Morchella Esculenta: 2013

Monday, December 9, 2013

Oxtail Parmentier

December 8th, 2013.

Winter is coming; bring out the comfort food!
Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the oxtail parmentier.

What I like with this kind of dish is that nothing can go wrong. It is just a matter of time. The oxtail was cooked simmering for almost eight hours until the flesh was nothing but a melting delicacy. The broth was then reduced in a thick jus for three further hours. All was kept aside and reused until the day of serving. A little fork-mashed potato, a leftover of flavorful sirloin and some parsley on top, et voilà.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Razor clams and Pata negra

November 30th, 2013.

As an alternative to cooking razor clams in their shell, let's just have them sautéed with shallots, black olives, parsley, and olive oil.

For good measure, let's sprinkle some pata negra shavings on top.

Bertrand Grébaut - Septime

July 4th 2013

Septime: The Emperor's New Clothes

Why all the fuss about this place? I don't understand. I will skip the difficulties to get them on the phone for the booking and the reconfirmation, the incommoding noise-level and the lazy service to focus on food only (although those three topics would be worth a article on their own).

First, this restaurant adopts the sad latest trend of fixed menu. Not that I am particularly picky about what I eat but I like to have the choice. Moreover and most importantly, if the menu is fixed I expect a significantly better deal (given the savings on supplies).

So when for 60 euros, I only get some decent home cooking of meagre fish, lamb and a few vegetables along with mildly interesting organic wines, I feel ripped off.

And the press raves bout it, it is full every day. No entiendo.

Meagre fish, herbs, sea weed, bottarga, potato cream

Zucchini and anchovies

Monkfish, carrots

Lamb, eggplant, berries

Sorrel sherbet, pepper meringue

Chili sherbert, peach gaspacho

Septime

80 Rue de Charonne,

75011 Paris, France
+33 1 43 67 38 29

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Ferran Adrià - El Bulli

November 7th 2010 - Second and last visit to El Bulli.

What has not been said or written already about El Bulli? In my view, and despite the unfair let down of molecular cuisine from journalists who had previously pinnacled it, this place offered one of the most extraordinary food experience one can have.

For the closing season, it looks as if we were given the best of all techniques previously explored (liquid nitrogen, spherification, witful mimetism, etc.). Only this time, the menu was enhanced with luxury ingredients which I thought Ferran Adrià had moved away from: caviar, Alba truffle, etc.