Wine Dinner, Plates

After the mess with the vita-prep, some seasoning, and staining this was the result, a chilled english pea gazpacho with grilled shrimp. We used a relish of everything we blended as a base to hold the shrimp out of the soup.

The shortribs turned out great. I've been mandated to doing and asian presentation with shortribs over the past few years so often that I forgot how much a simple mire poix and red wine braise takes on such complexity. A simple celery root puree, and truffle vinagrette are found here along with the south central cervil. A final sprinkle of sel gris and off the plates went.

Corriander crusted duck breast is what we have here. I used the same spice mix I use when curing duck legs for confit, without the salt and sugar of course. Corriander and Cinnamon in equal parts with clove, black pepper and cardamon or juniper in very low amounts if available. This mix worked great with an overnight marinate on the breast, not overpowering, but just enough spice to strand strong against the very sweet griotes demi, and the equally sweet parsnip-sweet potato hash. The dish game together with some of Tom's home grown chives as a garnish, which look nice, but surely added an pungency that otherwise the dish lacked.

While dessert is mostly an oversight in most coursed meals, as the chef assumes his/her entree has triumphed all accompishments great and small, I strive to get something to the dinner that is challanging with what ever they are drinking at this point which is their 5th plus drink. I went with a simple panna cotta here, put played it up with pickled locally grown strawberries, and carmalized orange slices of which the bitter sweet flavor would conquer the most overdrawn tastebuds. A stawberry gastrique evolved from the pickling liquid, and the observation of a big white empty space on the plate.

Access an array of photos from the night here.