Progressive restaurant shopping list: soda charges, basil seeds, pork belly, mirin … Jolly Ranchers? Peering into the pantry at Snackbar (253 S. 20th St., 215-545-5655) can be an exercise in puzzlement. Vanilla beans jarred in sugar makes
sense; quart containers of Jolly Ranchers throws you for a loop. The
answer lies in the modern cooking style often termed “molecular
gastronomy,” a somewhat scientific approach to technique popularized by Spanish chef Ferran
Adria of the revolutionary restaurant El Bulli. Top-notch kitchen gear here is essential: vacuum sealing machines and appropriate
polyethylene bags, immersion circulators for cooking under pressure,
soda canisters, liquid nitrogen. Critics of the style claim the science-project approach steals the soul from preparation. But many proponents, including Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Per Se, assert that such practices are meant to showcase exceptional ingredients in a new way.

Snackbar executive chef Joshua Homacki uses some of these techniques for his menu, which features recognizable plates with unconventional tweaks. He loves his Mini-Pack vacuum sealing machine, essential equipment for the sous vide method. “We bag and seal pretty much
everything,” he cheerfully admits, slicing open a packet of harissa spice
paste. Sous vide, French for “under vacuum,” is a cooking technique
where raw food is sealed into a plastic bag from which all air is removed. Sometimes called “Cryovac-ing,” the sealed bags can then be
cooked in liquid, under pressure, at a much lower temperature than
usual.

This is
where those Jolly Ranchers come in. Using the Mini-Pack, Homacki creates
an apple “kimchi” infused with an acidic solution of green apple Jolly
Ranchers melted into mirin and white vinegar, sparked with a
custom-blended harissa and hot pepper paste. The sweet, spicy potion is concentrated into the flesh of sliced Gala apples when put under
the vacuum, forming a tight, colorful package of space fruit.

Crisp, spicy, sweet and gorgeous to look
at, Homacki’s concoction is still in the R&D stage. The chef, when pressed for likely combinations for the
fruit accompaniment, suggests seared pork belly or buttermilk-fried
veal sweetbreads. He shares his recipe for Jolly Rancher Apple Kimchi
after the jump. A cook without a home vacuum
sealing machine (like a Foodsaver) can simply jar the mixture, making sure the apples are completely covered with liquid, and store
in the fridge.

JOLLY RANCHER APPLE KIMCHI WITH HARISSA AND HOT PEPPER PASTE
(Joshua Homacki, Executive Chef, Snackbar)

Go Get:

20 green apple Jolly Ranchers, stripped of wrappers

270 g. white vinegar

70 g. sweet mirin

8 Gala apples

2 tsp. Korean hot pepper powder

2 tsp. harissa paste

Then Do This:

1. Combine the Jolly Ranchers, white vinegar and mirin in a small saucepan. Place over low heat, stirring frequently, until the candies are completely melted.

2. Slice the apples in to quarter-inch slices, set aside in a large bowl. No cores, please.

3. Once the candies are completely melted, pour the liquid into a container. Place in refrigerator until completely cooled, at least half an hour.

4. Combine the Jolly Rancher infusion with the hot pepper powder and harissa until well mixed.

5. Pour the liquid over the apple slices and mix well with gloved hands. Don’t get the hot pepper powder in your eyes or on your hands, it will suck.

6. Scoop the apples into glass jars and fill to the top with the remaining liquid. Make sure the apples are completely covered in liquid.

7. Refrigerate at least three days and up to a week.

8. Makes enough to share. Eat!

This entry was posted on Monday, October 20th, 2008 at 4:07 pm and is filed under Chef Salad, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.