Christmas Duck

I kinda messed up the whole drying process. Somehow, while placing in the brine still a little frozen, I missed the fact that the duck hadn't been eviscerated. So, after hanging and drying, I then had to gut and rinse out the cavity.

After a little mixing of flavors and rubbing under the skin....

Donald came out pretty damn tasty.

Duck and Rabbit

Just a couple new dishes.
We've entered into our really slow period, so that makes it hard (and easy) to put certain things on the menu.
During the summer I've found it necessary to put simpler items on the menu for the pleasure of the clientele we get during this time (mostly theatre goers that have already spent a 40 or so dollars on a ticket and want to eat quickly)and to ensure speed coming off the line.
But now, is usually when we get a little more creative and daring trying to keep the diner coming back week to week to try something different.
Coming off of a lite and fresh Salmon/ Fillet Mignon thrived clientele and menu, it's fun to play around at this time.
Fig En Croute, Walnut battered Rabbit Loin, Balsamic Braised Cabbage, Carrot Emulsion and Chocolate Pretzel.

With smoker now out back, I've been smoking some of my favorite items.
Smoked Duck salad with warm Beets, Goat Cheese, Cress and Juniper Puree.
The duck was cured in a mixture of Pink Salt, Brown sugar, soy powder, Fennel and Coriander.

Finishing the Burgundy Dinner

This wasn't really how the dish looked, it was the left overs after I realized that I forgot to take a picture of the actual dishes.
Duck Breast with Lavender, Mango and Peanuts
Served with: Domaine Gabriel Billard Pommard 1er Cru "Les Charmots"2005 Cote De Beaune
I cooked the peanuts in water and Jasmine extract, really exciting with the mango and the lavender poach on the duck. Also, we placed cylinder vases full of fresh lavender, orange zest and a tiny bit of Menthol in front of fans in the dinning room after the course was served.
The combination of just a little bit of Menthol Crystals with anything is so intense and can completley fill a room.

Dessert. After tasting through twelve wines, Ben, the sommelier, decided on this wine for the last course. Jean-Luc Joillot Bourgogne "Hautes Cote De Beaune" 2005 Cote D'Or, my notes on the wine where "Onion, Shallot, Fried, Sour braised, Cabbage, Meat, stew?, Would need cream on palate, gherkins, butter."
And I had to take those thoughts and direct them towards a dessert.
Watermelon and Feta Granita with Kalamata Ice Cream and Basil Crumble.
I was happy with it. Along with everyone else.
A little Chocolate Balsamic and Sweet Basil Syrup.

Duck and confit, true love.

Orange Duck, confit pad thai, sake and pineapple cucumbers, and pinacolada sheet.

Wilson's Duck Rosti

4th Course: Crispy Duck Breast, Potato Rosti, Arugula, Pomegranate-Truffle
The arugula was quickly sauteed with shallots and carrots. POM pomegranate juice was reduced down and mounted with Truffle butter.
This was served with Symphonia Cabernet. Great flavor combinations.

Versus Dinner

Quick run down:

I'll come back and elaborate later.

Chilly Avacado Chili with Ancho and Leek Cornbread, Avacado Ice Cream

Caramel Smoked Pear, stuffed with Horseradish Brie and Lobster salad with Kielbasa Consomme. (Simple but good)

Duck Coq Au Vin, Red Wine and Chocolate "Pudding", OJ and Bacon.

Lamb Osso Buco, Minted Carrots and Mushroom Risotto.

Chicken and Waffles.......but with Duck

So, in going with the California theme, I really wanted to play around with Roscoes Chicken and Waffles.
At first it was going to be a "waffle" breaded cube of maple braised chicken, that would then be fried. But, after speaking to someone who really wanted to come to this wine dinner and have duck....I switched some things around.


The Waffle (if you can see it) is almost 80% Duck breast. Roasted duck skin that was steeped in to the milk that would be added to the Waffle mixture.


Cubes of Agar Agar jelled maple duck confit, Pan roasted duck breast and a Maple Butter sauce.

Brothers

A couple weeks ago, my brother's soon to be open kitchen Explodes! Literally.
As he was walking out the clubhouse door, Life Flight was landing behind the building. He had just walked through the kitchen as the workers where talking about firing up the pilots.
............With some time off, he decided to bring his kids up north to visit their Grandparents. When I told him that, do to lack of staff, I would not be able to join him there, he decided to just come out to my restaurant and hang out in the kitchen for a couple days.
A wine dinner was already in the works, months ago, although I had no time to create a solid menu nor would I be able to focus as much attention on it as I would normally.
The busy season is upon us and I have no sous chefs. I work saute all day long with some incredible die-hard kids keeping me alive. The type of kids (I say kids in the most loving way, they are adults but are all very new to fine dinning) that will work 10 to 16 hour shifts without bitching once and they will go along with your stupid sense of humor, clean up at the end of the night, help the dishwashers finish and make sure everything gets turned off while you do your orders for the next day.




When you first started cooking, and the guy next to you on that busy Friday night had maybe two more weeks experience than you did. But, he was your life line. You asked him the "stupid" questions as to not bother the Chef and to not look "stupid". Next thing you know, you're best friends, war buddies practically. Like Brothers.
My (real) brother just said "cool, I'll come in and help you with the wine dinner".
Some emails and a lot of help from our sommelier www.mountainplayhouse.org/gg/sommelier.html">Ben Grace a rough draft of a menu was put together.
Wednesday and I only have one solid course in mind that I would be able to do while cooking a la carte. But! My brother is now here and I know he can do anything. And he does. Working while on his vacation, he not only works on the Wine Dinner, but helps during our service rush. Helps bust out prep that we need for a ticket that's hanging to be sold.
That night (over much bourbon) we pretty much knock out the menu in theory. A quick switch-a-roo on two courses to match the wines and presto!!!! ......I'm still cooking for lunch service (Thursday) and have little idea how I'm gonna find time (or inspiration) to get my part of the dinner ready.
My brother's got my back. I've always known this and I always will. He's my best friend, he's my old war buddy (Turtle Point plus several others) and he is my brother.
Everything goes well. We pretty much split the evening. Some parts of mine really pissed me off,....no excuses. They just didn't come together as well as I would have liked. Randy's plates came out awesome though. Just solid flavors and colors and combinations that I know he can produce and produce like no one else.
Menu:
Scallop Civiche, Watermelon pickled Cucumber, Watermelon foam, Red Onion Juice, Arugula.





Tostones: White peach, shrimp, Banana Horseradish.



Pollo Frumado: Saffron Potatoes, chorizo + bomb (not hot enough), Chocolate-Ancho-Goat Cheese, Potato Churro (good job Churro Girl)








Raspberry Duck: Hominy tamale, Blue cheese, Strawberries







Short Rib Crepinette: Sweet Potato, Foie Gras, Raisin Puree








Four Figs: Turnover, Upside down cake, Brulee, Grandma Newton, Goat Cheese Ice Cream.

Ramerez

For some reason, which I'm sure most people instinctively know why, a sense o' humor is required in high stress environments. Just when you think nothing else can go wrong or surely no one else will quit, of course that's what happens. And all you can really do is laugh. Like "Hey, look at me, I'm: burnt, bruised, hungover, underprepped, in the weeds, understaffed, and watching my hair turn." But, the guy next to me is wearing a bucket on his head and farting every five seconds. We sing songs about the guy in the panty and he's two feet away from us making up new swear words cause the old ones just don't get it anymore.
This keeps me sane.
No matter how deep in the hole everything can go in a matter of minutes.....sometimes all you can do is laugh and push through.
Ramerez? The kid with the gassy ass? This week he was called Ramerez by the dishwasher. No reason, but it brought a laugh. Again for no reason.
But, Ramerez put together my thoughts and directions for a duck course for a wine dinner this past week. Spiced Duck with Confit Lentils, Apricot Yogurt, and mustard. Just damn good.

Thanks Matt.

Pina Colada Sheet in action

Duck Breast with Spaghetti Squash Phad Thai, Soy Caramel. Micro Cilantro.

Poaching in other liquids

The BASE of this dish is a slice of Butternut squash, cryovaced in Pineapple juice and cooked Sous Vide. The title of the dish as it apears on the website is: "Duck Breast" Confit, on pineapple braised butternut. beets and turnups, seared Foie Gras.

The thought is...Taking somethng and making it taste like something else. The Butternut squash takes on the pineapple juice so well that it makes its own flavor profile.