HotmailTry this truffled poussin for your next dinner
Find out how to make this succulent dish — from chef Douglas Keene of Cyrus Restaurant, in Healdsburg, Calif. — in your home kitchen
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THIS WEEK: Truffled Poussin with Potato Puree and Glazed Shallots from Cyrus Restaurant, in Healdsburg, Calif.
Truffles don’t look like much, but they're sublime and are considered an aphrodisiac, albeit an expensive treat. This week’s recipe — from chef Douglas Keane of Cyrus Restaurant, located in the heart of California's Sonoma wine country — infuses spring chickens with that beloved truffle aroma and flavor without emptying your wallet. Although you can substitute canned or jarred truffles, truffles lose flavor quickly after they are harvested, so as fresh as possible is best. Although the recipe calls for just one ounce of truffles for a serving size of four, remember that truffles have a strong flavor and too much can overwhelm.
About the chef:
Douglas Keane, 33, first developed an interest in cooking when he was a young boy helping his mother in their Michigan kitchen. That kitchen experience led him to enroll at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, during which an apprenticeship took him to San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
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Andy Katz |
But California beckoned again and Keane returned to San Francisco to serve as chef de cuisine at Jardinière. He then took a leave of absence to serve as opening sous chef at Restaurant Gary Danko. It was there he forged a friendship with his Cyrus partner, Nick Peyton. After a while, Keane returned to Jardinière as executive chef. In 2003, Keane and Peyton opened Market, a purveyor of all-American comfort food, in St. Helena.
At Cyrus, admittedly his "dream restaurant," where he is executive chef and owner, Keane specializes in an ambitious culinary style he refers to as “contemporary luxury” cuisine, which has a strong classic French foundation layered with contemporary global accents and an emphasis on seasonality. In describing his cooking philosophy, the young chef explains, "I try to pull the most out of each ingredient, capturing its essence and treating it with respect."
Truffled Poussin with Potato Puree and Glazed Shallots is served at Cyrus Restaurant for $16.00 a la carte. The recipe is for a serving size of four.
Serves four
INGREDIENTS
Glazed Shallot Ingredients
Potato Puree Ingredients
Poussin Ingredients
Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
Glazed Shallot Instructions
1. In a sauté pan with straight sides, heat the oil until just below smoking point.
2. Add the shallots and allow to caramelize on all sides.
3. When shallots have a nice golden color, dispose of the oil and deglaze with red wine and port.
4. Add thyme and bay leaf.
5. Allow wine to reduce until sec on medium to low heat.
6. Add one cup of veal stock at a time and allow to reduce all the way down.
7. Check the doneness of the shallots by inserting a small paring knife to the middle, there should be no resistance to the knife.
8. Keep adding the veal stock until the shallots are soft (you may not need to use the water), this should take about 35 to 45 minutes.
9. Keep refrigerated until ready to use (they can keep for two or three days).
10. When ready to serve, heat up shallots in a small pan with liquid.
Potato Puree Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1. Cover the potatoes with water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add salt after water boils.
3. Reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook potatoes until tender, approximately 25 minutes.
5. Strain the potatoes, place on a sheet pan and put in the oven for five minutes to allow the potatoes to dry.
6. Take the warm potatoes and place in a food mill with the smallest holes.
7. Pass potatoes directly into a saucepan.
8. After potatoes are passed, add milk and fold in with a rubber spatula while heat is on low.
9. After milk is added, fold in cold butter a little bit at a time, continuously folding with a rubber spatula.
10. Hold in warm pan until ready to serve
Poussin Instructions
Note: It is best to do the first two steps a day ahead so that the truffle flavor will permeate the meat
1. Slide the truffles in between the skin and breast meat of the poussin.
2. Keep covered in the refrigerator for a day.
3. In a large sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil until hot.
4. Salt and pepper the poussin on both sides.
5. Place poussin skin side down in the pan and cook on high heat until golden brown.
6. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook on skin-side only until completely cooked, approximately 6 minutes.
7. Flip birds over and cook on flesh side for 30 seconds.
8. Serve immediately.
Serving Instructions
1. Place the potato puree in the center of the plate.
2. Put the bird on top.
3. Place three shallots around the outside of the plate and drizzle some of the shallot glaze around for a sauce.
4. If available, shave extra truffles on top and serve immediately.
MANAGE YOUR RECIPES
Cyrus Restaurant
29 North Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-3311
www.cyrusrestaurant.com
Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a "Steal This Recipe" feature? Just e-mail Phil at Phil.Lempert@nbc.com (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.
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