The Owl - Feedback

[Tones]

Next you're going to tell me that Bourdain popped in for a beer and apertifs.

[M]

You had me at blood sausage.

[No One]

I'm digging the German leanings in that menu. Properly made spätzle is SO GOOD. Another thumbs up on the blood sausage, too.

[Hubbitron]

I was asked to host a wine dinner with the head sommelier of McCrady's / Husk (the best new restaurant in America - Bon Appetite) on the 21st. That's exactly one week after our projected opening.

Asked to provide a valentine's dessert pairing for the local wine store (giving them the Red/Black Bean with alder-smoked salt and cranberry).

What the fuck is happening???


Dishes I've been thinking about tonight:

duck
mirepoix elements

blood sausage
sauerkraut / mustard / beet

carrot
egg / pumpernickel / butter

pork belly
spatzle / beer gel / mustard seed

rabbit
elements of stew

chop
red eye / gastrique / asparagus / potato

sirloin
pumpernickel / cider / asparagus

"carrot cake"
pumpernickel / walnut / spice créme / sherry gastrique

trout
horseradish / carrot / parsley / roe

salad
"soil" / carrot / radish / beet / sesame vin

butternut
sherry / butter / pork jus

I roasted a duck breast over mirepoix a couple days ago. I'm sure it wasn't as fancy as what you're talking about but fuck was it good.

[Yoshi]

I'm all about the duck and trout. I don't think I've paired fish and horseradish before.

[Josh]

Never eaten sushi?

[icarusfall]

The somm dude's wines are German/Austrian, so I was thinking of stuff in that line. I've only tasted one of them so far - a Gewurztraminer that I'm thinking would work well with the duck thing up there. That's going to be seared breast w/ pan jus, then juice celery, onion, and carrot. Gel the juice into individual lines on the left half of the plate. The idea being that you drag the duck across the mirepoix "elements" to flavor it like a sauce - and no one's used to uncooked mirepoix. Should be good.

The trout is turned into a rectangle with transglutaminase (protein glue) to keep it uniform, and pan seared. Agar-agar thickened carrot juice, parsley oil, trout roe, and horseradish/salt foam to finish. A foam is used as a light element presenting a very strong flavor. I don't think another sauce would be appropriate.

[Advocate]

Oh yeah ... Icarus. Remember you told me to use Agar-Agar for that one dish? I didn't use it then, but my TEAM used it when I was in my Culinary Competition class.

It blew everyones mind.

[icarusfall]

[Satsuki]

The trout and sirloin sound amazing - the "carrot cake" too.