Pumpkin spice lattes aside, fall is a favorite time of year for many chefs who relish the opportunity to create new dishes from classic flavors. Below, Chef Craig Wilmer at the Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant in California’s Sonoma Valley, shares the inspiration behind, and a recipe for one of his favorite fall dishes: cabbage potage.
What inspired this recipe?
The genesis came from amazing local black futsu squash that we felt we had to highlight. At the same time, we wanted the dish to feel rich but light. First, it was inspired by my desire to get away from starch and offer lightness within richness. Originally envisioned as an entirely different set with pasta, we created the "noodles" with a local black futsu squash to get away from excess starch. As the dish kept evolving, it transformed into a potage set. We then built the dish around a potage I ate in Lyon with pumpkin and Comté. We kept the squash noodles for a textural component. We finished the dish by charging the potage in an ISI, lowering the richness of the dish even further. We ended up with a dish capturing that rich but light feeling, and really showing off our amazing black futsu.
What do you like about it?
I like how it shows off the complexity of black futsu along with how rich it feels on the palate, without feeling overly rich once consumed. The aeration of the potage greatly lowers its proportion and perceived richness, and at the same time the futsu noodles add a great flavor and texture without feeling too filling like starch would.Is there a time of year (or occasion) when you think it's best served?
Fall or winter, naturally!Chef Craig Wilmer's Recipe
Cabbage Potage
Potage
- 625g cabbage, thin slice
- 500g chicken stock
- 400g heavy cream
- 300g white wine
- 150g slab bacon, sm dice
- 150g shallot, sm dice
- 65g white soy sauce
- 40g parmesan, microplaned
- 30g garlic
Bouquet Garni
- 6g sage
- 4g marjoram
- 5g thyme
Directions
1. Place bacon in rondeau, cold, with a touch of rice bran oil.2. Crisp up the bacon til it’s evenly colored on all sides, then add the shallot and sweat till the raw flavor has left the pan.
3. Deglaze with white wine, reduce to au sec.
4. Add the cabbage, mix through and wilt.
5. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, garlic, bouquet garni, shiro dashi and return to a simmer.
6. Once the liquid is reduced by half, remove the bouquet and turn into a blender and blend till smooth.
7. Pass through chinoise then place potage into ISI, and give two charges. Hold warm for service.
Candied Pecans
- 1:1 simple syrup
- Pecans
Directions
1. Cover pecans in simple syrup and bring to a simmer.
2. Gently simmer pecans for 45 minutes.
3. Once cooked, immediately strain the pecans and fry them at 350F till golden brown.
4. Turn onto a silpat mat to cool.
5. Once cooled, immediately reserve in an airtight container.
Squash Puree
- 400g roasted squash
- 2g ksal
- 25g butter, +as needed
- Brown sugar, if needed
- Thyme, as needed
Directions
1. Roast squash halves in a covered standard roasting setup. In each squash place a small knob of butter and two sprigs of thyme.2. Roast for about 1 hour or until tender at 375.
3. Remove thyme and then scoop out the squash flesh and turn into blender with the weighed butter, and salt. Blend till smooth and reserve.
To Plate:
- Butternut squash, cut on a japanese spiralizer. Cut to a 10 inch noodle. 25g/pp
- Chopped Candied Pecans
- Chives
- Squash bowl
- Sage to decorate
Hero image: The Restaurant at Farmhouse Inn
