playing with fire and water

epoisses

 

Epoisses is a washed rind cheese from the village of Epoisses in Burgundy, France. The characteristically slimy orange rind develops in the maturing stage as the ripening wheels of cheese are washed in a progressively concentrated solution of Marc de Bourgogne. When ripe and served at an ambient temperature, the pale paste, or pate, is almost liquid with an elastic resilience.

Epoisses has the distinction of being ranked among the world's most odiferous cheeses; 'rank' being an apropos term. It's fragrance, which can be described as "a loaded diaper that has smoldered in the sun for a few days", has caused it to be banned on public transportation in France. The flavor of epoisses is surprisingly mild in comparison to it's odor; a sublime contrast of delicate, milky sweetness, winey complexity, a salty, metallic sting, and funky fermentation. You will either embrace it or run screaming.

In France, epoisses is traditionally made from unpasteurized cow's milk. The US doesn't allow imported cheese from unpasteurized milk unless it has been aged over 60 days, resulting in a mature cheese that lacks the fruitiness of a youthful one. The most commonly available epoisses in the US is the Berthaut brand (pictured above), made from pasteurized milk. It is reputed to lack the nuances of a true epoisses. I'll have to wait until a trip to France before I can attest to that, but for now, I'm quite content in stinky-cheese heaven.

 

onion caramel

 

To make onion caramel: Line an 8" pan with greased waxed paper or a silicone mat. Place 300g of onion syrup in a 5-qt pot (don't use a smaller pot as the syrup will form large bubbles and expand considerably). Add 200g heavy cream and set the pot over medium-high heat, stirring until mixture begins to boil. Cook to 250F/121C. Immediately pour onto prepared pan and let cool until caramel hardens. Cut into desired sizes and shapes with an oiled knife.

 

porcini onion apple

Judging by the comments in the previous post, the general consensus was to take the onion syrup aboard the foie gras train. A very tasty ride, no doubt, but as y'all were thinking liver and onions, I was thinking waffles with syrup.

 

chamomile-poached granny smith apple balls  ✢  caramelized pickled allium triquetrum  ✢  fried shallot oil  ✢  young spruce tips

porcini-mesquite waffle  ✢  delice de bourgogne triple cream cheese

onion syrup

 

porcini-mesquite waffles

Porcini flour is made by grinding dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder. Mesquite flour can be purchased at health food stores. It is made from the dried pulp of mesquite (Prosopis alba) pods and has a sweet flavor and aroma, reminiscent of toasted coconut, roasted coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon.

85g all-purpose flour
20g mesquite flour
10g porcini flour
5g sea salt
3g baking soda
2g baking powder
150g buttermilk
57g melted butter
1 egg

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until uniform in color. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg while adding the buttermilk, then whisk in the melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients and form a smooth batter. Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes to hydrate flours.
While the batter hydrates, preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
When iron is hot, place 2 Tablespoons of batter in center of iron to make small waffles, or up to 1/4 cup to make full-sized waffles. Lower lid and cook until steam subsides and waffle pulls away easily from iron.
Makes 8-10 small waffles or 4 large.

 

    

 

  

onion syrup

sweet
tart
spicy
savory
salty
oniony

you know you want some

 

onion syrup

300g sugar
100g Vidalia onion juice (about 1 large onion, put through a juicer)
200g dry red wine
150g red wine vinegar
50g balsamic vinegar
50g extra-virgin olive oil
5g fleur de sel
1.5g sichuan pepper, coarsely ground
1 medium Vidalia onion, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges and separated into petals.

Place sugar and onion juice in a large saucepan. Stir until sugar is evenly wet. Cover pan and set over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove cover and turn heat up to medium high. Cook syrup to 360F/182C, or until medium golden and smells like toasted onions.
Immediately remove pan from heat and carefully add the wine to the pan. The hot syrup will sputter and boil, add the wine slowly until it calms down. Return pan to stove and continue cooking on medium high heat. When the syrup has dissolved in the wine, add all of the remaining ingredients. Adjust the heat to maintain a full rolling boil and cook the syrup until it reduces and thickens to the consistency of maple syrup. This can take up to 10 minutes. 
Allow syrup to cool slightly and strain out the onion pieces. Store syrup in refrigerator for up to one month.  

 

buffalo tartare

warm weather elicits cravings for raw foods

 

buffalo tartare
pickled allium aioli
daikon  white asparagus  lime gelee
lime basil

  

hamachi soy allium

I'm thinking of changing my job description from 'Freelance Chef' to 'Cook-on-Call'. These days, at least, that's how it seems to play out— people call and I go cook.

I received one such call recently to cook dinner for two on that same day. It was 3pm when the call came in.

The requests were clear and succinct:
dinner at 6
light fare
asian flavors
no meat— fish ok
3-5 small courses
no dessert
keep it simple

Secretly, I love these impromptu jobs. When I have days or weeks to plan the details of a meal, I feel as if I've already cooked it in my head and the actual preparation is anti-climatic. Of course, familiarity with the kitchen and the client's palate helps alleviate some of the stress.

Knowing that there was only time for one stop, I gathered supplies from my pantry, vegetable bin, garden, and china closet, deliberately overpacking to cover the unknown variables. I also packed my camera; which I often do, but rarely end up using.

At the fish market I asked for the freshest catch and was shown a pristine hamachi with the head removed. I bought the upper half (about 2 lbs.) with the collar attached, and nothing else.

With the protein decided, I was free to plan the meal. I wanted to start with a raw preparation and end with the grilled collar, but while considering the other courses, I kept returning to the hamachi. It's a beautifully versatile fish that lends itself to many preparations, both raw and cooked. As I went back and forth about including sashimi, tartar, poached belly, or tempura, I realized that what I really wanted to do was an all-hamachi dinner. Furthermore, I wanted to weave the same flavors: fish, soy, allium, throughout the courses. The client had asked for simplicity, but would they be happy with an entire meal based on variations of the same flavor profile? By the time that I pulled into the driveway, I decided that they would.

As I unpacked, the client appeared in the kitchen to greet me and ask "What's for dinner?"
I might have laughed nervously, but my response was confident and emphatic, 
"I hope you like hamachi!"

 hamachi belly  lime-pickled jicama  sushi rice   soy  allium 
 

hamachi sashimi    tartar   allium triquetrum granita
 

hamachi poached in dashi  powdered soy and wasabi  
 spruce tip fluid gel   lime zest
 

hamachi tempura   dashi with miso and ponzu  
 pickled allium triquetrum bulbs  peppercress

grilled hamachi collar    tamari   allium

To a cook, a clean plate speaks louder than compliments. 

allium triquetrum

These allium were sent to me from Oregon, simply labeled as "wild onions". Originally, I thought they were ramsons (Allium ursinum), which grow wild in my area in the early spring. However, the triangular stems were exceedingly long and lacked the characteristic broad leaves that often cause ramsons to be confused with lily of the valley (a toxic plant). Further research revealed that they are, in fact, Allium triquetrum, commonly known as three-cornered leek, a species of Allium indigenous to the Mediterranean. They are also reported to grow in temperate areas of Britain and Japan. In the US, they are only found along coastal Oregon and California, where they are classified as an invasive weed.

All parts of the plant possess a refined leek/garlic flavor and aroma. The bulbs are dense and crisp, like water chestnuts, and are mild enough to eat raw, as are the lower part of the stems. The dark upper stems are fibrous and need to be cooked. The loose clusters of white flowers are more delicate in flavor. After the petals fall, the developed bulbils resemble caper berries, but with a subtle sulphuric flavor.

I see an extraordinary Gibson Martini in my near future.