KennethT

Qwerty - you're right - the biggest key, according to Bouley, was not overworking the starch - which is why you rice, and not put in a blender like you might a celery root puree, or leek/fennel puree, etc.... also it is the reason for running through a tamis - Bouley related the tamis to a new windowscreen - when you run your fingers over it, it should feel rough, not smooth - it acts like "thousands of little knives" which will make the potato particle smaller, but without overworking the starch. Kiliki - just make sure your fine sieve feels rough to the touch, like a windowscreen... if it is too smooth, it won't produce the desired effect... you can actually get tamis pretty cheap - I got a bunch at the local restaurant supply store for like $5 a piece... I got 3 or 4 so now I can run it through several times without having to wash in between, or I can do more than 1 different type of puree at a time...

I learned first hand from David Bouley how he makes his wonderful potato puree - his is very similar to Robuchon's potatoes... it's actually a pretty involved process: 1) Choosing the right potato - Bouley spent a lot of time discussing why the proper potato is necessary - ie the proper starch content - but the boiled down discussion is that he likes a particular fingerling that he has grown for him - but it's similar to a french ratte... 2) Simmer the potatoes in their skin in salted water until tender 3) remove potatoes from the water and remove skins by rubbing in a towel 4) Press hot, skinned potatoes through a ricer so that you don't overwork the starch 5) "dry" the riced potatoes in a dry saute pan over low heat to remove as much moisture as possible - be careful to keep moving in the pan so as not to color or burn them... 6) Whip an equal ratio of butter (1:1 pounds) into the dry potatoes... this makes the buttery version - although I've found that a .5:1 butter potato ratio makes a very good substitute and it's a bit healthier 7) While hot, run butter/potato emulsion through a tamis - once works well, several times is best 8) Add back to a clean pot and whisk in enough of the potato cooking water as to obtain the proper consistency... Done! (whew)

hey Cali - back to the original part of the topic, is there any way you could rent the equipment that you need - like a large electric griddle or something? I took a 2 day intensive catering workshop at the ICA in NY, run by a leading NY caterer, and he was saying that he rents tons of equipment because for a lot of things, it's cheaper to rent than to buy, and the rental companies do all of the maintenance and major cleanup... One of the guys who was taking the class with me works part time for a small NYC caterer, and he said that she rents just about EVERYTHING when she does offsite jobs... from cutting boards to sinks if needed, work tables, etc... and it winds up cheaper than owning/transporting/clean-up.... just an idea...

Just an update on the bun cha quest.... this weekend, I tried a new Vietnamese rest. in NYC - called Tet... I think they're new, but I'm not sure... On the menu, was what they called Bun Cha Hanoi! Granted, they had to upscalify it for the NY market - but there were the pork strips and a single pork patty... and eating the "broth" definitely brought back memories.... it was a dark brown sauce, and it tasted like a nuoc cham with an addition of caramel sauce, and possiblya juice of some kind... I'm going to try to go back there a little more frequently to try to get to know them, and hopefully, they may feel comfortable enough to share some info with me! In the meantime, I'm still waiting to hear if anyone in Hanoi can get some info from some of the real places -the ones on the street!!!

haha... I know how your friend feels... I've been craving a REAL bun cha for about 2 years, and it's impossible to get in NY!!! hahaha.....

Sorry for the confusion by calling it a "broth" - as nakji said, it's more of a dip, but they give a soup bowl full of it... the place I went to looked very similar to nakji's photos - in the broth were grilled pork patties, pork slices, and what my memory seems to be grilled pork belly as well... I definitely remember 3 different styles of pork... served on the side was a bowl of noodles, and a plate of herbs and lettuce.... plus, we ordered some spring rolls (probably the best I've ever had) that were served separately, but our local guide who we took to lunch with us dipped them in the "broth" as well... The dip had the acidic/fishsaucyness of a nuoc cham, but there was a slight sweetness to it also.... hmmm... pineapple juice... that might work! Nakji - I just read your Hanoi blog... wow - it really took me back there!!! That was really cool... reading your blog makes me wish that we spent more time there... my wife and I only spent a couple of days in Hanoi... not long enough!!!

I seem to remember the "broth" as not being as strongly flavored as a nuoc cham... I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it may be nuoc cham diluted with some kind of juice...

I just stumbled onto this topic today, and I LOVE IT!!!! Everyone's pictures look so great - it's very inspiring for me to start taking my own pics... do people have any tricks with lighting so that it look right? I was in Hanoi for a very short time a while ago, and ever since, I dream of Bun Cha... our last day there, my wife and I almost missed our plane while walking around looking for it!! I have found a vague faxsimile to it in a Vietnamese rest. in Chinatown in my home town of NYC - but they don't do the grilled pork patty - they just do the grilled slices of pork... I'd love to do the real thing at home, but don't really know where to start - I'd assume the basic ingredients for the patties were ground pork shoulder, ginger, shallot, herbs, but I'm really just guessing here... does anyone know?? Also, I'm sure the grilled slices were marinated - any clues? Is the "broth" for bun cha similar to nuoc cham? Unfortunately, my flavor memory is getting hazier by the day... I'd know it if I tasted it, but it's getting harder and harder to remember the flavor and just make it from scratch.... Any help would be SOOOOO appreciated!

I've found that a great fried chicken comes out if you cook it sous-vide first - without the breading of course.... I've tried with and without the buttermilk soak, then cook to 140F (hold for an extra 40 min or so once core temp is reached to pasteurize) then shock in an ice bath and keep in the refrig... will keep in the vacuum bag for up to a week with no problems (potentially even longer, but I've never tried it - but certainly up to 6 days with no fear of botulism)... I find that you don't need to cook extra long time to tenderize unless you're using a rooster haha... I find almost any chicken cooked to 140 (the dark meat is still slightly rare - but safe) is tender and juicy. When ready to serve, remove from the bag, do the whole dredging, etc. and fry (I've found 375-380 works pretty good) until golden... since the chicken is starting from 34-37 degrees (I keep my refrig. cold), it comes out perfectly cooked and juicy while the coating is crisp. If you try it, let me know how it works out! Ken

I just recently got a great deal on an ISI Thermo whip (good for making hot foams - and is insulated - will keep hot liquids hot for 3 hours, or cold liquids cold for 8) on ebay for about $80.... With this whipper, you need to use the Nitrous cartidges, not the CO2 ones... just make sure you get the "cream chargers" not the "soda chargers"... you can get great deals on Ebay for those too.... To make hot foams, rather than adding a bit of gelatin, it is best to use a bit of Agar Agar (available in most Chinatowns, or online) - it holds its shape best when hot... Just add a knife tip or so to a couple of cups of liquid, and bring to a boil... then add to the Thermo Whip and you're ready to go...

I also enjoyed L'Assiette Champenoise on my last trip to the Champagne region... we had a similar course to your scallop course, but it was with langoustine 3 ways on 3 different plates.... At the time, August 2006, I had thought that they were deserving of more than their 1 star Michelin ranking... they did many interesting things with products being used in a study - different sauces, cooking techniques, etc..., and had an excellent cheese cart - one of the better Pont L'Eveque I've had... Another great experience in that area is Chateau Les Crayeres in Reims... it is a wonderful place to stay, and the dining experience is out of this world... the service there was some of the best I've seen anywhere, with excellent, interesting food...