paul o' vendange
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Posts posted by paul o' vendange
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I do both. I don't actually roast my veal bones - following on Thomas Keller's method, I find the non-roasted demi lends a more subtly sweet, round and versatile quality to many other sauces. My dark chicken "demi," made with roasted bones, meat trim, and vegetables, is just as gelatinous, just as useful, but has more of a roast quality, for obvious reasons. When I want a more pronounced or sharper character of this sort, I will go with the dark chicken.
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I won't aggrandize anything to myself; only to say we mounted the first authentic bistro (French in technique and influence, local and seasonal in outlook as much as possible) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and did all we could to weather several storms. We shut down this time last year. Painful lessons learned.
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This is all so very interesting and valuable - thank you all for your generous thoughts and sagacity thus far.
If I read the timbre more than the literal attribution of "molecular gastronomy" in Rudolph Chuminski's bio of Bernard Loiseau, it is a bit of wistfulness at a world that needs to be ephemerally dazzled over deeply pleased, and, if Loiseau was from a line deeply rooted in history (and I can't know that it was, but can only parse the answer), I can't help but wonder where things are going and be sad at the prospect of a lost, good thing.
Interesting, too, on Chef Adria's disowning of the putative title "molecular gastronomy." Following on the 23 November Figaro quote, I wonder if he feels like Paul Bocuse, Michel Guerard and the other "fathers" of nouvelle cuisine - just doing their work, when something is ascribed to them; the work itself becomes a "thing" that leaves them, and the intended essence of what they do, behind.
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brining longer does not make the meat saltier
How so? I've found that when brining shrimp (as an example of something with a short brining time) that if you brine too long, it's way too salty. Brining time, in my opinion, is a balancing act.
Or are you simply saying that at some point it's just not gonna get any saltier, despite the fact that it may be too salty at that point?
Imagine a dry sponge soaking up water. If you only put the sponge in water for a brief time, the the amount of water soaked up depends on the time it was immersed. But after some point, it's going to stop soaking up additional water and it doesnt matter how long you leave it in.
OK, I'll take a kitchen-science stab...we're talking steady-state equilibrium, under a closed system.
Salt and water will move across the cellular membranes of the meat via osmotic pressure. Those substances with a high enough molecular weight, from inside the meat, will not pass through cellular membranes, to the brining solution; nor will similarly weighted substances move from the brine into the cell. Once the pressure built via internal breakdown and cellular buildup ("plumping," I guess, for want of a better word - the buildup via osmotic transfer from the outside and protein degradation/breakdown products built up within cell membranes, internally) reaches an equilibrium with osmotic pressure exerted from outside, no further "brining" will take place. The brine is at a steady state equilibrium.
How'd I do?
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Hello, I have a brining question, that I hope does not turn into a diasaster. Yesterday, I bought two thick cut pork chops, that I put together with the Alice Waters brine (scaled down for volume) and planned on making these on Saturday night. A friend of mine used thinner chops in the same brine for 2 1/2 days and said it was fantastic. My problem? Well, my dad wants to do our after Christmas celebration on Saturday. That means that I can't cook the chops, since we are meeting half way between him/me. I can't cook them on Sunday, since we're going to a NYE party and food will be there. My dilemma? Do I keep in the brine until Saturday, take out of it, wrap up until Monday or do I just put the whole thing in the freezer? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
If they've been brined, they will keep without issue the couple of days post-brine. If it were me, depending on the thickness of the chops, I'd go with Saturday or Sunday, pull and dry them, wrap them and go with Monday.
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It strikes me that the places listed here that you can actually get into are designed to be part of a guessing game as to which country you're in. Not a single bistro that the French would go to in search of their own familiar cuisine.Restaurant choice is not so great though.Russ Parsons once wrote (in these pages I believe) of
That would certainly apply to MacRobuchons....the growing uniformity I find in restaurants around the world. It gets to the point that I sometimes can't tell which city I'm in - Paris, London, Alba, LA? Roughly the same ingredients prepared in roughly the same way."Felice kindly moved this thread to a good home.
I am a romanticist and, wistfully reading through Le Ventre de Paris, I've been thinking on this; Felice, John, John, Dave, Ptipois, any who live or work there - how would you characterize the state of Parisian cooking generally in this light? Is Russ' comment a fair assessment of Parisian cuisine today? Of French cuisine, to include regional, historically significant places?
Secondly, along these lines, I can't help but also think on the nature of "molecular gastronomy" in the France of today. Reading of Bernard Loiseau, and his assessment that he "couldn't do [this type of] food," I must admit my profound sadness. If the author is correct, and so much is driven by the desire to "refresh" the palates of critics "dulled" by a surfeit of world class, haute but traditional French cuisine, then I feel we have lost a good deal. As I said, I'm a romanticist.
Thoughts? Is Paris, and, beyond, France, on a move to another place generally?
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Just a thought - I sear very gently. By the time all sides of, say, a lamb shoulder have been seared, 1 hour or more has passed. I don't know if this is backed by science or not (anyone have McGee down more than I do, please chime in), but the rate of melanoidin formation and caramelization is as important to me as the final result. I find that a fast sear, or a fast reduction, develops an unpleasant, "grainy" character in the final product. I go slow, wherever possible. I would guess that the interface between the pan and product - the localized heat points under a rapid sear or reduction - firing with more energy, would be chemically different than under a more gentle scenario.
Re: thickening, I just think it has to do with what kind of character one is after in the finished product. I prefer sheen, and the mouthfeel imparted by gelatin, so I use a good strong chicken stock, generally, as a starting point and thickening agent, with maybe a bit of demi or dark chicken stock (a double stock) at the end. Brown roux, braised vegetable puree, reduced jus are all great, IMHO, just different in character.
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Grade C livers arrived by DHL today from Hudson Valley. Livers run about a # and are $19.50/# plus shipping.So far the authorities have not busted me. I suggest you follow the same course of action.
BTW the aged Magre Duck Breasts are to die for.-Dick
Let me tip the hat towards a few others I worked with regularly, always a good experience. Both Moulard and Muscovy, Venison America; Muscovy from Grimaud Farms and, through Great Ciao, duck and foie gras from Au Bon Canard/Christian Gasset. Christian is an extraordinary farmer, one who cares deeply that what he does is done properly; and he is a pleasure to work with.
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My $0.02.
In my braises, I may marinate meat in (de-alcoholized) wine and, if so, this marinade joins chicken stock for the braising liquid. That, and prodigious aromatics, usually.
I usually pull 1/2 the braising jus at the completion of the braise, and simmer, clarifying religiously and reducing to sauce consistency. I may or may not add a bit of demi or integral glace, although usually I do as I find demi adds a velvety mouthfeel and difficult-to-define sense of "round" sweetness not otherwise obtained.
The remainder of the jus stays with the meat, which is finished in a hotter oven, basting every 5 minutes or so for about 45 minutes, to add a deep, rich glaze to the surface.
I am never shy of enough sauce, and don't find the jus overly rich or seasoned. I do find using demi or an integral stock in the braise may be too much for some meats - i.e., braised lamb shoulder with lamb stock, so I just use chicken stock in the braise and depend on time and extraction to contribute integral flavor to the finished jus.
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With no particular recipe, among other things, I am a fan of apple flavors with pheasant. I used to make little ballotines out of the breasts, stuffing them with a sausage made with leg meat, apple, and house-cured, applewood-smoked bacon. A pan sauce made with pheasant stock, shallots, easy calvados, and sage usually accompanies. I also like serving the legs separately, either braised or as confit. All, with some sort of fall gnocchi or similar side - our way, a local grower family produces beautiful delicata, so, I keep it simple and simply roast the squash halves, filling them with braised cabbage.
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I was with the impression that, in most parts of the world, Tuna came in frozen in fish stores.
Is this impression wrong?
You're impression is right, at least in my experience. Many sushi sources come in blocks that have been frozen and thawed extremely carefully. Tuna loin in this way is quite common.
The best sources process at sea, under nitrogen or other inert gas, at an incredibly high freezing rate. When I wasn't cannibalizing my pristine, fresh loin used for service, I enjoyed a good deal of ahi and yellowtail loin processed this way, and it serves as beautiful tataki.
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Tim mentioned the John Mettler book, Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game. I think it's got decent if not exhaustive information. Also, as a kid, I read the Foxfire Series, and do recall a section on slaughtering and butchering livestock. A quick search yielded Foxfire Anthology, which includes a section on dressing hogs. Both of these texts are geared more to basics than culinary preparations, but may be useful. I loved the Foxfire series - set my prepubescent mind reeling on the possibilities of moonshine in S. California!
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How about heat, time, and clarification.
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OK, John. I'm sorry if what I wrote isn't appropriate. I did think of this, but thought that as "travel" was part of this thread, issues of travelling (or living where travelling) would be appropriate. Apologies.
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Thank you, Forest. I appreciate your help. Some eye openers this morning, based on your and Dave's posts - among them, France indeed was not one of the signatories to a bilateral employment agreement (recent enlargement as of April, 2006, did not include France). And au pairs are single, under 30.
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Thank you, great information, Dave and Forest.
Have either you of an opinion on the relative safety of the burbs v. the city proper? From what I have read, the broad-stroke painting is Paris is safe, the burbs are not. Thoughts?
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Hello community,
I hope this is the appropriate venue. I will be applying for admission to ESCF for entry next fall. If I am successful, it is our intent (myself, my wife and our child) to live in Paris during the 9 months of the training, and to see what happens after. A couple of questions, at this juncture.
Can anyone provide a realistic appraisal of monthly housing costs for a family of three? I have read conflicting information, so if any have actuals, it would be greatly appreciated. We live on futons, now, in the same room - size is not an issue.
Can anyone describe options in suburban Paris accomodations? My family's safety is a primary concern, and I have heard conflicting things here, too, so any information would also be appreciated.
Finally, my wife will shortly hold EU citizenship (Estonia). While I cannot work during the school term, it is my understanding that with her Estonian citizenship, her ability to work will not be hampered - is this true, or are we being naive?
Additionally, one of the things she is considering is au-pair work, in part to secure living quarters for we 3, but from what I have read, au pair work is reserved generally to single men and women. Any thoughts?
Any thoughts on these things, or on doing an ex-pat move for a family of 3, generally?
Thank you,
Paul
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I wonder what an oil from them would be like? I see some nice twin oils - bright orange and bright green.
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Yeah, but there's sweet and there's sweet. You can always make a stock sweet by adding tons of sugar-rich vegetables like onions and carrots -- you can even add granulated sugar to a stock to sweeten it(plenty of places do this, as did my father-in-law when he made chicken soup). But then there's a dimension of sweetness that has to do with the absence of un-sweet flavors, as well as a kind of meaty richness bordering on umami. That's what you really want: that subtle, clean, complex, enhancing sweetness, because the other kind of sweetness is one-dimensional and masking.
I agree, Steve, and this is what I seek in my stocks - that wonderful, inviting succulence that screams of the animal's essence. I am not sure, however, it isn't mirepoix in marriage with the meat components that lends this subtle sweetness...for instance, my veal, lamb, venison and duck stocks have a prodigious amount of mirepoix, as I want the marriage of the unctuous meat character with that subtle sweetness. By contrast, my light chicken stock is a utility carrier of flavor, used to moisten braises, etc., but not an integral sauce-in-the making; therefore, I pull back on the mirepoix, particularly carrot. You've got me curious, now, as to what is lending that character in the "sweet/meaty" stocks - the meat, or the mirepoix? I do know that on the rare times I've run pork stock, because of it's intrinsic sweetness, I pull way back on the carrots, for instance, relative to other stocks.
Interesting discussion.
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Lucy, I usually do one of two things to showcase the beautiful color of these potatoes: make pommes anna, or go even thinner, and bake them on a buttered and salted silpat in the oven, at low temp, to make potato "feuilles," for want of a better word. In both cases, I make sure to rinse the potatoes really well to free them of released starch that might discolor. The first presentation is really pretty, I think - it conserves the color of the potato, while edging it with gold; the second is translucent, and pure blue. You may want to place the potatoes between two buttered silpats in the second method, to ensure the edges don't form wavelike curls. You can arrange the thin slices on the silpat to make Pommes Maxim, which will hold up on a diagonal or vertical presentation, or you can use the individual "chips" as a small vertical garnish.
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May I ask why Colorado lamb particularly?
I ask, as in my restaurant I used Jamison Farms, and love their lamb. They are located closer to you, in Latrobe, PA. You can order online.
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We generally maintained about 10 stocks at any one time: dark veal stock, light and dark chicken stock, lamb stock, dark guinea hen stock, venison stock, duck stock, lobster stock, fish stock, and vegetable stock. Logistical nightmare, ensuring all stocks and sauces derived from them were prime; but more than anything, this is what we were about, I think - seeking to fulfill the promise that "food should taste like what it is," I sought the purest, cleanest essences of the various animals used in the sauces we derived from them. Interestingly, many of these stocks are what I would call sweet balanced (esp. the veal, lamb, venison, duck and lobster), as I use a good amount of mirepoix (incl. fennel in the lobster), and believed the gentle sweetness provided a round backdrop to the other flavors joined later, in making the integral sauces, or in marrying other components to the meal.
I take the concept of fond literally. I am earnest in conveying to the people I work with that what we begin with, we end up with. Of all the things I shoot for, it begins here.
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Also, with ratatouille (sp?) do you serve it all mushed up or is it more lightly chopped? Anyone have a favorite recipe? Does it need to be hot?
Great thread. I haven't gone through it all, but wanted to chime in with my $0.02 on ratatouille.
To me, ratatouille is about maintaining the distinctiveness and integrity of each ingredient, to make a final medley of discreet, delightfully contrasting textures, colors and flavors. Therefore, I saute onion until only lightly golden, pull it out; zucchini, eggplant, peppers, all get par pan-roasted separately, then pulled. I add a bit of garlic, herbs and S & P, the last few minutes of each vegetable's par-roast. I then add everything back with tomatoes, until they render up their moisture and allow the ratatouille only to meld, while not allowing the vegetables to give up their individuality.
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Food for thought. Early on, I used to go this way as well, but over the years I have come to consider the "liquid gold" the stock I've been carefully clarifying for days, and pressing on the solids contaminates that gold, in my view. I'd rather keep less, but more refined stock. If I don't press, I make time my friend, and allow a longer drip over the chinois.
I do use the meaty scraps and meat (i.e., chicken or lamb) off the bones, but find it nearly flavorless. Hence, my presumption is that I have successfully extracted what I wanted into the finished stock. I will marry these scraps to other things to make something for employee meal, and given the addition of these other things (say, duxelles), it's o.k. But in terms of the stock, in my opinion, any further contribution of "flavor" will only be a diluting effect, beyond the impurities and negative effects I spoke of earlier. Just my experience.
The impurities I'm talking about are fats/oils and proteinaceous material (such as blood and uncoagulated albumin) trapped in the tissues of the bones and meaty scraps, freshly released by pressing, that I do not want sitting in my stock.
Blood oranges ... a wonder to behold and to taste
in Cooking
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Gifted, those are beautiful.
I love making a blood orange sauce out of them. Juice and zest, simmered together for 30 minutes; I add a bit of cream and (very, very light) chicken stock; very gently reduce to a glaze; and mount with butter. Sometimes, if the sugar content of the fruit was not optimal, I have resorted to sweetening it very carefully. I served it most commonly with firm fish, such as red grouper.
I also enjoy making granites and sorbets with the fruit.