Versatility of Sake: Food Pairings with Chef Mark Tarbell 2021 – Pairing Recipes

1st Course
A trio of Petrossian Osetra Caviar on a chip, Classic Friulian Frico, Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Paired with: Nanbubijin AWA Sparkling Sake

Caviar with Crème Fraiche and Potato Chip

2 ea Kennebec potato
1 tin caviar
1 oz chives
2 oz crème fraiche (see below)

For the crème fraiche

3 c heavy cream
1 c buttermilk
1 ea lemon

Juice the lemon, and mix all the ingredients.

Pour the mix in a container, wrap it tight with plastic, and let it sit for 24 hrs at 70-75 F. Refrigerate it overnight before using it.

For potato

Thinly slice the potato, rinse them under cold water to wash the starch.

Fry at 300 F. for about 3 minutes, or until potato chips stop bubbling.

Take it off from the oil, and sprinkle salt. Set aside.

To plate

On a crispy potato chip, pour some crème fraîche, top it with caviar, and garnish it with a chive baton.

Frico

Micro plain either parmesan cheese, or montasio cheese.

Spread it over a sheet pan with a paper or silicone liner

Bake with fan off, at 300 F. for 15 minutes, rotate, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Eggplant and roasted bell pepper relish

2 ea bell peppers
1 ea large eggplant
1 ea small onion (small diced)
1 pinch of chopped parsley
TT Sherry vinegar or lemon juice
TT salt

Cut in half the eggplant, sprinkle salt, and drizzle oil. Place them cut side down in a container, cover with foil, and roast them for 45 minutes.

Toss the bell peppers with oil and salt. Place them in the oven at 400 for about 18-20 minutes until charred. Once ready, place them in a container and wrap them in plastic so they can steam for about 15 minutes. Once they cool down, peel and deseed them.

While eggplant and bell peppers cook, caramelize onion in a pot, with a touch of water and salt. 

Once everything is cooked, cool down, dice the roasted pepper and the eggplant, mix all ingredients and season with salt, sherry vinegar or lemon, and parsley.

2nd Course
Day Boat Jumbo Scallop Crudo with Pomegranate Consommé, Avocado Mousse, House-made Aioli, Micro Cilantro, and Crispy Garlic
Paired with: Gangi Yuunagi Junmai Daiginjo

Scallop crudo (for one serving)

1 ea scallop
2 oz EVOO
2 oz fresh lemon squeezed
1 oz pomegranate consommé (see below)
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch crispy garlic (see below)
½ oz avocado mousse (see below)
½ oz aioli
crispy sweet potato (see below)

Slice the scallop in between 3-4 slices (depending on the size of it).

Let the scallop sit overnight in EVOO, 2 hours prior to serving it, mix the lemon juice into the scallop with the EVOO.

In a bowl, put a dot of avocado mousse (like about the size of a quarter coin).

Strain scallops from the liquid and overlap them over the avocado mousse.

Pour the pomegranate consommé around the scallop (you might have to use more or less than an ounce, depending on your plate).

Do another small dot of avocado mousse on top of the scallop.

Sprinkle crispy garlic, sea salt.

Garnish with crispy sweet potato and aioli.

Pomegranate Consommé

3 T sugar
½ water
1 qt fresh pomegranate juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
TT salt

Mix sugar and water in a pot, bring it to a boil and as soon as the sugar is dissolved, turn off and cool down.

Start seasoning the pomegranate juice, with simple syrup, lemon juice, and salt.

Make sure it is not too sweet, simple syrup is to enhance the flavor of the pomegranate, add lemon for acidity, and salt.

Strain through a chinois and a cheesecloth to make it as pure as possible.

Crispy Garlic

1 head of garlic
1 cup of EVOO

Mince garlic, put it in the smallest pot you can find with the oil (you might have to add more oil, you want the garlic to be completely covered in oil.

In a low-medium stove, heat up the garlic, stir it every 2 minutes, once garlic starts turning brown (NOT BURN), strain it, save the oil for future dishes.

Dry garlic in paper towels and season with salt.

Avocado mousse

2 ea avocado
2 ea lemon
TT salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Crispy Sweet Potato Strings

1 ea sweet potato
TT salt

Thinly slice the sweet potato. With a sharp knife julienne the potato as thin as possible.

Fry at 300 F until it stops bubbling. Season with salt.

3rd Course 
Chicken Confit, Parsnip Puree, Demi Glace, locally grown Wood-oven Roasted Mushrooms and Chervil  
Paired with: Noguchi Honjozo Muroka Nama Genshu

Chicken Confit

5 each chicken legs with thigh
2 qt of duck fat (or enough to cover the meat in the dish)
2 oz chicken demi
Salt

Sprinkle salt on the chicken like if you are seasoning it. Let them sit in a tray for 6 hours in the refrigerator. While this, melt the fat in a pot, don’t let it get hot, we just want it warm.

Rinse the salt from the chicken in cold water, dry them, and put them in an oven proof container. Submerge in duck fat. Cover with foil and cook for 4 hours at 250 F.

While hot and fully cooked, pick the meat out of the bone, add chicken demi, 2 oz of duck fat, and a sprinkle of salt. Mix it up (be careful of not over mixing the meat and turning it into a paste). Place the meat in a greased container, spread it, place a paper liner on top, and press it with another container on top for some weight (a couple of cans will work). Cool it down. Once cool down, cut it into the desired shape.

Parsnip puree

5 ea parsnips
EVOO
¼ lb butter
TT salt
TT lemon juice

Peel and chop parsnip, toss them in a little bit of oil with a sprinkle of salt. Place them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

Place the roasted parsnip in a pot, fill it with water until it barely covers the parsnip. Place them in the stove at medium-high flame. Once water is almost all gone, place in a blender, add whole butter, and add enough water for the blades to blend the parsnip. Season with salt and lemon juice.

Roasted mushroom

1lb mushrooms (your desire on what kind)
EVOO
Salt

Break down mushrooms with hands. Toss mushrooms in EVOO and salt. Place them in a sheet pan inside the wood oven, for about 12 minutes. Move them around so they cook evenly.