Iacopo Falai
FALAI | New York
When Iacopo Falai accompanied his mother to the mayor's office
in his native Florence and told her of his aspirations to work at
Enoteca Pinchiorri, which was was located in the same building,
she didn't take him too seriously – it's rare that one's first
kitchen experience is in a three-Michelin-starred establishment.
But the kitchen had faith in Falai. Soon he was making the breads
and pastries daily. It was here that his philosophy of making everything
in-house – from bread to pasta – really took root. After
four years in Florence, Falai consulted for Matsuya in
Tokyo, and collaborated with legendary Chef Michel Bras and Chocolatier
Michel Belin of Fauchon, before returning home to Enoteca
Pinchiorri as Executive Pastry Chef. In 2001 Falai ventured
across the Atlantic to serve as the Pastry Chef of Le Cirque
and Osteria del Circo, followed by a turn as Executive
Chef of Bread Tribeca. Finally at his own eponymous restaurant
on the Lower East Side, Falai has brought a pastry chef's sense
of precision and a cuisine chef's sense of spontaneity to classic
Italian cooking.
Hudson Valley Foie Gras Cannoli,
Candied Taggiasche Olives, and Salty Spicy Valrhona Xocopili Chocolate
Sauce
Chef Iacopo Falai of Falai – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs.com
Yield: 5 Servings
Ingredients:
Cannoli:
- 10 pieces of filo dough, cut into 3½-inch by 7-inch
rectangles
- 50 grams of melted butter
- Stainless steel cylinder (3½-inch long, ½-inch
diameter)
Foie Gras Mousse:
- 685 grams of Hudson Valley foie gras
- 1 quart milk
- 100 grams ice
- 50 grams melted butter
- 30 grams cognac
- 20 grams simple syrup
- 3 grams white pepper
- 3 grams pink salt
- 5 grams salt
Black Candied Olives:
- 1 quart of water
- 1500 grams sugar, divided into three 500 gram portions
- 750 grams black Taggiasche olives, pits removed
Chocolate Sauce:
- 400 grams milk, heated to 194°F
- 250 grams Valrhona Xocopili chocolate
To Serve:
- 55 grams dried figs, skin only, brunoise
- 70 grams candied black olives, brunoise
- 750 grams foie gras mousse
Method:
For the Cannoli:
Brush each piece of filo with melted butter. Place the cannoli mold
on the beginning of the piece of filo dough and wrap it to the end.
Make sure the end of the filo dough is on the bottom of the cannoli.
Brush the top again with melted butter. Cook at 400°F in a convection
oven for around 6 minutes. Remove cannoli from mold while it’s
still warm. Keep in a dry container.
For the Foie Gras Mousse:
Cut the foie gras in half the night before and soak it in one quart
of milk and 100 grams of ice to clarify the veins. The next day,
dry the foie with a piece of paper, and put in the robot coupe.
Add melted butter, congac, simple syrup, white pepper, and salt.
Puree and season to taste. Pass the mix through a tamis.
Note: You should be able to get about 750 grams of mousse.
For the Candied Black Olives:
Rinse black olives in cold water. Over low heat, combine olives,
water, and 500 grams of sugar. At the first boil, add the second
portion of 500 grams of sugar. Stir with spatula to make sure the
sugar melts properly. After a couple hours, add the third portion
of sugar. Keep the pot on the stove with the pilot light on for
one night. Take out the olives and put in the dehydrator for one
night at 100°F.
For the Chocolate Sauce:
Bring the milk to boil and pour on top of the chocolate, whisking
well to blend.
To Assemble and Serve:
Pour 30 grams of chocolate sauce into a clear box. Blend foie gras
mousse with fig and olive brunoise. Fill each cannoli with 20 grams
the foie gras mixture and dip in the chocolate. Serve two chocolate
dipped cannolis per plate.
Wine Pairing:
Capitel San Rocco, Rosso Del Veronese “Ripasso,” Tedeschi,
2003
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