Recipe War Week #1: Amuse Bouche
August 31, 2008
PhysioProf’s amuse bouche is a miniature morel mushroom and duck confit chawanmushi (Japanese savory egg custard). Recipe is inside the crack.
Ingedients:
4 eggs
1 cup concentrated demi-glace
1 cup water
2 tbsp white wine
salt
morel mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dried)
duck confit
little ceramic cups with lids
(1) Break eggs and mix yolks and whites by stirring (not beating), introducing as few bubbles as possible.
(2) Gently mix in demi-glace, water, and wine. (The exact ratio of demi-glace and water depends on how concentrated the dem-glace is. Combine the demi-glace and water separately, make sure it tastes fucking good at that ratio, and salt to taste before adding to the eggs.)
(3) Strain this mixture through a fine sieve.
(4) Place one piece of morel mushroom and some shreds of duck confit in each of the little ceramic cups, and then pour in the egg mixture to cover the morel and confit. (Don’t get too close to the top of the cup.) Put the fucking lids on.
(5) Steam the motherfuckers over high heat for approximately ten-fifteen minutes. To test if they’re done, poke the top with a thick toothpick. If the custard is solidified and clear broth (not cloudy with egg) comes out of the hole, they’re done.
(6) Serve with a little tiny spoon. To eat, remove the fucking lid, stir the shit up a bit to break up the custard and mix the flavors, and YUM!
Vote here! And do not be bamboozled by pretty pictures. Remember, this is a Recipe War!
September 1, 2008 at 12:33 am
a) You both did way more interesting stuff than I expected. Congratulations.
b) Do you make your own demi-glace???
September 1, 2008 at 7:39 am
call me an ignoramus
what is demi-glace (i know i can do the google)
September 1, 2008 at 8:04 am
This is a recipe I will certain try. And you make reading it very entertaining! You’re a funny man.
September 1, 2008 at 8:12 am
Morels? Duck confit? Did the gibes about the junk food snacks hit a nerve?
September 1, 2008 at 8:16 am
meh, I want pictures. Prove you made it.
September 1, 2008 at 10:03 am
Who knew you had a hidden talent for cooking. I’ve got to say though- you are going to have to put up some photogaphs if you are seriously going to compete with Isis.
I’d love to judge this little contest.
September 1, 2008 at 11:25 am
this sounds tasty.
A few questions before I vote….did you make the duck confit and the demi-glace?
If so, wow.
September 1, 2008 at 12:26 pm
This is a Recipe War, not a cooking war.
September 1, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Seems to me that you are a bit sore at the outcome so far, PP. Also, seems that you left out the “recipes” for your duck confit and demi-glace. Unless, of course, your readers have the ability to pull them out of their collective arses.
I give you minus 5 points for the incomplete nature of your recipe.
September 1, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I am a big-picture Recipe Artist. Details such as how to make duck confit and demi-glace are left to the reader.
September 1, 2008 at 2:19 pm
PP-
There is going to be a smackdown… you better be careful when competing with the domestic goddess.. she’s taking this to a higher level. Can you match her?
September 1, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Part of this contest is that these have to be recipes that the person has made…not just some pie in the sky fancy recipe..no?
September 1, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Of course these have to be recipes that the Recipe Artist has made!
September 1, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Pinus, I think you have nailed it. Isis clearly has made her. PP is just making shit up.
September 1, 2008 at 2:58 pm
“made hers,” even.
September 1, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Loves me morels, but need pictures before voting for you.
September 1, 2008 at 4:23 pm
This manuscript reports the method for preparation of a potentially novel and delicious amuse bouche. However, enthusiasm for the report is markedly reduced by the incomplete nature of the introduction (for example, the means by which demi-glace may be prepare, or the supplier from whom it was obtained). In addition, the norm in the field is for such reports to be accompanied by substantive figures detailing and verifying the experimental procedures described, and the absence of such should be addressed prior to resubmission.
September 1, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Ewan-
That was PRICELESS!
September 1, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Ahhh hahahaahahaha I love it Ewan.
See PhysioProf, it is harder for us to visualize and flavorolize what these might be like without pictures and further graphical language description.
Either you gotta make it all experiential, or you gotta require that judges actually make and try the recipes, too. Go Nature Methods on us.
September 2, 2008 at 4:11 am
Hahahahahaha Ewan! I love it!
September 3, 2008 at 8:57 am
Impressive!
Kim “Microwave” Bastante
September 3, 2008 at 6:47 pm
LOL ewan LOL
September 5, 2008 at 3:09 am
you’re my favorite blogger by far. there’s science, career advice, cursing, liberal views, feminism, and recipes, motherfucker. i still have to see what isis posted before i vote, though.
September 5, 2008 at 3:20 am
I have been out of the country in locales that did not have internet access. I refrained from being swayed by my personal BIAS towards you and your site. I also did not look to see what the current vote tallies were in the first recipe showdown. That said, I did vote for you. Congrats to Isis, who not only gets bragging rights but apparently some sort of ‘prize’ from PP! You lucky woman you!!
September 7, 2008 at 12:44 am
I think it is quite possible that the combination of Isis’ triumph and Sarah Palin has …. broken PhysioProf.
September 7, 2008 at 10:39 am
bm – I think he’s probably toiling away in the kitchen on a dozen or so different salad recipes in a frantic attempt to draw level.
Perhaps he’s off trying to track down SP’s Moose Stew recipe ahead of the meat rounds?
September 7, 2008 at 10:51 am
moose stew! Yeah that should be the meat course. Bring it!
September 7, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Physiogroupie IV? PP has groupies? How can I possibly believe that a vote from Physiogroupie IV and the previous three Physiogroupies is unbiased?
September 7, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Yeah, I’m sure your cadre of boot-licking sycophants is totally unbiased!
September 7, 2008 at 3:34 pm
My readers are only unbiased, honest, caring people.
September 7, 2008 at 10:47 pm
[...] PhysioProf got his sorry ass handed to him on a fucking platter by vicious competitor Isis in the first battle of the Recipe War. Well, PhysioProf learns from his fuck-ups, and this week he is back with a vengeance. For the [...]
September 8, 2008 at 1:11 am
This contest should be over.
That way we could save the poor mangled food stuffs from Physio’s inept paws . . . .
Escoffier is turning in his grave, and he’s not turning chantrelle’s, either.
The Chick Wins!!! *G*
Now please, can we save the food?
December 10, 2008 at 3:49 pm
i know the competition is over but…
i think your chawan mushi amuse bouche is fucked!
-the eggs will be full of pimples! u have to turn your steaming heat to simmer and not on high like you are on crack
-the resultant will be brown and dull which kinda defies the reputation of an amuse bouche
December 27, 2008 at 12:34 am
Great recipe explained with temperate tranquility. Will make this for Hogmanay. Like your blog – might become a fan!