In the Kitchen

Cooking Dashi and Miso With David Bouley

This weekend marked the New York Culinary Experience, a two-day event where participants were treated to intimate cooking classes with the industry’s best chefs. We were on hand to catch some of the action; in this first installment, chef David Bouley teaches a class called “French Technique — Japanese Ingredients,” and talks to us about where those ingredients are ending up on his menus.


Recipes taught in David Bouley’s class “French Techniques — Japanese Ingredients”:

Dashi
4 cups water
2/3 oz konbu kelp
1 handful dried bonito flakes
4 1/3 cups Volvic water
30 konbu
80g bonito flakes

Wipe konbu kelp lightly with a well-wrung damp cloth to clean.
Place water and konbu in a soup pot over medium heat. Remove konbu just before water reaches a boil.
Add 1 2/3oz water to keep from boiling.
Add bonito flakes. When the water boils, remove from heat at once.
Skim the surface to remove foam.
When bonito flakes sink to the bottom, strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.

Miso Sauce
2 oz. tomato water
1/2 oz. olive oil
1 oz. yuzu, ginger, or lime juice


Rosemary and Apple Purée
2 Granny Smith or Golden Apples (peeled, seeded and diced)
1 rosemary branch
1 shallot, diced
2 cups white wine

Sauté diced apples slowly until just the lightest of color appears.
Add rosemary branch along with two cups white wine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and simmer slowly until mixture has been reduced by half.
Remove rosemary spring and blend for a nice purée.

Rack of Lamb with Roasted Shallot and Rosemary Crust, Potato Purée, Sweet Balsamic Onions

1/2 rack of lamb, per person (you can also use lamb chops)
1 bottle of red wine, reduced down to 90% (to a thick syrup, approximately 2-3 oz.)
2 oz sweet balsamic onions, see recipe
4 rosemary branches
2 oz red shallot purée, see recipe
3 oz vegetable oil
3 oz olive oil

Heat vegetable and olive oil to 325 degrees.
Place rosemary leaves in hot oil for two to three minutes until tender. To test, remove a leaf, cool and taste to see if tender.
When done, cool and chop finely. Set aside.
Grill lamb over high heat for three minutes each side.
Spread red shallot purée evenly on meat, dust with chopped rosemary.
Finish cooking over low heat to desired doneness.
Place heated sweet balsamic onions on plate, place steak over onions.
Place potato purée in a tear drop design next to chops.

Sweet Balsamic Onions
8 Vidalia or sweet onions (diced, 1/2 inch)
2 oz. olive oil
1 oz. Sherry Vinegar (Jerez)
2 oz. aged balsamic
3 Tbsp of red wine reduction
1 Tbsp of port wine reduction
1 cup mustard seeds

Slowly sauté onions on low heat until a beautiful light brown color is formed and onions become very soft.
Add vinegars.
Cook down until reduced by half, and then add red wine reduction.
Season with salt and pepper.
Option: For a deeper flavor, add bone marrow that has been blanched for 1-2 minutes. Melt marrow into onions.

Red Shallot Purée
2 cups shallots with skin
2 bottles of cabernet wine
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

Place shallots in oven roasting dish or pan.
Add one Tbsp of olive oil or butter.
Bake fifteen minutes until shallots are soft.
Add wine and reduce wine into shallots by 90 percent.
Pass through strainer or ricer to obtain a rich, red silky purée.
The purée will last several weeks in the refrigerator or freezer.

Cooking Dashi and Miso With David Bouley