3253. TOMATO PANNA COTTA with BACON FOAM

Tomato Panna Cotta
1 ¼ cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons homemade heirloom tomato paste (or store bought)
2 teaspoons orange blossom honey
½ teaspoon lavender
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 silver sheet gelatin, bloomed in cold water and squeezed dry


Candied Tomatoes
Heirloom Toy box tomatoes
Extra fine sugar

Bacon foam
½ lb apple wood smoked bacon
1 smoked ham hock
1 small onion
2 carrots
3 ribs celery
3 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken stock

Bacon bits
4 slices bacon 
 
Tomato Panna Cotta: In a saucepan, heat heavy cream over low heat. In a bowl whisk tomato paste, honey, lavender, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Slowly add warm cream into tomato paste mixture. Add in red wine vinegar and whisk until combined. Add in bloomed gelatin. Divide into 4-4 oz. ramekins and chill in refrigerator.
 
Candied tomatoes: Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a sheet pan with oil. Cut tomatoes in half and toss in enough sugar to lightly coat. Put tomatoes cut side up on prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes. Cool in refrigerator.

Bacon foam: In a heavy bottomed stock pot brown off the bacon and ham hock. Add vegetables and brown 5 minutes more. Deglaze with chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 hours repalciong with water if it gets to dry. Strain and refrigerate. When cold remove fat and measure out 1 cup. Add ¼ cup heavy cream. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt. Put in a syphon dispenser and add 1 cartridge Co2. Shake well before dispensing.
 
Bacon bits: Cut bacon or grind through a meat grinder. In a small frying pan, render off the bacon until golden brown. Strain. Put on paper towels to absorb extra fat.

Put bacon foam on panna cotta. Top with candied tomato, bacon bits, and a sprig of basil.


bacon recipe source: Vintners Inn, Santa Rosa Hotel, 4350 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

1981. LIGHT LETTUCE CREAM, BACON FOAM, BRAISED LETTUCE and ESCARGOTS

yields four servings

Light cream
2 nice 600 g (1 1/3 lb.) heads of lettuce
2/3 oz. white onion
2/3 oz. leek, white part only
22/3 oz. smoked pork rind
1 bouquet garni
2 cups light chicken stock
1 clove of garlic
4 tsp. butter
1 cup crème fraîche
salt

Smoked bacon foam
8 tsp. liquid cream
1/3 oz. finely diced smoked bacon
a pinch of curry powder, salt and pepper

Braised lettuce ribs and leaves
Use the ribs and a few leaves from the light cream ingredients
4 tsp. butter
2/3 oz. carrot, in very small dice
3/4 cup light chicken stock
a pinch of chopped parsley
a clove of garlic, peeled and a few thyme flowers
2/3 oz. smoked bacon simmered for 30 minutes with onion, clove and bouquet garni

Escargots (you may substitute chicken "oysters")
20 small snails cooked in court-bouillon
4 tsp. butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
a pinch of chopped parsley
a touch of garlic
a pinch of fine breadcrumbs
a drizzle of lemon juice
1 drop of pastis
a pinch of Madras curry powder

Fried leek
3 oz. leek (white part), julienned
4 cups grapeseed oil for frying
a blend of salt and curry powder
4 sprigs of chervil

Light cream: In a high-sided saucepan, sweat the onions, leek white, garlic, bacon rind and bouquet garni in foaming butter. Finally, add the well-washed lettuce, having set aside the ribs and tender green leaves. Add the hot chicken stock and salt lightly. Cook quickly for 15 minutes, then add the cream and cook 5 minutes longer. Finally, add a few nice green leaves to the cream and blend at high speed for 6-8 minutes to obtain a light green color. Keep hot.

Smoked bacon foam: Bring the 30 g cream to a boil with the finely diced smoked bacon, curry, salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes and blend everything to obtain a bacon and curry-flavored cream. Let rest. Once cooled, add in 10 g (1/3 oz.) whipped cream. Set aside.

Braised lettuce ribs and leaves: In a sauté pan, sauté in butter the finely diced carrot with the cooked smoked bacon, garlic and thyme flowers; add the lettuce ribs and chicken stock and cook, covered, for a few minutes. Finally, add the tender green leaves and chopped parsley. Set aside.

Escargots: In a sauté pan, sauté the well-drained snails in butter, add the chopped shallot and cook for 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with a drop of pastis and a squeeze of lemon juice. Finally, add a touch of garlic, a little chopped parsley and a sprinkling of bread crumbs, salt, pepper and Madras curry powder. Set aside.

Fried leeks: Heat the oil to 140° C (280° F). Fry the thinly sliced leeks for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt, pepper and curry. Keep hot.

Presentation: In wide-rimmed bowls, place a 6 cm (2 1/2") metal ring. Place the braised lettuce ribs and leaves inside. On top, place the snails in a circle around the perimeter of the ring. Drizzle the cream around the outside of the ring. Top with the bacon foam. Place the fried leeks on the snails and add a few sprigs of chervil. Remove the ring and serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Patrick Henriroux, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, La Pyramide, 14, boulevard Fernand Point, 38200 Vienne (Isère), France

100. CAESAR SALAD SOUP with BACON FOAM

yields 4 servings


Soup:
2 heads romaine lettuce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, sliced
½ bulb fennel, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
½ onion, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Bacon foam:
2 cups chicken stock
5 slices bacon
3 teaspoons cream
Salt and pepper, to taste


For soup:
Cook romaine lettuce in boiling water until soft, approximately 2 – 3 minutes, shock in ice water and drain. In a medium saucepot, heat vegetable oil and cook thyme, garlic, fennel, celery, and onion until soft. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste, and the blanched romaine lettuce. Pass mixture through a chinoise (fine sieve) and stir in Parmesan cheese at the end.

For bacon foam:
In a sauté pan, render fat from bacon. Remove the bacon and reserve the fat in the pan. In the same pan, add the chicken stock, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and whisk into foam.

To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, top with bacon foam and serve immediately.


courtesy of: Chef Noriyuki Sugie, Asiate, New York, New York