I hearts: three ways of looking into the center of your food.

1 MILLIONAIRE SALAD LEAVES MILLIONS DEAD

ALSO KNOWN AS "SWAMP CABBAGE" AND later, when the public began to appreciate their delicate flavor, "millionaire salad", hearts of palm reached a level of popularity in the United States during the Great Depression that threatened to render the trees endangered. The state of Florida prevented that by enacting legislation limiting harvests from palmetto trees, which were dying from heartlessness in record numbers. Today, hearts of palm are harvested from a number of varieties in Central and South America, Hawaii and Southeast Asia, including the cabbage, coconut, royal and rattan palms.

"Anything you do with a carrot, you can do with a heart of palm," says Rick Worley, who harvests nearly an acre's worth of the stuff at Puna Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii. To our knowledge, plucking a carrot from the earth never caused the death of a tree, but that's what happens if the heart of the coconut palm, or any other belonging to the single palm group, is removed from its hoary bark. To avoid such waste, Worley and partner Mary Ryan work with a clumping or multi-stem palm known as pijuayo palm, or Batris gasipae, that can survive the removal process. The pijuayo's heart has a sweet, nutty flavor, often likened to artichoke hearts. The tree has been bred since the 1950's for thorn-lessness, a boon to farmers like Worley who cut through a harvest-ready stem about ten feet from the ground, and peel off the bark by hand to get at the tender middle of the terminal shoot, or meristem, that we know as the heart of palm.

2 A GREEK DILEMMA

PYTHAGORAS, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GREEKS IN HISTORY, DEVELOPED a theorem bearing his name in the sixth century BC that is widely recognized as the cornerstone of mathematics. Pythagorean dictums about food have proven less practical, however, reflecting as they do some rather ... unscientific ideas. One oft-repeated pronouncement, "Withhold your hands from beans", came from his belief that legumes contain souls in transit from one human vessel to the next. Pythagoras also forbade the consumption of animal brains, because he considered them "the seat of wisdom", and hearts, because they were "the seat of life."

For Greek-American chef Michael Psilakis, animal hearts are the perfect charcoal grill fodder, and a bargain to boot. "We get a bucket of lamb hearts--I mean, a big bucket--for ten bucks. Sure, there's a lot of waste after you trim off that hard fat and the veins, but for that price, it doesn't really matter." At his New York restaurant Onera, Psilakis routinely grills and slices lamb and goat hearts after marinating them for a few hours in olive oil, red wine, oregano, maybe some cumin or fennel seeds. Sometimes he forgoes the marinade, laying simply seasoned and grilled heart slices over a ragout of porcini mushrooms, white beans and artichokes and topping the whole thing with a poached egg. "If we were at my dad's house," he says, holding an untrimmed lamb heart in one hand, "we'd just cut this in half, salt and pepper it and put it on the grill. That fat around the outside, it's not bad, it's just chewy." Psilakis's extended family celebrates Easter and other holidays by roasting four or five whole lambs and goats at a time. "While the animals are cooking, we set aside the heart, liver, spleen, kidney, everything. Just before the big meat is done, we throw them all on the grill, put some lemon juice on them, and that's our meze." Animal hearts often get lumped in with the harder-sell organ meats, but it's worth remembering, as Psilakis says, "It's a muscle, and you can treat it like any other muscle from an animal's body. Once it's trimmed," he says, pointing to a sizzle platter of glistening red, butchered lamb heart filets, "it's hard to tell if it's a heart, a leg or a shoulder."

3 THE SOFT AND MYSTERIOUS COEUR A LA CREME

"CHEESE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FOOD THAT BOTH SOPHISTICATED AND SIMPLE humans love," wrote MFK Fisher in How to Cook a Wolf (1942). Coeur a la creme, a dessert simultaneously sophisticated and simple, calls for the drained "heart" of a soft, mild cheese, lightened with whipped heavy cream or sour cream, sweetened with sugar, molded into a heart shape and served with fresh berries. Peter Kump, writing for the Chicago Tribune, included a recipe for coeur a la creme in a feature story about cheesecake, and noted, "This no-bake version [of a cheesecake] might be considered a cheesecake mousse due to its lightness." Kump's version was made with cream cheese. For Art Culinaire, Elizabeth Belkind, executive pastry chef at Grace, in Los Angeles, used a combination of mascarpone, ricotta and creme fraiche. "Many recipes suggest variations on this theme--fresh curd cheese combined with a richer, denser product like creme fraiche or cream cheese," she explains.

British food writer Jane Grigson described coeur a la creme in her Fruit Book as "[t]he standard French country dish to serve with soft fruit, with tarts, and with almost any [dessert] that demands cream. In winter, it sets off the best preserves, apricots or strawberry jams, for instance, with large pieces of fruit, and is accompanied by tuiles amande," and noted further that "[b]y using gelatine and egg yolks, you can make a richer firmer cream that can be set in a large heart mould ..." The molds traditionally used to create coeur a la creme were made from wicker, but were eventually replaced with more easily-sanitized ceramic ones. Coeur a la creme molds are commonly available in one- and four-portion sizes. Crafted of white ceramic, the heart-shaped molds feature a dozen or so small holes, distributed evenly across the surface, that allow whey to drain properly.

The origins of the dessert remain something of a mystery. In a 1980 article for the Christian Science Monitor, Patricia A. Spencer alluded to the traditional use of clabbered (sour) milk to make coeur a la creme, and it makes perfect sense that a French dairy farm wife would create a simple, sweet dessert from the one raw material to be had in abundance. Extensive research, however, yields no definitive history, nor any explanation for the dessert's heart shape.

"It's a bit like trying to find the history of toast," says Nach Waxman, owner of Kitchen Arts & Letters, a Manhattan store devoted to books about food and wine. "It's a lesson in a way--invention is not always something that can be traced to one source at one time." Matt Sartwell, who manages the store, adds, "Because it's such a simple dessert, but with so many variations, my sense is that anyplace that there is a fresh dairy culture, there is a fresh cheese that is served in one way or another, in both savory and sweet iterations."

1 BIRD OF PARADISE

CHRISTOPHE EME

ORTOLAN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

CHRISTOPHE EME HAS A HEALTHY SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE. "IT is not easy to be a chef, to own a restaurant," he says. "When a guy leaves the kitchen and you have to do his work, it's hard. But then you open up the newspaper and see thousands dead in Iraq, or people who lost everything in a hurricane in the South, and you realize that we have nothing to complain about." A native of Bauge, in France's Loire Valley, Eme learned to cook alongside his mother on their small family farm. "We had chickens, a goose for Christmas, ducks, squab. We had always four pigs, and we would sell three and keep one for ourselves. To see pork sausage and rillettes being made when I was a seven-year old boy, it was a very lucky thing. My mother would cook a rabbit the same day it was killed. I learned a lot from that."

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At age 16 he left home, seeking classical culinary training at Centre de Formation d'Apprentis, part of France's notoriously rigorous apprentice system, in nearby Angers. The verbal and physical punishments handed down from European chefs to apprentices have become the stuff of legend, almost glorified in certain circles, but Eme doesn't give in to the bravado.

"For me, it was brutal, very difficult that first year," he says. "When you are 16 years old and you leave your home for the first time, and you're working with adults, it is the first time people start to kick your ass, and it is very hard. The first year I would go to my dorm at night and cry." Eme will never forget the day he handed a plate of carrots to a hotel manager, who tried one before carrying them to the dining room. Not finding them cooked to the hotel's standard, the manager reached over and slapped the young apprentice across the face. "It happened so fast, and I was so surprised, just shocked." In his own kitchen, the chef says that he is strict when necessary, but tries to be more sensitive than the men who trained him. "It's good to be hard on kids when they start, but not too hard," he says. "I have some guys here who are 23 and have never worked in kitchens before. They start here with me, and I try to show them the right way." Of course, he's not a complete pushover: "It's good to have a little discipline, a little ass-kicking. It makes you a harder guy afterward."

After completing his training, Eme cooked in Paris, at Taillevent, Michel Rostang and Laurent. He arrived in New York with great expectations, but soon grew frustrated with what he saw as a lack of guidance from some of the city's top toques. At one acclaimed restaurant, he says he saw the chef a total of five minutes over the course of several months; at another, he says that even the chef de cuisine was a scarce presence, and that the boldfaced executive chef was completely absent. He soon moved to the west coast, and spent a year as executive chef at L'Orangerie, before leaving to open Ortolan.

"It's different in LA," he explains. "People go out more in New York, there are so many places and chefs with many, many restaurants. People accept the high prices for fine dining more readily in New York. They don't go to Jean-Georges expecting to see Jean-Georges, to have him cook the meal. Here, they want to see you." Eme and partner Jeri Ryan are on hand virtually every night at Ortolan, overseeing the preparation of every last plate, greeting guests, managing service and even clearing tables. Ryan, a television and film actress, has found in Ortolan the fulfillment of a lifelong desire to own a restaurant. She was at Eme's side in Aspen, Colorado, for the festivities surrounding his inclusion on Food & Wine's "Best New Chef" list for 2005, and the couple took an active role in designing Ortolan's dining room and choosing tableware and furniture. Owning a restaurant has prevented Eme from returning to France for the past two years, but he is hoping to return soon for a visit to the family farm where he first took an interest in food. "I thought opening my own restaurant would mean more freedom," he says with a small smile, "but it is not true."

2 CHEF [NOT] UNDER THE INFLUENCE

NEAL FRASER

GRACE * LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

WHO SAYS THAT ALL CHILD ACTORS meet unhappy fates? Chef and former thespian Neal Fraser has cooked alongside the likes of Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller and David Burke, co-owns a successful restaurant with his wife, and has the easygoing demeanor of a man doing what he loves for a living. Could it be because he orchestrated his own exit from show biz at the tender age of ten?

"I did a bunch of television commercials and industrial spots," says Fraser, "and I liked it. When I was ten, I was cast in a play that John Cassavetes was directing. It was boring, and I saw all my friends out having fun with their BMX bikes. I walked out of the rehearsal. That was the end of my acting career." Fortunately for all who have come to adore Fraser's offbeat combinations and hearty, game-intensive preparations, his actress mother and musician father didn't push their son back into performing. "They wanted me to be happy," he says.

What made him happy was cooking, so after a normal adolescence, Fraser began to work at Eureka Brewery, a precursor to the Wolfgang Puck-Barbara Lazaroff empire. "It was my first real restaurant job, and I was mentored by so many people. Almost everyone working in that kitchen went on to be a chef at their own restaurant," he says. In 1990, he enrolled at the CIA, and completed an externship at Checkers Hotel, under then-executive chef Thomas Keller.

"Fortunately for me we were not super-busy, so Thomas let me work every station," says Fraser. "I could probably sell my extern book. I learned something new every day, especially about the details. Even for a mixed greens salad, it would be the very best possible greens, the best vinegar for the vinaigrette, and the shallots brunoised to total perfection." He returned to campus to complete his degree, and spent the remaining weekends shuttling to Manhattan to cook in David Burke's kitchen at Park Avenue Cafe.

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"His style is very different from Thomas's. David kind of slaps you across the face with these intricate ideas and bold flavors. It's not messy, but he's much more playful in his plating and presentation, and there's kind of a 'no rules' feeling with him," Fraser explains. He returned to Los Angeles after graduation and briefly found himself back in Wolfgang's world, this time at Spago.

"I hated it," he says. "There were a lot of people who had been there a long time, and I was an outsider. I didn't appreciate the volume we were doing out of such a small kitchen. I left after three weeks." He went on to cook at Pinot Bistro and Rox, and in 1995 became executive chef and co-owner of Boxer. Three years later, he sold it and was soon named executive chef at Rix, in Santa Monica, where his eclectic tasting menus drew crowds. Of his hemp menu, Fraser says, "I don't partake of the stuff in its smoked form, but my sous chef was a pothead, and we thought a hemp menu would be a good cross between something fun and something that's actually good for you. Hemp oil has a lot of the same healthy linoleic fatty acids you find in salmon." Fraser also created a menu called "Homage to Jean-Georges" in which he attempted to recreate, without recipes, the dishes he'd enjoyed during a visit to Jean-Georges Vongerichten's flagship restaurant in New York. Fraser moved on in 1999 to Jimmy's, in Beverly Hills, but found himself out of a job after just a few months.

"They lost their lease on the building, and I was the last to know," Fraser says. "I went camping on New Year's Day, and the owners had a meeting. By the time we crested the valley, I had about 35 messages on my cell phone. I felt like I got stabbed in the back." Determined to regain control of his career, he began the process of securing investors for what would eventually become Grace, a difficult task made harder by the events of September 11, 2001 and the economic downturn that came in their wake.

"It went from people saying, 'Sure, I'll write you a check for $100,000' to people just not even returning my phone calls," Fraser recalls. "There are a lot of recession-proof things built into the fabric of LA, so we didn't have it as bad as New York, but it wasn't the right time for people to risk even $10,000 or $5,000 on a restaurant." Nevertheless, Fraser and his wife, Amy Knoll Fraser, pressed on, taking the odd catering or consulting gig, and eventually raised enough capital to open in a cool, airy space on Beverly Boulevard.

Fraser says that his food "isn't reinventing the wheel, but it's cerebral enough. I feature a lot of game because I like it. It's healthier than other meats, has less saturated fat and is better for the environment." His press materials include a mission statement claiming that Grace "eschews pretense and smugness and focuses on inclusion and satisfaction." When asked how he achieves that, he replies, "Our menu is as inclusive as possible, meaning that vegetarians and vegans can come in and enjoy a meal as much as a meat-eater. We try to be accommodating. We don't charge for splits, and you can get pretty much anything on the side. We don't stand there with our arms folded and say, 'This is my restaurant and you can't have that.' My wife taught me that it actually doesn't feel that good to say 'no' to a customer."

3 IN THE HANDS OF THE RIGHT-HAND MAN

LEE HEFTER

SPAGO BEVERLY HILLS BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA

WE'VE ALL KNOWN THEM: CHEFS WHO FREAK OUT WHEN a finicky customer orders sauce on the side of their steamed-not-fried fish and extra shredded lettuce subbed in for the confit potatoes. When you first meet chef Lee Hefter and hear his gruff voice and he shakes your hand in a way that makes you think, that's gonna leave a bruise, you might assume he's one of those guys--only he's emphatically not.

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"If someone comes into my restaurant looking to be made happy, I will try my best to make them happy," says Hefter, the executive chef of Spago Beverly Hills and self-described "right hand" to Wolfgang Puck. "I personally don't get uptight about cooking anything for anybody. Even if someone wants steamed fish or vegetables, they're still supporting me and supporting my restaurant. If I were a customer coming to Spago, I'd expect that that plain piece of fish is the best that money can buy."

Hefter began cooking as a teenager, at a Chinese restaurant in his native Marlboro, New Jersey. "At a young age, I found Chinese food really exotic, really stimulating, and I wanted to figure out how to make it taste the way it did. I went to the local take-out place and offered to help in any way I could. I washed dishes and cleaned vegetables. It really lit the flame for me to learn more about Chinese food." After high school, he worked in restaurants and country clubs in New York and New Jersey--"nothing significant," he says--then headed to San Francisco, where he met the late Barbara Tropp. "We had a shared passion for Chinese cooking," says Hefter. She offered him a job, and for the next 2 1/2 years, he learned Tropp's way of combining California ingredients and Asian techniques, his first foray into what he calls "an intellectual approach to food."

In 1992, Puck got wind of Hefter's talent and invited him to Los Angeles for a kitchen audition at the original Spago, in Hollywood. He got the job, but after two years as that restaurant's sous chef, Hefter decided to travel to France in order to continue his largely informal culinary education. He expressed this desire to Puck, who soon handed him a plane ticket, some cash and the names and addresses of a number of Michelin-starred chefs who'd be welcoming him into their kitchens. Starting in the south at Oustau de Baumaniere, Hefter worked his way around the country in three to four-month intervals, stopping at Maison Troisgros, in the Loire Valley; Les Loges de I'Aubergade, in France's southwest; and Michel Bras, in Laguiole. When he returned to California, he went back to work for Puck, opening Granita, in Malibu, where he stayed for two years before being called on to handle successively greater challenges.

"One day [Puck] came to me and said, 'I want you to run Spago while also running Granita,' and I said, 'OK, I'll do that.' The next step was moving Spago to Beverly Hills. A little later he came to me again and said, 'It's time for you to be my executive chef [at Spago], and my partner," recalls Hefter. Assured by Puck that his creative input and vision would become part of the mix, Hefter accepted. He is now the culinary director for all of Puck's fine dining outlets and catering, a position that frequently takes him beyond Los Angeles to visit properties in Las Vegas, Maui, San Francisco, Minneapolis and, soon, Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Puck's restaurant, unnamed at press time, is slated to open in the Borgata Hotel and Casino.

Hefter notes that none of this would be possible without two people: his wife, whom he calls "my own right hand and my toughest critic," and Spago Beverly Hills' chef de cuisine, Thomas Boyce. "He's been with me for 12 years," says the chef. "We have the same vision. I'm very fortunate to have him."

RELATED ARTICLE: Turbot with Heart of Truffle (Serves 6)

CHRISTOPHE EME

Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrieres

Domaine du Chateau Puligny-Montrachet

Burgundy, France 2001

directions

For the herb dressing: Bring pot of water to boil. Blanch parsley for 10 to 15 seconds, then remove and shock in ice bath. Drain, squeezing out excess water. In food processor fitted with metal blade, puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl and whisk in lemon, anchovies and oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the gnocchi: Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, peel and run through food mill. Add butter, flour, egg, yolk and salt and mix gently to form dough. Bring another pot of water to boil. Roll dough into rope 1/2-inch thick. Cut rope into 1-inch pieces and roll on tines of fork to make ridges. Drop gnocchi into water and cook until they float. Drain, toss with oil and keep warm.

To serve: Heat two tablespoons oil in saute pan over high heat. Season turbot with salt and pepper and sear on both sides to medium rare. Transfer to work surface, remove skin, and halve horizontally. Lift off top half, arrange layer of truffles on bottom half and replace top. In separate saute pan, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add gnocchi and brown on two sides. Remove from heat and toss with cheese. Place turbot skinned-side up on plate with gnocchi. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with capers, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, zest, parsley and thyme. Serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the herb dressing:

3 bunches parsley
1 lemon, peeled, segmented and finely chopped
6 Spanish white anchovies, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the gnocchi:

1 pound Idaho potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

To serve:

1/4 cup canola oil
6 6-ounce turbot fillets
2 Perigord truffles, thinly shaved
Gnocchi, from above
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Rinsed and drained capers
Pine nuts
Green pumpkin seeds
Finely julienned lemon zest
Parsley
Thyme

RELATED ARTICLE: Celery Heart "Ravioli" with Quail Egg (Serves 4)

CHRISTOPHE EME

Viognier "Paradise Road"

Summerland Wines

Santa Ynez Valley, California 2004

directions

For the pea puree: In saucepan, combine peas, cream and thyme and bring to simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Discard thyme branch, transfer mixture to food processor fitted with metal blade and puree until smooth. Season with salt and keep warm.

For the celery root: Using mandoline, cut celery root into very thin slices, working crosswise so that each slice is a cross-section of the vegetable. Bring pot of salted water to boil, add celery root and blanch one to two minutes. Drain and set aside.

For the quail eggs: Bring medium pot of water to a simmer and add vinegar. Separate yolks and whites, reserving whites for another use. Gently slip yolks into water and poach one minute or until yolk can hold its shape but is still somewhat soft. Remove carefully with slotted spoon and pat dry. Set aside.

To serve: Place three dollops of pea puree on plate and top each dollop with slice of celery root. Top each slice of celery root with one yolk. Garnish with peppercorns, peas, celery, celery leaves, pea shoots and veal jus and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the pea puree:

8 ounces shelled English peas
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 sprig thyme
Salt to taste

For the celery root:

1 celery root, peeled

For the quail eggs:

12 quail eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar

For the garnish:

Black peppercorns
Steamed English peas
Blanched, julienned celery ribs
Celery leaves
Pea shoots
Veal jus

RELATED ARTICLE: Cream of Artichoke Hearts Barigoule (Serves 6)

CHRISTOPHE EME

Cuvee Eleanor d'Aquitaine

Yorkville Cellars

Yorkville Highlands, California 2001

directions

For the artichoke cream: Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat and saute shallots. Tie parsley, thyme, bay leaf and celery together in cheesecloth. Add cheesecloth bundle, coriander and artichokes to pan. Add wine and reduce by half. Add stock, bring to a simmer and cook until artichokes are tender. Remove cheesecloth bundle, transfer artichoke mixture to blender, reserving four artichokes, and puree until emulsified. Stir in cream, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the pistou: Place all ingredients in food processor fitted with metal blade and puree. Set aside.

For the savory foam: In saucepan, bring milk, stock and savory to boil. Immediately remove from heat. Let steep three minutes, then remove savory. Season with salt and pepper and, using hand-held immersion blender, blend mixture until foamy.

To serve: Pour artichoke cream into bowl or beaker and top with pistou and savory foam. If using beakers, nestle in bowl filled with whole coriander seeds. Garnish plate with pistou and remaining artichokes and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the artichoke cream:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
1 3-inch piece celery rib
1 teaspoon ground coriander
8 fresh artichoke hearts, choke removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the pistou:

2 cups basil leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

For the savory foam:

1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 bunch savory
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Pistou, from above
Braised artichokes, from above
Whole coriander seeds (optional)

RELATED ARTICLE: Duck Hearts with Ricotta Ravioli and Chanterelles (Serves 6)

CHRISTOPHE EME

Pinot Noir "Ten"

Sea Smoke Cellars

Santa Rita Hills, California 2003

directions

For the ravioli: In bowl, combine one pound flour with pinch of salt. Stir in five eggs, one at a time, to form soft dough. In separate bowl, mix together ricotta, olive oil, remaining flour and salt to taste. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 4-inch by 12-inch rectangle, using second-thinnest setting on pasta-rolling machine. Place 12 spoonfuls of ricotta mixture on one dough rectangle, evenly spaced. Beat remaining egg and brush onto dough and around ricotta. Top with dough and press around ricotta and edges to seal. Cut into twelve ravioli, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve: Preheat grill and bring shallow pan of water to boil. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add chanterelles and cook until tender. Cook onions on grill, cut side down, until browned and season with salt and pepper. Thread hearts onto six skewers, season with salt and pepper and grill until tender. Drop ravioli in boiling water, lower heat and simmer until ravioli float. Spoon duck jus onto plate and arrange one skewer of hearts, chanterelles, onions and ravioli on top. Garnish with tomatoes, truffles, cheese, parsley and rosemary and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the ravioli:

1 pound plus 1 ounce all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1 cup ricotta
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

To serve:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed
24 pearl onions, blanched two minutes, peeled and halved crosswise
18 duck hearts, halved lengthwise
1 cup duck jus
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Cherry tomatoes
Shaved truffles
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Fried parsley
Rosemary sprigs

RELATED ARTICLE: Grilled Chicken Hearts with Venison Terrine (Serves 6)

NEAL FRASER

Pinot Noir

Ata Rangi

Martinborough, New Zealand 2002

directions

For the venison terrine: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In bowl, combine venison, fatback, curing salt, salt, pepper, spices and shallots. Pass through grinder fitted with medium blade and set aside. In bowl of mixer with paddle attachment, mix yolks and cream. Add venison mixture, stir until completely combined and set aside. Heat saute pan over high heat. Season liver with salt and pepper and sear briefly. Remove from pan and let cool, then fold into venison mixture with pistachios. Lightly oil terrine mold and line with plastic wrap. Fill with venison mixture, fold excess plastic wrap over top and cover with terrine lid. Place terrine in shallow pan. Heat one quart water to 140 degrees and pour into pan with terrine mold. Transfer to oven and cook until terrine reaches 140 degrees in center, about 50 minutes. Remove terrine mold from water and refrigerate until completely chilled. Slice 121/3-inch thick slices and reserve. (Note: makes more than needed for recipe.)

For the chicken hearts: Preheat grill. Strip leaves from three inches of each rosemary sprig. Thread three hearts onto each sprig, season with salt and pepper and grill to medium. Place one skewer on plate with two slices baguette and two slices terrine. Garnish with mustard, micro greens and oil and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the venison terrine:

2 pounds Denver venison leg, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces fatback, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon pink curing salt*
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces duck liver, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup roasted pistachios

For the chicken hearts:

6 5-inch sprigs rosemary
18 chicken hearts, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

12 thin baguette slices, grilled
Whole grain mustard
Micro greens
Extra virgin olive oil

*A mixture of salt and sodium nitrite used for curing and preserving sausage and other ground meats. Also known as tinted curing mixture (TCM), Prague Powder #1 or sel rose. Available through The Great American Spice Company, [phone] or www.americanspice.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hearts of Romaine Caesar Salad with Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Serves 6)

NEAL FRASER

Viognier, "Deux C"

Cold Heaven, Yves Cuilleron

Central Coast, California 2002

directions

For the vinaigrette: In bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine vinegar, juice, mustard, yolks, Worcestershire and Tabasco[R]. Mix on high speed, adding oil slowly to emulsify. Season with salt and set aside.

For the sandwich: Place one slice of cheese between two slices of bread and butter outside of bread. Heat large saute pan over medium heat, add sandwiches and cook until golden brown on each side. Slice in half.

To serve: Wrap 1/4 romaine heart with six anchovies. Arrange on plate with another 1/4 romaine heart, four garlic cloves and two sandwich halves. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

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ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco[R] sauce
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

For the sandwich:

12 1/4-inch thick slices bread
6 1-ounce slices Ossau-Iraty cheese*
1/4 cup butter

For the salad:

3 romaine lettuce hearts, quartered lengthwise
36 Spanish white anchovies
24 garlic cloves, peeled and roasted

*An AOC ewe's milk cheese from the Basque region of France. Aged at least three months, it has a buttery texture and a nutty, fruity taste.

RELATED ARTICLE: Grilled Strip Steak with Hearts of Palm and Braised Cavolo Nero (Serves 6)

NEAL FRASER

Moraga Red

Moraga Vineyards

Los Angeles, California 1999

directions

For the hearts of palm: Bring large pot of salted water to boil, add hearts of palm and blanch 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to ice bath, drain and let dry. In bowl, combine hearts of palm with peppers, lemons, oil and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the ketchup: Heat half of oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until golden brown. Stir in paprika and brown lightly. Add tomatoes, vinegar, remaining oil, honey and stock, bring to a simmer and cook one hour. Transfer to blender with butter and puree until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and reserve.

For the cavolo nero: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until golden brown. Add cavolo nero, stock and syrup and simmer until kale is tender, adding more stock if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the steak: Preheat grill, preferably wood-burning. Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill to medium-rare. Let rest five minutes before arranging on plate with hearts of palm, cavalo nero and ketchup. Garnish with thyme and oil and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the hearts of palm:

1 pound fresh hearts of palm, sliced 1/4-inch thick*
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and julienned
2 preserved lemons, peeled and julienned
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the ketchup:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup veal stock
1/2 cup butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the cavolo nero:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 bunches cavolo nero, rinsed, ribs removed and thickly julienned**
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the steak:

6 12-ounce prime dry-aged New York strip steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Finely chopped thyme
Extra virgin olive oil

*Available through Puna Gardens, [phone].

**Black Tuscan kale. Available through The Chef's Garden, [phone] or www.chefsgarden.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Sauteed Scallops with Roasted Beet Hearts and Mascarpone Risotto (Serves 6)

NEAL FRASER

Chardonnay

John Kongsgoard

Napa Valley, California 2002

directions

For the beets: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place beets in separate roasting pans. Add 1/4 cup oil and half the ginger to each pan. Season with salt and pepper, cover and place in oven. Cook until beets are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, leave covered and let sit 15 minutes. Peel beets and cut crosswise into 1/6-inch slices. Cut slices with heart-shaped cookie cutters of varying sizes, cover and set aside.

For the lobster beet reduction: Juice beets in vegetable juicer and transfer to saucepan. Bring to simmer, skimming and discarding foam as necessary. Add stock and reduce over medium-low heat until thickened. Transfer to blender, add butter and blend until smooth. Season with salt and keep warm.

For the risotto: In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add rice and wine, stirring until wine is absorbed. Stir in stock, one cup at a time, until each is nearly absorbed. Cook until rice is tender, then stir in mascarpone, thyme and butter. Season with salt and keep warm.

For the scallops: In cast-iron skillet, heat oil and butter over high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper and sear on one side until browned. Turn scallops to finish cooking. Arrange scallops on plate with beets, beet reduction and risotto and serve immediately.

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ingredients

For the beets:

3 large red beets, scrubbed and trimmed
3 large white beets, scrubbed and trimmed
1/2 cup olive oil
2-inch piece young ginger, peeled and finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the lobster beet reduction:

10 large beets, peeled and quartered
1 cup lobster stock
1/4 cup butter
Salt to taste

For the risotto:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup carnaroli rice
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste

For the scallops:

1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
18 Maine diver scallops, connective muscles removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

RELATED ARTICLE: Coeur a la Creme with Toasted Meringue and Cassis Compote (Serves 10)

NEAL FRASER & ELIZABETH BELKIND

Malmsey 10-Year Madeira

Blandy's

Madeira, Portugal NV

directions

For the royal icing: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On parchment paper, trace the bottom of a four-inch coeur a la creme mold 10 times.*** Cut out hearts. In bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Place parchment hearts on work surface and, using offset spatula, spread one tablespoon of mixture over each heart. Transfer hearts to Silpat[R]-lined sheet tray. Place in oven and cook until lightly browned, about four minutes. Let cool completely, then carefully peel off parchment. Place icing hearts in airtight container until ready to use.

For the cream center: In food processor fitted with metal blade, puree ricotta until smooth. Transfer to bowl of mixer and, using spatula, stir in mascarpone. Add creme fraiche, sugar, salt and zest and beat with electric mixer's whisk attachment until just combined. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and fold in cream. Line 10 four-inch coeur a la creme molds with moistened cheesecloth. Divide mixture between molds and press to 1/2-inch thick. Fold edges of cheesecloth over mixture and set molds in perforated pan over solid pan to drain. Cover pan with plastic. Refrigerate eight hours or overnight.

For the toasted meringues: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In bowl of mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whisk mixture to soft peaks. With mixer on low speed, slowly add sugar to form soft, glossy peaks. Transfer meringue to piping bag fitted with small tip. Pipe mixture in various-sized dollops onto Silpat[R]-lined sheet tray. Using torch, carefully brown tips of meringues, then place in oven. Cook until dry but still soft to touch. Let cool completely, remove from Silpat[R] and set aside.

For the cassis compote: In heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, water and vanilla. Cook over high heat, brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush. When mixture is deep golden brown, add half of currants and stir gently. Cook until caramel dissolves and currant juice thickens slightly. Add remaining currants and stir until warmed through. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To serve: Place royal icing heart on work surface. Unmold cream center and place atop heart. Arrange meringues on surface of cream center. Spoon cassis compote on plate, place heart atop compote and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the royal icing:

2 egg whites
9 ounces confectioners' sugar
1 ounce pastry flour

For the cream center:

8 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
8 ounces fresh mascarpone cheese
6 ounces creme fraiche
1 ounce confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
12 ounces manufacturing cream, whipped to medium peaks*

For the toasted meringues:

5 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
8 ounces granulated sugar

For the cassis compote:

8 ounces granulated sugar
2 ounces water
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 pound fresh or IQF black currants**

*Heavy cream with carragenan, a stabilizer. Available locally from dairy purveyors.

**IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) currants available through American Gourmet Foods, www.americangourmetfoods.com.

***For the photo, Belkind created her own heart-shaped molds by stapling bands of acetate of different lengths together. Heart shaped coeur a la creme molds are available through Fante's Kitchen Wares Shop, www.fantes.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: "Bleeding Heart" Doughnuts with Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam (Makes 50)

NEAL FRASER & ELIZABETH BELKIND

Moscato d'Asti, Sori del Re

Degiorgis

Piemonte, Italy 2003

directions

For the strawberry-rhubarb jam: In heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, vanilla and water. Cook over high heat, brushing down sides with pastry brush, until mixture turns golden brown. Carefully stir in rhubarb and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is very soft. Add one-third of strawberries and cook, stirring, until liquid is mostly evaporated, about eight minutes. Add another third of strawberries and stir until just softened. Stir in remaining third and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the dough: In bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine yeast and milk, stirring to dissolve. Add six ounces pastry flour and mix until just incorporated. Sprinkle remaining pastry flour over surface, cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in warm place until layer of flour has cracked, about four minutes. In small saucepan, combine vanilla and butter and heat until butter melts. Set aside. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk butter mixture into egg mixture and add to flour mixture in mixer bowl. Mix on low speed to incorporate flour, then increase speed to medium for one minute. Add three ounces bread flour, mix on low speed to incorporate, then mix on medium speed two minutes to form lumpy, sticky dough. Transfer to large greased bowl, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until batter doubles in size, about two hours. Sprinkle remaining bread flour over surface of dough. In bowl, tuck sides of dough under itself to deflate, wrap in plastic and let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size again, about 45 minutes. Line three sheet trays with parchment paper. Spray parchment with cooking spray and dust with bread flour. Set aside. Dust work surface with bread flour. Pour one-third dough onto surface and sprinkle with more bread flour. Using palms of hands, gently press dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter dipped in bread flour, cut doughnuts and transfer to prepared sheet trays. Cover and refrigerate.

To serve: In deep-fryer or tall-sided pot, heat oil to 350 degrees. Remove trays from refrigerator and bring doughnuts to room temperature. Slide doughnuts into oil, six at a time, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about three minutes. Drain on paper towels and toss in sugar to coat. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. Place strawberry-rhubarb jam in pastry bag fitted with 1/8-inch tip, fill doughnuts and serve.

ingredients

For the strawberry-rhubarb jam:

8 ounces granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 ounces water
1 pound coarsely chopped rhubarb
2 ounces red wine
2 pounds small strawberries, trimmed and coarsely chopped

For the dough:

1/2 ounce fresh yeast
6 ounces whole milk, lukewarm
15 ounces pastry flour
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 ounces butter, cubed
6 eggs
4 ounces granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bread flour, plus additional for dusting
Nonstick cooking spray

To serve:

2 quarts canola oil
4 ounces granulated sugar, for coating
Strawberry-rhubarb jam, from above

RELATED ARTICLE: Tuna and Hamachi Sashimi with Hearts of Palm Salad (Serves 4)

LEE HEFTER & THOMAS BOYCE

Sake

Kamikokoro "Ohshima Shuichi"

Junmai Prefecture, Japan NV

directions

For the pickled daikon: Use one-inch diameter round cutter to punch out as many circles as possible from daikon slices. In saucepot, combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add daikon, return to boil, cover and remove from heat. When cooled to room temperature, drain and set aside.

For the wasabi-yuzu ponzu sauce: Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Set aside.

For the wasabi vinaigrette: Combine wasabi, ginger, juice, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil and sesame oil in blender and puree until smooth. With motor still running, slowly drizzle in peanut oil. Add leaves, continue to puree until smooth and set aside.

For the Meyer lemon vinaigrette: In bowl, whisk together juice, zest and sugar. Slowly whisk in oil. Season with salt and set aside.

For the sushi rice: Combine rice and water in pot and let sit 30 minutes. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until water has been absorbed by rice. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 15 minutes. In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir mixture into rice, transfer to clean bowl and let cool to room temperature. Using sushi mat, roll rice into one-inch thick cylinder and slice into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Cover and set aside.

For the tartare: In chilled bowl over ice, combine tuna, hamachi, avocado, sesame seeds and onions. Add wasabi vinaigrette to taste, and toss gently to coat.

To garnish and serve: Arrange sliced tuna and hamachi on plate. Toss hearts of palm in Meyer lemon vinaigrette to taste and arrange atop fish. Drain myoga, pat dry and place atop hearts of palm. Gently roll rice cylinders in nori, chives and flowers and arrange on plate. Top each cylinder with one piece daikon, then with dollop of tartare. Garnish tartare with chives and bonito flakes. Garnish plate with chive blossoms, chrysanthemum flowers and pumpkinseed oil. Garnish sashimi with micro basil and serve immediately.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the pickled daikon:

1 small daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup rice wine vinegar
3 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 jalapeno pepper, crushed with blunt side of large knife
Salt to taste

For the wasabi-yuzu ponzu sauce:

Grated zest of 1 yuzu
3 tablespoons grated fresh wasabi
3 tablespoons powdered wasabi paste
1/2 cup yuzu juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

For the wasabi vinaigrette:

1/4 cup grated fresh wasabi
1/4 cup sliced pickled ginger
2 tablespoons yuzu juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chili oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
5 shiso leaves

For the Meyer lemon vinaigrette:

Juice and grated zest of 8 Meyer lemons
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sushi rice:

1 1/2 cups medium-grain sushi rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the tartare:

2 ounces sushi quality tuna, finely diced
2 ounces sushi quality hamachi, finely diced
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and finely diced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 red onion, peeled and finely diced
Wasabi vinaigrette, from above

To serve:

4 ounces sushi quality tuna, thinly sliced
4 ounces sushi quality hamachi, thinly sliced
2 ounces fresh hearts of palm, thinly shaved on mandoline*
Meyer lemon vinaigrette, from above
1 ounce myoga, thinly sliced and held in ice water**
Rice cylinders, from above
1/4 cup julienned nori
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped chrysanthemum flowers
Pickled daikon, from above
Tartare, from above

For garnish:

Finely chopped chives
Bonito flakes
Garlic chive blossoms
Chrysanthemum flowers
Pumpkinseed oil
Micro basil

*Available through Puna Gardens, [phone].

**Wild Japanese ginger whose young shoots are crisp and have fresh ginger flavor. Available in Asian markets.

RELATED ARTICLE: Santa Barbara Spot Prawns and Artichoke Hearts with Curry Emulsion (Serves 4)

LEE HEFTER & THOMAS BOYCE

Riesling "Singerriedel" Smaragd

Weingut Franz Hirtzbirger

Wachou Valley, Austria 2001

directions

For the saffron-orange oil: Combine all ingredients in small pot over low heat and bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Let steep until oil has cooled to room temperature. Strain and discard solids, reserving oil in clean container. (Note: recipe makes more than needed. Store in airtight container for up to one month.)

For the braised artichoke hearts: In tall-sided pot with lid over medium heat, heat oil and add garlic, cut side down. When garlic is lightly browned, add onions, carrots and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and cook slowly until vegetables are tender but not browned. Add artichokes, season and let cook until their color brightens. Add basil, thyme, parsley and wine. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover with parchment, place lid on pot and cook until artichokes are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let artichokes cool in liquid.

For the artichoke puree: In tall-sided pot over low heat, combine artichokes, garlic, butter and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until artichokes start to soften. Cover with cream and simmer until tender. Strain, reserving liquid and discarding garlic. Puree artichokes in blender until smooth, adding cooking liquid as necessary to create desired consistency. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and set aside, keeping warm.

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For the curry emulsion: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, toss shells and heads with I tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in wide, straight-sided pan over high heat and add shells and heads. Let cook one minute, then transfer to oven and roast until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Return pan to stove and add 1/4 cup butter, shallots, garlic, onions, celery, carrots, tomato, ginger and spices. Reduce heat to low and let cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened and butter takes on color of curry powder. Add wine and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and reduce by half again. Skim and discard foam as necessary. Strain through fine-mesh sieve.

For the prawns: Season prawns with salt and pepper. Dust with flour, patting off excess. Heat olive oil in saute pan over high heat, then add prawns. Cook on one side until flesh begins to turn pink, then add butter, garlic and basil. Turn and cook until browned, basting with butter. Remove from pan and set aside, keeping hot. In separate pan, heat peanut oil over high heat. Season heads with salt and pepper and fry in oil until crisp, about 15 to 20 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels.

To serve: Warm curry emulsion in small pot and add butter. Emulsify with whisk or hand-held blender on low speed. On plate, arrange four artichoke hearts and place one tablespoon puree into each. Add one prawn body and one head to each choke. Drizzle prawns and plate with curry emulsion and orange-saffron oil. Dust with curry powder, garnish with micro basil and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the saffron-orange oil:

1 cup olive oil
Coarsely grated zest of 4 oranges
1 tablespoon saffron threads

For the braised artichoke hearts:

1/3 cup olive oil
1 head garlic, split
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
6 artichoke hearts, trimmed, choke removed
1 sprig basil
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig parsley
2 cups white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the artichoke puree:

6 artichokes, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

For the curry emulsion:

1 pound Santa Barbara spot prawn shells and heads, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup butter
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tomato, cut in half and seeded
1/2-inch knob ginger, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons toasted and crushed cumin seeds
2 teaspoons toasted and crushed coriander seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cups white wine
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the prawns:

16 Santa Barbara spot prawns, heads removed and reserved
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 sprig basil
1 cup peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

Curry emulsion, from above
1/4 cup butter
Curry powder to taste
Micro basil

RELATED ARTICLE: Stuffed Rabbit Loin with Rabbit Heart Ragout (Serves 6)

LEE HEFTER & THOMAS BOYCE

Barbaresco "Gallim"

La Spinetta

Piedmont, Italy 2000

For the ricotta gnocchi: Pass ricotta through fine-mesh sieve and mix in eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan and pinch of salt and mix well. Add half of flour and mix with wooden spoon. Turn mixture out onto floured work surface and gently knead in remaining flour to form soft dough. Let dough rest 20 minutes, then roll into 1/2-inch thick logs. Cut each log into 1/2-inch pieces and use gnocchi paddle or fork to create grooves in each piece. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and add gnocchi. Cook two minutes or until cooked through. Drain, refresh in ice bath, drain again and dry gently with paper towels. Toss gently with oil to coat and set aside until ready to use.

For the rabbit heart ragout: Season shoulders and hearts with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, brown shoulders in oil and remove from pan. Brown hearts in oil and remove from pan. In same pan, combine onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaf and cook until vegetables are browned and tender. Tie thyme, rosemary and parsley together with twine and add to pan. Stir in tomato paste and wines and cook over medium-high heat until wine is reduced by half. Add stock and demi-glace and return shoulders and hearts to pan. Cover and simmer slowly until meat is tender. Remove shoulders and cover with plastic wrap. Once cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and set aside. Continue simmering liquid until reduced by half of original volume, skimming as necessary to remove foam or fat. Once reduced, return shoulder meat to liquid. Remove from heat and cool.

For the sauce: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, toss bones with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in oven proof saucepan over high heat and add bones. Cook, stirring occasionally, over high heat until bones are slightly browned. Transfer to oven and roast until evenly browned. Return bones to stovetop and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, pepper, juniper berries and clove. Season lightly with salt, add butter and cook until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized. Add wines and reduce by half. Add stock and demi-glace and bring to a boil. Skim and simmer until reduced to desired consistency. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and set aside, keeping warm.

For the blood sausage stuffing: Season and lightly flour livers. Heat butter in large saute pan over medium heat until it foams and subsides. Brown livers on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside. Add onions to pan and reduce heat slightly. Cook until tender, then stir in mustards and thyme. Cook five minutes, then deglaze with brandy. Cook until alcohol is burned off and return livers to pan. Season with salt and pepper, toss one minute and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. Combine blood sausage and livers and pass through meat grinder with 1/4-inch plate. Refrigerate mixture until ready to use.

For the persillade crust: Sprinkle salt over garlic and crush with side of knife. Work garlic with side of knife until smooth. Transfer to food processor fitted with metal blade and add remaining ingredients. Process until ingredients are well-mixed and butter has taken on greenish color. Adjust seasoning and refrigerate until ready to use. (Note: makes more than needed for recipe. May keep refrigerated for up to four days.)

For the onions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rub inside of cold saute pan with butter and dust lightly with sugar. Add onions to pan, arranging cut side down. Place pan over medium heat and cook until onions start to caramelize. Transfer to oven and cook until tender. Return pan to stovetop and deglaze pan with stock. Let stock reduce until it is thick enough to glaze onions. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble and serve: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay bacon on work surface in single layer. Lay each loin across bacon and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover thickest part of each loin with stuffing and then wrap each with bacon to create cylinders. Heat oil in saute pan over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit loins on all sides. Add two tablespoons butter, one clove garlic and one sprig thyme and transfer to oven. Roast until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes, basting occasionally with butter. Set aside to rest. Preheat broiler. Season racks with salt and pepper. Remove persillade crust from refrigerator, slice off two thin pieces and trim to size of racks. Place crust over outside of racks and broil until cooked through. Season and flour kidneys and livers. Heat three tablespoons butter in saute pan over high heat until it foams and subsides, then add kidneys and livers. Saute until browned, then remove from heat. Remove from pan and add ragout, gnocchi and remaining garlic and thyme. Toss over high heat until heated through, then return livers and kidneys to pan. Melt remaining butter in small saute pan and add brussels sprout leaves. Toss in butter to coat and add chicken stock. Toss over high heat one minute and remove from heat.

Arrange onion rings and mushrooms on plate. Top onion rings with leaves arranged into cups. Place one cipollini onion half in each cup. Slice loins and arrange four slices atop mushrooms. Carve racks into three-rib sections and place two sections on each plate. Drizzle rabbit sauce and parsley oil around onions and mushrooms. Garnish plate with thyme sprigs. Garnish ragout with chives and serve alongside.

ingredients

For the ricotta gnocchi:

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
2 eggs
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil to taste
Salt to taste

For the rabbit heart ragout:

Shoulders and hearts from 6 rabbits
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups white wine
1 cup port
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup veal demi-glace
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1 pound rabbit bones
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
5 juniper berries
1 clove
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups white wine
1 cup red wine
1 cup port
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup veal demi-glace
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the blood sausage stuffing:

1/4 pound rabbit livers
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 pound blood sausage, removed from casing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the persillade crust:

1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1/4 tablespoon coarsely chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 tablespoon coarsely chopped sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the onions:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
9 cipollini onions, peeled and halved crosswise
1 small onion, peeled and cut into rings
1/4 cup chicken stock

To assemble and serve:

Loins of two rabbits
Blood sausage stuffing, from above
12 slices bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 sprigs thyme
2 rabbit racks
Persillade crust, from above
Livers and kidneys from 6 rabbits
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Rabbit heart ragout, from above
36 large brussels sprout leaves, blanched and refreshed in ice bath
Splash of chicken stock
Onions, from above
3 ounces sauteed chanterelle mushrooms
3 ounces sauteed matsutake mushrooms
Rabbit sauce, from above
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Parsley oil
Thyme sprigs
Chopped chives

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RELATED ARTICLE: Chinese Lacquered Squab with Braised Celery Hearts and Squab Yakitori (Serves 4)

LEE HEFTER & THOMAS BOYCE

Syrah

Costelli-Knight Ranch

Russian River Volley, CA 2002

directions

For the squab sauce: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, toss bones with two tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In ovenproof saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat and add bones. Brown gently over medium heat and transfer to oven. Roast until bones are well-browned. Return to stovetop over medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, ginger and whole spices. Season with salt, add butter and cook until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized. Add red wine, plum wine and port and reduce by half. Add stock and demi-glace and bring to a boil. Skim and discard impurities and reduce heat to simmer. Reduce sauce to desired consistency, strain through fine-mesh sieve and set aside.

For the celery heart puree: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add celery hearts, celery root and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. When vegetables begin to soften, stir in cream. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover with parchment. Cook until vegetables are very tender. Remove from heat and strain, reserving vegetables and cooking liquid separately. Puree solids in blender, adding cooking liquid as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, season with salt and pepper and set aside, keeping warm.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the cipollini onion and fig soubise: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange figs in single layer in roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Dust with sugar and drizzle with honey. In saucepot, combine port, red wine and sherry vinegar, reduce by half and pour over figs. Roast in oven until figs are soft and wine has reduced to glaze. Remove from oven and let figs cool to room temperature. Reserve four figs in half of cooking liquid for brochettes, and coarsely chop remaining figs. Combine chopped figs and remaining cooking liquid and set aside. Bring two quarts salted water to boil and add champagne vinegar and onions. Boil one minute, then drain. Transfer onions to pot with lid and add star anise, butter and verjus. Season with salt, cover with parchment and lid. Let cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, then add raisins. Cook covered for 10 minutes, then add figs and cooking liquid. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Pulse mixture in food processor fitted with metal blade and set aside.

For the squab: In bowl, combine ginger, zest, 10-spice powder, one tablespoon hoisin sauce and salt. Stuff each squab with mixture and use wooden skewer to seal opening. In wok, bring two quarts water, honey and vinegar to a boil and season with salt. When boiling rapidly, hold one squab over wok with tongs and baste gently with water until skin blanches and tightens on the outside. Hang squab near stove. Repeat with remaining squab and let hang 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roast squab in oven five to seven minutes, until skin just begins to brown. Remove from oven and let rest five minutes. In tall-sided pot or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Using spider or slotted spoon, hold one squab over pot or fryer and baste with hot oil until skin is goldenmahogany colored and bird is warmed through. Repeat with remaining squab, letting each rest five minutes after basting. From each squab, remove one breast, leg and thigh in one piece. Discard backs and ginger mixture. Rub each squab half on skin side with hoisin, dust with 10-spice powder and season with fleur de sel.

For the squab yakitori: Preheat grill. Remove figs from cooking liquid and set aside. Cut figs into quarters. Divide hearts, livers and figs among four skewers, threading in alternating layers. Brush lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on grill until livers and hearts are medium-rare, about five minutes. Remove from grill and glaze with reserved cooking liquid.

To serve: Heat one tablespoon butter in saute pan over high heat until it foams and subsides. Add celery hearts and toss over high heat until hearts are glazed and tender. Remove from heat and tie hearts together in groups of two, using chives. Heat oil in saute pan over high. Season livers with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sear one minute, then stir in squab sauce and bring to a boil. Whisk in butter and 10-spice powder. Remove from heat and emulsify with immersion blender. In separate saucepans, warm soubise and celery heart puree and garnish plate with each. Place two squab halves over soubise and celery hearts over puree. Drizzle squab and plate with squab sauce. Lean brochette against celery and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the squab sauce:

1 pound squab and/or duck bones
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1-inch knob ginger, peeled, crushed and coarsely chopped
1 star anise
4 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups red wine
3 cups plum wine
1 cup port
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup veal demi-glace
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the celery heart puree:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups coarsely chopped celery hearts
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped celery root
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

For the cipollini onion and fig soubise:

16 figs, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups port
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
8 cipollini onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 star anise
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup verjus
1/2 cup rehydrated golden raisins, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the squab:

2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped ginger
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons Chinese 10-spice powder, plus more to taste*
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons salt
4 squab, feet intact
2 quarts water
1 1/2 cups honey
1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 quart peanut oil
Fleur de sel to taste

For the squab yakitori:

4 roasted figs and reserved cooking liquid, from above
8 squab hearts, cut into three pieces each
4 squab livers, cut into four pieces each
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

3 tablespoons butter
8 celery hearts, blanched and chilled in ice bath
4 chives, blanched and chilled in ice bath
1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
4 squab livers, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon Chinese 10-spice powder*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*A mixture containing ground fennel seeds, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin, black peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and cloves. Made in-house at Spago.