Pickle, continued from Previous Page
he likes to revitalize crowd favorites. In his Palm Springs restaurant, he adds lightly brine-poached, red wine stained Asian pears, hit with star anise, fresh chilies, gin- ger and cinnamon stick to his beet and goat cheese salad. Chef Trey Foshee of La Jolla’s refined, cove-set California Modern agrees and chooses to use different treatments of beets so that blanched, shaved and pickled variations all integrate into thoughtful layers of depth, flavor and tex- ture, while maintaining a sense of simplicity. There is much more to the trend than just trying to
avoid boredom in the kitchen, though. Owner Yaron Milgrom and Chef Jake Des Voignes of recently opened Local Mission Eatery in San Francisco rationalize, “First, they [pickles] are delicious. Second, because it is a pre- serving method, they are a great way to return to a taste of season past.” Continuing, they summarize that “in general, there is a return to an old world, artisanal, DIY, peasant sensibility which we love.” Monsalud also relates the pickling trend to the overarching fascination with homesteading, a general harkening back to “pre-pack- aged” days, which San Francisco-praised Comstock Saloon Chef Carlo Espinas similarly echoes. It makes sense: when produce is in season – at peak flavor and in sweet, cheap abundance – why not gather it and make it last? Those fleeting favorites are espe- cially good candidates; Monsalud shares, “figs – they have a short life, so pickle, save them and serve them on porchetta long after their season is over. It’s a nostalgic look at the recent past.” The nutrients usually remain undiminished and sometimes even increase. They’re a good way to get your daily recommended. Practicality and health perks may not be the princi- pal reasons culinary masters are hopping on the pickle
wagon, but the versatility and taste of house-made pick- les will always be in fashion, their popularity undeniably climbing in the past year. Pickles add “an accent of flavor and texture, another dimension enhancing the sensory experience,” explains Chef Bradley Ogden of his namesake restaurant in Las Vegas, among many others. His all seasons’ holiday cookbook touching on some of these principles will release in Fall of 2011. Foshee embraces how pickles can create a com-
plex character to a dish, and he likes to use the sours as a way to add non-obvious acid; it’s all about balanc- ing flavors, and they add “just a bit of bite” in that game.
Similarly, Espinas integrates pickles into dishes in
order to awaken the palate before guests imbibe Com- stock’s notable cocktails and pre-refrigeration period- inspired menu. He uses pickled grapes in a Waldorf salad made with escarole hearts, spiced walnuts, blue cheese and quince dressing. “The grapes are a bright sharp to the round rich blue,” Espinas explains. From a chef ’s perspective, they also offer a unique flavor to a dish: time. Because pickles require time, they add age and depth to a fresh composition. Copley adds, “there’s only so much you can do to vegetables;” pickling is one more flavor-play medium.
Thinking outside the jar In experimenting with pickling, chefs have ventured
far from the predictable cucumber. There are places like Kitchenette and Heart, Comstock, Local and Serpentine, among many others that offer a house pickle plate. Served with cured meats, country bread or spiced yogurt,
See Pickle, Continued on Page 8 PICKLED ASIAN PEARS
INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup honey
2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups water
1 cup rich Cabernet wine 3/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tsp pickling spice 1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp ground ginger powder
1 tsp fennel seeds 1 pinch chili flakes 6 Asian pears, peeled and quartered
6
*Asian pears are preferable because their round shape results in a perfectly sym- metrical cut when quartered for easier portions and plating. They also absorb the spices better than harder pears.
METHOD
Mix all ingredients ex- cept pears in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer two min- utes until sugar, ginger and honey have dissolved. Then, drop in quartered pears and poach until fork tender for 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to over-
cook. Put in sterilized pick- ling jar, seal and refrigerate at least six hours and up to 2 weeks for best quality.
Chef Andrew ASSEMBLY
Chef Copley recom- mends serving Pickled Asian Pears with a red and yellow baby beet salad topped with goat cheese
Manion Copley Copley’s Restaurant Palm Springs, CA
covered in panko and wok- fried, along with his home- made honey mustard sauce. The dish has been a featured item on Copley’s menu for over six years.
Culinary Trends | Mid Winter 2011
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