Michelin Star Recipe Design

Dish Title: "Ethereal Forest: Porcini-Infused Venison with Black Garlic Miso, Fermented Plum Gelée, and Smoked Bone Marrow Custard"

Conceptual Narrative: This dish is a poetic homage to the transience of autumn—where the earthy depth of the forest floor meets the fleeting sweetness of overripe fruit. The venison, aged and sous-vide to silken perfection, represents the wild grace of the deer in its natural habitat, while the porcini infusion evokes the damp, musky aroma of fallen leaves. The black garlic miso bridges umami and caramelized sweetness, a nod to the slow decay that nourishes new life. The fermented plum gelée introduces a sharp, almost vinous contrast, mimicking the last burst of fruit before winter’s arrival. Finally, the smoked bone marrow custard—a play on the classic chawanmushi—anchors the dish in primal richness, its wobbling texture evoking morning mist over a still lake.

The plating is designed to disorient and delight: components are arranged in a deconstructed "forest floor" pattern, with edible moss (made from spirulina and maltodextrin), gold-leaf "sunbeams," and a delicate porcini tuile as a structural centerpiece.

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Components & Techniques

1. Porcini-Infused Venison (Sous-Vide, Dry-Aged, Torched)

Ingredients:

• 200g dry-aged venison loin (aged 14 days, sourced from Scottish Highlands or New Zealand red deer)
• 50g dried porcini mushrooms (Italian Boletus edulis, rehydrated in verjus)
• 200ml venison consommé (reduced from roasted bones and mirepoix)
• 10g black truffle butter (80% butterfat, infused with Périgord truffles)
• 1g xanthan gum (for light thickening)
• Smoking gun with applewood chips

Method:

1. Dry-Age the Venison: Wrap the loin in cheesecloth, hang in a temperature-controlled aging chamber (3°C, 75% humidity) for 14 days. Trim any excess moisture before cooking.
2. Porcini Infusion: Blend rehydrated porcini with verjus into a fine purée. Pass through a chinois, then whisk into warm consommé with xanthan gum. Chill.
3. Sous-Vide: Vacuum-seal venison with 20g porcini consommé. Cook at 54°C for 2.5 hours, then shock in ice bath.
4. Torching & Smoking: Sear venison with a blowtorch for 30 sec per side. Smoke briefly with applewood, then rest under a cloche with burning hay for 1 minute.

Plating: Slice into 5 perfect medallions, arrange in a staggered line (like stepping stones). Drizzle remaining porcini consommé in a delicate zigzag.

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2. Black Garlic Miso (Fermented, Caramelized, Dehydrated)

Ingredients:

• 100g black garlic (fermented 30 days, *Japanese kuro ninniku)
• 50g white miso (preferably Saikyo miso)
• 20g mirin
• 10g yuzu kosho
• 5g dextrose (for texture)

Method:

1. Caramelize Black Garlic: Roast whole bulbs at 120°C for 12 hours until sticky. Purée with miso, mirin, and yuzu kosho.
2. Dehydrate: Spread thinly on silicone mats, dehydrate at 60°C for 6 hours until leathery. Crumble into irregular shards.

Plating: Scatter shards asymmetrically around the venison, like fallen bark.

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3. Fermented Plum Gelée (Lacto-Fermented, Clarified with Agar)

Ingredients:

• 200g greengage plums (or mirabelle plums, lacto-fermented 7 days with 2% salt)
• 100ml plum wine (umeshu)
• 3g agar-agar
• 1g citric acid

Method:

1. Ferment Plums: Pack plums in brine (2% salt, 1% sugar) for 7 days at 20°C. Strain, reserving liquid.
2. Clarify Gelée: Simmer fermented plum juice with umeshu and agar. Strain through coffee filter for crystal clarity. Set in hemispherical molds.

Plating: Place 3 gelée domes near the venison, offset by edible gold leaf (to mimic sunlight through leaves).

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4. Smoked Bone Marrow Custard (Chawanmushi-Style, Aerated)

Ingredients:

• 150g beef bone marrow (from grass-fed cattle, smoked cold with cherrywood)
• 200ml dashi (made with kelp and bonito)
• 4 egg yolks (from pasture-raised hens)
• 2g soy lecithin (for aeration)
• 1g MSG (for umami depth)

Method:

1. Smoke Marrow: Pipe marrow into silicone tubes, cold-smoke for 2 hours. Render gently, strain.
2. Custard Base: Whisk yolks with dashi, smoked marrow, and MSG. Strain through fine chinois.
3. Aerate: Blend with soy lecithin until foamy. Steam in ramekins at 80°C for 12 minutes (should jiggle like silk).

Plating: Quenelle custard onto a slate spoon, rest on a bed of edible moss (spirulina + maltodextrin).

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5. Forest Floor Garnishes

• Porcini Tuile: Bake porcini powder + isomalt into a delicate, curved tuile (resembling a mushroom cap).
• Edible Moss: Blend spirulina, maltodextrin, and butter into a fluffy, moss-like texture.
• Gold Leaf Sunbeams: Apply 24k gold leaf in radiating strips from the custard.
• Crispy Shallot "Twigs": Deep-fry julienned shallots in rice bran oil until golden.

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Plating Design (Step-by-Step)

1. Base: Smear a thin layer of black garlic miso purée (un-dehydrated) in a freeform stroke across a custom slate plate.
2. Venison: Arrange 5 slices in a diagonal line, drizzled with porcini consommé.
3. Gelée: Place 3 plum domes in a triangle, gold leaf applied at angles.
4. Custard: Set the quenelled marrow custard off-center, surrounded by edible moss.
5. Garnishes: Prop the porcini tuile against the custard, scatter shallot twigs and miso shards.
6. Final Touch: Dust with powdered dried porcini using a fine-mesh sieve.

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Sourcing Notes for Specialized Ingredients

Ingredient	Source	Substitute (if unavailable)
Scottish Highland Venison	Highland Game (UK) or First Light (NZ)	American elk loin (less gamey)
Italian Porcini	TartufLanghe (Piedmont, Italy)	Morel mushrooms (less earthy)
Black Garlic (Kuro Ninniku)	Mitoku (Japan) or Black Garlic Co. (US)	Roasted garlic + balsamic reduction
Greengage Plums	French Reine-Claude plums (seasonal)	Damsons or umeboshi paste
24k Gold Leaf	Manetti (Florence, Italy)	Edible gold spray (less elegant)

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Wine Pairing

• Primary: 2015 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echézeaux (Burgundy, France) – Earthy pinot noir with truffle and forest floor notes.
• Alternative: 2018 Sake "Dassai 23" (Junmai Daiginjo) – Creamy texture to complement the custard, plum aromatics to mirror the gelée.

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Why This Dish Deserves 3 Stars

1. Innovation in Pairings: Fermented plum + black garlic miso is unexpected yet harmonious, balancing funk, sweetness, and umami.
2. Technical Mastery: Dry-aging, lacto-fermentation, cold-smoking, and agar clarification showcase advanced techniques.
3. Emotional Storytelling: The dish evokes a specific moment in nature—autumn’s decay and rebirth—through texture, temperature, and aroma.
4. Plating as Art: The asymmetrical, "wild" presentation feels organic yet precise, inviting diners to explore like a forager.

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Final Note: This dish is not just eaten—it’s experienced. The first bite should transport the diner to a misty forest at dawn, where the crunch of leaves, the musk of mushrooms, and the fleeting sweetness of fruit collide in a single, ephemeral moment.

Would you like a deconstructed cocktail pairing to accompany this? (E.g., a smoked barley old-fashioned with plum bitters?)