ZEN GARDEN
Serves 6
I don’t know how Chef Farina does it. He came up with this dish and it’s a Zen garden. It’s got rocks and sand and leaves that seem to grow up out of the earth. It’s got all these wonderful little flavors in it. The sand is made of almond flour and each rock is a tiny sphere of Brie dusted with cocoa powder and cinnamon. There’s a Granny Smith puree to add just the right amount of sweetness and a golden raisin sauce with a little bit of white wine vinegar to cut through all of these rich flavors.
We made this the second time we were on Iron Chef America. The first time, I thought we were gonna lose and we won by a point. The second time, Chef Morimoto just completely annihilated us. On Iron Chef, you’re really cooking for an hour. It’s very intense—it’s the quickest hour of your life, but also the longest. It was like time slowed down and then, suddenly, we were in this Zen-like state with Richie’s Zen garden.
GOLDEN RAISIN PUREE:
400 grams hot water
200 grams golden raisins
15 grams sugar
3 grams salt
15 grams white wine vinegar
GRANNY SMITH APPLE PUREE:
200 grams sliced Granny Smith apples
100 grams water
1.5 grams salt
SAND:
200 grams almond flour
1 gram salt
ROCKS:
10 grams cocoa powder
3 grams black cocoa powder (see Sources, here)
2 grams cinnamon
200 grams Brie cheese
TO FINISH:
12 red vein sorrel leaves
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
6 small Zen garden boxes
GOLDEN RAISIN PUREE:
Combine the water, raisins, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepot set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the temperature to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the raisins are completely tender and plump. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the vinegar. Puree on high for 1 minute, until smooth, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Store the puree in a covered container at room temperature until ready to plate.
GRANNY SMITH APPLE PUREE:
Put the sliced apples, water, and salt in a medium saucepot set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the apples and water to a blender and puree on high for 1 minute, until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve in a covered container at room temperature until ready to plate.
SAND:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Combine the almond flour and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Line a sheet pan with a silicone mat and spread the almond flour on the mat in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes, until the almond flour is golden brown and resembles beach sand. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to plate.
ROCKS:
Put the cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Remove the rind from the Brie and portion it into eighteen 10-gram cubes. Roll the cubes between your hands to form irregular spheres. Roll the cheese balls in the cocoa mixture until they resemble rocks. Transfer to a strainer and shake gently to remove any excess coating. Repeat until all of the rocks are coated with the cocoa powder mixture. Store the coated cheese balls in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to plate.
TO FINISH:
Put 20 grams of the Golden Raisin Puree in the bottom of a Zen garden box. Sprinkle 15 grams of Sand over the top and use a bench scraper to smooth out the surface of the Sand. Put three 1-gram dots of Granny Smith Apple Puree on the sand. Arrange 3 Rocks on top of the Sand. Garnish with 2 leaves of red vein sorrel, standing them up in the sand so it looks as though they are growing from the garden. Repeat with the 5 remaining garden boxes and serve immediately.
