Michelin Star Recipe Design

Dish Title: "The Hunter’s Twilight"

Roe Deer, Dark Chocolate, Saint- Agur Blue Cheese, and Pickled Pear

Conceptual Narrative: This dish is an exploration of the "terroir" of the hunt, deconstructed into a narrative of dusk settling over a forest. It challenges the traditional boundaries between savory and sweet by utilizing Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate not as a dessert element, but as a bitter, tannic "soil" that bridges the gap between the iron-rich venison and the pungent creaminess of blue cheese. The "Twilight" represents the moment day meets night—where the savory meat meets the sweet, lactic cheese—united by the dark, mysterious bitterness of cacao.

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Component I: The Hearth (Cocoa & Coffee Cured Roe Deer Loin)

Technique: Sous-vide & Torching

Ingredients:

• 400g Roe Deer loin (saddle), trimmed of silver skin
• Cure: 30g Kosher salt, 15g Demerara sugar, 10g Valrhona Guanaja 70% cocoa powder (finely sifted), 5g finely ground espresso beans, 5g juniper berries (crushed), 3g black peppercorns (crushed)
• Duck fat (for vacuum sealing)

Instructions:

1. The Cure: Mix the salt, sugar, cocoa, espresso, juniper, and pepper. Rub the mixture thoroughly over the deer loin. Place on a wire rack in the fridge for 4 hours (do not exceed this, or the texture will become ham-like).
2. The Rinse: Rinse the loin under cold water to remove the cure. Pat completely dry with paper towels.
3. Sous-Vide: Vacuum seal the loin with a tablespoon of duck fat. Cook in a water bath at 54°C (129°F) for 45 minutes.
4. The Sear: Remove from the bag. Sear quickly in a smoking hot cast-iron skillet for 30 seconds per side, or use a blowtorch to create an external Maillard reaction without overcooking the center. Rest for 5 minutes.

Component II: The Fog (Saint-Agur & Gin Foam)

Technique: Espuma (Foam)

Ingredients:

• 150g Saint-Agur blue cheese (must be room temperature)
• 100ml Heavy cream (35%+ fat)
• 50ml Whole milk
• 15ml London Dry Gin
• 2 sheets Gelatin (bloomed in cold water) or 2g Agar Agar for hot processing
• White pepper

Instructions:

1. The Base: Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat.
2. Emulsion: Whisk in the Saint-Agur cheese until fully melted and smooth. Add the Gin and a pinch of white pepper.
3. Stabilizing: Melt the bloomed gelatin into the warm mixture. Strain through a chinois (fine mesh sieve) to remove any solids.
4. Charging: Pour the liquid into an iSi cream siphon. Charge with two N2O cartridges. Shake vigorously. Keep the siphon in a water bath at 50°C until plating.

Component III: The Soil (Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Praline)

Technique: Crumble

Ingredients:

• 50g Valrhona Guanaja chocolate, melted
• 30g Roasted hazelnuts, crushed
• 20g Panko breadcrumbs
• 5g Dried porcini powder
• Fleur de sel

Instructions:

1. Mix the melted chocolate with the crushed hazelnuts and breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in the porcini powder (this adds an umami punch to the bitterness).
3. Spread thinly on parchment and let set in the fridge.
4. Once hard, break into uneven, jagged "rocks" and "dirt."

Component IV: The Ether (Smoked Pear & Birch Syrup Gel)

Technique: Cold Oil Spherification

Ingredients:

• 200ml Pear juice (clarified)
• 30ml Birch Syrup (sourced from Canada/Alaska)
• 2g Sodium Alginate
• 5g Calcium Chloride (dissolved in 500ml water)
• Smoking: Cold smoke the pear juice with hickory wood for 15 minutes before processing.

Instructions:

1. Mix the smoked pear juice, birch syrup, and sodium alginate using an immersion blender until smooth. Let rest to remove air bubbles.
2. Using a syringe or pipette, drop the mixture into the calcium chloride bath. Let set for 2 minutes to form "pearls."
3. Rinse the pearls in a clean water bath.

Component V: The Garnish (Charred Gem Lettuce & Oxalis)

• Baby Gem lettuce hearts, cut in half.
• Sear the cut side in a dry pan until blackened (providing a bitter, charcoal note).
• Fresh Wood Sorrel (Oxalis) leaves (lemon flavor).

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Plating Presentation

The Philosophy: Minimalist, Organic, Dark.

1. The Canvas: Use a matte black, irregular slate or ceramic plate.
2. The Landscape: Spoon a line of the Chocolate Soil diagonally across the plate, jagged and uneven, like a mountain ridge.
3. The Meat: Slice the venison into 1cm thick medallions. Arrange three slices leaning against the "ridge" of soil.
4. The Contrast: Place a dollop of the Smoked Pear Gel (a bright amber color) on the opposite side of the meat to contrast the dark soil.
5. The Element: Place the Charred Lettuce upright near the meat to add vertical height and a "burnt forest" aesthetic.
6. The Cloud: Dispense the Blue Cheese Foam lightly over the top of the venison slices, allowing it to spill slightly onto the plate like a morning mist, but do not bury the meat.
7. The Jewels: Scatter the Oxalis leaves and a few Birch Pearls across the plate randomly to simulate dew drops.

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Sourcing Notes

• Roe Deer: Sourced from Highland Game (Scotland) or a reputable local game dealer during the season (Oct-Feb). The meat should be deep red and smell iron-rich.
• Valrhona Guanaja 70%: Essential for its bitter, woody notes without excessive sugar. Standard "baking chocolate" will ruin the savory balance.
• Birch Syrup: Unlike maple syrup, this is savory, acidic, and resinous. It acts as a bridge between the venison and the chocolate. (Available via specialty Nordic foraging suppliers).
• Saint-Agur: A double-cream blue cheese from Auvergne, France. Creamier and less "bitey" than Roquefort, making it ideal for foams.

Wine Pairing Recommendation

Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie (Syrah). The Northern Rhône Syrah offers the gamey, peppery, and olive notes that harmonize with the venison and juniper, while the fruit forwardness cuts through the blue cheese foam.