IDEAS IN FOOD

A Finer Grind, A Smoother Puree

Liquid nitrogen is not just for freezing.  We were introduced to its refining attributes during our time in the McCrady's kitchen.  Sean introduced us to cryo-juicing/pureeing.  Our first execution of the technique was with raw peanuts.  We put the peanuts in the liquid nitrogen and when they were rock solid and beyond cold, we strained off the nitrogen and ran the peanuts through a Champion juicer  with the puree plate in place.  By keeping this piece in place the peanuts or any other ingredient running through the machine becomes a silken puree.  Since the peanuts are ice cold there is no heat generated in this masticating process allowing the peanuts to retain their uncooked, green flavors and still transform into a smooth and silky puree.  While the raw peanut butter did not make the menu, the technique has left an enormous impression on us both.

We also used liquid nitrogen to generate a finely ground powder of sandy green olives.  To make the sandy olives we pit them and then dehydrate them until they are completely dry.  Once the olives are dry we toss them with sugar.  When the olives were coated with sugar, we placed the mixture in liquid nitrogen.  The frozen olives were strained and placed in the blender.  Within thirty seconds we had a fine powder of olives and sugar.  Since the olives and sugar were so cold, they were able to be ground without releasing any of the residual oils and moisture from their flesh.  We used the resulting powder to season the foie gras fragment dish which did make the menu.

These two new uses for liquid nitrogen have inspired a list of ideas: from making a pure chorizo puree in the style of the raw peanut butter to grinding licorice candies into fine powders.  I also believe we may grind purees and condiments into fine powders which will allow for an exacting application of ingredients from chocolate pudding to guacamole and even ice cream.

Another more common use of the liquid nitrogen which we were able to integrate into the dinner was the creation of eucalyptus dippin' dots, a sorbet we paired with incredible local raspberries and whipped clear whey.

Pectin, Not Just for Jelly

Just an FYI, our latest article on pectin is live over at POPSCI.com.

Garlic Scapes

This is the first year in almost a decade that we've really played with garlic scapes. Actually, this is the first year in almost a decade that we've been around New York for the summer season and therefore able to take advantage of the bounty of produce available at the Union Square farmer's market. Garlic scapes are just one of many newly discovered and quickly adored ingredients that we've become acquainted with over the last couple of months. The garlic scape is actually the flowering shoot of the garlic plant. It is also known as the garlic whistle and pigtails. They are harvested while still young and tender so that the plants energy will be concentrated in it's roots, which in turn creates the garlic bulbs that are a staple in kitchens throughout the world.  If you would like to utilize them in their raw state, look for smaller stems that have not yet begun to curl. If the only ones available are already twisted around themselves, not to worry, a bit of applied heat will tame their sharp, pungent flavor. Simply trim off the woody ends and the tips of the flowers, which burn easily, and give them a rinse.  Now you're ready to start cooking.

The verdant tangles of garlic scapes may be juiced, creamed, sauteed, fried, pickled, pureed, and dried. Like regular bulb garlic, they require gentle cooking and will become unpalatable if scorched. They have a greener and grassier flavor than cloves of garlic and their brief window in markets forces cooks to explore all kinds of possibilities during their limited period of availability. They are happily substituted in any recipe calling for garlic with only minor modifications. On the other hand, they are absolutely delicious simply sauteed in some duck or bacon fat and served alongside creamy scrambled eggs with a dollop of creme fraiche. 

Sesame Seeds

I have wanted to put sesame seeds in the pressure cooker for several years now.  It is amazing how procrastination and other ideas can steer a desire off course for indeterminate amounts of time.  Today I came across bulk sesame seeds at a local store and took this as a sign to purchase a bag of seeds and bring them immediately home to the pressure cooker.

Aki and I conferred on how long to cook the seeds.  She believed that due to their small size we should dramatically cut down on the cooking time compared to our other seed cookery.  I was hesitant although she quickly convinced me that we should try her seven minute cook time.  I filled the bottom of the pressure cooker with an inch of water and then placed a trivet in the center.  I then took a small bowl filled with the seeds, some water, agave nectar and salt and placed it on the trivet.  I sealed the lid and set the timer.  When the seven minutes were up I let the pressure dissipate and I opened the lid.  The seeds were not cooked and definitely not tender.  I put the lid on and tried another seven minutes.  No success.  I tried another twenty five minutes.  Not yet.  I added another hour to the cooking time and finally had positive results.  The seeds have texture and a snap and pop similar to eating tobiko (flying fish roe).

I should also note that the seeds uniformly toasted during the pressure cooking.  They picked up a rich nuttiness which did not exist in the raw seeds we started with.  The tiny size of the seeds and the popping texture are really incredible.  I am not quite where we will go with these cooked seeds, though I am looking forward to the journey.

Beet Salad

How to season the inside of a vegetable?  In this case we start with a vegetable puree.  How to give a vegetable puree structure?  What is the desired texture of the vegetable puree?  There are a wide range of approaches to answer these questions.

In putting this beet salad together we were looking to create a beet sphere, which looks like a beet, with an intense and rounded beet flavor and the texture of a silky flan.  We paired the structured beet puree with raw compressed beet rounds infused with blood orange bitters and Blis Elixer.  The beet marinating liquid is reduced to a glaze while the crisp round is topped with Valencay goat cheese.  A few sprigs of wild watercress add a grassy spiciness to the finished dish.

Ribeye at Stir

It will probably surprise no one that three services became five. Here's the menu from the July 2, rib eye class at Stir.

Thyme Roasted Ribs

Steak and Cheese Tartare
porcini mushrooms, parmigiano-reggiano, celery leaves

Slow Poached Center Cut Salad
stone fruit, watercress, jalapeno

Tea Smoked Center Cut
rutabaga puree, roasted porcinis

Roasted Rib Eye Cap
pak choy, shrimp and mascarpone ravioli, fermented black bean barbecue sauce

Figs and Strawberries
sweet corn sauce

For those who need visual stimulation, there was a photographer present. Justin Ide already has a slide show, with music, up on his site.

Photos of McCrady's

Since we are usually too busy cooking to take pictures during service, we were lucky to have a couple of excellent photographers join us last week at McCrady's Restaurant. Paul Cheney and Jason Kaumeyer did a fabulous job weaving in and out of the controlled chaos that was service that evening. Feel free to take a gander at our evening with Sean, his crew and the many volunteers who came to give us a hand. It was a night to remember and now we have the pictures to prove it.

Sour Mix with a Twist

300 grams water
100grams lemon juice
100grams lime juice
3 grams salt
6.53grams Methocel F150
0.98grams Xanthan gum
150 grams simple syrup

Combine water, lemon juice, lime juice and salt in a blender. Turn the blender on low and gradually increase the speed to medium. Sprinkle in the Methocel and Xanthan gum and shear in the blender for 30 seconds until the powders are full dispersed. Chill the mixture to 10 degrees Celsius. Stir in the simple syrup. The sour mix can be whipped to soft peaks using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.

Incorporate the whipped sour mix into your favorite drink recipe.