Somedays, the path from concept to execution is clear and linear, where flavors and textures that are united in the mind manifest themselves on a plate with smug accuracy. But the palate doesn't lie. Not even when the brain falls under the spell of an ingredient. That hussy–the quince–she had me completely seduced.
Blame it on the Montbriac, the instigator of the incident. Upon tasting the RocheBaron* creamy blue cheese, I knew that I wanted to highlight it in something more than a cheese plate. With the tangy funk of Roquefort in mind, I flipped through my mental catalog of flavors. Intuition, through the filter of experience, produced the following hits: ripe fruit esters, bitter greens, warm toasty aromas.
Ginger bread instantly found its role. Ground and toasted with walnut oil, it fit the profile that I was after. Belgian endive hearts, caramelized in brown butter, reinforced the nuttiness and introduced a mellow bitterness and succulent, crisp texture.
The pieces fell into place. The path was clear. Then, it happened.
Reaching for the ripe Bartletts on the counter, my attention wavered to the neighboring quince.
"Hello" she said "why not choose me instead of Mr. Predictable over there. I am the unexpected twist that your dish needs."
I should have followed my instincts, which told me not to listen to a love child of the rose and the apple.
Looking back, I think my resolve shifted when she swayed me with the spicy, floral fragrance that she can only release when ripe. She was a fruit in heat and I am a whore for heady aromas. That was my unraveling…but, the truth is that she had me at hello.
And so, I spent the ensuing hour trying to coax her into playing nice. The problem was that she insisted on being the star. She made the cheese feel rubbery, the endive taste flat, and robbed the ginger bread of its spice. They all threatened to walk off stage if she were not recast.
Meanwhile, the Bartletts stood in the wings, quietly mocking me. They did not protest when I reduced them to a fragrant juice. Or, when I blended them with LM pectin and a touch of calcium, transforming their texture to that of pear confit.
With the spell broken and a cleared head, it was no surprise that the rest of the cast cheered when the pear entered the stage and that the dish received rave reviews.
* RocheBaron Montbriac is a rich and creamy blue cheese with an ash rind. Made in Pouligny-Sainte-Pierre in central France, it is the product of a successful experiment resulting from injecting Roquefort mold into a soft Brie.
Playing with Fire and Water 
Did you really talk to that quince?
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I must try this cheese. It sounds fabulous. I have a couple questions: What was the texture of the pear component? Was it quite set like pâtes de fruits, or just barely holding its shape? What percentage pectin did you use? How did you mold it into that shape? If I had to guess, I’d say you waited until it had cooled and thickened a bit, rolled it into a log, let it set completely, then sliced it with a warm knife. Am I close?
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Of course I don’t talk to food (I’m not a nutcase)…it does all the talking, I just listen.
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yes, do try montbriac…its like eating Roquefort with butter and funk from the rind.
the pear texture had a bit of tooth to it, but quickly melted. It really did remind me of the apple confit balls that I made recently.
As for the percentage, my notes are so jumbled from all the tweaking that I did with the quince to try to make it work (adding sugar, salt,etc) that it threw the proportions off. For the pear, it looks like I went with 2%.
The molding is stupid simple: pour into PVC pipe, set, slice.
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Good answer. You’ve been listening to Jose Andres.
Actually, I have a pot of New Orleans style red beans simmering on my stove for lunch… and they’re screaming at me. I think they’re really happy to see me… it’s been awhile.
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keep cookin’em..those beans are too firm if they’re happy to see you
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Beans take patience. As soon as they tell me they’re ready, I’ll begin smashing a few of them against the side of the pot… that’s part of the secret.
I’m using some organic red beans and a great smoked pork shank I found yesterday… the flavor is amazing. It’s destiny calling me.
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Those poor pears!
This sounds wonderful!
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