Scallops, because of their naturally high sugar content, sear wonderfully. The crisp, golden brown crust of a seared scallop creates texture and accentuates its sweetness. I think scallop pair exceedingly well with tropical flavors, and this dish features quite a few.

First is a puree of young coconut. Young coconut is an immature coconut, and the meat is tender and mildly sweet. The puree is both rich and refreshing, a unique quality of coconut.

The diced pineapple is tossed with fresh Jalapeño and dark rum. The pineapple is then compressed in a vacuum sealing bag. As you remove all the air, the sides of the bag apply large but equal pressure on all sides of the pineapple, compressing the cell walls and creating a unique texture along with an intense concentration of flavor.

The dish also features a smooth avocado and lime sauce. The unctuous sauce combines the richness of avocado with the bright, acidic qualities of lime juice and lime zest. It contrasts well with the richness of the scallops and coconut. Leaves of fresh cilantro add intense bursts of flavor to the dish.

Finally, a fried slice of plantain adds some much needed texture and additional tropical influence to this seafood dish.

Young Coconut Purée:

• 1 young coconut
• Kosher salt, sugar, and lime juice to taste

Carefully crack open the young coconut above a bowl or other large container. Collect the juice, then remove the coconut flesh from the inner shell. The flesh will have remnants of the shell stuck to it. Trim the brown remnants from the flesh, taking care not to remove too much of the young coconut flesh. Place the coconut in a blender and add about half the coconut water. Purée on high speed for 1 minute. Add extra coconut water as needed to achieve a sauce with the consistency of chocolate syrup. Season with kosher salt, sugar, and lime juice.

Left to right: A young coconut, un-trimmed young coconut meat, cleaned and trimmed young coconut meat

Rum-Compressed Pineapple:

• 1 ripe pineapple
• 1 Jalapeño chile
• 2 Tbsp. dark rum
• Kosher salt, to taste

Slice the rind from the pineapple then cut into medium dice. Juice (or eat) the scraps. Slice the jalapeño into quarters lengthwise. Remove the seeds and the skin. Dice the jalepeño fine. Toss with the diced pineapple and add the pineapple juice (if you didn’t eat the scraps) and dark rum. Season with kosher salt. Place the diced pineapple mixture into a vacuum sealing bag and seal on high. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Avocado and Lime Puree:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 limes, juiced and zested
• Kosher salt, to taste

Place the avocado in a blender with lime juice and zest. Season with kosher salt and blend into a fine puree. Pass the purée through a fine mesh strainer or chinois. Press plastic wrap directly on top of the purée and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fried Plantains:

• 1 plaintain
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Kosher salt and ground allspice, for seasoning

Slice the plantain lengthwise on a mandolin to 1/16 inch thick. Fry the plantain slices at 365° F until golden brown and crisp. Season with a mixture of kosher salt and ground allspice.

To Assemble and Serve (For Each Portion):

• 3 large diver scallops
• Vegetable oil, as needed
• 1 Tb. whole butter
• 2 strips lime zest
• Cilantro stems
• Young coconut purée
• Avocado and Lime Purée
• Rum-Compressed Pineapple
• Fried plantain slice
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Clean the scallops of the small but tough side mussel. Season on all sides with kosher salt. Rest and dry the scallops on a paper towel. Heat a cast iron sauté pan over high heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil. Sear the scallops to a deep golden brown on one side and then flip. Immediately add the butter, lime zest, and cilantro stems. As the butter begins to melt and brown, spoon it over the scallops (A French technique called poulet).

Arrange the purées, pineapple, and cilantro leaves on a plate. Add the seared scallops and a fried plantain slice. Enjoy!

Suggested wine pairing: California Sauvignon Blanc

These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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Plantains are almost identical to bananas in appearance. In some parts of the world, plantains are called bananas and what we know as a banana is a “dessert banana.” A plantain, however, is much harder than a banana, with a very high starch content. Plantains require cooking and, as I like to describe them, are like the lovechild of a banana and a potato. They combine the flavor neutrality of a starch with the sweetness of a banana.

Like bananas, plantains are native to Southeast Asia, however, they have flourished in Central America and the Caribbean, both botanically and culturally. Plantains are a staple starch in the Caribbean and Central America. Tostones are ubiquitous in this part of the world. They are made by first frying a slice of plantain. Once the slice is slightly softened, it’s flattened into a disk then fried once more, often in pork lard, to create a crisp-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside delicacy that can be topped with anything from mango to black beans to coconut.

Tostones: A fried plantain delicacy

The plantain tree yields other edible treat besides it’s fruit. The blossoms are often harvested and used in salads in Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos, much as you might find banana blossoms on the menu at a Thai restaurant. Plantain leaves can be used as wrappers for Mexican and Central American style tamales. Since the plantain is in a family of starches, thin slices can be deep fried and caramelized to perfection, yielding a slightly sweet but impressively crunchy snack.

Keep your mind, eyes, and RSS feeds glued to Garrett’s Table in the coming days for a dish incorporating fried plantains, along with other tropical flavors.

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I get great pleasure from modernizing classic dishes. There’s no doubt that duck and orange go together like peas and carrots and the flavor combination has stood the test of time. Duck A l’Orange can be found in any classic French cookbook, and each chef, Escoffier included, argues that their recipe is the best and only rendition of this dish that has so perpetuated the ethos of French culinary superiority. This is Duck A l’Orange only in that it is duck and orange, and not necessarily a strict adherence to any classical French recipe or dogma.

The dish features both duck confit and seared duck breast. I first cured the duck legs in a mixture of salt, sugar, orange zest, and fresh thyme for 2 days. Afterward I cooked the legs in their own fat for 5 hours at about 200° F with plenty more orange zest, fresh thyme, cracked pepper, and a few drops of pure orange oil. The result is a tender, sweet, and delicate duck confit inundated with the flavors of orange and thyme.

The duck breasts I marinated overnight in fresh orange juice and thyme, with a touch of the curing mixture. After marninating, I dried the breasts well, then seared them in a smoking hot cast iron pan. Once I seared the skin to a deep caramel brown, I flipped the duck breasts then added (once again!) orange peel and fresh thyme with a chunk of whole butter to the hot pan. I spooned the browned, flavored butter over the breasts (a technique called poulet) and then brushed the skin side with a glaze of raw honey, orange juice, and orange oil. I finished cooking the duck breasts in a 400° F oven to medium-well, brushing the skin twice more with the honey-orange glaze

The duck breasts being seared with a poulet of butter, orange zest, and thyme

The third flavor I added to the dish was fennel because I believe it pairs fantastically with both duck and orange. The white bulb I segmented then cooked sous vide at 185° for 2 hours, until the fennel was unnaturally tender. I finished the wedges by searing them in a very hot pan to create a nice char.

Fennel bulb segments vacuum sealed and ready to be cooked sous vide at 185° F.

Fennel stalks, chopped and separated into equal sized portions. Ready to be blanched and pureed.

Because they believe them to be too tough and light on flavor, chefs all to often discard the green fronds and stalks of the fennel bulb. This is an unfortunate waste. To make a light sauce that adds a touch of brightness to the contrastingly rich components of the dish, I made a fresh fennel puree by quickly blanching the stalks and trimmings, then pureeing with a bit of water, sugar, salt, and lemon juice.

Finally, navel and blood orange supremes add more bright flavor and vibrant color to this rich, early-spring dish while keeping it appropriately seasonal.

Voila! Duck A l’Orange

The stunning, professional photographs in this post were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a very talented, Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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Fennel is a fantastically flavorful and versatile ingredient. It can stand alone as the main flavor of a dish and play an accompanying role (as in Latke Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Braised Fennel). Its delightful anise flavor can be used in savory and sweet applications (as in Fennel and Orange Páte de Fruit). We even drink fennel, considering its role in flavoring the notorious spirit absinthe.

Fennel owes its aromatic, licorice-like flavor to anethol, a volatile aroma compound also found in anise and star anise. The fennel we eat is a cultivated form called Florence Fennel. The anethol in Florence Fennel is not nearly as intense and the flavor is more sweet than other wild forms of Foeniculum F. vulgare. Culinarily, the bulb of Florence Fennel is most commonly used. Shaved very thin and dressed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, fennel bulb makes a bright, refreshing salad. Sliced into wedges and braised with butter and white wine, the flavor of fennel mellows significantly and the bulb becomes and tender and succulent side dish. Although the stalks and fronds of the fennel plant are not used very often (the stalks are notoriously woody) they can be blanched and pureed or used to garnish a dish. Aside from the bulb, we eat fennel seeds quite often and they are a ubiquitous ingredient in Italian sausage.

A pile of delicate fennel fronds

The ancient Greeks called Fennel marathon and Marathon (of the famed Battle of Marathon in 490 BC) owes it’s name to this aromatic vegetable. Fennel’s aromatic qualities are not surprising considering its close relationship to dill, evident in the shape and nature of it’s flowers. Like most herbs and aromatic vegetables, Fennel has been used as medicine in addition to food.

Fennel bulbs and seeds have been used as herbal medicine for millenia. Fennel aids in digestions, improves eye sight if eaten raw, is a natural diuretic, and improves the nutritional potency of breast milk. So eat all the fennel you possibly can!

Visit Garrett’s Table in the coming days for a fantastic recipe incorporating fennel.

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Your coffee service this evening may look terribly conventional. Indeed it is a cup of coffee with whipped cream and an Italian cookie. But in what forms are all these elements?

The coffee is actually an espresso créme brulée. Espresso combined with a velvety baked custard create a delightful hot and cold, creamy and crunchy version of the classic latté. The “foam” or “whipped cream” on top is a lightly sweetened mascarpone mousse with a touch of shaved dark chocolate.

The cookie is a cookie…but it’s also not a cookie: it’s lady finger ice cream. The ice cream is made and flavored with the classic Italian pastry. After freezing the lady finger ice cream, I used a homemade mold to reform it into the shape of the cookie to which it owes its flavor and inspiration. I made the molds using Silicone Plastique from Make Your Own Molds, a great online source for culinary mold-making.

Silicone molds of lady finger cookies freeze the ice cream into perfect cookie shapes

Beneath the ice cream cookie is a sprinkling of chocolate lady finger crumbs. These crumbs bear a striking resemblance to coffee grounds (a very happy coincidence considering I did not plan this at all), bringing the flavor and concept of this dish full circle.

Do all these flavor elements sound familiar? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, your cup of coffee is tiramisu.

How do you make this classic yet modern dessert? Well, I’m happy to share my secrets! Simply sign up for the Garrett’s Table E-mail newsletter by clicking the link below and entering your e-mail address. I’ll include the recipe, including instructions on how to make your own ice cream molds, in my next mailing (March 1, 2010). All emails are confidential and you can un-subscribe at any time.

These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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The coffee bean is the seed of the coffee tree, which are a group of trees belonging to the genus Coffea.  The most commonly grown and cultivated is Coffea arabica, from which we get our beloved Arabica coffee.  The fruits of the coffee tree are commonly called coffee “cherries” or “berries” and within each fruit is two coffee beans, with the flat sides in contact with each other.  The endosperm of each seed contains 0.8-2.5 percent caffeine…and this is a very good thing indeed.

Cultivation of the coffee tree began in Ethiopa in approximately 850 AD. The word “coffee” comes from the Ethiopian region of Kaffa. When the coffee beans are harvested they are initially a dull green color.  To develop the flavor, and maximize caffeine extractions, the beans must be roasted, and this can be done to a variety of levels:

Coffee berries (left) contains the green coffee beans (right) which are then roasted to develop flavor and extract caffeine

A light roast is often called a New England Roast and these beans have a very light brown hue with no visible oily residue.  Moving up the chain is the American Roast, Espresso, and then the double roast French Roast.  At the French roast stage, the beans begin to smoke slightly and some of the sugars turn to carbon.  The result in an intensely (but delightfully) bitter coffee with slight smokiness.

The French mastered the roast for a cup of brewed coffee but the ultimate coffee award must go to Italians for sheer ingenuity.  Yes, of course, I’m speaking of espresso.  No other drink is so ubiquitous in this modern world of double foam mocha caffe latte whip caramel-chinos than espresso.  This intense drink is fantastic on it’s own and can create a myriad of other classic drinks including the latte (espresso and steamed milk), the cappuccino (espresso and foamed milk), and the cafe Americano (espresso and hot water).  To make espresso, the beans are roasted dark then ground fine. The grounds are then pressed into a puck in a special espresso maker.   Hot water is then pressed through the espresso puck, creating an intensely rich coffee drink with a thin layer of foam called the crema.

Not only is espresso great for creating coffee drinks, but it’s a major inspiration for a classic Italian dessert: Tiramisu.  Please stay tuned to Garrett’s Table this week for a unique take on one of the world’s favorite desserts!

As a side note, coffee is indeed a cash crop and has resulted in the exploitation of workers in numerous countries, especially Central and South America.  Coffee that is labeled as “fair trade” means that the operation of the coffee plantation is sustainable and humane both for workers and the environment.  Fair trade coffee is more expensive, but the small increase in price assures the support of the movement and a trend toward revolutionizing the coffee industry.

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This is a Franken-recipe inspired by two of the greatest chefs in the world: Heston Blumenthal and Thomas Keller.

Months ago when I first looked through Keller’s Under Pressure, a book completely about cooking sous vide, I noticed a recipe for goat cheese sorbet. The sorbet was part of a fresh berry soup but I was enticed by it’s savory potential and bookmarked the recipe in my memory so it could resurface at a later, more appropriate time.

Recently, while reading through Blumenthal’s epic Big Fat Duck Cookbook, I had an intense desire to try his red cabbage gazpacho. A refreshing but rich cold soup made with raw red cabbage, Blumenthal’s gazpacho was incredibly flavor and easy to make. I immediately thought, “what other vegetables could be used to make a raw gazpacho?” The obvious answer, to me, was red peppers.

The result was a refreshing and colorful cold soup. The red pepper gazpacho has a vibrant flavor punctuated with fresh capsicum aromas. The sorbet is both rich and cleansing. The final element of the dish is a spoonful of chopped, roasted pistachios, which add texture and little explosions of saltiness.

Red Pepper Gazpacho:

40 g balsamic vinegar mayonnaise (recipe below)

• 1 egg yolk
• 50 g balsamic vinegar
• 200 g vegetable oil
• 50 g extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Kosher salt, to taste

Juice cleaned, seeded red peppers to yield 450 g juice. Add the bread to the juice and allow to soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

To make the balsamic vinegar mayonnaise combine the egg yolk and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oil to create and emulsion or blend in the oil using a stick blender or food processor. Adjust seasoning.

Strain the red pepper juice through a fine mesh strainer or chinois, pressing on the bread to extract all the liquid. Combine the juice and 40 g mayonnaise in a blender. Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning with kosher salt.

Goat Cheese Sorbet:

• 100 g water
• 75 g sugar
• 50 g powdered glucose*
• 25 g lemon juice
• 1 log goat cheese (about 300 g)

Bring the water, sugar, and glucose (*if you don’t have or can’t find powdered glucose, substitute with 30 g sugar) in a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the lemon juice as it heats (Keller instructs to add the lemon juice when the water reaches 122° F). Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Chill thoroughly.

Combine the cooled syrup in a blender with the goat cheese. Blend for 1 minute or until well combined and very smooth. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s instructions. After freezing, transfer to a pre-chilled container and place layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the sorbet. Freeze thoroughly.

To Assemble and Serve:

• Roasted, chopped pistachios
• Goat cheese sorbet, scooped or quennelled
• Red pepper gazpacho

Place a spoonful of chopped pistachios into the center of a well chilled bowl. Lay a portion of goat cheese gazpacho on top of the pistachios. Pour the chilled gazpacho over the garnishes at the table.

These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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]]> http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/18/red-pepper-gazpacho-with-goat-cheese-sorbet/feed/ http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/16/fancyfastfoodcom/ http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/16/fancyfastfoodcom/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:06:18 +0000 Garrett Miscellaneous Fun With Food Food Porn Websites http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/16/fancyfastfoodcom/

I recently stumbled upon the fantastic food blog Fancy Fast Food. In each entry the author Erik, and occasionally guest authors, showcase their stunning fine-dining creations that are made from nothing but fast food. The picture above is “Seared Pollock Cake with Southwest Ramalan Sauce” made from one McDonald’s filet ‘o fish sandwich and one premium southwest salad.

“Honey Apple Glazed Christmas Holiday Ham” made from Burger King Quad Stackers and breakfast Croissanwiches

“Chick-sat-A:” Chicken satay made from various Chick Fil-A items

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]]> http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/16/fancyfastfoodcom/feed/ http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/12/valentines-day-confections/ http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/12/valentines-day-confections/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:38:52 +0000 Garrett Recipes Food Porn Baking sweets http://garrettkern.com/2010/02/12/valentines-day-confections/

Valentine’s Day weekend is upon us. Why not treat your significant other to some hand made candies? Here are some Garrett’s Table confections, complete with links and recipes. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Spicy Salted Caramel Chocolates

Key Lime Ice Cream Bon Bons

Multi-Flavored Filled Macarons

Handmade Orange Gummy Candies

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

Orange and Fennel Páte de Fruit

Blood Orange and Grand Marnier Popsicles

Peanut Butter and Jelly Marshmallows

Almond Macarons Filled With Espresso Ganache

All of these photographs were taken by Justin Kern.

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Have a heart this Valentine’s day…literally. Perhaps the most uncommonly used organ meat, heart can be delicious when carefully prepared. Here are a few photos of heart dishes, along with links and recipes, from around the internet. So return that box of chocolates and grab a heart from your local butcher!

Grilled beef heart with basil vinaigrette, roasted tomatoes, and poblano-brie grits from foodtease.com.

Lamb’s heart sandwich with rocket and wild garlic mayonnaise from Jason Lowe at The Independent.

Russian chicken heart stew from Russia Now

Peruvian grilled veal heart from Piolyn Restaurant

Beef heart shepherd’s pie from The Worldwide Gourmet.

“Hearts of Palm” from Chicago’s Alinea. I thought I’d throw this option in for vegetarians!

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