The Eater

Happy hour in McMinnville. It is Cowgirl Creamery triple cream, Willamette Cheese Co’s Boerenkas, Tillamook cheddar, and local blueberries. The meat is Salumi’s smoked paprika and DaVino salami.

Sweet bell peppers from Springdale Farm stuffed with Texas brown rice and wild boar chorizo from Dai Due.

Sous vide (5 hours at 150F)chicken thighs that had been marinaded in a honey, soy, ginger reduction, quick pickled carrots from Boggy Creek Farm, and topped with a 5:10 egg from Springdale Farm.

Mac ‘n Cheese with house cured chorizo at Hillside Farmacy.

Duck confit (from Countryside Farm) on top of heirloom tomato, onion (both from Springdale Farm), June’s Joy chevre blend from Pure Luck Farm & Dairy, and an english muffin from Amity.

Twice-baked sweet potatoes! I was inspired by a Pure Luck Farm cheese called June’s Joy, a goat cheese with thyme, black pepper and honey. The combination of the  sweet and rich edge of the cheese was a perfect compliment for a roasted sweet potato- so why not combine them in a twice baked? I started with half a container of June’s Joy and a large sweet potato.

1. Steam the sweet potato in the microwave. It seems sacrilegious, I know, but it is the best/fasted way to do the job.
2. Cut the sweet potato in half and scope the flesh out into a bowl.
3. Add a touch of butter and the cheese to the bowl and mash together.
4. Once blended together, scoop the mixture back into the skins.
5. Roasted the re-stuffed sweet potato in an oven or a grill until a nice crust has formed over the top.

Duck Egg Carbonara is creamy and rich with out using any cream or milk.  The recipe is really easy- I adapted one I found here http://thepauperedchef.com/2007/03/pasta_carbonara.html  All you need is duck eggs, thick cut bacon (guanciale is preferred and panchetta works too), fresh spaghetti or linguine, fresh thyme, and a good quality Parmesan cheese.

1. Separate the whites from the yolks.  You can keep the whites together but the yolks should be separated. 1 egg per serving.
2. I rendered some thick cut bacon (guanciale is preferred and panchetta works too) in a large high sided skillet. I used 1/2 a pound for a 4 person portion.
3. Shred the cheese.  Go big- 1/4 cup per serving. Shred a little extra for a garnish.
4. When the pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet with the rendered bacon (still warm but not super hot). 
5. Add half the pasta water, the duck egg whites, and the cheese to the skillet and stir. 
6. Stir vigorously into a thick, cream sauce has formed and coated the pasta.  Add more of the starchy pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
7. Plate the pasta leaving an indentation in the middle.
8. Pour the duck egg yolk into the indentation.
9. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, a little bit of extra Parmesan, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Breakfast of champions! Challah bun from Hop Doddy, egg from Springdale Rd, ground bison from Thunderheart.

Hidden away in an unassuming strip mall in Cedar Park lies a sandwich shop that would have a line around the corner if it was located anywhere else, The Noble Pig (aka TNP). TNP not only cures their own meat but the also bake their own bread and make their own condiments. Fresh not only describes the food at TNP but also their take on this genre of food.  Duck pastrami appears on the menu as naturally as a traditional hot Italian sausage (they make their own sausage too). 

The brothers behind the shop aspire to sell their charcuterie.  I can only hope they do so closer to where I live and not nestled between a nail salon and a vacuum repair shop.  That said, you’ll find me begrudgingly making the trek up to 620 on 183 at least once a month for what is the best sandwich in Austin (though technically not in Austin).

http://www.noblepigaustin.com/

I tested David Chang’s 5:10 with duck eggs.  My theory is that duck whites don’t quite work like chicken so it would need a little longer to cook the whites and get a the yolks just right.  I put the eggs in the boiling water at the same time and set my timers. After 5:10 and 5:20 I take the eggs out and put them in an ice bath.  After the ice bath I peeled the eggs and placed them in a bowl of water that had a dash of liquid smoke. 30 minutes later I took them out and ran them under hot water to warm them back up.  In the pictures 5:20 eggs have the clothespin attached to the bowl/plate.

After my experiment I took eggs and added them to a Momofuku inspired chicken and egg dish.  In my version, I used duck fat poached chicken breasts , quick pickles made with raw turbino sugar and grey flor de sel, and a garlic thai chili teriyaki sauce.