RIP Joel Rebuchon

[Joanbunting Profile]

Sad news about a brilliant and hugely influential chef one of whose signature dishes was Pommes Puree,

[Renee Profile]

That's such sad news about a brilliant chef Joan. I have family who live in Hong Kong who go there for meals, especially for birthdays and other celebrations.

https://www.joel-robuchon.com/en/restau ... telier.php

[Sakkarin Profile]

Dug out my "Complete Robuchon", which sadly I can't remember ever cooking anything from. There are about 39 potato recipes in it, the mash one you mentioned uses 250g butter and 250ml milk to 1 kilo of spuds - almost a dairy product rather than a veggie one!

I think I'l have that with a pork chop tonight, never had that buttery a mash.

[Sakkarin Profile]

So I ended up cooking four recipes from the Robuchon book:

Page 328: Côte de Porc Poêlée
Page 423: Embeurée de Chou
Page 427: Carottes Glacées
Page 469: Purée de Pommes de Terre

In old money, that's pork chop, carrots, cabbage and very, very buttery mash.

[Renee Profile]

What a lovely plateful of food Sakkarin. Yes, I have made very buttery mash in the past, but I don't do that now!

[Joanbunting Profile]

I absolutely adore proper buttery pommes puree - really nothing like mash!

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Thanks for putting the photo on here Sakkarin. Having read the recipe earlier today I thought the consistency would be rather soft, but your pile has kept its shape better than I thought it would. Did the potato flavour come through OK? I don't think I've ever had mash that buttery myself - I've been brought up on wartime/austerity mash, and I personally prefer it that way. I struggle to eat anything that is mega-buttery!

[jeral Profile]

Hmm, buttery mash sounds like it should be frozen into ice cream (maybe with sugar or golden syrup). It wouldn't suit me, not because I can't eat butter anyway, but because it must be awful if swimming in a plateful of gravy

I've never got the "tablespoonful of jus only on the meat" imperative, as it leaves the veggies "naked" "Pass the gravy Alice"

Did the chop itself turn out well?
(I fail with medallion-type chops, although pretty good with shoulder chops.) Have you got them down to a fine art?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

That pork chop looks just about perfect sakkarin

I’m surprised the spuds are stiff enough to form peaks like that, I tend to think of French pommels purées as soft enough to be easier to eat with a spoon than a fork, but I suppose those are buttery more than creamy

[Sakkarin Profile]

The mash was actually softer than it looks, but I deliberately served it in a "rustic" pile.

I followed all four recipes pretty much to the letter: 3mm carrot rounds, with a circle of silicon paper over them as they cooked gently; the chop was fried gently for 6 minutes per side exactly, and the spuds were 240g of potato to 60g butter(!)/60ml milk. However after ricing, returning the potatoes to the heat made them quite dry, so to an extent the milk and butter "rehydrated" them, hence not complete slop.

I did not make any attempt to search out the "Rattes" or "BF 15" potatoes specified however, and used TEW potatoes*; other varieties used throughout the potato section are as follows, go to the head of the class if you recognise more than four of them:

Eerstellings, BF15, charlottes, roseval, bintje, rattes, belles de fontenay, sieglindes

Yes, the potato flavour did come out, but personally I'd say I'm happy with just a small dollop of butter in my spuds, possibly in the same way that having half-weaned myself off sugar, more than a level teaspoon of sugar in my tea tastes too sweet, where I once always had two.

*Tesco Economy White

[Sakkarin Profile]

Ha!!! JR's recipe for Wild Rabbit Stew, (2 rabbits to feed 6-8) requires TWO bottles of "robust red wine"!!!

And 300ml of "if rabbit not available, pig" blood. Hic.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Eerstellings, BF15, charlottes, roseval, bintje, rattes, belles de fontenay, sieglindes

I think they are all French varieties, Raymond Blanc recommends a few in the 'Kew on a Plate' book. I grew 'Belle de Fontenay' last year as a result of his recommendation. They're nice, but no better than International Kidney, which do well on my plot. I used to grow Charlottes, but they suffered from scab.

[Sakkarin Profile]

[Renee Profile]

Beautifully done Sakks!

[Badger's Mate Profile]

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Well done the spudologists!

I like Roseval potatoes, often used to get them from the organic market

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Nice one.
And cyprus here, when they are in season.

Really thoughtful homage, Sakkarin.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

For some reason I am reminded of the line by the lovely, late, lamented Linda Smith

"People knock ASBOs, but you have to bear in mind they're the only qualification some of these kids are going to get"

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Loved Linda

[Alexandria Profile]

All my condolences to the Robuchon family and friends of the beloved 32 Michelin Star Chef ..

Terribly saddened.

He was absolutely extraordinary and it was a truly memorable to have had the chance to dine at L´ Atelier in Paris and to meet him once again at the Madrid Fusion Gastronomic Trade Fair & Convention a couple of years ago.