Grant Achatz recipes

Discussion of an Alinea cookbook came up in the Alinea vs. Moto thread. Some were anticipating needing an anti-griddle, and/or liquid nitrogen. I mentioned I’d seen a couple of Grant Achatz’s recipes from his Trio days.

nick.kokonas wrote:Also, those recipes are fine to post. They have appeared in several publications.

disclaimer: I am the co-owner of Alinea.

So here they are:

Bubble Tea appetizer
• 2 cucumbers, washed
• 1/4 cup green tea
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 oz. salmon roe
• 1 T chopped dill

In blender, blend cucumbers with green tea, sugar, salt and sour cream. Chill mixture.

Place salmon roe in bottom of wineglass.

Pour cucumber mixture over roe. Sprinkle with dill and serve with a straw. Serves 4.

My note: the inner diameter of the straw should be only slightly larger than an individual salmon egg.

Root Beer Prime Beef Sirloin
(with fennel, sassafras, burdock, prunes and vanilla whipped potatoes)

For the potatoes:
• 8 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 T butter
• 1 vanilla bean

Peel the potatoes and boil until tender. Meanwhile, scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the cream and add the whole bean. Heat the cream with the butter in a small saucepan until butter melts. Discard the vanilla bean and whip the hot cream mixture into the potatoes until light and fluffy (use a whish or mixer, not a food processor). Keep warm.

For the vegetables:
• 1 bulb fennel
• 2 T salt
• 2 T sugar
• juice of one lemon
• 1 qt. Water

Place fennel in pot with other ingredients and simmer until tender. Drain and cut into 1/8-inch pieces and keep warm.

• 8 oz. burdock* root or salsify root
• 1 T salt
• juice of one lemon
• 1 qt. Water

Peel root. Place in pot with other ingredients and simmer until tender. Drain and cut into 1-inch pieces. Keep warm.

For the meat and sauce:
• 4 prime beef strip steaks
• 2 cups concentrated beef bouillon or stock
• 6 juniper berries**
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1-inch piece sassafrass root (or substitute 1/2 cup brewed sassafrass tea)

Sautee beef over high heat to desired doneness. Keep warm. Combine all remaining ingredients and simmer until about 1/2 the liquid has evaporated and flavors are concentrated.

Additional garnish: 1 package dried, pitted prunes, plumped in warm water for five minutes.

For optional “foam,” combine 1/2 cup milk with 2 T sugar and 2 T salt and steam as you would for cappuccino.

To serve: Pile the whipped potatoes on a platter. Top with optional foam if using. Arrange slices of beef, vegetables and prunes around the potatoes. Drizzle with sauce. Serves 4.

* Burdock root is available in most organic and Asian markets.
** Juniper berries are available at The Spice House in Evanston and Penzey’s Spices in Oak Park.

OK, considering everybody's love for salmon roe in this family, I'm considering this for a Thanksgiving appetizer...has anybody actually tried it? Anybody know where to get bubble-tea straws?

Bubble tea straws are available @ many Asian mkts.