitted

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°.
Put fennel, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme on a 6" square piece of cheesecloth. Bring up corners of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to make a a bundle of the herbs; set aside
Heat 1 tbsp. butter and oil in an 8-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and reserved duck neck and gizzards, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 8 minutes
Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with ﬂour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute
Add reserved herb bundle, stock, and wine and stir in tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, occasionally skimming fat from surface, for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add olives, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse olives under cold water; set aside. Set a ﬁne mesh strainer over a 4-qt. saucepan. Strain sauce, discarding solids.
Add olives and heat over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced and coats the back of a spoon, 1–1 1⁄2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and keep warm.
Score duck skin all over with a small paring knife and rub skin with remaining butter; season with salt and pepper
Place duck breast side down on a rack in a large roasting pan and place in oven; roast for 20 minutes.
Turn duck breast side up; roast for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Continue cooking until duck is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of a thigh (without touching the bone) reads 160°, about 1 hour
Transfer duck to a platter and let rest for 20 minutes.
To serve, carve duck into 8 pieces and arrange on a large platter to resemble the whole duck. Pour olive sauce over top and serve immediately

Why this Recipe Works

This is definitely an “impress your guests” type of meal suitable for any fancy dinner party or Holiday
Because it takes time, love, and more expensive ingredients, ensure you are able to find all ingredients and tools prior to starting

Pro Tips

Pair slow-cooked, fruity, spicy or mild-flavored duck with whites and lighter acidic reds
Duck and pinot noir is a classic pairing because both offer moderate intensity, with pinot noir’s acidity balancing out the fattiness of duck. Since duck often cooks well with fruit, the fruity notes in pinot couldn’t be any better of a match.
Pairing note: The Chateau Real Martin Cotes de Provence 2005 ($22) has flavors of cherry, prune, and tobacco that pair very well with duck and with this dish's robust sauce in particular

“Who’s got the throat slitter?

The Scene: Gustave shares a pastry from his favorite shop, Mendl's, with his cellmates and asks for a throat slitter (homemade pison knife) to cut it.

Fun Fact: As the time period shifts to the 1930s, the saturation intensifies with red tones and harsher lighting and then changes to cooler blue tones when M. Gustave is in prison, indicating the plot tensions. Food moments initially appear to be for comedic effect, such as the hardened prisoners softening as they devour Mendl’s courtesan au chocolate. Although Mendl’s iconic pink box with blue ribbons and tricolored courtesan au chocolat clash against the largely monochromatic prison, the pastries’ exquisite exteriors ironically enable tools to be smuggled since they are left undisturbed by prison guards out of aesthetic appreciation. Source

Today we will be making

Prison Profiteroles

Imagine the scene of a Parisian cafe, where you are drinking a cafe and eating a profiterole with warm chocolate sauce poured on top. Or a prison—these are delightful either way!

Ingredients

For the pate a choux:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg, mixed with 1 teaspoon of water for egg wash

For the chocolate sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt

Directions

To make the pate a choux

Preheat the oven to 425F
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside
Prep a pastry bag with a round tip on the end. If you don't own a pastry bag, use a ziploc with a 1/2 inch hole cut in one corner
In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, salt and water
Bring to a gentle boil. Do not allow the water to boil for any length of time or it will begin to evaporate, and the proportion of liquid to dry ingredients will change, compromising the final dough
Once boiling, immediately remove the pan from the heat and, using a spatula, quickly mix in the flour
Return the saucepan to medium heat and continue beating in the flour for 30 seconds. The mixture should begin to thicken, dry out and form a mass. A think film should form on the bottom of the pan and the mixture should begin to pull away from the sides of the pan
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle.
Begin beating the paste at medium-low speed to release some steam and to allow it to cool 1 minute
Pour in one egg at a time, beating continuously until the paste is smooth and shiny. The dough will go from sloshy to smooth and will eventually be smooth and fall on itself.
Transfer the choux to the prepared pastry bag
Pipe out about 9 profiteroles per baking sheet, spacing them about 2-inches apart. Note: If there are any little tips to any of the profiteroles, you can dip your finger in water and lightly pat them down
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each piece with egg wash, lace baking sheet in oven
At the 15-minute mark, turn oven temperature down to 350F and bake for another 10 minutes, until nice and golden brown. If they're starting to get too dark then remove them
Transfer to a cooling rack
Take a small paring knife and pierce a small hold on the sides–this will let out any moisture
Allow them to cool for 15 minutes.
To Make the Chocolate Sauce:
While the cream puffs are cooling, add the chocolate to a heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and butter to a gentle simmer.
Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate; let stand for 1 minute. And then whisk until smooth.
To Assemble:
Cut the cream puffs open, and top with silky smooth chocolate sauce

Why this recipe works

Despite seeming complicated, it is relatively simple if you follow the directions closely
Since ours are prison themed, the black and white coloring can be reminiscent of prison uniforms for a fun movie pairing

Pro Tips

You don’t need a ton of sugar in this recipe because we’ll be filling them with something sweet, i.e., ice cream and topping them with warm chocolate sauce.

“She was dynamite in the sack by the way”

“She was 84 Monsieur Gustave.”

“I’ve had older. When you’re young it’s all fillet steak but as they years go by you have to move on to the cheaper cuts.”

The Scene: As Gustave and the Lobby Boy travel by train, Gustave reminisces about his torrid “Cougar” love affairs in this dry yet hilarious dialogue.

Fun Fact: Ralph Fiennes in one interview described his character of Gustave, “He’s not shy in favoring or paying attention to older ladies—wealthy older women—that may or may not pay him.”

Today we are making the