2660. MUSHROOM and BACON BISQUE with BEER FOAM

2 cups dried chanterelle mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water, liquid reserved

1 1/2 cups duck stock (recipe below)
2 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter

2-3 tablespoons bacon fat (from 2 strips thick cut cured bacon, reserve bacon)

3-4 shallots
1 cup heavy cream



For duck stock
1 duck leg and thigh bone
reserved liquid from chanterelle mushrooms
5 cloves garlic, whole, skin on
3 shallots, peeled and left whole
salt, to taste

2-4 cups water



For beer foam

1 teaspoon of Soy Lecithin
250 ml beer

Pour mushroom liquid and 2 cups water over bone from duck leg and add the garlic cloves and shallots. Cook on low heat for an hour, adding water as the water evaporates and reduces. Taste the broth at the end of the hour and cook longer until you've reached your desired taste. Add salt at the end. Strain through cheesecloth.


For Mushroom Bisque: Add butter and bacon fat to medium hot pan, once butter is melted add diced shallots and stir until shallots become fragrant. Add soaked chanterell mushrooms and stir until most of the butter and bacon fat has been soaked up by the mushrooms. Add duck mushroom stock. Simmer for a good 15 minutes. Add the cream and remove from heat. Taste soup and add salt to taste. Blend in high powered blender until smooth.



For beer foam: Heat beer in small saucepan for about 5 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol. Blend Lecithin and Beer in tall glass until foamy.



To plate, spoon bisque in to small bowl, top with beer foam and crumbled bacon pieces.


bacon recipe courtesy of: EAT. Your Best Friends, December 21, 2009

1014. CODDLED EGG with YELLOWSTONE CAVIAR and BACON EMULSION

Bacon Emulsion (see below)
4 ounce bacon jus
10 grams lecithin
2 tablespoon butter
Salt, to taste
Coddled Eggs (see below)
4 extra-large organic farm eggs
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and white pepper, to taste

For the Bacon Emulsion: Combine the bacon jus, lecithin and butter with a hand blender and season to taste.

For the Coddled Eggs: Butter the inside of a glass jar or coddler and the inside of its metal lid. Break an egg into the coddler and season with salt and pepper. Screw on the lid and stand the coddler in a bain marie, making sure the water comes halfway up the glass body of the coddler. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the coddler from the water, blot on a towel and serve on a cloth-lined serving plate.

To Assemble and Serve: Place a caviar quenelle on each egg, top with bacon emulsion, then reseal the coddler. Serve in the coddler with crackers, Lavash or Brioche.


courtesy of: RJ Cooper, Vidalia, Washington, DC