With all due respect to those delicious little pimento cheese sandwiches, they are not the greatest culinary offering at Augusta National Golf Club. That honor goes to the Masters Champions Dinner.
Over the years, the defending champs have conceived of some interesting menus, from Adam Scott’s Moreton Bay bugs (lobster) in 2014 to Sandy Lyle’s haggis in 1989. As if losing to Mr. Lyle wasn’t enough!
But which dishes are the winners among the winners? I’ve taken the liberty of reviewing decades of Champions Dinner menus to create a memorable meal of my own, using items that have been chosen in the past.
When I finally win the green jacket, maybe this is what I’ll serve.
How to make an Azalea, the unofficial cocktail of the Masters
Charles Schwartzel, 2012: Chilled seafood bar jumbo shrimp, lobster cocktail, crab meat, crab legs and oysters.
Elegant. Indulgent. Talk about hitting the sweet spot. Schwartzel definitely knows how to dine in style.
Adam Scott, 2014: Australian wagyu beef, Moreton Bay lobster, sautéed spinach and onion creamed mashed potatoes.
Australia produces some great beef (Greg Norman farms are amazing), as wagyu is marbled and as flavorful as it gets. Mr. Scott went traditional yet with a touch of contemporary class. Cheers, mate!
Vijay Singh, 2001: Seafood Tom Kah
If you haven’t had this wonderful coconut and shrimp soup from Thailand, you don’t know what you’re missing. Mr. Singh put together one of the most colorful and flavorful menus the Masters has ever seen, and this was the dish that kicked it off.
Vijay Singh, 2001: Dessert, Lychee Sorbet
Singh gets a second nomination as the flavors of lychee are so delicate and perfect to end a meal. Someday, this palate-cleansing closer might even make an appearance on my Liberty National menus as my way of paying homage to the 2000 champ.
Shaun Lewis is assistant general manager and executive chef at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey. You can find him on Instagram: @chefshaunchristopherlewis