What if we treated fat like a stock? Enfleurage is a process by which odorless fats, like lard or suet, are used to extract essential oils and perfumes from flowers. It works because fats readily absorb
flavors and aromas. The newly absorbed essential oils can be used to flavor other ingredients cooked with the fat. If we infused duck fat with cracklings and lime pickle then we would be able
to impart these aromatics to whatever was cooked with the duck fat. Imagine lamb gently
cooked in red pepper oil or goose flavored with rosemary-orange oil. This premise
is a continuation of our fat film approach, as well as a derivative from a
question about how to make duck fat more ducky to impart a richer flavor into
the meat, rather than the meat flavoring the fat. Even infusing the fat for
searing scallops and fish now presents a wide palate of tastes. Instead of adding herbs to the pan at the end and basting, why not infuse the fat with herbs at their peak of freshness and then use that to cook with or even as a finishing accent just before plating? There are lots of ideas to work with here. It’s a relatively simple procedure that produces exponentially beneficial results.

 

The folks over at Cooking Issues have re-sparked our interest in wet grinders. Over
at the Quenelle, Francisco mentioned using a wet grinder, actually a melangeur, to make and bring back caramelized
white chocolate to its pre-caramelized smoothness. I was hooked and eager to get one at the time. Unfortunately
chocolate making was not high on our list of things to do and we were in the
midst of book writing.

Dave's recent piece mentioned making ketchup chocolate and shared his
recipe here. I read this article just after we finished our brown butter
workshop. Ideas connected. Ibet a wet grinder would do wonders on brown butter solids.
And since we have continued using finely ground and flavored milk solids as the
basis of a number of preparations from a cleaner gingerbread soup to toasted
argan oil solids I felt it might be a good time to take the plunge into the wet
grinder world. The wet grinder is designed for making small particles of
legumes and pulses as well as breaking down cocoa into chocolate. Think about
using the wet grinder to pulverize dry spices and then blend them with
aromatics from herbs to spices to dried fruits, vegetables or meats. The finer
the grind with the least amount of heat will produce incredible flavors and
textures.

Now I just need to see if Santa can fit one on his sleigh.

We wanted to warm the fish to just cook it and
simultaneously coat the exterior with a fine layer of flavorful beef tallow
infused with vadouvan. The tallow is warmed so that it is pliable and then it
is spread on the sliced fish. We put the fish into the c-vap for ten minutes to
warm and cook and the fat gently melts onto and into the nooks and crannies of
the fish. This approach allows us to use a bit less fat in the cooking process,
we are frugal with our tallow, and still impart a rich savoriness into the
fish.

 

In taking a look at the fish, I wonder what would happen if
we chilled the fish and used a paint sprayer to evenly coat the fish in fat and
then let it refrigerate for a day to allow the fats aromas to penetrate. We
could then slide the fish into the c-vap or a low temperature oven and the fat
film would melt and just coat the fish. I believe this approach may be an
excellent refinement in our fat smearing fish.

 

In fact, it asks the question about what else would benefit
from a fine fat spray?

We wanted to warm the fish to just cook it and
simultaneously coat the exterior with a fine layer of flavorful beef tallow
infused with vadouvan. The tallow is warmed so that it is pliable and then it
is spread on the sliced fish. We put the fish into the c-vap for ten minutes to
warm and cook and the fat gently melts onto and into the nooks and crannies of
the fish. This approach allows us to use a bit less fat in the cooking process,
we are frugal with our tallow, and still impart a rich savoriness into the
fish.

 

In taking a look at the fish, I wonder what would happen if
we chilled the fish and used a paint sprayer to evenly coat the fish in fat and
then let it refrigerate for a day to allow the fats aromas to penetrate. We
could then slide the fish into the c-vap or a low temperature oven and the fat
film would melt and just coat the fish. I believe this approach may be an
excellent refinement in our fat smearing fish.

 

In fact, it asks the question about what else would benefit
from a fine fat spray?

Mussels

2700 grams clean
mussels

 

Pick through the
mussels, removing any of the coarse beards that may be sticking out of the
shells. Place a rondeau or a heavy bottomed pot large enough to hold the
mussels on the stove over medium heat. Add the clean mussels to the dry pot and
occasionally stir from bottom to the top of the pile of shellfish. As the pot
heats the mussel shells will begin to open and they will release their juices.
Once about a third of the shells have opened, stir the pot one more time, cover
it with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat off the heat. Let the mussels
rest, covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and separate the mussels from the
liquid. Strain the juices using a fine mesh strainer. Chill the resulting
mussel juice and reserve for later use. Pull the mussels from the shells,
trying to keep them intact. Discard the shells and place the mussels in a small
bowl. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

 

Pear Stock

425 grams pear

175 grams onion

200 grams fennel

100 grams
skinned hazelnuts

20 grams garlic

1000 grams water

 

Quarter the
pears and remove the cores. Clean and slice the onions and fennel into pieces
3cm thick. Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a 6-quart pressure
cooker. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.  Allow the pressure to dissipate naturally. Alternatively
combine the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot and place over medium heat.
Bring to a simmer and cook for one hour, skimming as needed. Turn off the heat,
cover the stock and let it steep for an additional 30 minutes. Strain the
finished pear stock through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids. Chill the
stock and reserve until needed.

 

Chamomile Infusion

300 grams pear
stock

1.5 grams fine
sea salt

3 bags chamomile
tea

 

For a vacuum
infusion, combine the pear stock, salt and tea bags in a shallow container.
Place the uncovered container in a chamber vacuum sealer. Turn on the vacuum
sealer and watch the liquid as it rises to the top of the container. When it is
within 5cm of the top, turn off the vacuum sealer. Repeat three times. Remove
from the vacuum chamber and discard the tea bags.

 

For a cold
infusion, combine pear stock and salt, stirring well to dissolve the salt. Add
the tea bags. Cover the container and let it rest in refrigeration for 24
hours, stirring occasionally. After 24 hours the infusion is finished. Discard
the tea bags.

 

Chamomile Foam Base

285 grams
chamomile infusion

2.85 grams
Methocel F50

0.375 grams
xanthan gum

 

Put the
chamomile infusion in the blender. Turn the power onto medium and create a
vortex.  Sprinkle in the Methocel
and the xanthan gum.  Increase the
power to high to fully disperse and shear the hydrocolloids into the liquid.
Turn the blender off and pour the mixture into a bowl sitting in an ice bath.
Chill the mixture until it reaches 10ºC, the temperature at which Methocel is
fully hydrated.  Reserve the
chamomile foam base in the refrigerator.

 

Candied Hazelnuts with Miso

150 grams
skinned hazelnuts

1255 grams sugar

5 grams instant
miso soup powder

 

Line a sheet pan
with foil and spray with non-stick pan spray or rub lightly with butter. In a
heavy bottomed pot combine the sugar and the nuts. Place the pot over medium
heat and let it cook undisturbed until the sugar melts around the edges and
begins to form small bubbles. Using a heatproof spoon or spatula, stir the nuts
and sugar until the caramel turns a deep amber. Remove from heat and add the
miso powder, stirring well, Pour the hot caramel nuts carefully onto the
prepared sheet tray. Set aside to let the nuts cool completely. Place the
candied nuts in a zip top bag and use a paillard pounder to shatter the nuts
into a coarse, crumbly texture and store in an airtight container until ready
to use.

 

Mussel Mosaic

200 grams cooked,
shucked and chilled mussels

2 grams Activa
RM

 

Place the cooked
mussels in a bowl. Sprinkle the Activa over the mussels and stir them to evenly
coat the mussels with the powder. Divide the mussels between two vacuum bags
and seal on high pressure. Use a meat mallet to flatten the mussels in the bag
to an even 2mm layer. The pounded mussels will resemble a marble mosaic in
appearance. Place the mussel sheets in the refrigerator and refrigerate at
least six hours, or preferably overnight to allow the bond to occur between the
mussels.

 

After the
mussels have been bonded into a uniform sheet, cut them out of the bag and use
a 7 centimeter round cutter to cut circles of the mosaic.  Lay the mussel rounds on a flat tray,
cover them with plastic wrap, and reserve in the refrigerator until needed.

 

 

Mussel Soup

400 grams cold
pear stock

400 grams cold
mussel juice

200 grams
cooked, shucked, chilled mussels

 

Combine all
three ingredients in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Strain the soup
through a fine mesh strainer, place in a covered container, and reserve in the
refrigerator until needed.

 

To Assemble

 

Mussel Soup

Mussel Sheet

Pear Chamomile Foam base

Mussel Sheets

Candied Hazelnuts

 

Pour the soup in
a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring
occasionally.  While the soup is
heating, whip the pear chamomile foam base in a standing mixer with a whisk
attachment until it forms soft to medium peaks. Place the mussel sheets n a
sheet tray, brush them with a thin layer of mussel soup and place them in a
95ºC oven to just warm through. When they are warm, place a mussel circle in
the center of each soup bowl. Sprinkle the equivalent of 8 broken candied
hazelnuts on the right hand side of the mussel mosaic. Top the hazelnuts with a
spoonful of whipped chamomile. Once the soup is hot, place it in a heatproof
pitcher. Serve the soup bowls with the mosaic, hazelnuts and whipped chamomile.
Pour the soup into the bowls tableside, in front of the diners.

We know that the majority of taste is actually aroma. There are literally thousands of different scent receptors in your head. It’s a complex system that ties scent to memory in order to allow us to have a frame of reference for different scents and flavors. It’s not something that we think about often enough in the kitchen. Admittedly there are many chefs that use aroma to create an effect. Burning wood, blowing perfumes, even Mrs. Fields relies on the aroma of fresh baked cookies to draw customers through their doors. Unfortunately in the kitchen many cooks forget the importance of their sense of smell.

We always employ our noses to build flavors with spices. Instead of thinking through a flavor profile we like to actually sniff the spices and decide what to pair that way. It has led us to some unusual and wonderful combinations. The same approach works nicely with herbs, helping us determine what fresh green flavors will best compliment a dish. The smell of burnt sugar and fresh orange zest can take us in one direction while the earthy aroma of matsutake mushrooms and cinnamon send us down a different path. When we are stumped on the kitchen, taking a moment to close our eyes and simply breathe in a few different ingredients can reignite our creative juices and help light the way forward.

on the eighth night

so many tears were shed

so many

they could not be counted

tears of joy

tears of immeasurable gratitude

tears of sorrow and of grief

tears for light, and for darkness

tears for what it is to taste life for the first time, and for the last

tears for a life

lived for the first time

free.

on the eighth night

they lit the last candle, or the candle was still lit, depending on how you look at it.

on the eighth night, the were prepared.

prepped.

potatoes shredded, onions sliced, apple sauce resting, bowls of freshly soured cream in the ready.

on the eighth night they feasted,

{on humble foods}

nourishing their hearts, filling their bodies with

*the delicious latke photo was taken by an extra special person I've never met named Chris Cohen. Please feel free to help me thank him for letting eggbeater use it by checking out his other photos on flickr or visiting his lovely blog.

The goal was simplicity.

on the seventh night they knew.

don’t ask how.

but they did.

they settled in for the journey ahead and made plans for the eighth night.

when life is being lived, as if there is only one day to it, plans are not made. the future does not exist. every hour is a lifetime, every minute is treasured. there is only now.

but on the seventh night, they lit another candle. they prayed and they thanked and they gathered and they looked up at the sky, beyond their community of candlelight.

thanks g-d they said quietly.

and so, they prepared.

they collected potatoes from near and far. they started peeling onions and apples. they collected honey & milked mammals, and set about souring the cream.

they spread the word, from one dune of sand to the next,

‘tomorrow night we feast. oy, don’t ruin your appetite with leftovers! come one, come all,

come ready to press & pat, fry & eat…’

some knew, for they had already begun the

Yuzu-coconut ice
cream

 

210g simple syrup

60 grams agave nectar

40g yuzu juice

4g salt

395g coconut milk

150g heavy cream

105g yogurt

 

Mix the simple syrup, agave nectar, yuzu juice and salt
together. Stir the coconut milk, heavy cream and yogurt together.  Stir both mixes together until smooth.
Strain through a fine meshed conical strainer. Refrigerate for four hours or
overnight to allow the flavors to mature.

 

 

Bitter Tomato
Marmalade

 

3000g tomatoes (blanch, peel and seed becomes 2600g)

300g orange maramalde

50g blood orange bitters

20g salt

 

310g isomalt

10g caraway seed

 

Use a pairing knife to remove the core from the
tomatoes.  Blanch them for ten
seconds in boiling water and then shock in an ice bath.  Using your hands, break the tomatoes
apart and scrape out all the seeds. 
Reserve all the scrapings. 
Once all the tomatoes are broken apart, strain the tomato scrapings
through a strainer onto the de-seeded tomatoes.  The seeds will be caught in the strainer and the juices will
coat the tomatoes.

 

Put the isomalt into a large heavy bottomed rondeaux and put
the heat on medium.  Let the
isomalt slowly melt and begin to caramelize.  When the caramel is dark, just shy of black, sprinkle in the
caraway seeds and let them toast for a second in the hot caramel.  You will hear a few of them pop.  Once the caraway are in the pot, add
the tomatoes and their juices.  Be
careful during this addition because the hot caramel will sputter and spew hot
sugar as the cool tomatoes come in contact with the molten sugar.  Once the tomatoes are in the pot, stir
the mixture to make sure all the caramel is loose from the bottom of the pot
and then start cooking the tomatoes. 
While cooking, skim any foam which rises to the surface of the pot.  The tomatoes will continue to cook down
as the water evaporates and the tomatoes concentrate.  The entire cooking process will take several hours.  As the tomatoes cook down and become
thicker in consistency make sure to stir the mixture and scrape the bottom of
the pot to prevent the tomatoes from sticking and scorching.  The tomato marmalade will be finished
when it takes on a shiny appearance and all of the moisture is absorbed into
the tomato flesh.

 

To Finish

 

50g blood orange bitters

2g salt

 

Mix the salt and the blood orange bitters.  While the tomato marmalade is still
warm, stir in the bitters and salt mixture.  Cool the marmalade and reserve.

 

Bitter tomato
marmalade fruit leather

 

480 grams Bitter Tomato Marmalade

8 sheets of acetate 20 cm long and 5 cm wide

 

 

Puree the bitter tomato marmalade in a food processor until
it is smooth. When the mixture is smooth, pass the marmalade through a fine
screened tamis. Reserve the smooth marmalade in a container. Spray the sheets
of acetate with pan spray. Use a paper towel to wipe the acetate sheets leaving
a fine film in place. Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer of the
smooth tomato marmalade on the acetate sheets. The thickness should be less
than 2mm. Once all eight sheets are coated with the marmalade place the sheets
in a dehydrator set on medium and allow to dry. This will take several hours.
When the sheets are dry to the touch, peel them off the acetate sheets and
return them to the dehydrator for another hour. The dried tomato sheets should
be flexible and dry to the touch. Use a pair of scissors to cut the the dried
tomato sheets into 2 cm squares. Return the squares to the dehydrator until
ready to use. If the squares become tacky, turn the dehydrator back on and dry
the sheets to remove the absorbed moisture. There will be more tomato puree and
squares than are needed to complete the dish.

 

Coconut Yuzu ice cream
coated fruit leather

 

Coconut-Yuzu ice cream

Bitter tomato fruit leather squares

2 liters of liquid nitrogen

 

Use surgical tongs to pick up a square of bitter tomato
fruit leather and dip it into the ice cream base. The ice cream will lightly
coat the fruit leather. Place the dipped fruit leather into the liquid
nitrogen. The extreme cold of the nitrogen will freeze the ice cream around the
fruit leather. Use the tongs to pick up the dipped square out of the nitrogen
and place it back in the ice cream base. Another layer of ice cream base will
cling to the square. Place the dipped square back into the nitrogen to freeze
the ice cream. When the second layer of ice cream is frozen in place remove the
square from the nitrogen and place it back in the ice cream base to get a third
and final coat of ice cream. When the square is coated in the base remove it
from the mix and place it in the nitrogen to freeze the final ice cream layer
in place. When the final layer of ice cream is frozen remove the square from the
nitrogen and place the square on a tray in the freezer. Repeat the process with
the other bitter tomato fruit leather squares. You will need at least twenty
four ice cream coated fruit leather squares.

 

Coconut Puffed
Wild  Rice

 

110 grams coconut oil

110 grams canola oil

50 grams wild rice

 

20 grams powdered coconut milk

2 grams salt

0.15 gram cayenne pepper

 

Place the coconut oil and canola oil in a small pot so that
it comes only one third of the way up the side of the pot. Heat the oils till
they reach 177 degrees C. Line a half sized sheet pan with paper towels. In
four small batches fry the wild rice in the oil. The rice will sizzle and puff.
Not every grain will puff, that is alright. When the rice puffs, use a fine
meshed strainer to remove the rice from the oil and drain it on the paper
towels. Continue to fry and drain all the rice. When the rice is fried, remove
any grains which did not puff. Sift the coconut milk powder, salt and cayenne
together. Add the drained puffed rice and toss all the ingredients in the bowl
to coat evenly. Place the coconut coated puffed wild rice in an air tight
container and reserve.

 

To Assemble

 

113 grams Blis wild brook trout roe

Bitter Tomato Mamalade

24 coconut-yuzu Ice Cream coated fruit leather squares

Coconut puffed wild rice

 

Place a spoonful of the bitter tomato marmalade in the
center of each plate. At the two o’clock position place a small cluster of
puffed wild rice. The rice will be touching the tomato marmalade. Place one
coconut-yuzu ice cream square on the puffed rice and arrange two other squares
on the tomato marmalade. Place a large spoonful of the trout roe on top of the
ice cream squares and then accent the squares and the roe with more coconut
puffed wild rice.