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A Couple Dishes and Their Inspiration

douglas_bd

For NYE, I wanted to recreate a couple favorite dishes from restaurants in the past year. I didn't go back and reference the pics, but just recreated from memory, so some of the differences are intended, while others not so. As I pulled these pics, it was the first time I compared side by side, and I'm struck by where my remembrance of some of the details was off. Anyway...

Up first is a dish from 108 in Copenhagen. This is mackerel with last years gooseberries, pickled celery, and spruce oil. I also remember a single grain of salt on the dish with an almost seaweed essence to the salt. Really powerful flavors, sweet, salty, bright acidity, a hint of crunch, oily fish, absolutely delicious.

My take on the dish. I live in Wisconsin and have never seen mackerel available locally, but figured smoked sardines would work as a nice oily fish. Also, no gooseberries, but I was able to get Cape gooseberries, which I believe are just rebranded ground cherries, but figured what the hell, and I pickled them. Rather than celery, I went with some pickled watermelon radish which unfortunately lost it's green rind after pickling, but had a crunch and pop of color to the dish. Instead of spruce, I made a balsam fir oil, which I added a few drops (clearly not enough) of. And finished with a grain or two of salt. Pretty good result. Not as balanced as I'd like, I think additional oil would have helped. The flavors were there though. Sweet, salty, oily, smoky. I could refine it a bit the next time, but not a bad take.

Up next, Foie Gras Baklava from elIdeas in Chicago. I was chatting with the chefs as they plated the dish, so I saw it built from the ground up. A deconstructed Baklava, started with Pistachio paste whipped up with Foie fat. A couple pieces of Quince, thin puff pastry, and a pistachio crumble, topped with a piece of seared foie. A fun pre-dessert dish. Sweet and savory.

I had this just a few days before, and had already promised to bring Foie Gras for NYE, so it should have been fresh on my mind. I started with Pistachio paste. Way more puff pastry than the original. Though I tried 4 different stores, none had quince, so I settled on pears poached in elderberry cordial and quince paste. Roasted Pistachios, drizzled with honey and pistachio oil. Topped with a slice of seared Foie Gras. Worked pretty well. I should have broken up the pistachios a bit and the pistachio paste could have been seasoned a bit better. My biggest disappointment was the puff pastry. It wasn't as thin as crispy as the original. Overall though, it was a solid dish. Tasted great. A bit messy to eat, but no one seemed to care..

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douglas_bd

Since I'm at it, here's a few other dishes I stole from restaurants. I've probably posted a few of these here before, but not directly with the inspiration:

Onion, Apple, Old Tom Gin from Story in London

Loved this dish, and have made it twice now. The first time more successfully than the second.

Short Rib, Elements of Rootbeer from Next: Trio (also Alinea, but I had the dish at this iteration of Next)

Another one with a couple takes. I consider this such a classic dish, and one that can very successfully be done at home.

Cheese course from é in Las Vegas. Parmesan crisp, manchego cheese, Jamon Iberico

I didn't have individual size pizza boxes, so I made a large pizza instead

Cotton Candy Empanada from é in Las Vegas. Filled with Foie Gras and Corn Nuts.

Another one with a couple takes. First pic eventually got topped with another piece of cotton candy. I don't have an Empanada press, but my daughter has a cotton candy maker that comes in handy!

Carrots en papillote with Hollandaise and cured egg yolk from Relae in Copenhagen

Carrots were served family style, everyone got their own plate for dipping

Courgette with Gammel Knas and black currant leaves also from 108 in Copenhagen

Summer squash cooked sous vide with scallion ash, nasturtium leaves, balsam oil, in aged cheese sauce

Blueberrries and Cornflowers with Toasted Seaweed Cream, once again from 108 in Copenhagen

Strawberries, Raspberries, Mint, Whipped Cream infused with Toasted Dulse.

fisher23

Wow!

pd3ski_278514

There's a lot to take in here... slow down my head is spinning!

John is right..... wow!

Mark_231683

I like the innovations. I wonder how oily Great Lakes smoked whitfish would play? I grew up witn gooseberries and know the tart flavor well. I'd bet that rhubarb would sub ok.

tshewman

Inspiring as always!!! How did u make the cotton candy?

douglas_bd

My daughter has one of those Nostalgia Machines. It's not fast, but works well if you're patient. I make it early in the day and store in gallon ziplocks until service. They aren't too expensive, but limited in use.

https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-PCM405RETRORED-Retro-Sugar-Cotton/dp/B00EB8KRDM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484492152&sr=8-2&keywords=nostalgia+cotton+candy

douglas_bd

Thin slices of pickled rhubarb would be good, but also hard to get in December. I used to have some put up in my pantry, but not at the moment. I like the idea of smoked whitefish too. Even though I live here, it's not something I'm too familiar with, but I like the idea of a local fish. I really liked the visual of the bright scales though, and you'd lose that with the smoked chubs, or it would be different anyway....more gold than silver. This is one I'll play around with some more, and maybe I'll give that a try! Thanks!

tshewman

Thanks I assume there's an infusion of the empanada flavor in the cotton candy. Makes me wonder about working with savory flavors.

Mark_231683

Can you fund a local supplier of Lk Superior Lake Herring? Pretty fish. Or smelt?