Cinnamon and Cardamom Knots (Kanelsnurrer)

Dough-

240 grams whole milk

10 grams dry yeast or 21 g fresh

1 egg

1 yolk

475 grams wheat flour

105 grams granulated sugar

3 grams ground cardamom

6 grams salt

84 grams unsalted butter

Heat milk to warm and add yeast.  105F/40C.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Add the egg, egg yolk, flour, sugar, cardamom and salt.  Mix together until well combined then knead for 15 minutes.  Add butter a little at a time.  When all the butter is incorporated continue to knead until smooth and shiny (10-15 min).  Store dough in a buttered bowl with film and towel.  Let proof until doubled 1-1.5 hours.  Punch down, cover slightly and chill overnight.

Filling-

684 grams unsalted butter

24 grams ground cinnamon

150 grams brown sugar

Mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl until it is very smooth.

Syrup-

150 grams brown sugar

100 grams water

Heat the water in a small pot and when it starts to steam, add the sugar. Stir until dissolved, bring to a simmer then set aside to cool to room temperature.

Keep the dough chilled.  Turn out the dough on floured parchment.  Roll out into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.  Cover with plastic and chill for 60 minutes.  Spread butter/sugar mixture over ⅔s of the dough.  Fold the plain side over the middle.  Fold opposite ⅓ over that.  Roll out to a ½ inch thick rectangle.  Slice lengthwise into eight 1 inch thick strips.  Twist and fold strips to create a knot.  Place on sheet pan, in a baking dish or in a muffin pan and cover with film and proof until doubled in size.  Bake at 325°F/162°C for 25/30 minutes.  When finished baking, brush the dough with the syrup. Wait 5 minutes and brush again.  

 

Avocado Toast

We recently decided to restart breakfast service at the restaurant so we did a couple of tastings to see what exactly we would put on the menu.  Over the past few years we have seen the rise of the avocado toast everywhere from restaurants to hipster coffee shops.  The trick is to find your own unique version and run with it.  Because we are a California brasserie, I decided to use a kale pesto.  For the bread, we chose to use brioche toasted and seasoned with the pesto.  Then topped with a fresh ripe avocado, sliced and seasoned simply with sea salt, pepper and lime juice.  Next, a perfectly poached egg with a beautiful rich liquid gold center.  The whole thing is finished off with a roasted chili oil and pumpkin seeds.  The only challenge now is to go to work everyday and try not to make this my daily breakfast.  The avocado makes it healthy, right?

 

Octopus Carpaccio with Red Wine Poached Pineapple

 

This dish has a great mix of flavors, from sweet and tangy to spicy and salty.  The prep for the dish is surprisingly easy and you do not need a lot of ingredients.

Start the dish by washing your raw octopus and then placing it in a large pot of salted water with rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 wine corks.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour then take off the heat and let it cook to room temperature.  When the octopus is cooled remove from the pot and cut off the head and legs.  Take half of the octopus and arrange the legs in opposite directions on plastic wrap and roll several times into a log.  Cool in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

When you are ready, remove the plastic. The octopus should hold together firmly, and slice with a sharp knife or on a meat slicer.

For the pineapple, peel and cut into quarters lengthwise.  Poach in a mixture of red wine with a cinnamon stick, star anise and a pinch of salt for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature in the liquid.  Remove one piece and slice into 1/8 inch strips.

For the pan roasted potato, remove the peel and cut off all the edges of the potato to form a rectangle.  Slice long ways into about a 1/4 inch and season with salt.  In a saute pan add a spoon of butter and melt over medium heat.  Add the sliced potatoes and cook slowly until golden brown on both sides.  Remove from the pan and pat dry to remove the extra butter.

To assemble the dish place your sliced octopus on the plate, you can arrange however you want.  Place one piece of the potato in the center and top with four slices of the pineapple and lastly with a second piece of potato.  Circle the plate with your favorite brand of sriracha sauce then season with a bit of black pepper and olive oil.  I top mine with a little bit of fresh herbs and mustard greens.  It is also nice with a bit of crushed wasabi peas.

 

 

Whipped White Chocolate Mousse

Whipped chocolate ganache has been something that I have been using for a while, but it has always been a very thick and decadent product.  I have been working on making it lighter and to not taste as rich so as to be able to increase its versatility.

For my brunch I have been doing a whipped panna cotta which reminded me of my whipped chocolate ganache and so I started working on mixing the two.  I ended up taking the milk from the panna cotta, reduced the amount of gelatin, and then added that hot mixture to white chocolate.  Then I added my flavorings to the cream and whipped it to stiff peaks and then folded that into the cooled chocolate panna cotta.

From here you could use it immediately or let it cool and mix later.  For my Bûche de Noël I added matcha and orange flower water and the aerated texture that is created after it sets in the fridge worked great to imitate the bark of a tree.

 

Light White Chocolate Mousse

500 grams milk

15 grams of gelatin

900 grams white chocolate

1 liter of cream

Vanilla and flavors to taste

 

 

Mango Lassi Popsicles

My new favorite desserts this summer are popsicles.  They are so easy to make and there are no limits to the flavor combinations.  It seems that they are popping up everywhere this year, even the franprix across the street has their own line.

For this recipe I make a puree of mango and a little sugar if it is not sweeet enough. Then I mix equal parts of coconut milk and cream.  Layer these in a mold and place in the freezer for 1 hour.  After it has started to freeze, place the sticks in the middle of each popsicle then return to the freezer until completely frozen.

I serve mine with a spicy chocolate sauce and some fresh raspberries from the garden.

Take the time and experiment with your favorite summer flavors.

Have fun and enjoy taking a break from the heat of the summer!

 

The New Parmentier!

The newest creations in the kitchen have been some changes to classics. What better dish to start with than my favorite!  With the late fall and winter here, I decided to work with one of my favorite vegetables for the season which is the beautiful sunchoke (topinambour in  French).  This vegetable pureed and fried into chips have equally flavorful results.  Here I have combined this puree with a mix of sautéed mushroom and duck confit with a little teriyaki and jus.  One of my favorite spices right now is the togarashi spice, which works very well with the combination of all these flavors.  Give it a try, it is a pretty simple dish and will be a pleasant surprise. 

 

Beet Versatility

Beets are very versatile and are in season year round.  Two of my favorite preparations for them are roasting and pickling.

This “salad” featured above is seasoned with a confit lemon olive oil, fourme d’ambert blue cheese espuma, candied walnuts and grapefruit segments.  To finish, I drizzle a syrup of grapefruit and chili and a little fleur de sel and fresh black pepper.

I also really enjoy making chocolate beet brownies.  The chocolate works great with the beets, as well as pureed with creme fraiche for a dessert sauce.

 

Pineapple braised pork shoulder

Braising meats is simple and delicious.  It is a great way to get a lot of flavor into your protein.  You typically only want to braise meats that are tougher cuts (for example, the shoulder, roasts, chicken legs, etc.).

Braising is a combination of moist and dry heat methods.  Usually you will sear the meat in a hot pan, then cover with a liquid (usually a stock) and cook at a low temperature for a few hours.  Pressure cooking and slow cooking are forms of braising.

For my braised pork I started out by breaking down the pork shoulder into manageable pieces.  Season the pork with salt, pepper, and a mix of your favorite chili powders.  After it has been seasoned let it sit at room temperature for a half an hour.  The meat will sear better if it has had time to loosen up.

In a hot pan, add canola or grape seed oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan.  Gently place your meat in the pan using a pair of tongs so you do not burn yourself.  Let the meat sear for a couple of minutes until it has a dark caramelized color then flip the meat and repeat the process until all sides of the meat are browned.

Remove the caramelized meat from the pan and place in your baking pan.  Sear carrots, celery, onions, and pineapple in the same pan that you cooked the pork in.  Keep turning every couple of minutes until the vegetables have a nice color.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the pineapple juice and add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary.  Pour your pork stock over the vegetables, then transfer to the pork.  Make sure the liquid covers the meat completely and then cover with foil and place in the oven at 325 degrees.  Bake until it is fork tender all the way through.   This will take at least an hour (depending on the size of the pork it could take a couple of hours).

Once the meat is finished braising, discard the vegetables and strain off the liquid, saving a little to toss with the meat.  To serve, you can break the meat into portion sizes and serve with your favorite side dishes.  You can also shred it into a bowl with a fork with a little of the braising liquid and BBQ or teriyaki sauce for a sandwich or slider.

Once you master braising, a whole new world opens up and your meals will become much more exciting.  Have Fun Braising!!!