WASHINGTON – Rhubarb: candy-pink harbinger of spring, perpetual partner of strawberry in pies.
“I think it’s almost like a forgotten vegetable,” said Jonathan Heeter, sous-chef at Trummer’s on Main in Clifton, Virginia. “Once you know how to use it, it packs a punch.”
Heeter might know the feeling. As a sous-chef, he takes a back seat to executive chef Austin Fausett, but Trummer’s – and every other notable restaurant in and around Washington – relies on the strength of its sous. That’s why The Washington Post invited three of them – Heeter and Krystal Cripe of the Red Hen iand Faiz Ally of Del Campo, both in Washington – to a competition to create the best rhubarb dish for spring. The catch? It had to be savory.
“Rhubarb is definitely a difficult ingredient to work with,” Cripe said. “People are used to seeing it in sweet desserts, with … something sweet to cut that tartness. It was tough to get that balance in savory.”
The three were given limitations: The dish could incorporate just six ingredients (not including salt and pepper). And when the sous-chefs gathered at cooking school CulinAerie, they had just one hour to prepare their dish.
Cripe went for simplicity, using strawberry, rhubarb and cucumber in a bright, velvety-smooth chilled soup topped with peppery ricotta. But for Ally and Heeter, it was a foie gras face-off, with both chefs smartly using rhubarb to cut the richness of the duck liver. Heeter also incorporated duck breast, which he paired with rhubarb stripes and preserve, and a duck-fat-coated wild rice. Alas, he had intended to temper rhubarb’s sourness with cherries, if it weren’t for a mix-up: He accidentally grabbed an opaque container of cranberries.
Ally, meanwhile, busied himself with two applications of the rhubarb: diced and reduced with balsamic vinegar, and grilled in thin strips (which gave them zebra-like stripes) for a garnish.
“I wanted to take the traditional aspect of the way you cook rhubarb, but apply it to what we do at Del Campo with the grilling, the charring, the smoking,” Ally said.
True to his origins, he also grilled and smoked his foie gras, which he topped with grilled pea tendrils and a burnt-onion jam. Washington Post food writers and editors who judged the dishes (along with CulinAerie’s Susan Holt) picked Ally’s as the winner, praising its creativity and boldness, and stunning plating. In a tight vote, Heeter’s dish came in second and Cripe’s third.
“They’re very bold and assertive flavors,” said Ally, who had fond memories of strawberry-rhubarb pie from a childhood in the South. “I had a lobe of foie gras, and I thought, let me make something really rich and decadent.”
GRILLED SMOKED FOIE GRAS WITH BURNT RHUBARB VINAIGRETTE
4 servings
Here, charred pea shoots, onion and rhubarb provide the base for seared, smoky foie gras. Del Campo sous-chef Faiz Ally aimed for versatility in devising his dish, using a few ingredients in more than one way. “It opened it up for me to be a little more creative,” he says.
You’ll need a mandoline or very sharp knife, a cast-iron grill pan, a stove-top smoker and a good ventilation system in the kitchen (or an open window close by).
Ingredients:
– For the burnt onion jam
Two 1/2-inch-thick slices large red onion
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
– For the foie gras
2 medium stalks rhubarb (8 ounces total)
4 handfuls pea shoots
12 ounces Grade A (duck) foie gras, cut into 4 equal slices
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup balsamic vinegar, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup sugar
1 bunch fresh thyme (for smoking)
Steps:
For the burnt onion jam: Heat a grill pan over high heat. Place the onion slices in the pan; cook for about 8 minutes, turning them over halfway through, or until softened and thoroughly charred on the edges. Transfer to a cutting board to cool completely; finely chop. Scrape into a medium bowl; gradually work in the balsamic vinegar to form a jammy paste. (You may not need the entire amount of vinegar.) Keep the pan over high heat.
For the foie gras: Use a mandoline or very sharp knife to cut eight 2-inch long strips from one of the rhubarb stalks; the strips should be so thin that they are almost translucent. Lay them in the grill pan; cook for about 1 minute, until you see char stripes forming, then transfer to a plate. Reserve for garnish. Cut the remaining rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces; add half to the still-hot pan and cook for about 4 minutes, until lightly charred on the edges and softened. Stir into the burnt onion jam.
Add the pea shoots to the grill pan (still over high heat); cook for about 15 seconds or until charred in spots. Transfer to a plate.
Trim and reserve the exterior of the foie gras slices; place those trimmings in a large saute pan and cook over low heat, to render some fat. Increase the heat to high.
Use a sharp knife to score a crosshatch pattern on one side of each of the four 3-ounce foie gras pieces. Season them lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan, scored sides down; cook until well browned, then turn them over and cook on the second side until lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium; cook for about 3 minutes, constantly spooning/basting the rendered fat over the foie gras pieces. Transfer the seared foie gras pieces to a metal or flameproof plate. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Stir the remaining diced rhubarb into the pan to coat, then add the balsamic vinegar and sugar, stirring to incorporate. Reduce the heat to low; cook until the mixture has reduced and is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the burnt onion jam and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place the thyme in the bottom of the stove-top smoker, then arrange the seared foie gras pieces in the top of the smoker. Use a lighter or lighted match to start burning the thyme; quickly close the lid to briefly smoke the seared foie gras. Open the lid. Discard the thyme once it has thoroughly cooled.
Divide the burnt onion jam among individual plates, spooning it at the center of each one. Place a piece of the smoked, seared foie gras on top. Garnish with the charred pea tendrils and the seared, striped slices of rhubarb. Drizzle the plate with a little balsamic vinegar. Serve right away.
(Recipe tested by Andy Sikkenga; email questions to food@washpost.com.)
DUCK BREAST AND FOIE GRAS WITH WILD RICE PILAF AND CHERRY-RHUBARB PRESERVE
4 servings
Rhubarb’s charms pair nicely with duck, says Trummer’s on Main sous-chef Jonathan Heeter, which is why he used both the breast and duck foie gras in this stunning, luxurious dish. Cherry juice gives the rhubarb a glorious pink color.
You’ll need a mandoline and an instant-read thermometer.
MAKE AHEAD: The wild rice can be cooked several days in advance; finish with the duck fat just before serving. The preserve can be cooked and refrigerated a few days in advance; you may need to add a little water when reheating over low heat.
Ingredients:
– For the wild rice pilaf
2 cups wild rice (not a blend), rinsed
4 cups water
Kosher salt
– For the preserve and rhubarb stripes
3 medium stalks rhubarb (12 ounces total)
2 cups pitted sour cherries (frozen/defrosted or fresh)
Kosher salt
– For the duck and foie gras
1 or 2 duck breasts (11 ounces total)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce Grade A foie gras, cut into 4 thin slices
Watercress leaves, for garnish
Steps:
For the wild rice pilaf: Combine the wild rice, water and a good pinch of salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium; cook for about 25 minutes, or until al dente. Pour off any remaining liquid; cover to keep warm (off the heat) if using right away, or cool, transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate for up to several days.
For the preserve and rhubarb stripes: Use the mandoline to cut 1 stalk of rhubarb into a total of 12 long, thin strips. Cut the remaining rhubarb into very small dice to yield 2 cups.
Place the cherries in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, pressing and stirring to release the fruit’s juices. Strain and return to the saucepan, discarding the solids. Increase the heat to medium-high; cook for a few minutes, until the juice has reduced a bit and becomes slightly syrupy. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Dip each rhubarb strip into the reduced juice, just long enough so that it’s evenly coated and slightly softened; lay the coated strips right next to each other or slightly overlapping on a sheet of parchment paper. Trim to form a rectangle that measures about 10 by 7 inches.
Stir the diced rhubarb into what’s left in the saucepan; cook (over medium-low heat) for about 6 minutes, or until the rhubarb has softened. Turn off the heat.
For the duck and foie gras: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Use a sharp knife to score a crosshatch pattern on the fat side of the duck breast(s). Lightly season the flesh side(s) with salt. Place fat side(s) down in the skillet; cook for about 10 minutes or until the fat is nicely browned and a fair amount of fat has rendered. Turn the duck breast(s) over; cook on the flesh side until the center of the meat registers 125 degrees (medium-rare) on an instant-read thermometer, which should take about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to rest.
Increase the heat to medium-high; add the thinly sliced foie gras and sear for a few minutes, turning them once, until nicely browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
Transfer 2 teaspoons of the rendered duck fat to a separate saute pan; heat over medium-low heat. Add the cooked wild rice and stir to coat; cook until the rice has warmed through.
When ready to serve, lay 3 coated rhubarb strips at the center of each plate, overlapping them slightly. Cut the duck breast(s) crosswise into thick slices, laying them diagonally across each base of rhubarb strips. Top each portion of duck with a slice of foie gras. Divide the rice among each plate, creating a small mound on top of the rhubarb strips. Garnish each plate with watercress leaves, a dollop of the cherry-rhubarb preserve and a streak of liquid from the preserve.
Serve warm.
(Recipe tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; e-mail questions to food@washpost.com)
CHILLED RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY SOUP WITH BLACK PEPPER RICOTTA
4 servings (makes about 4 1/4 cups)
This chilled soup, the Spring Dining Guide’s Sous-Chef Challenge entry from Red Hen sous-chef Krystal Cripe, is perfect for serving in warm weather. She says the classic fruit pairing is something she grew up with, but it took a fair amount of experimentation for her to find the right balance between sweet and tart flavors.
MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Ingredients:
– For the soup
Scant 7 ounces (about 2 1/2 medium stalks) rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
14 ounces seedless cucumber
13 ounces strawberries, hulled and each cut in half
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup filtered water
Kosher salt
– For the balsamic reduction
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch kosher salt
– For the ricotta
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Steps:
For the soup: Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Fill a medium pot with water; add a generous pinch or two of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chopped rhubarb; cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, just until tender, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the rhubarb to the ice-water bath. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop all but 1 ounce of the cucumber (to yield 2 1/4 cups). Cut the remaining unpeeled cucumber into very small dice; reserve for a garnish.
Drain the rhubarb and transfer all but a few pieces to a blender or food processor. Add the peeled, chopped cucumber, the strawberries, balsamic vinegar and water. Puree until smooth. Season lightly with salt; transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate until well chilled.
For the balsamic reduction: Combine the balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and vinegar has barely reduced; watch closely so the mixture does not burn. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
For the ricotta: Whisk together the ricotta and pepper in a medium bowl until well incorporated. Season lightly with salt.
When ready to serve, cut the reserved pieces of rhubarb into very small dice. Ladle the chilled soup among individual bowls. Spoon a dollop of the black pepper ricotta at the center of each portion. Sprinkle the diced rhubarb and cucumber in each bowl, then drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Serve right away.
(Recipe tested by Kara Elder; email questions to food2washpost.com)