"JohnCurrence" news and stories

2010 CMT "Artists of the Year" Recipes

Crispy Seared Rillettes on Buttermilk Biscuits with Onion Jam
Chef John Currence, Oxford, Mississippi, City Grocery Restaurant Group

Ingredients

5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
2 ½ pounds slab bacon, cut into chunks
1 pound pork fat back
2 ½ tablespoons red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
¼ cup garlic, chopped
1 ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
6 bay leaves
3 ½ tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons black pepper
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups water

Procedure

Rub pork butt with salt, black, and red pepper, and allow to sit overnight.

In a large pot over high heat, sear the bacon and fat back until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Sear the pork shoulder in same pot and when browned on all sides, return the bacon and fat back. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring pot to a boil over high heat.

Lower flame to medium/low and simmer (adding water to recover meats when needed) for 4-5 hours, or until pork shoulder is falling apart.

Strain off meats and discard liquid, saving about 1 cup of the pork fat (this liquid can be separated into fat and stock and the stock makes fantastic soup) and allow the meat to cool until you can handle it easily, but do not chill.

Remove bay leaves, bones, and cartilage.

In batches, pulse the meat in a food processor until the meat is just broken up, not pureed.

Store rillettes in mason jars covered with a thin layer (1/4 inch) of the reserved fat. This should keep refrigerated for up to a year, with the fat unbroken.


Chicken Liver Parfait with Bourbon-Brown Butter Pound Cake
Chef RJ Cooper, Washington, D.C., Rogue 24

Ingredients

Chicken Liver Parfait
14.5 ounces chicken livers (about 1 ¾ cups)
3 ½ tablespoons shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons port
3 tablespoons Madeira wine
3 tablespoons brandy
3 eggs
10.5 ounces unsalted butter
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
to taste salt & black pepper

Pound Cake
10 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces good bourbon (about ½ cup)
2 cups sifted cake flour, not self-rising, sift before measuring
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Syrup
4 ounces sugar (about ½ cup)
4 ounces water (about ½ cup)
1 vanilla bean, split
2 ounces good bourbon (about ¼ cup)


Procedure

Chicken Liver Parfait
Finely chop the shallot and garlic and place them into a small saucepan with the shallot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, port, Madeira wine, and brandy. Season this plentifully with salt & pepper. This will be the seasoning for the whole parfait, so you may need more than you think.

Boil the mixture until it has reduced by half. Remove the thyme and bay leaf and tip the rest of the reduction into a mixing bowl.

Heat the butter in a small pan or in the microwave until it has just melted (it should be warm but not hot) and then pour it into the same bowl as the reduction. Add the eggs and the cleaned livers. Ideally you want everything to be at the same temperature, otherwise it may split when blended.

Heat the oven to 248°F.

Blend the mixture using either a hand blender or counter top blender. You want the mixture smooth but don't over blend it, otherwise there will be too much air in the mixture which can cause it to crumble when cooked. Pour the blended mixture into a fine sieve and push it through with the back of a ladle or spoon into a bowl.

Grease a terrine mould (or any other suitable, oven proof dish) and line it with cling-film/plastic-wrap. Then pour the liver mixture into the mould.

Put a piece of tin foil over the top of the terrine or dish tight enough so that it isn't touching the liver mixture. If the terrine has a lid, place it on top as well.

Put the dish into a roasting tin, put the tin on the middle shelf of the oven and pour hot water into the tin so the level of water comes half way up the sides of the terrine mould.

Cook the parfait for 1 hour. Test it by inserting a temperature probe into the middle of the terrine. If the temperature has not reached 163ºF, place it back into the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. If you do not have a temperature probe you can check the parfait by giving the terrine a little shake. It should have a slight wobble in the middle when it is ready.

When the parfait is cooked, remove it from the oven and leave it to cool in the dish until it has reached room temperature. Place the parfait into the fridge to set, ideally over night.

The next day, out turn the terrine mould by using the cling film and ease it out onto a chopping board for slicing.

Use a thin sharp knife to slice the parfait. If you want clean slices, dunk the knife blade into a pot of hot water after each cut and wipe it clean on kitchen paper.


Bourbon-Brown Butter Pound Cake
Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Butter and lightly flour an 8 1/2-by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Heat butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until the milk of the butter solidifies on the bottom of the skillet and they become chocolate brown in color. Transfer to a shallow bowl, add the bourbon, and chill in the freezer until just congealed, about 15 minutes.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat together brown butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just incorporated.

Over medium heat in a small sauce pot, simmer the sugar, water, and vanilla bean together until it's thick. Take off the heat, let cool for 5 minutes, and add in the bourbon and butter mixture. Stir.

Transfer the batter into the pan. Smooth the top and rap the pan on the counter to settle the batter and ensure it is evenly spread. Bake until golden-brown and a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1-1 ¼ hours. Cool in pan 30 minutes, then invert cake onto a rack and cool completely, right side up, 1 hour. Brush the pound cake with syrup every 5 minutes.


Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Raisins, Toasted Pine Nuts and Parsley Sauce
Chef Michael Schwartz, Miami, Florida, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
1 head cauliflower
½ stick butter
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
to taste kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup Plumped Raisins
¼ cup Parsley Sauce

Plumped Raisins
1/3 cup raisins
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ sprig fresh rosemary

Parsley Sauce
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, firmly packed, washed and dried
3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 anchovies in oil, drained
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Procedure

Plumped Raisins
Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

Put the raisins in a small ramekin and pour in the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water. Add the rosemary. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the raisins are plump. Remove the raisins from the oven and set aside to cool.

Parsley Sauce
Put the parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic, pepper, and oil in a blender. Purée until the mixture is completely smooth and bright green. The sauce should be wet and slightly soupy in consistency.

Cauliflower Soup
Remove the outer leaves and core from the cauliflower head and coarsely chop.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and translucent (not browned,) about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer until cauliflower is soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Add the cream and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Take the soup and blend it all together using a high speed blender. Serve with a large pinch of pine nuts and raisins as garnish. Finish with a drizzle of parsley sauce.

As promised, we're beginning our recap of the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party this past weekend, featuring 15 of the best pitmasters from around the USA. After you take a dip in the barbecue sauce fountain, courtesy of Mike Mills and Amy Mills of 17th Street Bar & Grill, click on the post to see our photos. "Peace, Love & Barbecue," everyone!