Dirty Porridge

SAVORY

Nov 15

Chicken Liver, Hearts, and Gizzards, Pearl Barley, and Ramp Butter

Chef Curtis Gamble of Station | Pittsburgh, PA
Yield: 6 servings

It all began with Chef Curtis Gamble’s desire to find the ideal texture for a broccoli and cheddar tartine spread. None of the existing dairy products were right for the dish, so he and his team at Station in Pittsburgh “took a hint from the processed dairy industry,” says Gamble, who created his own, less processed product. Gamble adds two emulsifiers to milk: kappa carrageenan and sodium hexametaphosphate. The solution creates a natural and luscious mouth-feel when used to make mousses or spreads, out of everything from cheese to chicken liver. “I just want people to think about how flavorful and fresh the ingredients taste,” says Gamble, not about nine-syllable stabilizers. Here’s how Gamble applies the magic milk in a rich, pungent, dirty porridge.

INGREDIENTS

Cured Hearts and Gizzards:
1 pound chicken hearts and gizzards
4½ grams pink salt
1 sprig thyme
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
2 ounces rendered duck fat

Magic Milk:
1 gallon milk
Kappa carrageenan
Sodium hexametaphosphate

Chicken Liver Mousse:
1¾ pounds butter, diced small
100 grams finely chopped Spanish onion
225 grams heavy cream
3 grams pink salt
6 grams salt
2½ pounds chicken livers, rinsed and patted dry

Ramp Butter:
30 grams garlic confit purée
1 pound unsalted butter, tempered
6 ounces ramp tops, blanched and puréed

Pearl Barley:
½ ounce butter
10 grams minced shallot
10 grams minced garlic
225 grams pearl barley, soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained
1½ quarts water
Salt

To Assemble and Serve:
Glace
Sherry vinegar
Salt

METHOD

For the Cured Hearts and Gizzards:
In a vacuum bag, combine hearts, gizzards, pink salt, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Remove air, seal, and cure overnight under refrigeration. Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 90°C. Remove hearts and gizzards from bag, rinse under cool water, and pat dry. In a separate bag, combine cured hearts and gizzards and duck fat. Remove air and seal. Cook sous vide for 2 hours, until hearts and gizzards are tender but snappy; mince.

For the Magic Milk:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 85°C. Prepare an ice bath. Scale milk and record weight. In a Vitamix blender, blend half the milk with ½ percent carrageenan by recorded weight and 1½ percent hexametaphosphate. Transfer mixture to a vacuum bag with the remaining milk. Remove air and seal bag. Cook sous vide for 1 hour. Chill in an ice bath.

For the Chicken Liver Mousse:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 68°C. Prepare an ice bath. In a pan over low heat, melt a little butter and sweat onion until translucent. Add cream, salts, and remaining butter. When butter has melted and the mixture is warm, using a Vitamix blender and working in small batches, blend cream and livers until smooth and combined. Pass mixture through a chinois into a vacuum bag and remove all air. Cook sous vide for 1 hour. Chill in an ice bath. Scale mousse and record weight. To a Vitamix blender, add mousse and 25 percent Magic Milk by recorded weight; purée. Pass through a chinois and chill.

For the Ramp Butter:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients.

For the Pearl Barley:
In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter and sweat shallot and garlic until softened. Add 75 grams minced hearts and gizzards; heat through. Add barley, stirring to coat, followed by water. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the water has evaporated and barley has the appearance of a loose risotto. Transfer to a sheet tray and let cool.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a sauce pot, add Pearl Barley and cover with water. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil, adding water as necessary, until it achieves a risotto-like consistency. Stir in a little Chicken Liver Mousse and Ramp Butter. Season with sherry vinegar and salt. The porridge should be rich, pungent, and dirty. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

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