Serge the Concierge

Raw Pleasures, Beef Sirloin Tartare with Quail Eggs from Mansion on Turtle Creek Cookbook

As sushi calls for great seafood, steak tartare calls fortender cut of meat.

Last time, I had a taste of tartare was when I interviewed Jean-Marie Le Bourdonnec, the French boucher, in Brooklyn.

Depending on the guests you expect this week-end, the sirloin tartare recipe below from  The Mansion on Turtle Creek Cookbook Haute Cuisine, Texas Style (Rizzoli, March 2012) by Helen Thompson could be an inspired replacement for beef sliders.

Beef Sirloin Tartare with potato crisps and quail egg

SERVES 4

TARTARE

10 ounces lean Kobe beef, or prime sirloin, cut into ¹/8-inch dice

2 tablespoons finely diced gherkins

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

1 teaspoon chopped capers

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Sea salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

POTATO CRISPS

1 Idaho potato

4 cups peanut oil

Sea salt

QUAIL EGGS

4 quail eggs, yolks in their shells

Sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Combine the beef, gherkins, red onion, capers, and chives in a chilled mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Peel the potato and slice it paper thin, lengthwise, on a Japanese mandoline, then cut into 3 x 1-inch strips. Reserve the slices in a bowl of cold water.

Heat the peanut oil to 340 degrees F in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. Fry the potato strips in the hot oil in small batches, stirring with a slotted spoon to cook evenly, until they are golden brown on both sides. Drain the hot crisps on paper towels and sprinkle them with sea salt.

When ready to serve, remove the tartare from the refrigerator and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss the tartare in the fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

To serve, place a 4-inch ring mold in the center of a chilled, round dinner plate and fill the mold with a quarter of the tartare mixture, packing it slightly at the edges. Carefully lift the mold off and repeat with the remaining three portions. Place one quail egg yolk in a shell in the center of each tartare serving, season the yolk with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and garnish the plate with the potato crisps. Serve immediately.

(* Recipe from 'The Mansion on Turtle Creek' cookbook by Helen Thompson published by Rizzoli USA March 2012, reproduced with permission, all rights reserved...Photographed by Robert Peacock)

Tarte Coeur, Cucumber, Basil and Strawberry Tart by Gontran Cherrier for Mamans

Mothers Day does not take place at the same time in all countries around the world.

In France in 2012, it will be June 3.

To celebrate mothers, Gontran Cherrier created a 'Tarte Coeur'.

Here is how Gontran Cherrier describes it:

"For Mothers Day, take risks with the cake that creates an affectionate note composed around the freshness of cucumber, the bite and spicy notes of fresh basil without forgetting the sugary sweet of strawberries...An audacious and lively pairing which plays on the contrast between soft supple and sweet textures on the palate. A 'tarte coeur' with of course a sugary crust, a cream cheese filling, strawberries, basil, and cucumber."

Not sure it would be my Mother's cup of tea.

I Missed Castilla-La Mancha Tasting, Wines from Don Quixote's Spain, NY Stop on May 24

Since September 2011, my schedule has changed quite a bit and i have missed many wine tastings that take place during the day.

Add to the list of my miss the Castilla-La Mancha tasting on their stop in NY, today May 24, 2012.

Unfortunately, this last stop on the 3 leg  2012 tour after Atlanta and Chicago did not have a consumer evening session I could have joined.

You can learn about the region and its wines on Vinos de La Espana de Don Quijote site.

Apparently a separate Castillo-La Mancha tasting tour, La Mancha Wines, was also in the U.S in May 2012. It visited Seattle, San Francisco, Houston.

Or was it a different leg of the same tour?

All this makes me wonder if you should drink a white or a red wine from the region while reading Cervantes.

White Miso Peach Ice Cream, Add Japanese Flair to Your Summer Parties

After sharing the Hibiscus Beet Ice Cream from Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book (Chronicle Books, April 2012) by Jake Godby and Sean Vahey of Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco, I picked a recipe that will add a Japanese flair to your summer parties.

White Miso Peach Ice Cream

この味は驚くばかりである!

We make White Miso ice cream in the summer with peaches, in the fall with apples, and in the winter with pears. Alice Waters would be so proud of us . . . you know, if she knew who we were.

Doing a flavor with miso was a natural and logical extension of our love for savory elements in our ice creams. Miso is a thick traditional Japanese soy paste that’s often used as a condiment or a flavor ingredient in cooking, and it’s been growing in popularity as an ingredient in desserts. Since miso is so salty, this is one of the few recipes in the book that doesn’t call for added salt or vinegar.

In his search to get the flavors right, Jake went to a Japanese supermarket and bought pretty much every kind of miso in the joint: red miso, mixed miso, rice miso, purple miso, soy-only miso, miso-horny, and so on. He eventually settled on a white style. White miso is much more delicate than its counterparts. It’s mellow. He still doesn’t know what the label says, but boy, it sure gets the job done.

White Miso is another “Wow” flavor, with distinct umami undertones that pair well with the seasonal tree fruits. It also goes secretly well with a scoop of Guinness Gingerbread, or simply a little splash of olive oil on top.

Inspiration: Jake used to serve miso apple butter with crepes and olive oil ice cream.

1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 large peaches, apples, or pears (we like Anjou), pitted or cored and cut into chunks. Pears and apples should be peeled, but the peaches don’t have to be. (Note: If you’re using out-of-season fruit – which is often less flavorful – feel free to toss in an extra one to coax out more flavor.)
2 tbsp white miso
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 egg yolks

Makes 1 quart

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup of the sugar, stirring often, until it takes on a nice sandy color and is a smooth liquid, 10 to 15 minutes.

Quickly add the fruit and stir to coat with the sugar; this will prevent the sugar from caramelizing any further and/or burning. Cook until the fruit is soft, about 10 minutes or so, depending on which fruit you’re using and its ripeness.

Transfer the caramelized fruit to a blender. Add the miso and process to a smooth purée. Set aside.

Fill a large bowl or pan with ice and water. Place a large, clean bowl in the ice bath and fit the bowl with a fine-mesh strainer.

In a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot but not boiling.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup sugar until well blended.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Slowly pour about half of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer the yolk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture and return it to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and being sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan so it doesn’t scorch, until the liquid begins to steam and you can feel the spatula scrape against the bottom of the pan, about 2–3 minutes.

Remove the custard from the heat. Add the fruit-miso mixture and stir to mix completely. Pour the custard through the strainer into the clean bowl you set up in the ice bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Taste for sweetness; add a little more sugar if needed.

When the custard has totally cooled, cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. When you are ready to freeze the custard, transfer it to an ice cream maker and spin according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Eat immediately, or transfer to an airtight container, cover, and freeze for up to 1 week.

Scooping White Miso Ice Cream for Tokyo Thursdays # 234

(* Recipe from Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book by Jake Godby and Sean Vahey with Paolo Lucchesi Photographs by Frankie Frankeny-Chronicle Books, April 2012, reprinted with permission of the publisher)

Pazo do Mar Ribeiro White Blend from Galicia, Intriguing Tongue Teaser

Whether I am browsing bookshelves at the public library or a bookstore or the offerings of one of my local wine stores, I tend to look for options I have not experienced yet.

Spain has a lot of reds and also some white wines worth discovering.

I don't know if I decided to give Pazo do Mar Blanco Ribeiro 2010 from Galicia a try because of the region Celtic connections or its attractive price.

Pale yellow robe, spicy scents, intriguing finish, this tongue teaser is a blend of 50% Treixadura, 40% Torrontes and 10% Godello.

At only 12% alcohol, try it on a hot summer day (or night).