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Current Food "Sketches"
Tuesday, October 26 2004
It's been my experience that most places prefer to serve
soup in a puree. I don't see anything wrong with
this... I enjoy making such soups... there is a skill
level to it. I think that there is as much to be gained
in providing an experience that is a bit more complex,
though still quite simplistic in offering soups with
other ingredients.
I have always enjoyed preparing soups. As I said, there
is a skill level to it and I feel it is under
appreciated if not nearly ignored. That aspect is
confusing as most times the soup is the FIRST thing a
patron experiences (aside from amuse' bouche') from the
kitchen. I have found that allot of people overlook the
importance of soups and salads in that respect. As if
it is supposed to be mundane for some reason. A soup
should thrill as much as a main course, if not even more
being that it usually is the lead item in a meal. And
to forgo the opportunity of such a versatile venue as
the soup- to provide that thrill/experience, is just
silly. So much can be done with so little in regard to
soups.
I have had a fascination with the use of consume' for
some time, and see much potential in utilizing consume's
as "part" of a soup, instead of the focal point. A very
good opportunity to accentuate different flavours while
maintaining an indiscernible seperation of them,
achieving a "multi-tiered stage" effect in the sense of
flavour and texture. Soups, in my opinion possess such
possibility innately, and can be "coaxed into
performance" with so little effort and attention. A
person must simply be willing to put forward that small
bit of attention.
Roasted Chicken, Vegetables and Tomato Brothe
- Roasted Bird
Marinate;
Red Vinegar
Sugar
Olive Oil, Herbs
- Grilled Plum Tomatoes
- Haricot Vert (green beans)
Blanched
- Grilled Mushroom Caps
- Seasonal Vegetables
Leeks (diced)
Corn
Onion (diced)
Baby Carrots
- Grains
Rice
Barley
- Fresh Chopped Thyme
- Chopped Garlic and Shallots
- Chevre'
- Savory Cherry Reduction
White Wine(floral)
Fresh Cherries
Ground Cinnamon
Vinegar
- Tamato Brothe
Grilled Tomatoes
Mirpoix
Chicken Stock
I would first season and roast the bird(s) and cool....
shredding the meat and storing it seperately for heating per
order. I would then prepare the vegetables and the other
accoutrements, such as the cherry reduction while the brothe
simmered. The vegetables would be blanched and the mushrooms
grilled.
I don't see much caramelization of the elements within the
brothe for This preperation. I'm looking at more of a clear
brothe than a thick soup consistency. I would sweat the
mirpoix and tomatoes together.
The idea in this soups preperation and presentation is the
ingredients being individual flavours making up the culminated
experience within the area of the tomato brothe, accented with
the cherry and wine reduction... slowly incorporating itself as
it disolves into the brothe at the time of service, around the
other components. A thick and more viscous consistency,
disolving into the thinner broth....spreading the acidic
overtones of the cherry, wine and vinegar through the mellowed
grilled flavours....I think visually it would be appealing as
well.
I see the chicken plated in the center, with the vegetables and
grains around it, and dollups of chevre' through out. All in a
generous though not obnoxious amount of the brothe....
Garnished with a fresh sprig of herbs and the cherry reduction.
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