Since Heston Blumenthal burst onto our screens in the early 2000's we've been scrutinize to a whole manner of tricks and experiments that we never notion potential with our food. He has been branded a 'molecular gastronomist', a term he hates, believing it makes his work sound "complicated" and "elitist". Blumenthal is in fact a self-taught chef who loves food and is as hungry to learn about it and experiment with it, as he is to eat it.
His entry into the communal eye came accompanied with one of his signature dishes snail porridge and parsnip cereal, sounds revolting, but apparently it's a taste experience.
Another of his signatures, this time a technique, is the use of a vacuum jar to growth expansion of bubbles while food preparation. This is used in such dishes as an aerated chocolate soufflé, which, unlike the snail porridge, looks and sounds divine. The discount in air pressure inside the jar causes bubbles to grow to a larger size. Some other techniques he uses comprise an intricate type of slow cooking to retain flavour and cooking in vacuum bags for much the same reason.
But, he doesn't just sense with the taste of food, he also experiments with texture and sound, to improve sounds, such as the crunch that is created while eating sure foods.
Blumenthal and his Fat Duck restaurant are credited as the inventors of the bacon dessert craze. He was establishment sweet and savoury bacon-and-egg ice cream as early as 2004, and news about the intriguingly odd confection speedily spread through the food world, and started his rise to fame. A tasting menu at the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire is £160 and consists of the following:
• Lime Grove which is a Nitro Poached Green Tea and Lime Mousse
• Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice Cream
• Jelly Of Quail, Crayfish Cream with Chicken Liver Parfait, Oak Moss and Truffle Toast
• Snail Porridge served Jabugo Ham, Shaved Fennel
• Roast Foie Gras with Rhubarb, Braised Konbu and Crab Biscuit
• Mock Turtle Soup (c.1850) apparently from the Mad Hatter Tea Party in Alice and Wonderland
• "Sound Of The Sea" (as an interim one would assume)
• Salmon Poached In A Liquorice Gel served with Artichoke, Vanilla Mayonnaise and Golden Trout Roe
• Saddle Of Venison and Beetroot Soubise, Risotto of Spelt and Umbles, Black Truffle
• Hot And Iced Tea
• Taffety Tart (c.1660) which consists of Caramelized Apple, Fennel, Rose and Candied Lemon
• The "Bfg" A Big Friend Gateau that comes with Kirsch Ice Cream and the smell of the Black Forest
• Whisk(E)Y Wine Gums
• "Like A Kid In A Sweet Shop" - I've no idea what this is but it's clearly like Heston in his kitchen
Heston's food sounds tasty and would sure to be a once in a lifetime taste experience. But, despite all his experiments and efforts the man himself has recently announced what it is that he craves: "a dirty kebab", a 70's prawn cocktail ("not crayfish") faultless with iceberg lettuce and a packet of Scampi Fries. tasty Heston!
Cooking - A Scientific ExperimentChef's Feet | Cooking With Truffles Video Clips. Duration : 13.05 Mins.Cleaning The Black Truffle
When you have fresh black winter truffles, do not clean them until your are ready to eat them. Other wise they will spoil quicker. Take off any soil from the black truffles just before using them in any recipe. They must be washed with water and a nail brush under running water. The truffle must be fully clean since they will be used unpeeled. Dry well with a paper towel.
The black truffle (Tuber Melanosporum) must all the time be used as a condiment, not as a food. Use only fresh truffles, if possible. To enjoy and appreciate the black truffles, 100 g is enough. With this amount we can make any recipes.
How to use black truffles to flavor food.
Use an airtight holder and put together the food you want to flavor with the black truffle. Close the holder and leave it in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The aroma of the black truffle will jab the food in the sealed container. The black truffle aroma adheres to fatty foods best.
Truffled eggs
Take half a dozen eggs and place them in an airtight holder with a fresh black winter truffle, washed and wrapped in paper towel, but not fully wrap the truffle. Close the holder and put in the fridge for two days. The high porosity of the eggshell will allow the aroma of the truffle to jab the eggs. Then you can use these eggs to make truffled flan, use in stuffing or just eat them fried. You can add a minute sliced garlic to the hot olive oil before frying the eggs. Fry the eggs when the garlic is slightly brown. These truffled eggs will pleasure your palate.
Risotto Parmesan with Black Truffles
Can be severed as a starter or a main course
Serves 2 - 4 people.
Ingredients:
150g black truffles
320g rice
120g grated Parmesan cheese
50g butter
Half a tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions:
Boil the rice until it is al dente and drain well. Add the butter, cream, Parmesan and about half of the grated black winter truffles. Stir until it is well mixed and serve hot, decoration each plate with a kind amount of the remaining winter truffle shavings.
Salad with Black Truffle
Ingredients:
3 Hard Boiled Eggs
2 large handfuls of green beans
1 medium sized lettuce
1 large handful of Rucola
1 Bunch of dill
70g black winter truffle
Creamy Dressing
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons creme fraiche
3 tablespoons duplicate cream
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Instructions:
Wash the lettuce & rucola and shake off the passage water. Let drain in a collander while making ready the dressing. Top and tail the green beans, then boil them in salted water until tender. Take off and wash in cold water, then mix in with the lettuce and rucola.
The dressing is ready by mixing all the above ingredients together in no singular order. Note - The cayenne pepper is added at the end.
Place the mixed rucola, lettuce and green beans on a plate. Slice the boiled eggs and truffles over the bed of lettuce, adding the dill.
Finally, add the creamy dressing over the salad.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Black Winter Truffles
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
80g Fontina cheese
80g prosciutto ham (Parma-type)
30g butter
1 small onion
1 glass dry sherry
1 medium sized black winter truffle
Stock
Extra virgin olive oil
Flour
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Slice the chicken breast lengthways without fully separating. Flatten with a meat mallet and lightly salt, pepper and flour. Place two slices of ham, a slice of Fontina cheese and a thin layer of black winter truffle inside each wallet or chicken breast. Close and sew up with kitchen twine or using wooden toothpicks. Brown the chopped onions in the oil and butter in a large pan. When they start to soften, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides, wet with the sherry and cook, adding a small amount of broth if necessary. Serve very hot. Accompany with wild rice or boiled potatoes.
Black Truffle Cleaning and RecipesWild Mushroom Risotto Recipe Tube. Duration : 1.28 Mins.
