It’s the time of year when most families turn to the comfort foods. Even the eat local among us still get a craving for that gelatinous glob that comes out a can pretending to be cranberry sauce. And as someone who likes simple food that looks and tastes like what it is, I also have a deep appreciation for the truly standout chefs that want a little extra. Chef’s like Grant Achatz of Alinea who understands more than most what flavor profiles are really about.
This year chef Achatz and the team at Alinea have designed a sort of edible Christmas tree dish for customers. Chef Christian Seel shared the technique and history behind the tempura goose course on the Holiday menu.
A traditional stuffing is infused with goose flavoring, then topped with a sous-vide cooked goose breast, and finally the whole thing is topped with an Armagnac-plum puree. The Xmas Goose incorporates not just traditional Christmas flavors, but truly old school ones as goose (once the popular poultry of choice in households) is the featured ingredient.
The whole bite is skewered with a juniper sprig, battered, and then fried in the previously rendered goose fat. The juniper is placed in a salamander broiler to release the aroma. It’s simple, elegant, and evocative of old world Christmas dinners. [via @gachatz]
Image by Christian Seel.
