|
 INTO
THE FUTURE
By Anne Willan
White Sulphur Springs,
West Virginia.
Just recently, in three short hours I was launched into the
culinary future. It is a world of gadgets, of dehydrators and
stick blenders, of exact timing and rigid temperature control.
Key ingredients are often strange and disturbingly chemical such
as agar agar (a seaweed extract) and soy lecithin. And I’m not
talking about a laboratory, nor even an avant garde restaurant,
I’m talking about our own home kitchens.
This disturbing
revelation also took place in an unexpected location, The
100-year-old Greenbrier resort in a remote corner of
West Virginia. I was hosting a cooking
program and guest chef for the morning was Michael Voltaggio,
with whom I had worked 10 years before when he was an
apprentice. I knew that Michael had been appointed chef at the
resort’s fine dining restaurant, Hemispheres, but nothing had
prepared me for the transformation.
When I walked in, the
classroom was peaceful. A domestic blender, nothing fancy, stood
on the counter, with a whizzer for frothing coffee beside it.
Trays held everyday ingredients, eggs, butter, oil, a tempting
fillet of fish, and some white powders that did make me wonder.
So does Michael’s bio which includes stints with top names such
as Larry Forgione in New York, and Charlie Palmer in Healdsburg,
California.
By the age of 28, Michael Voltaggio has earned a coveted
Michelin star. Really…
Michael starts by explaining his philosophy.
“I base my cooking on classical principles, then take it on from
there. I want people to feel at ease at my table, to simply
enjoy themselves and not be challenged or intimidated”. He
starts with popcorn purée. “This is simply buttered popcorn,” he
says, “simmered in four times its weight of cream until very
tender, then puréed in the blender”. Then sieved using
old-fashioned elbow-grease and a tamis sieve. The lush intensity
of pure flavor evokes oohs and aahs: “you can’t beat butter and
salt for palate appeal”, remarks Michael.
Three edibles emerge from a simple bunch of
broccoli. First the green flowers are finely shaved with a
knife, sautéed in butter, simmered briefly in chicken broth,
then blended to a brilliant green purée which acts as basis for
a sauce, a drizzle to garnish a plate, and as a coloring. The
same purée can be made with scallion tops, parsley, basil and
other green herbs. The shaved broccoli florets are then blanched
until nearly tender, drained, and deep fried until crisp,
intriguing garnish for some beef ribs. The leftover broccoli
stalks are thoroughly trimmed of fiber, thinly sliced and
dropped in ice water to curl as a crisp addition for a salad.
Nothing is wasted in Michael’s kitchen.
Transparent green seaweed noodles are popular
just now, though I cannot say I go for them myself. To make them
Michael mixes a few spoons of his green broccoli purée with
broth or water and 1 percent (by weight) of powdered agar agar
which acts a bit like gelatin. When brought to a simmer, then
poured into a tray, the mixture sets and can be cut in sheets or
ribbons. What is more it stays firm up to 85˚F. Remember that
milk pudding you had at school, thickened with transparent balls
of chewy tapioca? Michael colors them green too and uses them as
a playful polka dot garnish.
While all this was going on, Michael was
dropping culinary tips:
-
use kosher salt for seasoning, it
dissolves quickly in water; by contrast sea salt holds up
well when you want salt on the tongue and a hint of crunch
-
sugar cuts froth and helps stop milk
boiling over
-
when sautéing fish or meat, always add it
to a hot pan, then shift it quickly once, before it has time
to adhere
-
keep your knives sharp, a dull knife
takes more force and is more likely to slip and cut you
By the end of the three
hours Michael had served us fresh scampi sautéed in a sliver of
brick dough, set on popcorn purée, topped with delicately
slivered green avocado and a cylinder of frozen chorizo (“that
sounds so much more tempting than ice cream!” quips Michael).
This was followed by a mysterious but pleasant Japanese fish
called madai set on
the green tapioca balls, topped with scallion froth (hence the
latte frother), and a puff of what appeared to be pork crackling
but tasted strongly of wild mushroom.
Only the main course of
beef rib called for technical expertise. The meat had been cut
from the bone, glued together as a roast with an enzyme that
apparently is widely used in professional kitchens, sealed with
seasonings in cryovac, then poached for 48 hours at 140˚F in a
thermo-controlled circulator. The meat was astonishingly moist,
tender, slightly pink, and tasted intensely of the best pot
roast.
Such timeless appeal, after all, is
what it is all about.
And this future is with
us now. You’ll find this called “scientific cooking”, or even
more misleadingly “molecular gastronomy”, and it’s coming soon
to a restaurant near you.
All the ingredients I mention are
available online at specialty sites such as lepicerie.com, under
molecular gastronomy. You’ll find agar agar in good groceries.
© 2008, Anne Willan
Michael Voltaggio’s Sweet & Sour Apricot Sauce
Excellent with grilled
chicken, pork chops, and rich fish such as salmon. Campari is a
crimson red, slightly bitter Italian aperitif and lends a lovely
color to this thick sauce.
Makes about 1½ cups sauce
-
8 oz dried pitted apricots
-
Pared zest and juice l lemon
-
1 cup water
-
½ cup rice wine
-
3 tablespoons Campari aperitif
-
Put apricots in a
saucepan with lemon zest, juice and water. Cover and simmer
until very tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly and
discard zest.
-
Put apricots and juice in a blender with
rice wine and Campari. Blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning. If too thick, add a bit of water
until it just falls from the spoon.
Michael Voltaggio’s Broccoli Green
Sauce
This intense mixture, more sauce than purée,
is a vivid accompaniment for fish, chicken, and steamed
vegetables. An aromatic herb such as basil or chives can be
substituted for or added to the broccoli.
Makes 1 cup sauce to serve 4
-
Very thinly shave the green buds from
broccoli heads – you should have a hefty cup of what looks
like green breadcrumbs. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Melt butter in a medium frying pan, add broccoli with a
little salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring, until broccoli
turns bright green, about 1-2 minutes. Add hot broth and
simmer 2 minutes.
-
Let sauce cool slightly, then purée it in
a blender until very smooth and bright green, 2-3 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot or warm.
Popcorn Puree
Close your eyes and taste
this fragrant purée--you’ll be amazed.
Popcorn purée complements almost
anything, particularly chicken or a juicy pot roast.
I personally like it with sausages,
for a new twist on the English favorite “Bangers & Mash.”
Serves 3-4
-
Melt butter and set
aside.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-high heat.
Add enough of the vegetable oil
to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the corn kernels to the pot,
cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until you can hear
the popcorn start to pop.
Holding the lid in place, shake
the pot from time to time until nearly all the kernels have
popped.
A few grains are always left
unpopped; be careful not to burn the bottom as the scorched
flavor will taint the end result.
Alternatively, pop corn in a
popper. Meanwhile, bring cream almost to a boil in a
saucepan.
-
Pour the melted
butter over popcorn and stir until absorbed. Add the hot
cream, and simmer, uncovered, until the popcorn is very
soft, 5-6 minutes. While still hot, purée the mixture in a
processor or with a stick blender.
You may need to add a bit more
cream to achieve a smooth purée.
Work the purée a few spoonfuls
at a time through a fine sieve or strainer into a medium
saucepan. The purée can be prepared to this point up to 6
hours ahead; keep it covered with plastic wrap at room
temperature.
-
To finish: reheat
purée, stirring until very hot. On reheating the fat in the
purée may appear to separate out—don’t despair, just keep
stirring vigorously.
It should fall easily from the
spoon and if too thick, stir in a little more cream.
If far too thick, add a bit of
water too. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.
^ Top |
