mm84321

Thanks for the kind words. The chestnuts I get from here: http://www.earthy.com/Fresh-Chestnuts-from-Earthy-Delights.aspx They really are the best that I have had. Sweet and much more tender than the European ones. The risotto is made by coloring about 10 chopped chestnuts in olive oil and butter, then adding onion and continuing like you would for any risotto. Some more whole chestnuts get cooked in chicken stock with dried fennel and black pepper, then glazed in chicken jus and placed on top with a slice of pancetta. I thought the texture of the chestnuts alongside the risotto was very nice. You should definitely try making it!

Chestnut risotto Monkfish with vegetables in an olive oil sauce

Slices of baguette and a salad. Broccoli soup before. Simple and satisfying dinner.

Yes.

Vacherin Mont d'Or...a real treat..

Thanks. I get them from the wholesaler I work with. These were from Greece and particularly beautiful. I suppose this is the season for them. The most delicious fish.

Sardines wrapped in grape leaves

Chestnut soup Civet of lobster with pumpkin gnocchi

Sure. These are the vegetables I found at the market this morning. They are all cleaned in water with a pH of 11.5, peeled and trimmed to similar sizes. Each vegetable is salted and cooked individually, first in olive oil, then finished with a ladle or so of chicken stock. The vegetables cooked in this manner are small onions, peeled and halved (first skin only, the second is removed after cooking); halved carrots, whole baby turnips, turned and quartered artichokes, daikon radish, red radish, and celery. There are sliced potatoes, which are cooked in chicken fat; chestnuts, which are sautéed in frothy butter with dried fennel and bacon; blanched garlic cloves; slices of wild apple, pear and quince, which are seared in clarified butter and deglazed with chicken stock; salsify and swiss chard stems, which are cooked in a blanc; blanched leaves of cabbage; and thickly sliced bacon seared in olive oil and butter and sliced into lardons. All of the vegetable cooking juices are skimmed and reduced and added to a chicken jus which then glazes the vegetables and fruits. It is finished with Tuscan olive oil.

Caramelized Autumn vegetables and fruits

Scallops in a crushed chestnut and cabbage heart jus

Lobster, chestnut and porcini mushroom soup

Happy Birthday, Shelby.

I actually prefer terrine to seared. I think that preparation really captures the essence of foie gras. On a piece of toasted baguette with a touch of fleur de sel and I am very happy. Though, I do enjoy the texture of a well seared piece from time to time. Also, sous vide can produce a very interesting texture. Rather silky. 56C for 10 minutes, then 66C for 14, chill, then poach to reheat in red wine or coffee, and that is very good too.

If you are searing the foie gras, it is not necessary to devein, and would actually hurt the structural integrity of the liver. For terrines/torchons it is absolutely necessary to remove the veins. However, there is a recipe for foie gras confit which has you poach a whole liver inside the fat of another liver, then leave it in the fridge for a month. Somehow during aging the veins completely dissolve.

Yes, I make the terrine. It starts with soaking and deveining the lobes of foie gras, seasoning with a specific ratio of salt, white pepper and sugar (to keep the color) then letting cure for about 18 hours. The liver is cooked in a terrine inside of a bain marie in a low temperature oven until the internal temperature reaches around 37C. It is then left to rest, pressed overnight, then sealed in its fat and aged for at least 2 weeks. The ravioli dough is 00 flour with egg yolks and a water made with saffron for the color. The truffle oil is from Tartufi di Fassia...the best quality I have used.

Thanks! The ravioli are filled with foie gras terrine. It melts a bit once cooked so when you cut the ravioli you get a slight "oozing" effect of the fat, which mixes into the sauce. The sauce is a chicken consomme reduced to a glaze, then emulsified with butter and a fairly good amount of foie gras fat. It is finished with a few drops of white truffle oil. Great dish.

Foie gras ravioli with white truffles from Alba

If anyone would like white truffles, let me know. I have some of the best quality in the market at the moment. Also Burgundy. Very reasonably priced.

Pumpkin risotto with confit pigeon legs and smoked bacon

Scottish wood pigeon with autumn vegetables and fruits

That mussel dish looks phenomenal!

Wild Scottish partridge cooked in grape leaves with salsify, chanterelles and fresh walnuts

Wild Scottish hare courtesy of the iPhone

Looks delicious. Do you use particular water when cooking, or do you have a fairly good source where you live? I've been experimenting recently cooking with ionized water. I've thus far noticed a bit more flavor coming through in stocks, as well as a higher extraction of gelatin.