|
| After receiving the French Laundry cookbook as a VERY welcome present, I was inspired to cook another Keller recipe. However, the obscurity of many ingredients (where am I going to get black truffles, sweetbreads, and Belgian endive in one trip without driving all around town to make Sweetbreads a la Gusteau?) combined with rising gas prices (I'm looking at $4.00 a gallon, minimum, this summer), and my general lack of free time prevent me from making most of the book without devoting an entire Saturday to the event...
Mind you, I do want to devote some Saturdays to these events in the distant future...
But we were craving a good Keller recipe on Sunday at 5:00 PM, after a great time with the SDQ at Fosselman's
So we visited the new Whole Foods, an adventure in itself, and picked up a whole free-range chicken for roasting.
Keller's Bouchon recipe for roast chicken is known for its ease and quality.
Printer-friendly version: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/231348
Ingredients:
One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well
with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the
heat, the better.
Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the
bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a
good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the
wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover
the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the
chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted
bird.
Now, salt the chicken — I like to rain the salt over the
bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp,
salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you
should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin.
Season to taste with pepper.
Place the chicken in a sauté pan
or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the
chicken in the oven. I leave it alone — I don't baste it, I don't add
butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I
don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from
the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken
with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting
board.
Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs.
I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two
succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the
person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I
could never understand why my brothers always fought over that
triangular tip — until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself.
These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve
it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The
preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with
fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple
green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your
fingers, because it's so good.
Printer-friendly version: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/231348
Did it disappoint? No, it did not! It was every bit as flavorful and delicious as described. I sliced some potatoes and put them around the pan since a few reviews mentioned splattering of droppings, but I'll eschew these next time for the full experience.
Can't wait to make the next one!
| | |
| The Menu:
Ratatouille a la Remy
Butternut squash soup
Rib-eye steak w/beef demi-glace sauce.
When I first saw Ratatouille last summer, at the conclusion of the movie, my first words to Kalia were:
"I want to make that!"
and now that the NY Times made the recipe available:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/dining/131rrex.html?ex=1339473600&en=20bf94f48570832f&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
we did!
PIPERADE:
1/2 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1/2 a bay leaf
Kosher salt VEGETABLES 1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
1 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
VINAIGRETTE: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 1.
For piperade, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pepper halves on a
foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15
minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle.
Peel and chop finely. 2. Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium
skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over
low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10
minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to
taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve tablespoon of mixture and
spread
remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet. 
3. For
vegetables, heat oven to 275 degrees. Down center of pan, arrange a
strip of 8 alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping
so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip,
overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly
toward center. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be
needed. 
In our experience, we used a 10-inch stainless steel skillet and still didn't use all the vegetables.
4. Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season
with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with
foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender
when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30
minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there
is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced.
(At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2
days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.) 5. For vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.
We actually ran out of this using the recipe. 1.5x would have been just enough.
6.
To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly
browned.
The broiling process takes moisture out of the vegetables so they stay in place a little better.
Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with
offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape.
Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot. 
Plating this dish is the fun part! We watched the special features on the DVD where Thomas Keller demonstrates how to plate this. There are actually two layers of vegetables. The base is a cylinder of about 10 slices circled on the plate. The top is about 8 slices, folded under itself and then carefully laid on top of the base.
It goes down in about three or four bites, however. I can't believe that Ego didn't order anything else that night and was able to wait until closing time!
| | |
| Japan's diet consists primarily of vegetables and seafood, resulting in a generally healthier populace. However, sometimes even the local residents look forward to a good meat meal. When the craving hits, the traditional options are Kobe beef steak (didn't go there this time), shabu-shabu, and sukiyaki.
On Tuesday, we went to Niimura, a shabu-shabu place near Shinjuku station. We ordered a beef course and a pork course, which came complete with a large plate of fresh vegetables and udon. The beef was nicely marbled and they offered five 1oz slices. The pork was even more marbled and their portions were equally generous.
Although we've had shabu many times in a variety of places, both home-grown and restaurant-style, nothing really prepared us for the traditional Japanese shabu. Especially when the waitress kept coming over to us and taking the chopsticks away from us because we were doing something or other wrong. Unfortunately, she spoke no English, and we spoke no Japanese, so she gave up on trying to instruct us and simply took over the preparation of the shabu. The quality of the meat was excellent, the vegetables were fresh and cooked al-dente, and the noodles were a great filler at the end of the meal, but we left thinking that somehow we offended not only the establishment, but also the rest of the patrons.
*** out of ****
$$ ($20 - $40 per person)
Niimura
Shinjuku Kabukicho
3205-2200.
On Thursday lunch, we decided to try the other half of Japan's beef courses - sukiyaki. I'd been to an excellent sukiyaki house last time I was in Tokyo, 4 years ago, but couldn't find it again, so we went to Imahan, a relatively fancy sukiyaki house on the 14th floor of the Takashimaya Times Square building in Shinjuku.
Kalia had the impressive Lunch Sukiyaki, and I had the Imahan Gozen. The Lunch Sukiyaki came with an appetizer (fish), miso soup, pickles, rice, egg, three large pieces of some of the most marbled beef I've ever seen, tofu, fishcake, vegetables, konnyaku noodles, and mango sorbet for dessert. It also came with a waitress to do the cooking for us. The Imahan Gozen came with a mini-sukiyaki (pre-cooked), miso soup, steamed custard, pickles, rice, and dessert.
Although cooked different than I previously experienced (this place prepared one piece at a time), the Lunch Sukiyaki presentation was excellent, the beef was top-grade, and the sauces were balanced to not overpower the meat. The mini-sukiyaki was a little sweet for my taste, but nevertheless a welcome rainy-day meal - we could taste the warmth from a variety of the dishes, including the well-prepared steamed custard, which is always a challenge to do properly.
***1/2 out of ****
$$ ($20 - $40 per person)
Imahan
14th Floor - Takashimaya Times Square
Shinjuku
Finally, no entry on beef in Japan would be complete without a mention of Mos Burger, Japan's answer to McDonalds. Due to the pouring rain, we chose to eschew going out on Thursday night, instead choosing to find food that didn't require us to pull out the rain gear and umbrellas. Mos Burger, right next to the hotel, fit the bill.
 
The standard Mos Burger is basically a chili-burger, however the patty, which is a combination of beef and pork, is slightly more tender than a typical burger in the States. Nothing that exciting, but not a bad choice. Their teriyaki burger reminded Kalia of Islands, although of course it was less than half the size of an Islands burger. Anyway, this dinner definitely helped us curb our spending for the day, weighing in at less than $10 total.
**1/2 out of ****
$ (<$20 per person)
Mos Burger (various locations)
So completes our review of beef in Japan. Next - a visit to Shinsen Hanten, home of Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi!
| | |
|
Ramen Stadium in Aquacity Odaiba presents six of the top
ramen chefs from across Japan
in a battle for culinary supremacy.
After a ride on the Giant Sky Wheel and a stroll through Capsule World
in Palatte Town, we headed over to Ramen Stadium
before it closed to ensure that we could try as many different styles of ramen
as we could – seafood ramen, miso ramen, soy sauce ramen, and a variety of
others. How many could we eat, and whose
ramen would top our list in this blind taste testing?
Ramen #1
Takayama Soy-Sauce Flavored Ramen
We split a bowl of ramen at each of the stands so that we
could enjoy as many varieties as we could.
This first ramen was incredible!
The egg was perfectly done, not overcooked at all. The pork was soft and flavorful. The broth was clean, yet complex (according
to his profile, the chef used over 50 ingredients in producing this
traditionally simple dish). We must have
polished off the first bowl in 10 minutes.
Kalia commented that this was by far the best ramen she’s ever had. I would have to agree. But how long would this stand hold the
title? 5 minutes? On to the next stop!
Ramen #2
Miso-Flavored Ramen from Sapporo
This ramen was distinctly different from the first. They used a miso-based soup, which imposed a
completely different taste and texture (heavier and thicker). The chef also provided an unusual purple
vegetable, which presented a whole new set of flavors. Egg was once again perfectly done. However, while this was a great ramen, it
didn’t overwhelm us like the first.
Probably because the miso flavored broth tended to overpower the
toppings and ramen, resulting in an experience not unlike miso soup. But enough about stand #2, we must press
onward!
Ramen #3 Seafood / Oil Flavored Ramen (not pictured)
By now, we were getting a little full (maybe more like a lot
full), but neither of us could resist just one more bowl…we headed to our third
ramen stand, and ordered yet another #1 Special. This one was ironically the heaviest ramen of
the bunch. The soup was thick and meaty,
with noodles that absorbed a lot of flavor.
The pork was fatty, tender, and perfectly done. Delicious, but I can’t help but think that we
may have enjoyed it even more if we more of an appetite. As it stood, we were at the point of diminishing
marginal returns, and after _barely_ finishing, I think both of us would have
burst with another bite.
So,
Ramen Stand #1 reigned supreme as the Iron Chef of Ramen. However, any of the ones we went to could
hold their own as premium ramen options anywhere in the world. Absolutely worth visiting – however, Ramen
Stadium closes in 2007, so visit now before they’re gone! | | |
| On Day Five, we went to (drumroll please) La Rochelle, the restaurant
of Sakai Hiroyuki, Iron Chef French. Situated on the 32nd floor of the
Shibuya Cross Tower, La Rochelle was impeccably decorated, with
superlative service from a sizeable English-speaking black-tie staff.
When we were escorted into the dining room to our table, I felt highly
out-of-place in my tourist attire. Heck, I felt highly out-of-place
being the ONLY male patron having lunch there in the entire room!
While every table was filled, it seemed like a scene out of a DAR
[DJR?] convention (only those who watch GG like Kalia watches GG will
understand that one...)
When we arrived at our table, they had a handwritten placecard for
Madame Kalia Young at our table for two overlooking Tokyo's urban
landscape from 32 floors up. The waiter recommended the chef's tasting
menu, and when an Iron Chef has crafted and designed a certain set of
seasonal courses for this month only, who were we to argue? Kalia ordered a glass of 2004 House Riesling, and I had a glass of 2004 Pinot Noir, and set forth on our adventure.
Course 1: Terrine de Ratatouille with salmon, seasonal vegetables, with white truffle cream and mango-infused olive oil. The fried items were actually tiny fried whole fish, not onions as we first thought .
This alone made our lunch worth the price of admission. A spectacular display of colors and flavors, almost too good to eat. However, eat it we did. Each vegetable was cooked to al-dente perfection, and the barely-seared salmon was sublime in flavor.
Course 2: Cold potage of green peas
I would never order this from a menu, but when it's recommended by an Iron Chef, I wouldn't decline. As pea soups go, this was excellent and refreshing. KY enjoyed this tremendously.
Course 3: Snapper with daikon and seasonal vegetables. In a sauce of capers, butter, olives, and herbs.
Sakai was recognized as a master of fish dishes when he competed on the show, and this presentation attests to his expertise. The snapper was lightly fried, but remained moist and tender. The vegetables were mild, as was the snapper, allowing the subtle nuances of flavors to shine through. Notice the single tempura shimeji mushroom stalk. KY, mushroom connisseour, thought it to be one of the best examples she's had.
Course 4 (San) - Quail stuffed with Foie Gras in a Cherry Sauce. Tempura daikon, leek, and baby corn.
Wow, just fabulous. Virtually flawless in presentation, taste, and texture. The foie gras stuffing was richly flavored with just the right balance of seasoning to bring out its natural essence. The quail itself was juicy and delicous, and the sweetness of the cherry sauce balanced out any hint of gaminess.
Course 4 (Kalia): Veal in a Madiera Sauce with fresh Pasta, over a Potato Pancake. Spinach and Bell Pepper tied and connected to the root.
Kalia commented that veal was extremely tender and flavorful, the potato pancake was cooked to perfection, without the slightest hint of oiliness. The spinach and bell pepper were well-done.
Desserts. Along came the dessert cart with a variety of delicacies. We each chose three to sample. And none were disappointing.
Strawberry tart, raspberry mousse, orange sorbet with mint
Matcha pastry, passionfruit pastry
Mint jelly with fresh fruits
Coffee on the terrace
We closed with coffee on the terrace with the same beautiful view of downtown Tokyo. Excellent chocolate cake points served with the coffee.
All in all, this was one of the best experiences we've had on this trip, if not the best (can't really compare this with Sushi Dai - they're just too different). Great food, great presentation, superior service. If you're ever in Tokyo, you won't regret coming here.
***** out of ****
$$$ ($40 - $60 per person)
La
Rochelle / Shibuya 2-15-11
Shibuya Cross
Tower, 32nd Floor
Next up - dinner at the Ramen Stadium. Whose cuisine reigns supreme?
| | |
|
