Michelin Star Recipe Design

Dish Title: Echoes of the Forest Floor
Conceptual Narrative:
This dish is an edible landscape, capturing the moment a truffle is unearthed—earthy, mysterious, and transformative. It explores the duality of decay and rebirth through the unexpected pairing of white truffle and black garlic, both products of microbial alchemy. The truffle represents the prized subterranean treasure, while black garlic embodies sweet, umami-rich fermentation. Advanced techniques (sous-vide, fluid gel, soil texturization) deconstruct and elevate humble forest elements into a harmonious, multi-sensory experience. Plating mirrors a forager’s basket: a ceramic "stone" plate holds curated components like a still-life of foraged items.

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COMPONENT 1: Black Garlic & Hazelnut Soil with Crispy Enoki "Roots"

Serves as the foundational "earth" layer.

Ingredients:

• Black garlic bulbs, 3
• Toasted hazelnuts, 50g
• Panko breadcrumbs, 30g
• Activated charcoal powder, 1g (for color)
• Salt, to taste
• Enoki mushrooms, 1 bunch
• Tempura batter (100g flour, 150ml sparkling water, ice-cold)
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Black Garlic Soil: Pulse black garlic, hazelnuts, and panko in a food processor until sandy. Add charcoal powder and salt. Bake at 150°C for 10 minutes to dry. Cool and crumble.
2. Crispy Enoki: Separate enoki into small clusters. Dip in tempura batter, fry at 190°C until golden (30 seconds). Drain on paper towels, season with truffle salt.

Sourcing: Black garlic (available from specialty Asian markets or online fermenters); activated charcoal (food-grade, from health stores).

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COMPONENT 2: White Truffle-Infused Celery Root Velouté

A silky, aromatic soup served in a miniature porcelain "truffle" vessel.

Ingredients:

• Celery root, 300g, peeled and diced
• Shallots, 2, minced
• Vegetable stock, 500ml
• Heavy cream, 100ml
• White truffle oil, 10ml
• Fresh white truffle, 5g (for infusion)
• Xanthan gum, 0.3g
• Salt, white pepper

Instructions:

1. Sweat shallots in butter until translucent. Add celery root and stock, simmer until tender.
2. Blend until smooth, strain through a chinois. Return to heat, add cream, and bring to a simmer.
3. Off heat, add finely shaved white truffle, cover, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain again.
4. Add xanthan gum while blending to create a velvety, clingy texture. Season, stir in truffle oil. Keep warm.

Sourcing: Fresh white truffle (Alba, Italy, in season; or preserved in argon from gourmet suppliers).

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COMPONENT 3: Venison Loin "Sous-Vide" with Juniper & Blackberry Glaze

The "game" element, representing forest fauna.

Ingredients:

• Venison loin, 200g (2 portions)
• Juniper berries, 6, crushed
• Blackberry puree, 100g
• Red wine, 100ml
• Duck fat, 50g
• Thyme, 2 sprigs
• Butter, for basting

Instructions:

1. Season venison, vacuum-seal with duck fat, juniper, and thyme. Sous-vide at 57°C for 45 minutes.
2. Glaze: Reduce red wine by half, add blackberry puree, reduce to syrup. Strain.
3. Sear venison in a hot pan, baste with butter. Rest, slice, brush with glaze.

Sourcing: Farmed venison (New Zealand or Scottish); fresh juniper berries (specialty spice stores).

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COMPONENT 4: Parsnip Ribbons & Bone Marrow Fluid Gel

An elegant, savory-sweet element mimicking mycelial networks.

Ingredients:

• Parsnips, 2 large
• Beef bone marrow, 100g
• Shallot, 1, minced
• Agar-agar, 2g
• Maple syrup, 10ml
• Brown butter, 20g

Instructions:

1. Parsnip Ribbons: Peel parsnips into long ribbons with a Y-peeler. Blanch in salted water until pliable, shock in ice water.
2. Fluid Gel: Roast bone marrow at 200°C for 15 minutes, scoop out. Sauté shallot in brown butter, add marrow, melt. Blend with 100ml water, maple syrup, and agar. Bring to a simmer, pour into a tray, chill until set. Blend set gel until smooth—it will hold shape but flow.
3. Toss parsnip ribbons in fluid gel to coat.

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COMPONENT 5: Fermented Blueberry "Truffle" Spheres

A burst of acidity to cut richness, resembling wild berries.

Ingredients:

• Blueberries, 150g
• Sugar, 30g
• Water, 100ml
• Sodium alginate, 1g
• Calcium lactate, 5g
• 1L water (for bath)

Instructions:

1. Ferment blueberries with 2% salt weight for 3 days. Puree, strain.
2. Mix puree with sodium alginate using an immersion blender. Rest to de-air.
3. Dissolve calcium lactate in 1L water. Using a spoon, form small spheres of puree and drop into bath. Cure for 2 minutes. Rinse in clean water.

Sourcing: Sodium alginate/calcium lactate (modernist pantry online).

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PLATING PRESENTATION:

1. Canvas: A matte slate-gray plate shaped like a river stone.
2. Base: Sprinkle black garlic soil asymmetrically. Nestle crispy enoki "roots" into it.
3. Center: Place sliced venison atop the soil. Drape parsnip ribbons around it.
4. Vessel: Serve velouté in a separate, hollow truffle-shaped porcelain cup alongside.
5. Garnish: Scatter blueberry spheres and micro-wood sorrel.
6. Finale: At the table, pour velouté from the "truffle" into a moat around the plate—creating an aromatic cloud.

Pairing: A glass of aged Barolo (e.g., Giacomo Conterno)—its tannins and red fruit complement the truffle and game.

Concept Closure: Each bite moves from earthy (soil) to rich (velouté), then gamey (venison), finishing with bright acidity (blueberry). The unusual truffle-black garlic pairing bridges pungent freshness and deep umami, while techniques like fluid gel and spherification modernize rustic ingredients. This dish tells a story of discovery, decay, and luxury hidden beneath the surface.