Dovetail - Day 7

A very educational and inspirational week has come to a close. I can't thank the crew at Dovetail enough for taking me on for the past seven days and teaching me as much as possible. I could have easily been "the herb picking guy", but instead, given the chance to play around with some very cool things. Over the last couple days the guys continued to send me over plates of food (no complaints there!) Here's a couple...

Crispy Skinned Salmon

Artichoke and Pearl Onion

Braised Cucumber

Fumet Reduction

Ice Plant

It was the acid in this dish carried it all the way home for me. The lemony fumet and white wine infused artichokes really made it sing. I can't say I've ever seen warm cucumbers on a dish before, let alone more than one at the same restaurant. Dovetail has them everywhere, and they're delicious! Maybe even better than serving them chilled. These were seared briefly and glazed with buerre monte and fumet. They still had a beautiful snap to them and were oh so juicy. Like little sponges. Warm cucumbers: two thumbs up.

Beets and Curry

New York Duck Breast with Pistachio

Duck Confit

Edamame

This is one of those dishes that make you gasp a little when it's set down. Even more than just beauty, the utilization and flavors here were brilliant. The duck breast has had the skin sliced off, fat rendered, and just before hitting the pass, dipped in a bright green pistachio crumble. Nearly every part of the beets were used. Both large and baby were roasted, pickled, and puree. The puree was blended with curry spices. The best part of this dish was in the form of a roulade: A rolled pasta sheet lined with duck confit and foie gras is slightly crisped in a pan and then glazed with duck jus. 

Venison

Sweet Potato Risotto

Sunchokes

Swiss Chard

Another thoughtful dish. The venison loin is seasoned and wrapped lengthwise in plastic wrap. A portion is sliced off to order and seared on either side to medium rare. The already rich risotto was swathed in a puree of sweet potato. Bright yellow and red swiss chard stems were pickled with two different solutions, while the  leaves were bound and deep fried. All was dressed with a reduction of venison stock. Complex flavors, simply prepared, delicious. 

This week was incredibly important for many different reasons. I had the chance to learn some great new techniques including pasta production and how to butcher a whole pig. I worked with other passionate cooks like myself and compared notes on recipes, flavor combinations, and kitchen service details. Lastly, I got to see what makes a NYC Michelin star restaurant tick - and why they're well on their way to two stars. I can't begin to describe how important I think stages of this nature are. It gives one a fresh outlook, an idea of what the competition is doing, and an opportunity to meet with peers in the cooking community. 

As for future travels, Kate and I are in the JFK airport at this very moment - in route to Madrid, Spain. Can't wait to share travel stories, pictures, and new food experiences. We don't even know what we're in for. 

Catch you on the flipside,

Taylor