/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>8994931
Boar belly is in the oven right now.

After the boar came out of the brine this morning, I rinsed it off and then put it into the fridge, uncovered, for a few hours to dry the skin thoroughly- we're going for a nice crackling here. It's been in the oven about 3.5 hours at 240F to melt the fat and connective tissues, after which it'll get a 30 minute rest, then get blasted at 475F to puff and crisp the skin.

Meanwhile, cauliflower is simmered and pureed with some brown butter and a touch of sherry vinegar, snap peas are cleaned and blanched and ready to blister in a hot skillet, purple asparagus is shaved and chilled waiting to be dressed last minute, and radishes are immersed in cold-smoked pork fat with some thyme and bay, confiting away.

I've also got a sarsaparilla gastrique happening- infused sarsaparilla into some water, which I then used to make a caramel. It'll get finished with grainy mustard, banyuls vinegar, and the rendered boar fat to form a warm vinaigrette of sorts to finish the dish with. Trying to keep lots of bright elements because the boar is really fatty and super richly flavored.

I've got a beer going as well- The Bruery's 'Tart of Darkness'.