Chocolate-covered courses.

White to whet the palate? Semi-sweet for your entree? Dark for dessert? Indeed, just because it's chocolate, doesn't mean it's always reserved for a sweet ending.

The kind of chocolate we're referring to is best enjoyed in any course.

It's the savory sort. And it includes bittersweet--that's a bit more bitter than sweet, and semi-sweet that's really only slightly sweet.

Maybe it's psychological, but of course, chocolate is mostly associated with bars, toppings, truffles and other sweet confections. To veer from that perception and think of it as a more earthy product may take some convincing and persuasive marketing. However, it certainly isn't anything new. The fact that savory sorts of spices--cardamom, cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg have taken on sweet rather than savory connotations--is hopeful. And consider this: chocolate's been incorporated in savory preparations for centuries, taking on supporting roles in "ethnic" cuisine. The most conspicuous example, mole, is the national dish of Mexico. Salient, yes, but certainly not simple. The flavors are complex; a fusion of spice, onion, chili, nuts or seeds--combined with unsweetened chocolate. The traditional application: served on meat or poultry.

The intent to give the much-revered sweet treat broader coverage is catching on, showing up with more frequency on untraditional menus.

Just have a look at what Chef Bryce Whittlesey is doing. He's devised a keen menu to see Wheatleigh (in Lenox, Massachusetts) through the brisk fall and winter months. His chocolate tasting menu, a robust replacement to the spring-summer fish tasting, is now a signature.

"Few people realize that chocolate has the ideal flavor profile for coaxing out the subtler qualities in foods, yet at the same time it doesn't assault the tongue." Essentially, the ingredient acts as a chameleon.

Bryce uses the chocolate in a similar way he might use a spice or an herb: minimally, so that it enhances, rather than overpowers, a dish. And the cocoa butter takes on a life of its own--it becomes not only an ideal thickener, but also lends a hand adding sheen to sauces. Good quality chocolate (and Bryce is a proponent of Valrhona) takes on a much more diverse flavor than exclusively sweet. Actually, it's the natural bitterness in the high cocoa content that makes it the perfect foil for everything from sweet to rich and in between. Indeed chocolate is dynamic, displaying nuances of fruit, nuts, coffee, mint and even tannins. Bryce's chocolate menu is exploratory, offering a range of chocolate with a 35% to 72% cocoa content.

Bryce isn't the only one taking a second, or third, look at chocolate. So is Charlie Trotter. He uses chocolate in a vinaigrette, pairing it with smoked squab breast. At New York's WD-50, Wylie Dufresne partners chocolate with a foie gras and anchovy terrine. Even Alice Medrich gets in the game. She's a matriarch on the subject, founding Berkeley's Cocolat bakery in 1976 and still writing authoritatively on the subject for the last 30 years. In her cookbook, Bittersweet, she offers a recipe inclusive of chocolate for an Italian dolce-forte ("sweet and strong") meat sauce for pasta.

Wheatleigh's chocolate dinner, more of a study than a menu, is the perfect platform to show the range and breadth of chocolate. As an emulsifier, white chocolate unobtrusively thickens a cauliflower custard. Its soft entry tempers the brawnier cauliflower. As a finishing tool, it can be added last minute in place of butter or cream. We see this in Bryce's chestnut chocolate soup. Seared foie gras and diver scallops are handled yet another way: the nibs--the crunchy centers of the cocao bean are the stars, made into nougatine.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This "study" ends in scarlet--with a Manjari (64% dark cooking chocolate) chocolate cake and accompanying intense pomegranate reduction. The chocolate appears in a fashion we are most familiar with--in its richest, purest form. Saved for the last course--of course.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

'EVERYTHING', ACCORDING TO J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY. THAT 'J' STANDS FOR JAMES AND SOMETHING SERENDIPITOUS.

It's haunting, the story Bryce bears. The one his eyes tell as well as his words do. It goes something like this: "My father was living in Mexico City, traveling extensively on business. He was on his way to Monterrey when my mother, 8-1/2 months pregnant and not due for another eight weeks--unexpectedly went into labor."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

There was an obvious change of plans. Mr. Whittlesey, instead of driving to the airport, rushed his wife to the hospital, opting to take a later flight after staying to see the birth of his son. But another unforeseen incident occurred that day--in addition to the new baby. The flight Mr. Whittlesey was scheduled to have flown on--the plane to Monterrey--crashed. There were no survivors.

Bryce's surprise entrance into the world redefined that particular day--and days to come.

"And so I was given the J--for James, my father's first name."

There's little doubt the twist of events has profoundly affected this young man. He seems to understand the frailty of the human species, not wanting to take life for granted.

Since meeting with Bryce on a January day when a surge of arctic air whipped into Western Massachusetts dipping temperatures to -15 degrees, we've kept in touch by occasional email. Bryce's latest missive came a week or so into Spring. He tells me about driving into work in the morning and looking out across the fields and seeing the first flowers--and "can you believe the wild ramps!" He's positively thrilled at the prospect that in a few weeks he'll be able to forage for mushrooms. He can already "smell the morels not that far away." He feels "so alive."

J. Bryce Whittlesey grew up in Latin America, coming to this country at the age of 10. And like many chefs, enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, leaving cooking school with the notion he was a "hot shot."

The hot shot left for France for five years and returned to America a "technician." The journey offered perspective. "The chefs there tore me down and built me back up. There was respect for every product that came into the kitchen. The cooks would study every move before they made a move. It was all so well-thought out, to a level I never imagined."

Take the sojourn to Wheatleigh. You might think you've entered a period novel--maybe Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome. Wheatleigh, however, lacks tragedy, except that inevitable 11am check out time. The refurbished Italianate palazzo turned boutique hotel is nestled nonchalantly in the cultural Mecca of western Mass., a stone's throw from Tanglewood. It's where we found Bryce that cold January day--in his kitchen. He's been at Wheatleigh since 2002. "It's the first place that I've been a chef and can say my food fits."

There are a lot of variables about working in the Berkshires. Besides great expectations from clients who demand the best in products, service and ambience. Bryce is concerned with other logistical support, like pursuing guest reactions after eating/tasting and different hands-on challenges, like how to get food delivered--in pristine condition--to the middle of the Berkshires. Here, away from the hub of the city, Bryce feels "vulnerable to the elements." And so he works with mother nature. Bryce actually seems to thrive on the tangibles--a voracious learner from the fundamentals that surround him, including his wife, Corinne.

"I love to forage for products. To bring something home that I caught or picked myself is my biggest pleasure and excitement in life."

He shares a formidable experience he had with a clam.

"One of the most beautiful times of my life was harvesting razor clams. I had just met my wife in Brittany, France. Corinne grabbed my hand, took me out to the beach and told me we were going to go fishing for razor clams."

As they walked further out in the tides, she handed Bryce--of all things, a salt shaker.

Apparently there was no further explanation.

"I thought, 'this woman is crazy. What is she doing to me? Making me stand with a salt shaker in the middle of nowhere pouring salt at low tide!'"

The pair walked for miles and miles until finally they spotted two small holes in the sand resembling a figure eight.

My wife said, "Pour the salt."

And wouldn't you know it, up comes the razor clam a few minutes later! She pulled it out and I was amazed. Bryce explains that the salt mimics the momentarily absent, but salty tides.

Seems the sands of time offer up a different sort of serendipity.

RELATED ARTICLE: Wild Striped Bass Tartare with White Chocolate and Yuzu Gelee (Serves 6)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

Grande Annee Champagne

Bollinger

Champagne, France 1996

directions

For the yuzu gelee: In a pot, heat oil. Add onions, leeks and shallots; saute until translucent. Add bass bones and head, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and enough cold water to cover. Simmer for 25 minutes, skimming surface as needed. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until cool. Add yuzu juice and egg whites, whisking until combined. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes until a raft forms. Strain liquid through a coffee filter-lined fine-mesh sieve. Discard raft and dissolve gelatin in liquid; stir in chives, fleur de sel, orange zest and peppercorns. Pour into serving dishes and refrigerate to set.

For the tartar: Combine all ingredients. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside in refrigerator.

For the shiso leaf tempura: Preheat deep-fryer to 325 degrees. Combine cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder and enough water to make batter the consistency of light cream. Dip shiso leaves into batter and deep-fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

To serve: Place quenelle of tartar on yuzu gelee and garnish with a shiso leaf and caviar.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the yuzu gelee:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
Bones and head of one wild striped bass
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Cold water as needed
2 tablespoons yuzu juice
3 egg whites, beaten
2 sheets gelatin, softened
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/2 teaspoon dried orange zest
1/2 teaspooon cracked pink peppercorns

For the tartar:

12 ounces cleaned wild striped bass fillet, finely diced
1 tablespoon La Bella Dolce Moliture olive oil*
3 tablespoons finely grated Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the shiso leaf tempura:

3 tablespoons cake flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup water, chilled
3 shiso leaves, halved lengthwise
Salt to taste

For the garnish:

Osetra caviar

* Made from 100% taggiasca olives, indigenous to Liguria, Italy.

Available through The Bountiful Basket at www.bbandb.net.

RELATED ARTICLE: Textures in Chocolate (Serves 6)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

20-year-old Tawny Port

W. & J. Graham & Co.

Porto, Portugal NV

directions

For the white chocolate sherbet: In a pot, bring water, invert sugar and vanilla bean to a boil. In a bowl, mix milk powder, sugar and ice cream stabilizer; add to water mixture. Heat to 185 degrees, whisking continuously. Pour over white chocolate, whisking until smooth; strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill in refrigerator for at least three hours. Place in an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Set aside in freezer.

For the tart shell: In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and fleur de sel, beating until light yellow in color. Add almond flour, egg yolks and one ounce of cake flour, beating until incorporated. Add remaining cake flour until dough just comes together. Form into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On a lightly-floured work surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thick; mold into six 2 1/2-inch tart molds and freeze, Pierce bottom of tarts with a fork and bake until light golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the cocoa nib nougatine: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a pot, bring butter, glucose and cocoa nibs to a boil. Combine sugar and pectin; add to butter mixture, whisking until combined. Return to a boil and pour onto a Silpat; cover with another Silpat and roll as thinly as possible. Place in freezer to chill. Remove top Silpat and bake in oven until deep brown. Set aside to cool. Break into small pieces.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the malted milkshake: In a pot, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Add cocoa powder, whisking until incorporated, and simmer for five minutes. In another pot, heat half of the cream and pour over Caraibe chocolate, whisking until smooth. Combine cocoa powder mixture and chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. In a bowl, whisk malted milk powder, remaining cream and half and half. Combine chocolate mixture with malted milk mixture, stirring well, and chill in refrigerator. Just before serving, transfer mixture to a blender, add milk and ice cream and blend until smooth and frothy. Ladle into glasses.

For the praline tart: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine egg, egg yolk and sugar, whisking until smooth. In a double-boiler, melt butter, hazelnut pastes and chocolate. Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Pipe into tart shells and chill in freezer. Bake until bubbly.

To serve: Dust tart with powdered sugar and arrange tart and malted milkshake on a plate. Place scoop of white chocolate sherbet on top of a small pile of the cocoa nib nougatine.

ingredients

For the white chocolate sherbet:

6 ounces bottled water
1 ounce invert sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 ounce nonfat dry milk
Pinch of granulated sugar
Small pinch of ice cream stabilizer
3 ounces Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate, finely chopped

For the tart shell:

2 ounces butter, softened
11/2 ounces confectioner's sugar
Small pinch of fleur de sel
1/2 ounce almond flour
2 egg yolks
4 ounces cake flour

For the cocoa nib nougatine:

2 ounces butter
1 ounce glucose
2 ounces cocoa nibs
2 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
Pinch of pectin

For the malted milkshake:

1/2 ounce granulated sugar
1 ounce water
1/2 ounce light corn syrup
1/2 ounce cocoa powder
4 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces Valrhona Caraibe 66% chocolate, finely chopped
1 ounce malted milk powder
2 ounces half and half
4 ounces nonfat milk
2 ounces vanilla ice cream

For the praline tart:

1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 ounce granulated sugar
1 ounce butter
2 ounces sweetened hazelnut paste
1/2 ounce unsweetened hazelnut paste
1 ounce Valrhona Jivara Lactee 40% chocolate

For the garnish:

Powdered sugar

RELATED ARTICLE: Loin of Venison with Poached Seckle Pears (Serves 6)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

Chateau Poujeaux

Moulis

Bordeaux, France 1995

directions

For the venison sauce: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bones in grapeseed oil and place in a roasting pan. Roast bones in oven until browned, stirring every 15 minutes. Add shallots, garlic and butter; continue roasting until shallots are caramelized. Transfer bones, shallots and garlic to a stockpot. Deglaze roasting pan with stock, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Pour into stockpot, add thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns; simmer for approximately two hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and simmer, reducing to a sauce consistency. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the espresso-poached pears: In a pot, combine all ingredients and simmer until pears are tender. Set aside, keeping warm. Reserve poaching liquid to finish venison sauce.

For the celery root puree: In a pot, combine celery root, milk and thyme; simmer until tender. Drain celery root and discard thyme. Puree using a food mill. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, add puree, butter and cream; whip until light and fluffy. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the venison: Season venison with salt and pepper to taste. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add oil and sear venison on all sides and cook to desired doneness. Remove from heat; add butter to pan and baste venison. Let rest for five minutes and slice into 1/4-inch medallions.

To finish the venison sauce: Add enough pear poaching liquid to achieve desired consistency and taste. Add chocolate and whisk until dissolved. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Arrange venison on a plate and garnish with black pepper, fleur de sel and parsley. Spoon on sauce. Place pear and a quenelle of celery root puree on plate; garnish with celery leaf.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the venison sauce:

1 pound venison bones, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 pint veal stock
1 sprig thyme
1 small bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
1/4 ounce Valrhona Le Cafe Noir 57% chocolate
Salt and pepper to taste

For the espresso-poached pears:

2 1/2 cups simple syrup
1/3 cup espresso
1/2 licorice root, broken in half
6 Seckle pears, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste

For the celery root puree:

1 pound celery root, peeled and cubed
2 cups whole milk
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 tablespoons heavy cream, hot
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the venison:

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 pounds venison loin
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Black peppercorns, cracked
Fleur de sel
Parsley, finely chopped
Celery leaves, fried

RELATED ARTICLE: Dark Chocolate Ganache with Pomegranate Juice (Serves 8)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

Maury

Mas Amiel

Languedoc-Rousillon, France 2000

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

directions

For the praline feuilletine: Oil a small square dish (at least 2-inches deep) and line with a sheet of plastic wrap. In a bowl, mix hazelnut paste and white chocolate. Add feuilletine, mixing until incorporated. Spread feuilletine evenly into bottom of plastic-lined dish and chill in freezer. Spread half of melted chocolate over feuilletine and freeze until hard. Flip over and spread remaining chocolate over other side; set aside in freezer.

For the dark chocolate ganache: In a pot, bring cream and milk to a boil. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Temper the yolk mixture, by adding one-third of hot cream mixture while whisking constantly. Whisk tempered yolk mixture into hot cream mixture and place over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and pour over Manjari chocolate; let sit for two minutes. Stir to incorporate and set in an ice water bath to cool. Pour over praline feuilletine to about 2-inches deep and freeze until firm. Cut into cubes using a hot knife and return to freezer. Combine Caraque chocolate and cocoa butter, mixing well, and transfer to a chocolate sprayer (or a Wagner airless spray gun). Spray each cube to create an even coat of chocolate. Let thaw at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes before serving.

For the pomegranate syrup: In a pot, combine all ingredients and reduce to a syrup. Set aside to cool.

For the honey tuile: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl, add butter and honey, whisking until smooth. Sift flour and sugar together; add to butter mixture, mixing to combine. Add egg white, beating until thoroughly incorporated. Spread batter thinly over a stencil on a Silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake until golden brown and set aside to cool.

For the pomegranate juice: In a pot, heat elderflower syrup, water, Champagne and Muscat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill in refrigerator. Transfer to a chilled whipped cream dispenser and set aside in refrigerator.

To serve: Place chocolate ganache on plate and dot plate with pomegranate syrup. Pour pomegranate juice into a glass and top with elderflower-Champagne foam; garnish with tuile and pomegranate seeds.

Note: Honey tuile recipe will yield approximately 24 small tuiles.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the praline feuilletine:

4 ounces hazelnut paste
1 ounce white chocolate, melted
2 ounces Cacao Barry feuilletine
6 ounces 64% chocolate, melted

For the dark chocolate ganache:

12 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces milk
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
9 egg yolks
10 ounces Valrhona Manjari 64% chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces Valrhona Caraque 56% chocolate, melted
3 ounces cocoa butter, melted

For the pomegranate syrup:

1 ounce pomegranate concentrate
3 ounces water
1 ounce granulated sugar

For the honey tuile:

1 1/2 ounces butter, softened
1 ounce honey
2 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2 ounces confectioner's sugar
1 egg white

For the pomegranate juice:

1 1/2 ounces elderflower syrup
1 1/2 ounces water
1 1/2 ounces Champagne
1 ounce Muscat fortified wine
1/2 sheet gelatin, softened
1 cup pomegranate juice

For the garnish:

Pomegranate seeds

* Available through Primarque at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Roasted Lobster with Orange Emulsion (Serves 6)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

Chardonnay

Kistler Vineyards

Sonoma Valley, CA 2001

directions

For the emulsion: In a pot, heat oil and brown lobster shells. Add onions, celery, carrots, leeks, fennel and garlic; cook until caramelized. Deglaze with Viognier and add thyme, bay leaf, zest, star anise and coriander; reduce liquid by half. Add lobster stock and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; season with salt to taste and chill in refrigerator. Just before serving, add milk and chocolate; froth using a hand-held immersion blender.

For the endive chips: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pat endive dry; brush with clarified butter and bake on a Silpat-lined sheet pan until crisp. Set aside to cool.

For the orange vinaigrette: Reduce orange juice by half and whisk in vinegar, sugar and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; add orange segments and set aside.

For the caramelized endive: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saute pan over medium heat, add butter and brown endive cut-side down. Add sugar and caramelize to a dark amber color. Turn endive over; add orange juice and reduce to a syrup. Add vegetable stock, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan with parchment paper; roast in oven until endive is tender. Arrange in six 2 1/2-inch ring molds. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the lobsters: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saute pan, boil water and coriander; whisk in butter until emulsified and season with salt and pepper to taste. Inject into lobsters' tails and heads. Roast in oven to desired doneness. Poach claws in court bouillon to desired doneness. Remove meat from shells, halve lobster tails lengthwise and set aside.

To serve: Un-mold endive onto plate and top with lobster and orange segments with vinaigrette. Garnish with chives and spoon frothed emulsion on lobster and plate.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the emulsion:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Shells from 1 1/2 lobsters
1/4 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 small rib celery, roughly chopped
1/4 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 leek, roughly chopped
1/4 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup Viognier wine
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 bay leaf
Zest of 1/2 an orange
1/2 star anise, toasted
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds, toasted
1 1/2 pints lobster stock
3 tablespoons nonfat milk
1 ounce orange milk chocolate, melted
Salt to taste

For the endive chips:

6 large Belgian endive leaves, blanched in salted water
Clarified butter as needed

For the orange vinaigrette:

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons Banyuls vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 oranges, segmented
Salt and pepper to taste

For the caramelized endive:

8 ounces butter
6 Belgian endive, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 quart orange juice, strained
1 pint vegetable stock
1/4 cup crushed coriander seeds, toasted, tied in cheesecloth
Salt and pepper to taste

For the lobsters:

1 cup water
1/4 cup crushed coriander, toasted
1 pound butter
3 2-pound lobsters
1 quart court bouillon, hot
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Chives

RELATED ARTICLE: Scallop and Foie Gras with Blood Orange (Serves 6)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

Chablis Grand Cru, Valmur

Jean-Paul Droin

Burgundy, France 2000

directions

For the cocoa nib nougatine: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a pot, bring butter, glucose and cocoa nibs to a boil. Add sugar and pectin, whisking until combined. Return to a boil and pour onto a Silpat; cover with another Silpat and roll as thinly as possible. Place in freezer to chill. Remove top Silpat; bake in oven until deep brown. Set aside to cool. Break into small pieces.

For the blood orange salad: In a bowl, combine blood orange juice, vinegar and sugar; slowly add oils and foie gras fat, whisking until incorporated. Add shallots, chives, zest, orange segments and season with salt and pepper to taste; stir to mix. (Keep radish separate.)

For the spice salt: Combine all ingredients in desired ratio; add enough water to make it hold together. Set aside.

For the scallop and foie gras: Season scallops and foie gras. In a hot saute pan, sear foie gras. Set aside, keeping warm. In the same saute pan as the foie gras, sear scallops to desired doneness.

To serve: Pile spiced salt onto plate. Nestle scallop shell in spiced salt and place scallop, foie gras and apple wedges in shell. Spoon blood orange vinaigrette over scallop and foie gras; garnish with black radish and nougatine.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the cocoa nib nougatine:

2 ounces butter
1 ounce glucose
2 ounces cocoa nibs
2 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
Pinch of pectin

For the blood orange salad:

2 teaspoons reduced blood orange juice
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Pinch of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspooons olive oil
1 teaspoon foie gras fat
1/2 small shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
Zest and segments of 1 small blood orange
1/2 cup julienned black radish
Salt and pepper to taste

For the spiced salt:

Coarsely ground kosher salt as needed
Cardamom pods as needed
Mixed peppercorns as needed
Fennel seeds as needed

For the scallop and foie gras:

9 ounces foie gras, cut into 6 equal portions
6 large diver scallops
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Apple wedges, sauteed in butter
Scallop shells, cleaned

RELATED ARTICLE: Smoked Sablefish with Chocolate Blinis (Serves 8)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

Brut Vintage Champagne

Henriot

Champagne, France 1995

For the cured fennel: Combine all ingredients in a cyrovac bag, remove air and seal. Cure in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove fennel from bag and slice very thinly as needed.

For the creme fraiche: Combine all ingredients, mixing well; set aside in refrigerator.

For the Meyer lemon relish: Combine all ingredients, mixing well; set aside in refrigerator.

For the chocolate blinis: Melt chocolate and butter over a double-boiler. In a bowl, add egg yolks and whip until thick and double in volume. Fold chocolate into yolks. Add cake flour, almond flour, baking powder and fleur de sel; mixing until incorporated. Fold in egg whites. Prepare a hot griddle or cast iron pan, add grapeseed oil in small amounts as needed; cook blinis on both sides until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

For the smoked sablefish: Thinly slice eight ounces of sablefish and cut remaining fish into 2-ounce pieces.

To serve: Top blinis with creme fraiche, sablefish slices and Meyer lemon relish. Garnish with cured fennel, lemon confit slices, and fennel fronds. Place 2-ounce piece of sablefish on plate; garnish with caviar.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the cured fennel:

1 baby fennel bulb, trimmed
1 sprig thyme
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 star anise
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
Zest of 1/2 an orange
1 tablespoon La Bella Dolce Moliture olive oil
1/4 lemon confit, thinly sliced

For the creme fraiche:

Zest and juice of 1/2 a Meyer lemon
1/3 cup creme fraiche
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Meyer lemon relish:

Zest and segments of 3 Meyer lemons
Salt and pepper to taste

For the chocolate blinis:

2 ounces Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate
2 ounces butter
2 eggs, separated, whites whipped to medium peaks
1 tablespoon cake flour
2 teaspoons almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
Grapeseed oil as needed

For the smoked sablefish:

24 ounces cold-smoked sablefish fillets

For the garnish:

Fennel fronds
Golden osetra caviar

* Made from 100% taggiasca olives, indigenous to Liguria, Italy. Available through The Bountiful Basket at www.bbandb.net.

RELATED ARTICLE: Frothy Chestnut-Chocolate Soup (Serves 6)

J. BRYCE WHITTLESEY

directions

For the chocolate tuile: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine butter, egg white and chestnut flour, beating until incorporated. Spread batter thinly over a stencil on a Silpat-lined sheet pan and grate chocolate over top. Bake until edges are lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the chestnut-chocolate soup: In a pot, heat butter and add chestnuts; saute for one minute. Add shallots, thyme, bay leaf, chestnut flour, and salt and white pepper to taste; stirring well. Deglaze with white wine; add vegetable stock and water; reduce liquid by half. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Add non-fat milk and transfer to a blender; puree for one minute. Add chocolate and puree until smooth. Just before serving froth with a hand-held immersion blender.

To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chestnut slices, celery leaf and tuile.

ingredients

For the chocolate tuile:

1 ounce butter, softened
1 egg white
1 ounce chestnut flour
1 ounce Valrhona Araguani 72% chocolate

For the chestnut-chocolate soup:

2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces chestnuts, scored, deep-fried, peeled and quartered
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs thyme, stemmed and finely chopped
1 small bay leaf
2 teaspoons chestnut flour, toasted
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
1/3 ounce Valrhona Araguani 72% chocolate, finely chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Chestnut slices
Celery leaves, fried