Aren't food blogging events a wonderful thing? Despite the fact that with the sky-rocketing number of foodblogs, there is an ever-increasing number of events being hosted, I always find one that pushes the boat out a bit and challenges me to try something new. Jeanne's recent call to do a sweet/savoury swap for January's WTSIM, ie create a savoury version of a dish that is normally sweet or vice-versa, was one such event. Although many dishes like that have been permeating restaurant menus around the globe (the Fat Duck's snail porridge being a prolific example, but things like cheese soufflés have become very popular over the last few years), this way of turning a dish on its head is far more difficult than one might think. Believe me, I have tried some pretty horrific attempts in top-notch restaurants over the years, one that still makes me gag is Angela Hartnett's attempt of a chocolate soup - no wonder The Connaught is not under her helm anymore.
As I was tossing and turning ideas to challenge established taste experiences, I found myself wondering about the inherent qualities of sweet and savoury and found that, indeed, some traditional ways of cooking cannot be reversed effectively. Aforementioned chocolate soup was lacking the creaminess we connect with chocolate, for example, and was therefore tasting bland and quite odd. Like chocolate custard powder mixed into cold water. Many sweet dishes like custard are not that easily married with vegetables (although a baked jerusalem artichoke cheesecake was one of the things I'd considered giving a try). I had a baked potato chocolate tart at Hibiscus not long ago and felt that, flavours aside, the consistency put me off - it's like your taste buds scream "chocolate", but your tongue feels like it's eating potato mash... sending my brain into a somewhat schizophrenic state I could only bear for a couple of mouthfuls. I am not usually one to push a plate full of dessert away from me, but my fellow diners couldn't help but do the same.
With these past experiences in mind (and remember, the creators of those were professional chefs, not amateurs like me), I discarded each and every idea that came into mind until I remembered something I had wanted to try for ages. I guess choosing foie gras was an easy option, but I found this a very happy marriage indeed. I stewed the pears in sauternes and seasoned them with cardamom, stirred in some prunes for extra sweetness, then arranged a bite-ful each on ceramic spoons. They were then topped with creamy foie gras, smoothed over with a spatula and sprinkled with caster sugar - a quick, but close encounter with the blow torch and voilà: an unusual, yet delicious amuse-gueule that fit Jeanne's stringent rules, but didn't make my taste-buds go ballistic! If anything, they were screaming for more, more, more!!!
Foie gras and pear compote crème brulée spoons
(makes 8)
3 tbsp butter
1 medium pear
1 pinch cardamom powder
4 tbsp Sauternes (or other dessert wine)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 soft stone-less prunes (chopped)
80 g bloc de foie gras
8 tbsp caster sugar
First, prepare the pear compote.
Melt 1 tbsp of the butter In a shallow, non-stick frying pan with a lid. Peel and core the pear and cut into 5mm dice. Fry the pear in the butter for a minutes or two, then add 2 tbsp of Sauternes, lemon juice and cardamom and stew, covered, for about 5 minutes or until very soft. Mash roughly, making sure to add all the remaining juices, which should be nice and caramelised. Stir in the chopped prunes.
Meanwhile, warm the foie gras in its container by placing it in a pot with hot water. After about 10 minutes, spoon out the warmed foie, place in a bowl with the 2 tbsp of melted butter and the remaining Sauternes and process to a smooth paste.
To finish off, place a heaped tsp full of the pear compote on a tasting spoon (I use these from Maxwell & Williams or Chinese soup spoons). Flatten out and smooth over a tbsp full of the foie gras mixture. To make sure that the top is completely flat and level with the rim of the spoon, use a spatula and run it along the spoon at a 45 degree angle, from the shaft to the tip.
Spread 1 tbsp of caster sugar over it and distribute evenly. Melt the sugar with a blow torch until it is nicely caramelised. Leave to cool and harden before serving it on individual plates, with toasted brioche on the side, if you like.
Johanna, this dish looks so appetizing!
Posted by: Sophie | Feb 05, 2009 at 08:17 PM
Wow, I love your creativity. I am very tempted to try this myself.
Posted by: Jessica @ Bring Your Appetite | Feb 06, 2009 at 12:53 AM
Wonderful sounding stuff Johanna; certainly beats my sweet cheese on toast effort :-)
Posted by: Andrew | Feb 06, 2009 at 05:07 AM
That sounds very sophisticated and wonderfully imaginative. I love all yor canape and tiny tasters that you do. It is the kind of thing that would drive me crazy to make, but I'd love to eat.
Posted by: Kit | Feb 06, 2009 at 07:50 AM
This looks fantastic. I found it a very hard theme - as I agree to me (perhaps I am uncreative in this way) so often sweet and savoury just cannot be mixed. I mean dessert soup (which I have also had - disgusting), dessert pizza - need I say more.
Posted by: Gourmet Chick | Feb 06, 2009 at 10:09 AM
A savoury creme brulee wouldn't exactly excite my tastebuds I think, it has something not very appetizing about it. I solute your braveness trying it though and would love to give it a try for the sake of it.
I've been toying with a chocolate pasta recently, although haven't found the courage to make one yet.
Posted by: Takeaway | Feb 06, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Wow - well done Johanna! I knew you'd come up trumps. It's interesting to read people's comments and the strong reactions that this theme provoked. I must say, I had a chocolate and rosemary soup in Barcelona that was quite simply divine. My point is that if you like chocolate sauce, there is absolutely no reason for you not to like chocolate "soup" - it's often your brain that's playing tricks on you, superimposing its expectations over the actual dish :) (Of course there are also some "innovative" ideas that just plain do not work...) And as for vegetables in a baked custard - is that really so very different to a quiche? I can see myself playing with this idea a lot more in future...
Posted by: Jeanne | Feb 06, 2009 at 12:37 PM
That looks and sounds awesome! and so creative.
Sorry I haven't been in touch recently - RL has been hectichectichectic!
Posted by: Christina | Feb 06, 2009 at 01:26 PM
This sounds very, very good indeed, Johanna! Foie gras goes so well with fruit and I think the brulee topping is inspired!
Posted by: Angela | Feb 06, 2009 at 04:05 PM
Oh my - these look sublime.
Like you, I've had some less-than-brilliant sweet/savoury swaps in the past which have made me rather wary of such dishes. But I just know that I'd love these - foie gras is so good with sweeter flavours and I really love your presentation.
Posted by: Antonia | Feb 06, 2009 at 06:54 PM
Interesting event and I like your reflections on it - reminded me of one more swap I would like to try again - sweet pasta - I once had chocolate pasta with raspberry sauce but have seen other sweet pasta's since. I guess it is a matter of not just trying the sweet/savoury swap to shock and amaze but because your taste buds are going to love it!
Posted by: Johanna | Feb 07, 2009 at 12:21 AM
I wish there were more hours in the day to participate in all the events I want to get involved in:(
This looks fantastic and sounds delicious!
Posted by: Tartelette | Feb 07, 2009 at 04:38 AM
sophie - thanks for the compliment. it needs some imagination, but i am glad you're tempted.
jessica - you should definitey give it a try. it's incredibly easy to make and if nothing else, will impress guests for its novelty factor.
andrew - i actually liked your creation... it might have been a "lazy" options, but it's got all the right flavours!
kit - thanks. for me, simple is always best, but with finger food, i just love the fiddly bits... when i have people around i know will appreciate it ;-)
jeanne, you are absolutely right, i don't know what put me off the idea. it's simply because i ran out of time that i chose this, as i knew from the start that it would work. i will try the other things as well, maybe you want to be part of the experiment?
christina - it's great to have you back. how unfair that our real life re-prioritises for us... i hope to see you some time soon, henley at the latest, right?
angela - promise you will try it. if you love foie gras, fruit and creme brulee, this is your kind of dish!
antonia - i appreciate that people experiment with things like that and that sometimes, they're not successful. i just wish they wouldn't serve it in their restaurant, though ;-)
johanna - the chocolate pasta does seem like something i would try... and i am always one to try seemingly weird creations when prepared by chefs i trust!
tartelette - i hear you... i can't even keep up with blogs, let alone all the events. i do enjoy reading the roundups as well, though. i hope you'll join in the next time though, where the theme is hot desserts!
Posted by: johanna | Feb 07, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Fois gras again? You're being very indulgent this New Year, Johanna. I guess you're not feeling the recession ;)
Posted by: Scott at Realepicurean | Feb 07, 2009 at 11:09 PM
scott - on the contrary... these are, indeed, left-overs. my friend from the basque country has been bringing me some from a trip to the homeland and i had two cans left over from a catering i did when we didn't have a clue what the months ahead would bring ;-)
Posted by: johanna | Feb 08, 2009 at 03:57 PM
this is really inspired - i can see how this works really well together. thanks for pushing the envelope w/ this one.
Posted by: we are never full | Feb 09, 2009 at 12:56 AM
Oh my Gods!!! This looks exquisite.
What a heavenly concept. Fois Brulee! Mmmmmmm... Thank you!!
Cheers,
~ Paula
Posted by: Paula Maack | Feb 20, 2009 at 10:01 PM
Johanna, Wonderful recipe, flavors were outstanding. The pear compote is divine. From my perspective though, I skipped the caster sugar topping as I felt it made the amuse way too sweet. I just topped each spoon with minced prunes. And I also felt that if one is using a foie gras pate that one can skip adding the Sauterne and butter. Recipe works great with truffled foie gras as well.
Posted by: kat | Jul 11, 2009 at 05:12 PM
thanks for your feedback... the spoons do get quite sweet, but there wouldn't be a creme brulee effect without the caster sugar topping ;-)
you're absolutely right about the pate, if you use foie gras in that way no misxing with sauternes is usually required, although i have had so many different types of pate, some really soft (mousse-like), others quite firm... it all depends!
Posted by: johanna | Jul 13, 2009 at 04:30 PM