A few months back I interviewed Maxime Bilet and Dr. Hervé This, one chef/inventor and one chemist on molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine. While the conversation drifted to terminology, we found out way back to talking about the basics of the modernist cooking techniques that are becoming so popular: sous vide, siphons, and gels.
Here’s a link to my article in the Montreal Gazette last week on the benefits of each type of modernist technique (frozen custard pancakes, tri-sected pea ravioli, subjectively perfect eggs), and here’s a link to a bio of Maxime Bilet, the interviewee.
And if you live in or visit Montreal, here’s a list of restaurants using sous vide machines or other modernist techniques. Those green balls on the plate of salmon with white wine and dill certainly jazz the whole thing up.
On the other hand, I went to Toqué for the first time last week and had a wonderful duck breast cooked evenly the whole way through thanks to simmering it in a court bouillon mixed with oil, then a sear of the fat coated with maple syrup. It was my favourite restaurant magret ever, until I made 6 myself in the Sous Vide Supreme Demi I’m currently testing. Nothing but salt, pepper and a sprig of thyme. Cooked for 3 hours, then seared (on the fat side, 2 minutes on high, then 3 on medium. Then 45 seconds on the other side. Let it rest 5 minutes). Also perfect. And easy. And oil-free. It’s a tough call.
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