"Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast wrapped in Streaky Bacon, Red Wine Jus" - ChatGPT

Your future in-laws are coming over tonight. It’s a Public Holiday and all the supermarkets are closed. Your fridge is uninspiring, and your culinary skills are questionable, but this dinner could decide your fate. You need to transform your humble groceries into a 3-course Michelin-style menu. Not just recipes, but the vocabulary and presentation so elegant you could eat the menu. Well, try this.

A very good prompt

Act as a Michelin-starred chef AND fine-dining menu writer. Here are the ingredients I have: chicken breast, streaky bacon, carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, white wine, and red wine, as well as a well-stocked pantry of spices and seasonings, herbs, and some broccoli. I also have chocolate, cream, sugar and salt. And some strawberries. Create a three-course dinner menu using only the following ingredients. Write the dish names and descriptions in authentic Michelin-star restaurant style (e.g., ‘seared salmon dressed in beurre blanc, accompanied by charred asparagus and a citrus reduction’). Keep the three recipes simple enough for a home cook, but present them in a way that sounds refined and impressive.

Why It Works

• Credibility – Uses actual Michelin-style language, not flowery filler.

• Social armour – Even if the food is average, the menu dazzles.

• Transferable trick – Works for dinner parties, date nights, or “fake it till you make it” hosting.

• Confidence upgrade – It’s not chicken and rice anymore; it’s a curated dining experience.

Case Study

ChatGPT’s Output

Here’s a refined 3-course menu using only the ingredients you listed, styled for a Michelin-star restaurant yet simple enough for a home cook to recreate.

3-Course Dinner Menu

This was menu and recipe was generated by ChatGPT, including the plating instructions. The menu was fed to Gemini to generate the visual for the dish.

Entrée

Velouté of Roasted Carrot and Celery, infused with Garlic and White Wine
A silky purée of slow-roasted carrots and celery, lifted with a splash of white wine, finished with cream for a velvety texture. Garnished with crisped streaky bacon shards and a drizzle of herb oil.

Main Course

Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast wrapped in Streaky Bacon, Red Wine Jus
Succulent chicken breast encased in smoky streaky bacon, pan-roasted to golden perfection. Served with a fondant potato slow-braised in stock and garlic, buttered broccoli florets, and a reduction of red wine and aromatics for a rich jus.

Dessert

Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Chantilly Cream
Fresh strawberries nestled on a bed of smooth chocolate ganache, finished with lightly whipped Chantilly cream and a dusting of sugar. A simple yet indulgent finale.

Recipes

Velouté of Roasted Carrot and Celery

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 2 celery sticks, chopped

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 splash white wine

• 250 ml chicken or vegetable stock

• 100 ml cream

• 2 slices streaky bacon

• Olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh herbs

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss carrots, celery, onion, and garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until caramelised.
   
   

2. Deglaze the roasting pan with white wine, then transfer the vegetables and juices to a saucepan.
   
   

3. Add stock, simmer 10 minutes. Blend until smooth and then pass the mixture through a sieve for a silky finish. Stir in cream.
   
   

4. Crisp bacon in a pan, crumble over soup. Garnish with herb oil or chopped parsley.

2. Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast wrapped in Bacon

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts

• 4 rashers streaky bacon

• 2 potatoes, peeled (fondant-style)

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves

• 250 ml red wine

• 250 ml stock

• 150 g broccoli florets

• Butter, olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper

Steps:

1. Wrap each chicken breast in 2 rashers of bacon. Pan-sear in olive oil until golden, then finish in the oven at 190°C for 15–18 minutes. Rest before slicing.
   
   

2. Cut potatoes into barrel shapes. Brown in butter with garlic and thyme, then add stock to halfway up and simmer covered until tender.
   
   

3. For the jus: Sauté the onion and garlic in butter, then deglaze with red wine and reduce by half. Add stock, simmer until glossy. Strain.
   
   

4. Steam broccoli until just tender, toss with butter and seasoning.
   
   

5. Plate with chicken sliced on fondant potatoes, spoon the jus around, and arrange thebroccoli elegantly.

3. Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• 100 g dark chocolate, chopped

• 100 ml cream

• 150 g strawberries

• 100 ml cream (for Chantilly)

• 1 tbsp sugar

• Pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Heat 100ml of cream until just steaming, then pour it over chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Spread on a plate as a base.
   
   

2. Whip remaining cream with sugar and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
   
   

3. Halve or fan the strawberries, placing them artfully on the ganache. Add quenelles or dollops of Chantilly cream.
   
   

4. Optionally dust with grated chocolate or a few herb leaves (mint, thyme).

Plating Guide

1. Velouté of Roasted Carrot and Celery

Style: Clean and minimalist, with height accentuated by bacon shards.

1. Warm a wide shallow bowl.

2. Pour the velouté into the centre until it forms a smooth pool, leaving a clean rim.

3. Place 2–3 crisp bacon shards standing upright or leaning slightly at an angle for height.

4. Finish with a drizzle of herb oil in a thin circle or swirl around the surface.

5. Add a few tiny herb leaves (parsley tips, thyme sprigs) for refinement.

2. Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast wrapped in Bacon

Style: Structured, central focal point with balance of sides.

1. Place one fondant potato slightly off-centre on a warm plate.

2. Slice chicken breast on a sharp bias into 3–4 thick medallions. Fan slices across the potato to create height.

3. Arrange broccoli florets as a neat cluster on the opposite side for colour contrast.

4. Spoon the red wine jus around the base in a glossy ring, not over the chicken, to keep the meat visible.

5. Finish with a thyme sprig or micro-herb resting on top of the chicken for added elegance.

3. Strawberries with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Style: Romantic, playful, with contrast between red, white, and dark.

1. Spread a swoosh of chocolate ganache across the plate with the back of a spoon or palette knife.

2. Halve strawberries lengthwise, arrange them in a triangular formation (odd numbers look more natural).

3. Pipe or spoon small dollops of Chantilly cream between the strawberries for rhythm and balance.

4. Garnish with a fine dusting of sugar or shaved chocolate for texture.

5. Optional: add a small mint leaf near the cream for a pop of green.

✨ Tip: Wipe every plate rim with a clean cloth before serving. Empty space is part of the design—don’t overcrowd.