How's it done ? Wd-50's Foie w/ nori caramel

[chefadamg]

Hello all...first post for me. Truely a geat site !! WD-50 has a great appetizer, it's their foie gras w/ liquid nori caramel center. When you cut into the foie gras the nori caramel oozes from the center of the foie.

How does he get the liquid center?? Any ideas?

[jdanton]

Hello all...first post for me. Truely a geat site !! WD-50 has a great appetizer, it's their foie gras w/ liquid nori caramel center. When you cut into the foie gras the nori caramel oozes from the center of the foie.

  How does he get the liquid center?? Any ideas?

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He was doing it with a reduction of beet juice for a while. My guess (and Wylie is on here every now and then) would be using a syringe, but that's just my thought.

[chefadamg]

That makes sense, but how was the center "hole" created??

I don't know much about the dish, i.e. if it's a torchon, mousse, or pate. I'm just a bit confussed on creating that hole for the liquid while maintaing a "clean" looking finished product.

[johnder]

Given room temp fois is like play-dough I would think you cut a cube of it, cut it in half, scoop out the middle with a melon baller and put the two halves back together and smooth the edges with a pallet knife and chill. Then fill.

Just a guess but that is what I would try.

[Mikeb19]

Now, I don't know how Wylie does it for sure, but this would be my professional guess.

- Make the caramel/reduction, put it into small moulds, freeze it.

- Put the foie gras into larger moulds/ramekins. Insert frozen centre, and cover with more foie on the top so the caramel is completely encased (think molten chocolate cake - the foie gras replaces the batter, the caramel replaces the ganache)

- Let stand in the fridge for a day or so (let the centre melt, the foie gras harden)

- cook briefly at low-ish temp (enough to 'temper' the foie gras), then serve warm, or put back in fridge to be served cold later

Is he serving it warm or cold anyway? The above is just my guess as to how it is accomplished, I've never seen Wylie in action or been to his restaurant/kitchen.

[peteswanson]

Assuming that a torchon is made, than put through a tamis, and in a pastry bag....piped into a mold, the frozen (or solidified in a number of ways) mold of caramel (as stated in the previous post) is put in place in the center , then the foie is piped in to cover...

[Nishla]

Now, I don't know how Wylie does it for sure, but this would be my professional guess. 

- Make the caramel/reduction, put it into small moulds, freeze it. 

- Put the foie gras into larger moulds/ramekins.  Insert frozen centre, and cover with more foie on the top so the caramel is completely encased (think molten chocolate cake - the foie gras replaces the batter, the caramel replaces the ganache)

- Let stand in the fridge for a day or so (let the centre melt, the foie gras harden)

- cook briefly at low-ish temp (enough to 'temper' the foie gras), then serve warm, or put back in fridge to be served cold later

Is he serving it warm or cold anyway?  The above is just my guess as to how it is accomplished, I've never seen Wylie in action or been to his restaurant/kitchen.

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You are exactly right. We went to WD-50 a few days ago, and had the beet reduction version (served cool). Our waiter explained the process when we asked how it was done.

[Abra]

How would you do a nori caramel? Is it just a caramel with nori strips, or a pureed nori caramel sauce, or what? It sounds so intriguing.

[Mikeb19]

How would you do a nori caramel?  Is it just a caramel with nori strips, or a pureed nori caramel sauce, or what?  It sounds so intriguing.

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Perhaps start off with a nori 'tea' (make it strong). Cook sugar to caramel, let cool a bit, add the 'tea', heat on low until it's all incorporated. That would be my guess, there might also be some butter or cream in there....