tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post2727307597997018950..comments2023-04-16T10:39:30.884-04:00Comments on French Laundry at Home: Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Beluga CaviarUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-15876773157537868632008-05-20T12:32:00.000-04:002008-05-20T12:32:00.000-04:00I am a chef and restauranteur and to the envy of m...I am a chef and restauranteur and to the envy of many a peer I made the pilgrimage to the Laundry last year. This was one of the courses served that day and in all honesty one of our favorites. The flavors were clean and subtle. Not one overpowering the other so each ingredient could shine. Your site is amazing and i take my hat off to you for attempting what many consider the impossible. You are climbing culinary Everest and should be commended. <BR/>A couple of observations from the pictures:<BR/>The final cauliflower mixture seems very thick. The Panna Cotta should pour into the glass or bowl and then barely set with the gelatin. It is confusing in the text because he refers to spooning the puree. Strain, Strain, strain some more. A little more cream would fix the consistency. (It is almost like cream infused with the slight flavor of cauliflower). I serve a similar type of amuse made with english peas <BR/>The layer of Oyster Gelee is a bit thick. With the new panna, the surface will be flat and the gelee with float the top. Once set it will be 1 mm thick. It is like coating a terrine with aspic. Old school but it does make the cream shine.<BR/>The portion of each seems a little big. The entire course is about 3 small bites. serve only enough caviar to accent the panna cotta and visa versa. Perfect balance is Keller's gift.<BR/>After reading this blog i doubt you will try this one again but if you do this should help. Keep cooking. there are few that have your courage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-70517873550154916452008-04-21T14:23:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:23:00.000-04:00Went to Komi last month and they made a cauliflowe...Went to Komi last month and they made a cauliflower panna cotta with salmon roe and sea urchin foam. Delicious.<BR/><BR/>Also, TK is obsessed with straining, so I imagine that the puree went through a chinois about 10 times at the restaurant. That could account for the difference in texture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-68288382465044367092008-01-30T10:02:00.000-05:002008-01-30T10:02:00.000-05:00As far as the caviar goes, you need the real thing...As far as the caviar goes, you need the real thing! There's an interesting discussion at Google Answer regarding caviar exports from Bulgaria, complete with contact information: <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=257328" REL="nofollow">Bulgarian Caviar</A><BR/><BR/>I thought it would be of interest to readers here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-41710654373823416352007-12-28T22:15:00.000-05:002007-12-28T22:15:00.000-05:00Your panna cotta looks all wrong.I had this at FL ...Your panna cotta looks all wrong.<BR/><BR/>I had this at FL and it was perfect. The cauliflower part tasted like cauliflower but had the perfect silky texture of a perfect panna cotta. Yours looks a little gritty and definatly too thick. I remember it melting on the tongue. And the oyster gelatin just offered an essence of that fresh ocean flavor that good oysters are supposed to taste like. In my recollection, the caviar just tasted like exceptional salt. I ate this four years ago and can still taste it.<BR/><BR/>I hope you get a chance to try the real thing someday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-50140608374298882112007-08-26T21:13:00.000-04:002007-08-26T21:13:00.000-04:00this is the one I've been waiting for... because I...this is the one I've been waiting for... because I (1) had this dish at TFL and thought it was incredibly delicious and (2) tried twice to make it from the cookbook and failed miserably both times. <BR/><BR/>I agree with me (above) that the problem seems to be in the pre-gelatinized panna cotta mixture. It's too thick and too coarse - in fact, prepared as described in the recipe, I found it almost impossible to strain without forcing through the strainer, and the resulting texture of the panna cotta was all wrong.<BR/><BR/>But I tell you that the real thing was delicious.<BR/><BR/>thanks for your blog - as always, it was a gripping readgavlisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11617878515916483926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-70067383697431501202007-08-22T13:56:00.000-04:002007-08-22T13:56:00.000-04:00I've also made this for friends and gotten a simil...I've also made this for friends and gotten a similar reaction. Personally, I liked it better and better the more I had even though I was ambivalent about it on first bite. The cauliflower's sweetness offsets the salt of the caviar nicely. I think maybe the panna cotta mixture (before gelatine) could be a little less thick though. Pictures of this dish from FTL all seem to have a fairly smooth surface and my mixture was far too thick to do that.Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09311960413148239716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-37453395911539367382007-08-08T02:00:00.000-04:002007-08-08T02:00:00.000-04:00just recently caught up with all the previous post...just recently caught up with all the previous posts, and now look forward to the new ones.<BR/><BR/>so glad to hear that someone else shares my visceral disdain for cauliflower. the smell alone is enough to make me wretch. my mom grew it when i was a kid, and had TONS of it. she used to make huge batches of it with cheese sauce, then freeze it in tupperware, then she could make us eat it all year, whether we had been bad or not. someone once asked my brother what my mom grew in her garden, and he said "cauliflower with cheese sauce."<BR/><BR/>love the blog. can't wait to read about your trip to FL. i went in the spring for my 40th, too. it was spectacular. but they didn't serve this dish. there were oysters. and there was cauliflower. but not together.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-6220176828884411452007-08-07T20:13:00.000-04:002007-08-07T20:13:00.000-04:00I had this a FL in May and it was ridiculously goo...I had this a FL in May and it was ridiculously good - and I don't like cauliflower. I had it anyway because it was Thomas Keller, after all... I'm not exactly a convert but, this kind of cauliflower-ness was great. I can't imagine why this didn't make you cry with joy too...Lillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15635062247525231855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-70003777068323352482007-08-06T11:38:00.000-04:002007-08-06T11:38:00.000-04:00I had this dish at TFL (just the cauliflower and c...I had this dish at TFL (just the cauliflower and caviar, no oysters). It was one of my favorites - I think this is one of those situations where eating the dish is infinitely more enjoyable than the making of said dish.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the good work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-2914189708840455682007-08-04T22:17:00.000-04:002007-08-04T22:17:00.000-04:00Just found your blog today and I absolutely love i...Just found your blog today and I absolutely love it! You had me laughing SO incredibly loud! Thank you...keep cooking.<BR/><BR/><BR/>;o)LUXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173883419143327768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-39256513569012658632007-08-03T16:13:00.000-04:002007-08-03T16:13:00.000-04:00Apparently I have a plebian palate because the ide...Apparently I have a plebian palate because the idea of oysters as well as caviar just triggers my gag reflex. And cooked cauliflower? Bleh. I'm all about the textures, and anything resembling the phlegm-y/snotty (thanks pdxlogmommy!) side is definitely out! I'm just here to get my DG fix of funnies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-37468272203633995212007-08-03T08:38:00.000-04:002007-08-03T08:38:00.000-04:00hy-larious! sorry it didn't work out for you! I ca...hy-larious! sorry it didn't work out for you! I can't wait for the fish & chips, I'm intriguuuued.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-49644640220724937922007-08-03T01:01:00.000-04:002007-08-03T01:01:00.000-04:00OK, I love caviar and cauliflower (not together) b...OK, I love caviar and cauliflower (not together) but oysters are like chewy snot in a shell.<BR/><BR/>Have I grossed you out? That's what they do to me.<BR/><BR/>Jaye Joseph, I think I love you.<BR/><BR/>DG, have fun. I expect a full report.pdxblogmommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07424710962818464421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-5605008809433084302007-08-03T00:20:00.000-04:002007-08-03T00:20:00.000-04:00I love your blog! I'm experimenting with the reci...I love your blog! I'm experimenting with the recipes from the French Laundry cookbook as well. I must say, however, that I had the Cauliflower Panna Cotta at the French laundry and I loved it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-80024829229154298952007-08-02T19:20:00.000-04:002007-08-02T19:20:00.000-04:00To all of you who've had this dish at Per Se or TF...To all of you who've had this dish at Per Se or TFL and loved it, I'm glad. <BR/><BR/>To those who sympathize with my intense dislike for these ingredients and think they taste like doody, thank you.<BR/><BR/>I'm making Fish & Chips tomorrow, and it involves lots of garlic, which I'm thinking is going to dance this mess around, no?!??!?Carol Blymirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08573307850587096182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-26893084559702302212007-08-02T16:44:00.000-04:002007-08-02T16:44:00.000-04:00I love cauliflower. I love oysters. I love caviar....I love cauliflower. I love oysters. I love caviar.<BR/><BR/>Together? With gelatin? I just threw up in my mouth a little.Jaye Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11770506885754168731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-48425215711279040722007-08-02T15:16:00.000-04:002007-08-02T15:16:00.000-04:00Cauliflower... sick, oysters better whole with jui...Cauliflower... sick, oysters better whole with juices + a lovely muscadet or some wine along those lines. Mostly however, I just wanted to warn you about Amy Winehouse's recent behavior. http://gabsmash.blogspot.com/2007/07/amy-winehouse-spits-on-fans.html<BR/>Stay out of range ;-)<BR/>p.s. I <3 your blogGrand Distinguished Master Chef Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13069713964604285026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-69508964142838266892007-08-02T13:56:00.000-04:002007-08-02T13:56:00.000-04:00I love that you even make the dishes that you don'...I love that you even make the dishes that you don't like and gross you out. That's commitment, man. I would not be so committed. :)<BR/><BR/>AND, I am jealous of your VirginFestival weekend, especially since The Fratellis will be there. Have fun! You certainly deserve it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-80407914110845388792007-08-01T17:57:00.000-04:002007-08-01T17:57:00.000-04:00I am cracking up at the thought of burning your ho...I am cracking up at the thought of burning your house down. But that would not cure the odor; the rubble would just smell like smoked cauliflower. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-83135657348273446052007-08-01T16:34:00.000-04:002007-08-01T16:34:00.000-04:00Guh. Know what I'm thinking of? The nightmarish oy...Guh. Know what I'm thinking of? The nightmarish oyster shot. Put a raw oyster, vodka, Worcester sauce, tabasco, and a few other completely incompatible flavors into a shotglass, slug it, and feel like you just downed a bunch of seawater.<BR/><BR/>Apparently it's a great hangover cure. If I'm ever hung over enough to eat oysters, I think I'll just lay down and die instead.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09598437779185407354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-68026109864367181742007-08-01T16:10:00.000-04:002007-08-01T16:10:00.000-04:00Ugh, my sympathies. I like oysters, but the textu...Ugh, my sympathies. I like oysters, but the texture sounds problematic. I've only been recently been able to tolerate cooked cauliflower: simply roasted with liberal helpings of olive oil, thyme and kosher salt.<BR/><BR/>Just saw The Police last night -- they were amazing. Have fun!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-37975115484293178552007-08-01T15:07:00.000-04:002007-08-01T15:07:00.000-04:00i totally burst out laughing, kept laughing and go...i totally burst out laughing, kept laughing and got questions from the people in cubes around me. "what's so funny?". apparently i'm not a good narrator because none of them thought it was interesting. <BR/><BR/>they suck anyway. people at my work think that Subway is gourmet dining.french tarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151526178227614241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-18547474336818491732007-08-01T14:40:00.000-04:002007-08-01T14:40:00.000-04:00I agree with the couple other posters.. Had the di...I agree with the couple other posters.. Had the dish at Per Se but 1) don’t remember an oyster gel on it and 2) the caviar was freaking incredible. But if this recipe had worked out well, you wouldn’t have had such a humorous post! So all was not lost…Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01518873416911825817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-63607491805238304052007-08-01T12:21:00.000-04:002007-08-01T12:21:00.000-04:00What a bummer that you didn't get into Per Se. I ...What a bummer that you didn't get into Per Se. I was so ready to read about your experience there. Dang disappointment it must have been to not get in. Sorry your latest FL dish didn't work out. <BR/><BR/>jopAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543389752792247888.post-41606812064990246642007-08-01T10:47:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:47:00.000-04:00Would you feed this to SLoP?I'm a fan of cauliflow...Would you feed this to SLoP?<BR/><BR/>I'm a fan of cauliflower, but there must be cheese and copious amounts of pepper involved. <BR/><BR/>This looked terrible, but your writing had me waking up the entire house last night with my giggling. Thanks for taking one for the team!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com