Yes, small towns can provide BIG taste and you can try these two recipes, one from Beamesville, Ontario and one from Santa Ynez, California without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen courtesy of the chefs at SY Kitchen and The Good Earth.
CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT WITH ROSÉ AND HOT HONEY | The Good Earth
Makes about a dozen servings
For the Rosé Reduction
1 bottle (750 mL) of Rosé
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs of thyme
1 cup (250 mL) honey
For the Parfait
1-3/4 cups (400 g) cleaned and washed chicken livers
1-3/4 cups (400 g) melted butter
4 large eggs
Salt & cracked black pepper to taste
Pinch of pink curing salt, optional
To Serve
Hot Honey
Fresh herbs such as basil, mint and parsley, briefly torn
Flakey salt
Charred bread
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
To make the reduction place the rosé, shallots, garlic and thyme in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the wine to cook down until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. You should have about 1 to 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of liquid remaining. Remove the reduction from the heat and let cool briefly for a minute or two. Strain the mixture into a small bowl, and whisk in the honey until fully incorporated.
To make the parfait, purée chicken livers, rosé reduction, eggs, salt and pepper and optional curing salt in a high-powered blender of food proessor. With the blender running on high, slowly stream in the butter so that it is fully incorporated. Pass through cheesecloth, food mill or strainer.
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or oven proof dish and bake at 300°F for 50 minutes or until it has just set. Let the parfait cool at room temp for 1 hour and then place in the fridge to cool overnight completely. When ready to serve, use a large spoon or rubber spatula to transfer the parfait to your serving dish of choice. Serve chilled, with a generous drizzle of Hot Honey, the herbs and flakey salt alongside charred bread and a cold glass or two of Rosé.
Sy Kitchen Fresh Pea Salad
“FRESH PEA” SALAD | SY Kitchen
from Luca Crestanelli, Executive Chef and Owner/Partner, S.Y. Kitchen and Nella Kitchen & Bar
S.Y. Kitchen menu description: Arugula, fresh peas, dry ricotta, celery root, walnuts
Serves 4 ppl.
- Equal quantities of English peas and sugar snap peas – 2 cups total, one cup of each type of pea
- If possible, use farm-fresh peas. English peas will need to be shelled, then blanched for about 10 seconds. Sugar snap peas will need to be cut, then blanched very quickly. High-quality snow peas will also work, in place of sugar snap peas.
- Arugula – use double the quantity proportionate to the other ingredients
- Celery root – 1 cup, cut and stored in a bowl with cool water and lemon (to prevent browning)
- Walnuts, chopped – ½ cup or to preference
- Citrus dressing* (olive oil, orange and lemon, honey, whole grain mustard)
- Dress peas separately with olive oil and salt & pepper, then dress other ingredients in a separate bowl with the citrus dressing.
- Ricotta Salata, shaved thin
* If preferred, the citrus dressing can be replaced by simply using olive oil, salt & pepper, and a squeeze of lemon over the salad. If the honey in the citrus dressing is removed, as well as the Ricotta Salata, the salad becomes a vegan option.
