2019-04-01 Taste and Travel International

Recipe, adapted for style, reproduced with permission of the

publisher from Atelier by Marc Lepine, Figure 1, 2018.

be more productive to share what I — a food

writer, decent home cook, and long-time student

of restaurants — learned during the months

worked on this project. So, here are eight things

Marc Lepine said to me that will forever stick in my

mind (and might also stick with you).

1. KISS (KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID):
   “Keep it simple. What does that even mean? It’s
   a thing you hear all the time in cooking and it’s
   never made sense to me. Why would I ever want
   to keep it simple?”


2. TAKING THE STAGE AT GRANT ACHATZ’
   ALINEA RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO:

“It was life changing. In a matter of days, the

clear direction for my cooking was locked in. I was

in the presence of genius, and I learned a ton in a

short time.”

3. WHERE THE CREATIVE PROCESS
   STARTS:
   “For me, the plate is always in my head. Other
   chefs are driven more by ingredients or technique,
   but I see the dish — its colours and shapes, the
   flow of it, how the eater might interact with it and
   react to it — before I see what’s in it.”

“I can recognize a dish

and know it’s from

El Bulli, Alinea, or

Noma. I can also look

at a plate and know

it’s Atelier. It shows

a certain sense of

symmetry, but it will

also be playful and a

bit self-effacing. That’s

what sets it apart.”

Matthew Kayahara,

Food Writer

SERVES 4

Ball of Yarn

Crème Fraiche

Ball of Yarn

Assembly

Heavy (35%) Cream 125 g

Buttermilk 25 g

Plain Yogurt 25 g

1 COMBINE all ingredients in a small

bowl. Cover and set aside at room

temperature for 12 hours.

Yukon Gold Potato 1 large,

peeled and rinsed

Canola Oil 1 kg, for deep-frying

Salt

2 LINE a strainer with linen

towels and rest it over a large

bowl. Pour mixture into the

lined strainer. Place another

linen towel on top, then place

a heavy item such as a pot of

water over top, to press the

yogurt. Store in an airtight

container for up to 1 week.

3 USING a turner slicer, slice

potato to create long ribbons.

Starting with one strand,

wind the long potato strand around

itself, alternating directions, until

it’s the size of a golf ball. Repeat to

make 3 more balls.

4 IN a deep fryer or deep saucepan,

heat oil to 135°C (275°F). Using

heatproof kitchen tweezers,

carefully lower a potato ball into

the oil and deep-fry for 1 minute

or until golden and crispy. Transfer

potato to a plate lined with paper

towels to drain and immediately

season lightly with salt. Repeat

with remaining balls.

5 LINE a dehydrator with paper

towels, add potato balls, and dry at

60°C (140°F) for 2 hours.

Crème Fraîche (see above) 8 g

Fresh Chives finely chopped,

3 pinches

Caviar 50 g (we prefer Acadian

Sturgeon and Caviar)

6 LAY a potato ball, the flattest side

down, on each of 4 small plates.

Dot the top of each potato ball with

crème fraîche and sprinkle with

chives. Top with caviar and serve.

APRIL–JUNE 2019 TAST E& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL 81

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