Foie Gras "Torchon" with housemade brioche, marasca cherries, and pickled pistachios at Nellcôte
Foie Gras "Torchon" with housemade brioche, marasca cherries, and pickled pistachios ($9)
This our take on the classic foie torchon. We cure it with cognac or calvados, salt, sugar, and a little bit of white pepper, but then instead of traditional stock we poach it gently in duck fat. And when you taste it, you'll see why: the fat-poaching method is pretty incredible. On the plate, we play with sweetness, acid, and crunch, though it took some time to nail it. First we used real maraschino (marasca) cherries, which are nothing like the usual bright red kind you see in supermarkets. In a brainstorming session, our pastry chef Nate Meads talked about how much he likes pistachios along with cherries. So we took take it to the next level, by simmering pistachios in a pickling liquid for about ten minutes, then drying and frying them in olive oil before a 24 hour dehydration. The resulting texture is exactly what we want, bringing that bit of crunch, while adding just a faint touch of acidity to balance the dish. We accompany all this with our housemade brioche, made from our house-milled flour.
Pairing: Laurent-Perrier "Cuvée Rosé" NV OR Valle dell'Acate Frappatto, 2010
small plate, foie gras, house-ground flour, house-made bread, housemade charcuterie, house pickling, and pickle
Posted 03/27/12
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