....huuuuuuUUUUU, I have abandoned this blog nearly 2months.... I have some issues on my motivation & vitality.... still 'on-going', but... let me PUSH myself... revival of P.S.I.!! restart with M & I: Summer green, summer yellow!!
Concept: Squash "nose to tail"=no waste, use everything!! Testing holed leaf technique/idea for coming up fall dish called "Autumn twirl"
Title: Summer x yellow x green ........... summer green, summer yellow!! Neat & smart.
Visual: Yellow & green.... I mean yellow & green!! + visual concept "C-thru" like "bacon, egg & potato" I rub c-thru.... that's hot!!
This dish started with squash blossom which we got in the kitchen for play out. It's not something super tasty vege, but sexy side looking like watermelon radish, romanesco, heirloom carrot and others. Squash blossom could be chips@Guy savoy, steam with fish@RM seafood or tempura... But I decided to make squash blossom farci. I say it's French 'classic', could be boring, so I need to spice up the dish.
As I mentioned previously, I prefer less ingredients on the plate.... so I decided to use only squash(depending on market availability used green zucchini as well). From there, it's about how to draw every drip of squash flavor with different method + without 'waste'(nose to tail concept). This dish, need 3 squash, 1 green, 1 yellow & 1 blossom. The following is how this dish is composed with some pics....
2.Scoop out some balls(squash ball) by melon bowler on half, the other half peel with peeler lengthwise to make chip.
3.Chip is punched out with 2 different size of piping bag tip randomly. Saving the punched squash as squash disc. Dehydrate chips to make squash 'holed leaf'. Tempura squash holed leaf(cornstarch & water)for extra crunchness.
4.Cut the center piece lengthwise to make couple nice 1 cm thickness planks to grill and save all the scrap
5.Put the all the squash trim/scrap & brown butter into sous-vide bag, cook in water bath, blend it with 3% weight of ultra x3 to give 'body' to the puree.
6.Grill squash planks, diced up and mix with brown butter squash puree. Stuff into blossom and steam it.
7.Brown butter squash puree on the bottom and place beurre monte squash balls(7,8). Put squash blossom farci on top and bridge up squash holed leaf tempura over bowl. garnish with squash disc, crispy squash skin thread & pea tendrils. Finish with lemon oil. Bon appetite!!
So... this is nothing dealing with 'modern' technique or 'wow' factor. Flavor is built over 'traditional old fashioned' method, grilling for char flavor, brown butter for richness, lemon oil to round up flavor, moisture to steam, crunchiness to deep frying.... I say this is simple straight forward dish, but I tried to give some 'elegance' in presentation by different shapes with the help of little tools(zester, melon bowler, piping bag tip & peeler)
Also I love the fact I didn't waste any squash scrap on this dish... What the big deal? "Just vegetable scrap, doesn't cost shit", true enough..... but I say if we're "PRO", why don't we DO SOMETHING before call something garbage? I mean 5yrs old kid can point something and call it 'shit, throw away"..... Shouldn't we use culinary intelligence to alchemy something out of 'garbage'? I think it makes little challenging. It's actually fun and inspire me.(and save food cost even little penny/laugh) "Nose to tail", it's my culinary philosophy. "zero" garbage is my goal at P.S.I.! Maybe I'm just a cheap bastard/a bitter smile.....
Summer green, summer yellow: brown butter squash puree, beurre monte squash ball, squash blossom farci stuffed with grille squash & puree, squash 'holed leaf' tempura, crispy squash skin thread, raw squash disc, pea tendrils & lemon oil
Coming up: M&I: Egg, garlic & kale.... inspired by "Latte art" NEXT!!!