I missed They Go Really Well Together #11 (bananas and cloves, despite bananas being one of my favorite ingredients). With the next TGRWT, #12, starting up, and chanterelles in season and on sale ($8.50/lb. at the Berkeley Bowl, or $16/lb. at Far West Fungi), I made sure to do this one early. Apricots, however, are not in season, so I got some dried ones.
The conceit behind this cycle of TGRWT has less support from the chemistry of flavor compounds than some of the past cycles. But chanterelles have always been described as having a fruity aroma reminiscent of apricots. So, they should go really well together.
I decided to pair with a Prather Ranch pork tendy. And indeed, this was really goddamn delicious. The chanterelles and apricots definitely go well together, and they are an excellent pairing for pork (and I mean the real pork, not the grocery store pork). I would definitely use this pairing again. In fact, I already have (with some duck). Here's how I made the pork and stuff. This was nearly a perfect, homey dish.
Trusting this piece of meat a lot more than your typical supermarket pork, I decided to cook it sous vide, to 137 degrees Fahrenheit. It came vacuum-sealed, so I just heated up a stockpot of water to the appropriate temperature, and then stuck a remote thermometer in it and occasionally put in some ice cubes. I cooked it like this for maybe an hour and fifteen minutes, and then just held it at this temp until I was ready to finish the dish (not more than 2 hours total). The internal temperature when I eventually took it out was, obviously, 137 F.
I browned the ends of some pearl onions, then poached them in butter in a fairly hot oven to make them meltingly tender.
For the chanterelles, I cleaned them up, cut the larger ones lengthwise in order to give some flat surfaces to aid a bit in browning. Then I sauteed them in butter until a bit browned, but not cooked all the way through. They still retained most of their water at this point. Then I held them in a bowl on the counter until I was ready to warm them and plate.
For the apricots, I was a lot more fussy with the preparation. I made a simple syrup out of one part white wine and one part sugar, then simmered the dried apricots in it until the syrup cooked down and began to caramelize. Then I deglazed with water and repeated the process. At the same time, I began to reduce some chicken stock along with some smoked pork stock that I happened to have (long story). I added some of the caramelized apricot wine juice to the stock for yummy apricot flavor. How much to add is really a matter of judgment. I had to adjust later on after tasting the eventual sauce. Tasting and adjusting is key.
I also took the scraps from the chanterelles and minced them very finely along with some apricots and some salt. Then I whisked this together with some bacon fat to make a kind of rustic mousse. A delicious, delicious, fatty mousse.
Finally, when the stock had been reduced quite a bit (though not yet to a nappe), I took out the pork tenderloin. When I clipped open the bag I poured the juices (including quite a bit of coagulated blood) into the reduced stock. This would normally be a no-no, since it would seriously cloud the sauce and make it clumpy, but I had other plans. I seared the pork tenderloin on all sides, and then, while it was resting, I deglazed the saute pan with the stock and then reduced until it was just on the runny side of nappe. I added a very small amount of lecithin to help emulsify it, and I frothed and emulsified the sauce (enriched with the pork blood and juices) with an immersion blender.
To pull it all together, I re-warmed the chanterelles and onions with the butter they already had on them (having drained out the butter that the onions poached in, and reserved it for other uses. I tossed some arugula and some small leaves of opal basil with a bacon fat and champagne vinaigrette. Finally I sliced some of the pork tenderloin but left some large sections. I stood up one of the large sections on each plate and laid some of the slices next to it. Then I put down the arugula, chanterelles, and onions. I put down a quenelle of the mousse. I re-frothed the sauce and spooned it over the pork in an un-artful way, and even spooned a bit over the shrooms. Finally I put some of the caramelized apricots (warm from resting in the oven) on top of the pork, and one next to the mousse.
This was almost perfect. The sauce was slightly sweet and fruity, but balanced by the bitterness of the caramelization and smoky meatiness from the stock and fond. The pork was amazingly tender and pretty damn flavorful for a tenderloin. The mushrooms were great, and the caramelized apricots were yummy. I had some extra caramelized apricots that hadn't wound up in the final plating, and we finished them in short order afterward. The one thing I would have changed is that I would have preferred a finer texture for the mousse. If I did it again, I'd do it in a food processor. Otherwise, perfect.
Posted by Barzelay on 2008/11/23 @ 18:45 | Comments (4) | Meat, Sauces, Condiments, Science, Technology
Comments
Looks good. Just a note: chanterelles are available at Monterey Market, just 10 mins up the road in Berkeley, for $7 a pound. Like most of their produce, it's of better quality than Berkeley Bowl. They have their own exclusive foragers, and they store their mushrooms properly. Check it out next time you're in the East Bay.
Posted by: Jon F. at November 23, 2008 8:53 PM
Thanks for the tip. I actually cooked this a couple weeks ago. Today (Sunday, November 23) was actually the first time I've ever been to the Berkeley Bowl. I bought some chanterelles there today (had flat iron steak @ $5.99/lb., chanterelles, arugula, and parmeggiano). But the chanterelles in this post were from Far West Fungi, which I love, even if it is a yuppie, overpriced store. But I don't make it out to Berkeley unless it's for some special reason. Today it was to meet some of Jeanette's college friends for brunch, followed by the obligatory IKEA trip. Jeanette spotted the Berkeley Bowl and so I made a screeching u-turn. They also have a great beer selection.
So, Jon... any critiques or suggestions on the techniques I've described?
Posted by: Barzelay at November 23, 2008 9:22 PM
First off...I have to say what you do is amazing...experimentation that I thought was exclusive to those fortunate to have access to wholesale food purveyors and excessive amounts of meat and free time to dick around... You have changed me...in a way that God or Alton Brown couldn't...(by the way, I hold them on the same approximate level..If Alton ran a heaven I would rather go to his....) will post in later...but...good show....fantastic exploration of food and food tech!!!!! Rock on and Cook ON!!!!
Posted by: Paul at November 24, 2008 12:28 AM
Wow, thanks Paul. I don't really know what to say to that. Even if I don't have wholesale purveyors and tons of product, I do have some advantages.
For instance, as a young lawyer, I certainly have more disposable income than all but the most successful chefs. And while I still can't spend as much on equipment as most restaurants, and have to fit whatever I buy into an average apartment-sized kitchen, it does allow me to get high-quality ingredients. And I won't lie, I probably have a lot more waste than most home cooks. Invariably, I end up throwing away (or turning into a puree--ha) a certain amount of veg every week that I thought I could use but didn't get to. But I've got a cupboard full of food additives, and shelves full of kitchen gadgets that I've been very fortunate to be able to buy.
Throughout law school, I had TONS of free time to play around; much more than most professional cooks. I would spend my days reading about food and cooking, and playing with ingredients and chemicals, and doing experiments. Now, actually working as a lawyer, I have much less time. But I still make something pretty elaborate at least once on the weekends, and I guess my normal weeknight meals would be considered fairly elaborate to most people.
Anyway, thanks. I appreciate comments very much, and I am always happy to discuss anything food-related here or by email. david AT barzelay.net
Posted by: Barzelay at November 26, 2008 12:30 AM