Not long after I left Roland Henin’s kitchen, I was hired to open a new restaurant in West Palm Beach called the Cobbley Nob. It was my first real executive chef position. I cooked classical French food. I was very proud that I had a repertoire of fifteen different classical potato preparations. I cooked everything in clarified butter. I cooked Lobster Bohemian—lobster with cream and paprika—which was straight out of Fernand Point’s book, Ma Gastronomie. But the Cobbley Nob, which was near the jai alai courts, died a quick death, and I learned that the quality of the food does not necessarily determine the success of a restaurant.
Fortunately, I found another job not far from there at a restaurant called Café du Pare in North Palm Beach, where the most important thing I learned was how to truss a chicken.
Is learning to truss a chicken that important? I was almost stabbed because I didn’t know. The chef, Pierre, was paying me five or six dollars an hour. It was just him and me, getting ready to open the restaurant for the season. Again, a classical French chef. And there I was, this American kid who thought of himself as a chef. I’d been a chef. I’d gotten good reviews at the Cobbley Nob.
Pierre told me to truss the chickens. I wasn’t going to tell him I didn’t know how. I fumbled around. I tied the legs together, like at Thanksgiving—I had no idea what I was doing. Pierre watched me. He couldn’t understand. He started screaming at me. How could someone who’d been a chef—I was twenty-four at this point; in France a cook learns to truss a chicken before he’s old enough to drive—how could I claim to be a chef of anything, and not know how to truss chicken? He became so enraged he threw the knife at me. I don’t think he was aiming for my heart, but the knife came close enough.
What that taught me—that chicken, the string, the whistling knife blade—was that if I was going to be a chef somewhere, I’d better be prepared to teach people everything they needed to know to run that kitchen. I no longer took it for granted that I knew everything. I needed to really, really study and learn all those things, how to truss a chicken, how to tie a slipknot. I knew then I couldn’t call myself a chef just because I ran a kitchen. In the end, of course, the importance of trussing a chicken meant far more than actually trussing a chicken.
Position the chicken so that its cavity faces you. Place the center of a 2-foot-long piece of butcher’s string beneath the chicken’s tail, the little triangle at the bottom of the cavity. Lift the string up outside each leg and pull it down between the legs, reversing the direction of each end so that they cross. Pull the string over the thighs (the drumsticks should squeeze together at this point) and the wings. Maintaining tension on the string, turn the chicken on its side, wind the ends of the string over the neck, and tie securely.
Trussing a chicken this way will help it cook more evenly, as it should protect the thinnest part of the breast, the part that is most likely to overcook during roasting. I like to roast a chicken at a high temperature, between 425° and 450°F., because I’ve found the faster I cook the legs, the moister the breast will be.
Even a perfectly roasted chicken will inevitably result in a breast that’s a little less moist than one you would cook separately, which is why I always want a sauce with roast chicken. The skin that sticks to the bottom of the pan and caramelizes while roasting is the very best substance for flavoring a chicken sauce or jus.
ROULADE OF DUCK
1 whole boneless duck breast (about 12 ounces) (Liberty Valley or Pekin)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few allspice berries
2 large outer leaves savoy cabbage or 2 large leaves Swiss chard (with no splits or tears)
CREAMED CORN
5 large ears corn, shucked
4½ tablespoons (2¼ ounces) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
MOREL MUSHROOM SAUCE
4 ounces morels, preferably Oregon
3 tablespoons (1½ ounces) unsalted butter
¾ cup “Quick” Duck Sauce, warmed
1 teaspoon finely minced shallot
1 teaspoon finely minced chives
1 teaspoon finely minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon Brunoise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
This dish is interesting to me from a mechanical standpoint. I needed to figure out how to cook and serve duck in a way that was suitable to the style and portion size of the French Laundry. I didn’t want to roast the duck breast whole and then cut it, because it tends to bleed out—all its juices go right into the sauce that has been painstakingly degreased and reduced and brought to perfection. I tried making a ragout of duck breast, but it didn’t have the exactness I wanted. So I decided to try cooking it in a bag—wrapping the breast in a blanched leaf of savoy cabbage or Swiss chard and rolling it up tightly in plastic wrap. It’s precise and easy to cook. The corn garnish is logical because ducks are corn-fed. And the morels are very earthy; you can almost never go wrong adding mushrooms to anything.
FOR THE ROULADE OF DUCK: Remove and discard the skin from the duck breast and cut it in half. Remove the tenderloin from the underside of each breast (reserve it for another use) and trim away any membranes, veins, and cartilage. Trim the ends of the meat to form a rectangular shape. Sprinkle the underside of each breast with salt and pepper and grind 5 to 6 small slivers of allspice over each piece (a hand-crank cheese grater works well for this if you don’t have an allspice grater).
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage or Swiss chard leaves and boil gently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Gently remove the leaves to an ice-water bath to chill, then transfer to paper towels to dry.
Tear off a piece of plastic wrap about 20 inches long and lay it horizontally across a work surface. Place a leaf of cabbage or chard on a cutting board, with the inside of the leaf facing upward and the core end toward the bottom. Carefully cut the large rib from the leaf.
Roll a duck breast lengthwise to form a cylinder. Place the cylinder of duck in the center of the widest part of the cabbage leaf. Trim the leaf so that it is the length of the breast and so that the leaf will easily wrap around the roulade once.
Roll up the duck breast in the leaf. Place the roulade in the center of the bottom of the length of plastic wrap. Roll up the roulade in the plastic, holding it in the center and rolling as tightly as possible.
Holding the roulade, twist one end of the plastic wrap several times against the duck. This will secure the shape of the roulade. Repeat on the other side, twisting in the opposite direction. You should have a perfectly shaped cylinder. Bring both ends of the wrap over to the center of the roulade and tie them in a knot pulled just tight enough to rest against the roulade. Repeat with the remaining breast and leaf and place the packets in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate them for several hours before cooking.
FOR THE CREAMED CORN: Cut the kernels from 3 ears of corn. Run them through a juicer. Or, place them in a blender with a little water (just enough to allow it to blend) and purée; remove the purée and all the liquid to a chinois set over a container. Allow all the corn juice to drain, pressing lightly on the corn but not forcing the purée through the strainer. You should have about ½ cup of corn juice.
Cut the kernels from the remaining 2 ears of corn. Blanch the corn in lightly salted boiling water for about 1 minute, skimming off any impurities that float to the surface. Drain the corn and cool in cold water; then drain again and dry the kernels on paper towels.
FOR THE MORELS: Trim the stems from the morels. Soak the mushrooms in warm water (if vegetables that need to be soaked are going to be cooked, use warm water, as it loosens dirt more easily than cold), changing the water two or three times. If the mushrooms are small, they can be cooked whole. Larger morels should be cut into uniform pieces.
TO COMPLETE: Heat a large saucepan of water to 190°F. Place the cold duck roulades in the water, adjusting the heat to maintain the water temperature. Poach the duck for 6 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, or 7 to 8 minutes for medium. Remove the duck and allow it to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing.
While the duck cooks, make the morel mushroom sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Shake any excess water from the mushrooms, add to the hot butter, and sauté until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender. If the liquid evaporates before the mushrooms are cooked, just add a tablespoon of water to the pan. Add ⅓ cup of the duck sauce to the morels and heat through. Just before serving, add the shallots, chives, parsley, and brunoise and cook for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and peppper.
In a heavy saucepan, whisk the corn juice over medium heat until it thickens. (The starch present in the corn—cornstarch—will cause it to thicken quickly.) Do not allow it to boil, or it may curdle. Once it thickens, turn down the heat and whisk in the butter. Add the blanched corn kernels and season with salt and pepper.
With the roulades still wrapped, cut off an end of each, using a serrated knife. Gently push the roulade out of the wrap. Slice each roulade into three equal sections.
Place a spoonful of the remaining duck sauce in the center of each of six plates. Top the sauce with the creamed corn. Stand the pieces of duck roulade on the corn and garnish the top of each with a spoonful of morels.
makes 6 servings
SQUAB
3 squab (see Sources)
Canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Beurre Monté
OVEN-DRIED FIGS
6 ripe Black Mission figs, or best quality available, each cut into 6 wedges
Powdered sugar for dusting
SWISS CHARD
1 pound Swiss chard (yellow, green, or red), washed and dried on paper towels
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt
⅓ cup Beurre Monté
1 recipe “Quick” Squab sauce, made with the reserved squab legs and carcasses (from above)
12 ounces fresh moulard duck foie gras, cut into ¾-inch cubes
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced chives
Squab is difficult to cook in that you have to hit the temperature exactly right. It should be served medium-rare. When it’s rare, it’s tough and difficult to eat. When it starts to get over medium-rare, the meat begins to take on a livery flavor.
We oven-dry the figs left over from summer’s bounty—they’ll keep for a week—and serve them in this fall dish. We use a beautiful yellow Swiss chard, a variety you may be able to find at farmers’ markets.
FOR THE SQUAB: Remove each breast half from the squab carcasses, leaving the wings attached to the breasts. Cut off the tips of the wings, leaving only the larger bottom wing bones attached to the breasts. With a paring knife, scrape the meat away from the wing bone to “french” it. Cover and refrigerate the breasts. Use the legs and carcasses to make the squab sauce.
FOR THE OVEN-DRIED FIGS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the fig pieces on the pan and lightly dust (using a sugar shaker or a small strainer) the figs with powdered sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until dried but still supple. The figs can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
FOR THE SWISS CHARD: Cut off the stalks, pull away and discard any strings, and cut the stalks on the diagonal into 1/16-inch julienne. Cut the leaves into 2-inch pieces. You will have approximately 6 to 7 cups of trimmed leaves and stalks.
Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with salt (it is important to salt the leaves before they wilt for even seasoning), and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the leaves wilt. Drain on paper towels.
Melt the remaining 1 teaspoon butter in 2 tablespoons water in a second large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems, season with salt, and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
TO COMPLETE: Heat 1/16 inch of canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the squab breasts with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the hot oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the skin is a rich brown. Turn the meat over and cook for an additional 2 minutes, basting the meat with the oil in the pan. Drain off the fat in the pan and add the beurre monté. Continue to cook and baste the squab for about 2 more minutes, or until the meat is medium-rare. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the squab to rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the chard leaves and the figs with the beurre monté in a saucepan and add a splash of water. Reheat over medium-low heat. Just before serving, stir in the chard stems.
Rewarm the squab sauce.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubes of foie gras with salt. When the pan is very hot, add the foie gras and brown the pieces on all sides. This should only take about 1 to 1½ minutes. Don’t overcook; the pieces will continue to cook when they are removed from the heat.
Slice the squab breasts crosswise on a slight diagonal. Spoon some squab sauce into the middle of each serving plate. Top each with a portion of the chard and foie gras. Overlap the slices of squab over the chard. Sprinkle with a light dusting of squab spice, then sprinkle with the chives.
makes 6 servings
Roasted Guinea Fowl en Crépinette de Byaldi
Ugly birds, nasty birds. They peck at you. But they’re lovely to cook. I prefer guinea fowl to chicken. They’re more tender than chicken and have a deeper flavor. The legs however, are more or less useless because they’re almost entirely sinew, so I use them for sauce.
BYALDI
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup sliced onions (halved and cut into 1- to 1½-inch long slices)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch julienne
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch julienne
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch julienne
Herb sachet—2 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs parsley, and 1 bay leaf, tied together in a cheesecloth bundle
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1½ cups thinly sliced zucchini rounds
1 to 1½ cups thinly sliced Japanese eggplant rounds
1 to 1½ cups thinly sliced yellow squash rounds
6 small tomatoes (12 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon minced thyme
One 2½-pound guinea fowl
1 large sheet caul fat, soaked overnight in cold water in the refrigerator
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
SAUCE
1 cup canola oil
Reserved carcass and trimmings of the fowl, fat removed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2½ cups water
2½ cups Chicken Stock
½ cup carrots cut into ½-inch mirepoix
⅓ cup shallots cut into ½-inch mirepoix
1 cup onions cut into 1-inch mirepoix
1 cup leeks cut into 1-inch mirepoix
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Byaldi is a refined interpretation of ratatouille. The vegetables normally diced for a ratatouille—eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomato—are sliced and layered over a stew of onions and peppers, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme, and baked. The fowl is encased in this Provençal vegetable combination and wrapped in caul fat to make fragrant, self-basting packages. (If you have difficulty finding caul fat, don’t let that stop you from trying this dish, if only to taste this delicious vegetable preparation.)
Byaldi goes well with most meats and seafood. It’s important to use vegetables that have approximately the same diameter. Use a mandoline to cut them into very thin slices, about one sixteenth of an inch. If possible, make the byaldi the day before serving it to allow the flavors to develop.
Have the butcher cut up the guinea fowl, if you prefer; ask him to reserve the bones so you can use them for the sauce. Don’t overcook the bird. The breasts and thighs should be a little pink in the center.
FOR THE BYALDI: Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and herb sachet, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Remove the sachet and spread the mixture in an even layer in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or round baking dish.
Arrange the sliced vegetables over the onions and peppers, beginning at the outside of the pan and working toward the center, alternating and overlapping them (see the photograph).
Mix the garlic, oil, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the vegetables. Cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges to seal, or with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 2½ hours.
Remove the lid and check the vegetables (the eggplant will take the longest to cook): They should have softened and be almost cooked. Return to the oven, uncovered, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until very tender. The byaldi can be served immediately or, as for this recipe, cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated until ready to use, preferably for a day or two.
FOR THE GUINEA FOWL: Using a boning knife, remove the breast in two pieces. Remove and discard the skin and trim the edges of the meat. Fold each breast crosswise in half so that the narrow end of the breast and the wide end meet. Cut a shallow slit across the width of the fold. This will ensure even cooking of the breast.
Cut off the legs and thighs and cut the legs and thighs apart. Reserve the legs and carcass for the sauce. Remove the skin from the thighs and discard; cut out and remove the bone. Trim any uneven edges and fold each thigh over into its original shape. Set the guinea fowl aside.
FOR THE SAUCE: Heat the canola oil over high heat in a heavy braising pan large enough to hold the bones in one layer. (The amount of oil is necessary for proper browning of the bones. The excess fat will be poured off later.) When the oil is very hot, add the chopped bones. Allow the bones to brown on the first side before you turn them, about 10 minutes. Turn them occasionally until they are evenly colored, about 20 minutes total.
When the bones are well browned, pour off the fat from the pan. Add ½ cup of the water to the bones and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping up the glaze from the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and reglazed the pan.
Add ½ cup of the chicken stock to the pan and deglaze as above. Continue to cook until the liquid evaporates as before.
Add the vegetables to the bones and stir. The moisture from the vegetables will deglaze the pan. Continue cooking and stirring to evaporate the moisture and glaze the vegetables.
Add the remaining 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water to the pan. Scrape the glaze from the bottom of the pan and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about one third. Strain the sauce through a colander and then strain through a chinois into a small saucepan; you should have about 2 to 2½ cups of liquid. Do not force through any solids or liquid that remain in the chinois. Return the sauce to the stove and reduce to ¼ to ⅓ cup.
TO COMPLETE: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the caul fat from the water and blot dry on paper towels. Season each piece of hen with salt and pepper. Cover the entire top of each piece of fowl with a portion of the byaldi (both layers); set the remaining byaldi aside. Place one piece of guinea fowl vegetable side down on one edge of the caul fat. Roll it up securely in the caul fat, giving it a couple of turns, and trim the excess. Fold the edges of the caul fat underneath to form a tight package. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Heat ⅛ inch of oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium heat (be certain that the oil is not overly hot, or it will make holes in the caul fat). Place the packets vegetable side down in the oil and brown until they are nicely colored on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Using a narrow spatula, carefully turn the pieces and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes to brown the second side (see the photograph). Place the skillet in the oven for about 15 minutes to complete the cooking; do not overcook the fowl.
Meanwhile, reheat the remaining byaldi in the oven. Stir the olive oil into the sauce.
Divide the vegetables among four plates. Cut each piece of hen on a slight diagonal through the center. Arrange a piece of white meat and a piece of dark meat on each portion of byaldi. Drizzle some sauce over each.
makes 4 servings
