The Supreme eG Baking and Pastry Challenge (Round 4)

[Mette]

Welcome to Round 4.

In Round 3, gfron challenged me to make a deconstructed beer dessert, and the result was a sampler plate of smoked malt creme brulee, a cascade hops not-quite-beer and a brewpub chocolate bar (the full thread is here). It has been a great cooking experience and now I pass the challenge on.

I was in awe when I read Shalmanese thread '21 for 21 in 21 for my 21st, dished, people, hours, birthday'. It is a brilliant story of a crazy adventure in cooking. It shows great skill, imagination, and ability to go long periods of time with very little sleep.

So, Shalmanese, my challenge to you is:

Create a dessert tapas plate consisting of 7 items in 7 days, using local and seasonal flavours (I know purist will oppose to the term tapas in the context, but so be it)

I hope you have as much fun with it as I did - there's always lots of support and ideas right at the tip of your fingers

ENJOY - now we just wait for Shamanese to accept and get working

Edited April 26, 2018 by Smithy
Adjusted title to show sequence (log)

[Shalmanese]

Wow, holy crap. That came totally out of left field. Although very serendipitously. I actually woke up early yesterday morning for a big shopping trip with scarlett and heyjude and found Mette's PM waiting for me in my inbox. Of course, he didn't let me onto what he was planning so I spent an entire frustrating day shopping looking at hundreds of ingredients thinking about how I could integrate them into any sort of bizarre dessert. But as a result, I have a whole bunch of new ingredients I can play with and a whole bunch of dishes I can use to feature them.

So the original plan was to invite a bunch of Australian students that I've met at UW for dinner next sunday and unveil my dessert to them then.

Seeing as I like challenges and I like crazy challenges even more, I've decided to impose the following further restriction on myself: The dinner will consist of 7 courses, and the tapas dessert must evoke 6 features from the previous 6 courses as a "retrospective dessert tapas finish" with one totally unique one in there as well.

Let the games begin!

[Shalmanese]

Okay, so these are my thoughts for the challenge so far, just throwing stuff out there:

For an appetizer, I wanted to do a simple orechettie pasta with pea puree and some sauteed Alaska Spot Prawns, using the peas in the dessert would be the easiest, trying to build on their natural sweetness although that wouldn't be local or seasonal. Using shrimp would be a bit tougher... hell, so I need to think up a shrimp dessert tapas.

For a soup, after my experiments with seaweed paste, I think an asian kabocha & seaweed soup would be really cool and appropriately seasonal.

For the main, I wanted to do a duck breast on parsnip puree, with some sort of fruity sauce.

Since the soup is asian and the duck is western, I thought for desserts, I could do "squash meet west and duck meets east" theme for the next two desserts. Thinking about freezing some pumpkin puree in a sheet pan and then making a cinnamon/nutmeg caramel on some siplat and doing "mini pumpkin ice-cream sandwiches". For the duck, I want to make some sort of biscuit or shortbread flavoured with five spice powder and then glazed with a cilantro/mint/thai basil "jam".

So thats 3 down...

For the salad, I was a bit undecided but I think it should feature apples in some way and that paves the way for me to do an apple dessert. Can you get crab apples in Seattle, a mini-toffee apple with a twist inspired by the salad would be quite cool.

Thats 4 down...

What next, why not throw in a cheese course and then doing a cheese tapas? That would give me a lot of latitude to do something creative.

And I need to do a proper dessert dessert and I have a honking massive 5lb slab of chocolate that I need to make a dent in and two bottles of double chocolate stout. Why don't I shamelessly plagu... uh... homage Mette's jaw dropping work and do a stout/chocolate mousse and then his "a chocolate bar with malted shortbread, chocolate malt ganache and beer marshmallow in milk chocolate"? That sounds like fun.

Aaannnd, thats 6... so I just need the only truly original creation for the last tapas. I'll have to mull on that one a bit and let it bubble up. It has to be the most spectacular one of them all so we'll see.

7 days, 7 courses, 7 tapas, uh.... 6 people. Damn. Oh well, lets see how this goes.

[Shalmanese]

Doh, I forgot I also had a bottle of yuzu wine that I want to crack open as well as well as a bottle of ponzu. Can I do a Apple & Citrus intermezzo and then a yuzu toffee-crab apple? Or maybe Yuzu and cheese if I'm really getting crazy. Hrmm...

edit: I probably need to pick up some fresh yuzu this week then.

Edited October 15, 2006 by Shalmanese (log)

[Shalmanese]

Okaaay, I think I might have just jumped waaay off the deep end there. I was thinking shrimp and peas and I somehow conceived of making a creamy shrimp milkshake and then drop in some bruleed caramel peas and get some of those giant bubble tea straws and a sealing machine... and voila "Shrimp & Pea Bubble Tea" (wow, it even rhymes! ).

Then I thought "holy crap, even I'm not adventerous enough to drink that". Damn .

Edited October 15, 2006 by Shalmanese (log)

[Shalmanese]

Doh, I totally forgot. I have 2 cartons of wild kiwis that I picked up yesterday. This was the last day that vendor was selling them at the farmers market so I snapped them up because they were sure to be useful. It fits into the local and seasonal thing perfectly if I can figure out what to do with them. I was thinking duck with the wild kiwi sauce but then the rules of the dessert wouldn't allow me to make a tapas out of them... hrmm...

[Ling]

Ooohhh exciting. Why not make the 7th tapas dessert reflective of or incorporating a Spanish wine?

[Kerry Beal]

This is a hugely challenging challenge. Can't wait to see the final results.

[gfron1]

As if one dessert wasn't enough! We should have waited until the 7th round for this one

[Pontormo]

Shalmanese: Any papers due this week?

First, I am so delighted to see you were tapped. This thread might be called 21/7.

Just a couple of ideas for now:

For an appetizer, I wanted to do a simple orechettie pasta with pea puree and some sauteed Alaska Spot Prawns, using the peas in the dessert would be the easiest, trying to build on their natural sweetness although that wouldn't be local or seasonal. Using shrimp would be a bit tougher... hell, so I need to think up  a shrimp dessert tapas.

Another way to go: sweet pasta. There are quite a few Sicilian ones done with nests of angel-hair strands, deep-fried, coated in honey, etc. I am sure there are more in different regions.

For a soup, after my experiments with seaweed paste, I think an asian kabocha & seaweed soup would be really cool and appropriately seasonal.

What about dried seaweed layers or wrap with the squash? In Mantua, squash rind is made into a kind of sweet/hot pickle called mostarda.

* * *

And what's your supply of duck eggs like in responding to the main course? I'm also thinking of gfron1's light, decorative meaty wafer in imagining what you might do with sweetened, crispy duck skin

Edited October 16, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Shalmanese]

Shalmanese:  Any papers due this week?

Yes... Lots

Another way to go: sweet pasta.  There are quite a few Sicilian ones done with nests of angel-hair strands, deep-fried, coated in honey, etc.  I am sure there are more in different regions.

Interesting, I'll keep it in mind. I might do something visually similar with a sweet pasta, green sauce and pink garnish. Have to mull that one over.

And what's your supply of duck eggs like in responding to the main course?  I'm also thinking of gfron1's light, decorative meaty wafer in imagining what you might do with sweetened, crispy duck skin

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I've been pondering cracklings since I had the duck idea. Would crackling retain it's crunch if I baked it inside of a duck biscuit? The other idea I had was to semi freeze it flat, cut it into thin strips and then deep fry it to form an attractive curled garnish for the duck biscuits.

I think I might drop the cheese and focus on something a bit more interesting for the 5th course.

[Shalmanese]

Heading to the markets for some inspiration... Back soon

[Pan]

For a shrimp component in your dessert, how about shrimp chips which are sweet instead of salty? Something like that might work.

[Shalmanese]

Back...

Found these at whole foods:

Score! Perfect for my Mini-toffee Apple tapas. They're about the size of a small golf ball.

Also seeing some of these:

had me thinking about a dish I had back in Sydney which was Chorizo and Yabby in a Chorizo fat and grapefruit broth. Since one of the guests professes a love for chorizo, I thought I would do an amuse of Chorizo, grapefruit and dungeness crab meat.

There were also some figs there:

Don't know if I can work anything with them.

I also pretty much decided that I'm going to hand roll some hazelnut orechettie, bake some either strawberry or raspberry shortbreads in a cresent shape to mimic shrimp tails and have some sort of green sauce. Green dessert items turns out to be surprisingly hard, so far all I've come up with is mint, green melon, lime, green grapes... hrmm...

So the Menu is shaping up something like this:

Amuse: Chorizo, Grapefruit, Crab, Amuse Dessert: Grapefruit something?

Appetizer: Pasta, Peas, Shrimp, App Dessert: Hazelnut Pasta, ???, Berry Shortbread

Soup: Squash, Seaweed, Soup Dessert: Pumpkin Ice, Caramel

Salad: Something with Apple and a Yuzu vinagrette, Salad Dessert: Mini-Toffee Apple with a Yuzu Caramel

Main: Duck Breasts on a Parsnip Puree, Main Dessert: Five Spice infused Duck Biscuit with a cilantro jam

Dessert: Stout Chocolate Mousse, Dessert Dessert: Deconstructed Beer Candy Bar

Mystery Tapas: ??? - You'll find out on the day.

[Irishgirl]

Green dessert? Pistachio!

I know that you already have the Hazelnuts in the pasta, but if you made it chocolate pasta, you could have the pistachio sauce....but that kind of ruins the regional thing doesn't it?

HMMMMM.....

You had those Kiwis didn't you?

Basil is nice sweet. I've made basil sorbet before and it was killer.

Rosemary also lends itself well to sweet preparations

Still thinking....

[Shalmanese]

Green dessert?  Pistachio!

I know that you already have the Hazelnuts in the pasta, but if you made it chocolate pasta, you could have the pistachio sauce....but that kind of ruins the regional thing doesn't it?

HMMMMM.....

You had those Kiwis didn't you?

Of course! duh! I'll use the wild kiwis in that dessert.

[chiantiglace]

For a shrimp component in your dessert, how about shrimp chips which are sweet instead of salty? Something like that might work.

←

Second that one. I definately think trying to make those shrimp as naturaly sweet as you can get them is the way too go. Because even though a little makes an interesting tast profile on some naturally sweet things, on shrimp it would seem too savory.

How about instead of parsnip puree a fig compote. I like figs with with duck. And maybe you could use a little "spanish wine" (as mentioned earlier) in the mix with all that.

[rooftop1000]

Sorry, I seem to have crispy duck skin toffee stuck in my head...anyone remember Daniel's bacon toffee?

tracey

[Kouign Aman]

bake some either strawberry or raspberry shortbreads in a cresent shape to mimic shrimp tails and have some sort of green sauce. Green dessert items turns out to be surprisingly hard, so far all I've come up with is mint, green melon, lime, green grapes... hrmm...

I think the shrimp-shaped pink-something is a good idea. You could use the classic marzipan, or a fruit paste (persimmon, papaya) to get the color.

Green - I second the idea of using the kiwis.

[Shalmanese]

bake some either strawberry or raspberry shortbreads in a cresent shape to mimic shrimp tails and have some sort of green sauce. Green dessert items turns out to be surprisingly hard, so far all I've come up with is mint, green melon, lime, green grapes... hrmm...

I think the shrimp-shaped pink-something is a good idea. You could use the classic marzipan, or a fruit paste (persimmon, papaya) to get the color.

Green - I second the idea of using the kiwis.

←

Hrmm... Pink marzipan gives me the idea that I should try and make hazelnut tuilles instead in the shape of some orichette. I'm going to need recipes for all this stuff if you guys have any favourites. I might make a sour cherry sauce for the duck breasts since I have some of that I got from PFI as well.

[Pan]

Green -- don't overlook green apples. Honeydew is also possible.

[Shalmanese]

Ok, so logistically, this is what I'm looking at:

Amuse:

6 teaspoons of crab meat - Whats best? It seems whole food has alaskan king crab meat. Uwajimaya has dungeness I think. Whats the difference between the two?

2 Chorizo sausages - Where do they have good ones? I tried some at whole foods and they were OK but not anything spectacular.

2Grapefruit - this should be fine.

App:

Pasta check, peas check, prawns should be check.

Soup:

Pumpkin - which is the best? I've been reccomended sugar pie but I could also get kabocha. I'm not sure what the flavour difference is. Seaweed check, need to pick up some ginger.

Salad:

Still have no idea, apples, yuzu, celeriac? walnuts? nothing really comes to mind.

Main:

Duck Breast (reminder:defrost ducks today) check, parsnips check, need a good recipe for a cherry sauce.

Dessert:

Chocolate check, whats the best way to integrate beer into a mousse and how much can I add before it affects the texture? Need eggs, cream, butter.

Amuse Tapas:

I'm going to do a grapefruit terrine in a lyngonberry jelly. I have all the ingredients for that but I need to find a good mould for the grapefruit.

App Tapas:

Whats a good recipe for hazelnut tuilles? I would like one that I could mould and then bake if thats possible but I could also mould them hot.

Green kiwi check.

Strawberry cookie: Still need a recipe for a pink coloured, crumbly style cookie. Is that a butter cookie, a sand cookie? I'm not too familiar in this area.

Soup Tapas:

This should be fine.

Salad Tapas:

How do I make a yuzu flavoured hard toffee? Should I melt the sugar with ponzu instead of water? Should I cook the caramel, add ponzu and then cook it again? I'm afraid of turning it chewy or sticky. Any ideas about how to make mini wooden handles for the toffee apples?

Main Tapas:

Duck Pastry - Help? I have no idea.

Herb Jam - I've never really made a jam before. I just need sugar, water and pectin right and then I can stir in some finely minced cilantro/mint. Do I need acid? Is it going to taste flat without something else in there?

Dessert Tapas:

I'm working with Mette's recipe on that.

Final Tapas:

This is a surprise.

[Pontormo]

I'd keep the salad simple given the complexity of everything else. Would suggest butterleaf with a little finely microplane-grated Gruyere (nutty) and a shallot dressing (Spanish sherry vinegar), spooning in some of the duck fat sort of like what Pepin does when he roasts a chicken. Were the duck not the next course, I would have suggested Romaine, celery (surprisingly good here; I am NOT a fan of raw celery), roasted walnuts and Gorgonzola for something to acknowledge cooler season.

But then I saw your question about strawberry-colored cookies. Sable is the term I think you're looking for. Wait for Ling [& wouldn't you know she's reading as I correct a typo!] to pipe up with recipe since I only know Dorie Greenspan's famous chocolate WPC's (see thread on her new book).

Beet juice dyes EVERYTHING a lovely pink. So, why not make a salad of arugula or watercress and endive with roasted beets and toasted walnuts? This week I've been eating watercress, beets & roughly grated radishes (farmers market stand is selling ones the size of turnips that are good!) which complement the spicy edge of watercress, but are a little sweeter and thus complement the beets.

Then, you could use the beet juice in your cookies

Then, of course, there's finely shaved fennel which goes well with oranges and/or black cured olives and thin red onion rings soaked first for around 15-30 minutes. Fennel alone with shaved Parm, lemon and olive oil. Another, perhaps classier nod to fall would be celeriac which the French serve in long strands (processed how ), with a light cream dressing.

As for tuilles, I've only made almond ones which I think I'd prefer and probably got my recipe from an issue of *Gourmet*. I like hazelnuts when chocolate's involved.

BTW: Not to distract you from kiwis which I am all for especially given your Aussie guests and roots, but when at WF see if they have exotic, pricy little jars of Sicilian pistachio paste. I still haven't opened mine, but it's lovely stuff and is prized for lining shells for fruit tarts (kiwi, green on green) and filling cookies. Might be good with tuilles.

Edited October 17, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Ling]

Amuse:

6 teaspoons of crab meat - Whats best? It seems whole food has alaskan king crab meat.

Dungenous crab meat tastes sweeter to me. The texture is also different from Alaskan King crab.

Soup:

Pumpkin - which is the best? I've been reccomended sugar pie but I could also get kabocha.

I love kabocha. I haven't cooked sugar pie pumpkins so I don't know how they compare, though.

Dessert:

Chocolate check, whats the best way to integrate beer into a mousse and how much can I add before it affects the texture? Need eggs, cream, butter.

You could also make a standard chocolate mousse and foam the beer with a bit of lechitin to spoon over the top.

Strawberry cookie: Still need a recipe for a pink coloured, crumbly style cookie. Is that a butter cookie, a sand cookie? I'm not too familiar in this area.

"Crumbly" cookies are sables (or sand).

Salad Tapas:

How do I make a yuzu flavoured hard toffee? Should I melt the sugar with ponzu instead of water? Should I cook the caramel, add ponzu and then cook it again?

I missed something here. Do you mean should you add yuzu juice instead of water for the caramel? Or are you thinking of using ponzu. (I wouldn't add too much if this is the case...would be quite salty!)

Main Tapas:

Duck Pastry - Help? I have no idea.

Herb Jam - I've never really made a jam before. I just need sugar, water and pectin right and then I can stir in some finely minced cilantro/mint. Do I need acid? Is it going to taste flat without something else in there?

Yes, I would add some acid (or some grated citrus rind) to the jam.

I've made duck fat pastry--just freeze the block of duck fat and coarsely grate it into the flour. Same proportion as for a regular butter or lard crust pastry.

[K8memphis]

Sorry, I seem to have crispy duck skin toffee stuck in my head...

tracey

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I'm sorry too Tracy, I hope it's not too painful, but I'm sure it would make a great episode on ER. I'm just totally being silly-don't mind me.

But seriously, I love this thread but I am absolutely lost--whew it's all so far over my head the jetstream is above Iceland.

I hope you all enjoy prawns, seaweed soup, chorizo and soup and shrimp? for dessert? But you expanded it right to include more courses??? I can't tell where the desserts start--are we still doing desserts??? Or just baking???

Maybe I'll catch on better next time.