Memento Meal - Planned Backward, Eaten Forward

For the past 7 days, Dan & I have been shopping, cooking, and preparing for tonight's Potluck: Memento Meal - a dinner planned in reverse, but eaten in order - inspired by the 2000 film Memento, starring Guy Pearce.

Our good friends Jason & Anna hosted this little dinner for nine of their fellow foodie friends. It started with each of us being assigned one of 6 courses - appetizers 1, appetizers 2, salad, entree 1, entree 2, or dessert. Then, the people who were assigned the dessert course were instructed to select what they'd be making (within 24 hours) and notify ONLY the people doing the course directly before them (entree 2) what they were making. The entree 2 folks would then decide what to make that would go well as a predecessor in the meal to the dessert course, and notify ONLY the person doing the course right before them what they were making, but without mentioning what dessert was. This went on down the line until we were told what the salad course was (we had appetizer 2), decided what we were doing, and told the folks doing appetizer 1. So each of us had very little information to go on, in terms of what flavors would go well with the rest of the meal. We could only hope that our dish complemented the one after it, and the one before ours complemented ours, creating a flow of flavors throughout the meal.

It combined all the creativity and fun of any theme potluck with the excitement of secrets and surprises. Even after arriving, people were secretive about what they were making, and each course arrived on the table as a surprise to everyone except the people making it, and the people who served the previous course. Being a bunch of food lovers - people who read about food for pleasure, cook for entertainment, watch Food Network more than anything else, (and even someone with a Masters in Gastronomy), each course was not only beautiful and delicious, but they were each presented wonderfully, with stories, history and science lessons, and even some pantomime. It was a wonderful experience, with great company and amazing food. I hope to do it again soon.

So enough about the concept. Here's what we ate:



We started with the first appetizer course, presented by Gerald & Jacqui. Gerald makes his own bacon (and sausage, and other cured meats), and that was evident from their amazingly creative appetizers: Pork, 4 ways.

First we had a piece of Homemade Smoked Bacon, Topped with Goat Cheese, Fried Sage, and a Chipotle Sauce. That was paired with a Bacon Dirty Martini made with bacon infused vodka, and featuring a Bacon & Jalapeno Stuffed Olive. Next was a 12 Hour Smoked Pork Butt with Mango Salsa in a Tortilla Cup, paired with a Bacon Infused Whiskey Old Fashioned.



Their inspiration (or curse) was that we decided to do appetizers 4-ways... so despite being on vacation in Hawai`i until Monday - and having the least amount of time of anyone to get things together, Gerald & Jacqui pulled off an amazing first course that definitely set the tone for the evening, and also set a very high bar.



Next up was what Dan & I had been working on, which was the inspiration for the first course: Cold Duck 4 Ways

First we had a Cold Duck Confit Profiterole with Blackberry Balsamic Reduction. Next to that was a Cold Duck Summer Roll with Radicchio, Carrot & Cilantro and a Spicy Ginger Peach Sauce. And above that was a small sip of Cold Duck Egg & Lemon Soup, with Cold Duck Cracklings. Finally, Dan came up with a Cold Duck Champagne Cocktail, featuring Ginger Ale & Peach Nectar.



We knew we wanted to do something with duck, and Dan suggested the summer rolls. I really wanted to try a confit using the Sensual Preservation: The Art of Confit cookbook a coworker wrote and gave me, and I love making cream puffs, so I combined those into the first course - using bacon & pork fat in my confit because I had a sneaking suspicion that Gerald would pull out the porcine products. The soup came about to help bridge to a brighter flavor, given that the salad following us was going to have a lemon component. And once we realized we were doing all cold duck dishes, I remembered the cheap 'Cold Duck' Andre champagne I used to drink in college, and Dan used that to come up with a drink that would complement our flavors.



We were followed by the salad course, courtesy of our hosts, Anna & Jason. It was a Mixed Spring Greens Salad with Steamed Fiddlehead Ferns, Chevre Cheese, Pancetta, Preserved Lemon Rind, and a Walnut & Olive Oil, White Wine Vinaigrette.



I had never had the pleasure of eating fiddleheads before, and was very pleasantly surprised. I'm not usually much of a salad guy - but the depth of flavors and the many complementary components in this salad made me a believer. I definitely need to get the recipe for the preserved lemon rind.



Our first entree course was next, presented by Kristin - the most formally trained of us all, given her Masters in Gastronomy, AA in culinary arts and current status as a chef and recipe developer. She pleasured our taste buds with a Herb Braised Chicken with Umbrian Black Truffle Sauce, accompanied by a small Arugala Salad with Blackberry Balsamic and Sicilian Chocolate Powder. She served it with several bottles of Terradelgrico Primativo Salento wine - a deep, red that was apparently a genetic precursor to Zinfandel grapes.



The earthy, dark flavors of this course were the inspiration for the brightness of the salad course that came before. Not only did we get to eat black truffles, but Kristin explained to us, how it was explained to her while in Italy on a truffle hunt, the way that the mycelium of two truffle spores moving through the soil find each other and create a truffle - with hand gestures and enthusiastic language that had all our mouths watering.



The second entree course was created & presented by James & Marcy - a Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Italian Sausage, Fennel Seeds, Parsley, Apricots (and a few other things), Basted in a Mediera, Marmalade, and Lemon Juice mixture. And with it, we enjoyed a great Spanish Red wine.



It was these bright, fruity flavors that drove Kristin to swing to the dark side with her subterranean mycological dish, and they complemented one another wonderfully. The apricots were my favorite component of the stuffing - and made me happy we featured a stone fruit (peaches) in our dish. The pork was cooked perfectly - precisely cooked to several degrees over the 137.5 degree threshold required to kill trichinosis - something that James taught us during his presentation of the dish - leaving the meat moist, tender, and flavorful.



And last but not least, the dish that inspired it all: Guava Chiffon Cake with Guava Frosting and a Guava Curd. This beautiful pink cake was created by David, who's wife Carolyn bargained with him that he could handle their dish if they got dessert, given that he loves to bake. David knew that the room would be full of Hawaii-philes (Gerald & Jacqui just returning, Kristin spending 10 years there, Jason & Anna having been for our wedding last year, and James & Marcy being fans as well - not to mention David having studied Hawaiian spirituality including lomi lomi and Ho’omana), so his guava cake came from that - and was a wonderfully light, flavorful, and beautiful way to end the dinner.



Despite 6 courses, including two that were '4 ways', the meal was paced and portioned really well, so I didn't feel too full at the end. Each dish truly complemented the next, and it was so evident that everyone put their all into the planning and execution of their dishes. I was surprised to see no proteins repeated (not counting bacon & pancetta, since they're more like spices, and nothing like pork loin). And I realize now we had no seafood or beef, but it definitely didn't feel like anything was missing.

It was so much fun, I think everyone's eager to do it again soon - myself included. I hope anyone from the meal that reads this will consider sharing their recipes with me, as I'd love to add them to the post. Here are a few of the recipes:

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Duck Confit
6 Duck legs
1/2 pound course kosher salt
2 Tbspn sugar
2 sprigs sage
2 sprigs rosemary
32 oz duck fat

Combine the salt & sugar. Place a layer of the salt mixture in the bottom of a one gallon zip-closure freezer bag. Place a layer of duck legs onto the salt and put 1/2 sprig of each herb on top of the duck legs. Place a layer of salt on top and repeat layers, ending with a layer of salt. Close the bag and refrigerate in a large bowl for at least 24 hours, but not more than 48 hours, turning 4 times during the curing. (A considerable amount of liquid will accumulate in the bag.)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Melt the duck fat in a large casserole dish over low heat. Remove the duck legs from the bag and rinse off any salt clinging to them. Pat the legs dry. Discard the salt and used herbs. Carefully place the duck legs into the melted fat, adding the remaining fresh herbs. Add olive oil, if needed, to cover the legs with an inch of fat. Cover the casserole and bake in the oven until the temperature of the oil reaches 190 degrees F (this took me about 1 hr). At that point, reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees F and cook the duck for 4 1/2 to 6 hours. Remove the herbs and allow the duck to cool in the oil (I transferred mine to mason jars). Store the confit, submerged in the fats and covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

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Profiteroles
1 cup water
6 Tbspn unsalted butter
pinch of salt
1 Tbspn granulated sugar
5.75 oz of bread flour, by weight
4 whole large eggs
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a boil over high heat. Add the bread flour all at once to the boiling mixture, and stir vigorously to form a paste. Reduce the heat to low, and continue stirring constantly, moving the paste around the pan to release as much steam as possible. When the paste is no longer sticky, remove from heat. Put the paste in the bowl of your stand mixer to cool for 5 minutes. Begin mixing the dough with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Begin adding eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is combined before adding the next. After each egg has been incorporated, stop the mixer and pull the beater up. When the batter is smooth, and tears off the beaters in a V when it's lifted out, the batter is done - this may be before all the eggs are incorporated, depending on the humidity that day and how much steam you were able to release from the dough prior to adding the eggs. Put the batter into a large piping bag with a very large round tip (I put the tip holder in the bag, but leave off the tip altogether). Pipe small balls of dough (two small circles on each works well), about 1.5 inches in diameter, on your baking sheets, with about an inch or two between them. Wet the tip of your finger, and tap down any points on the tops of the dough balls. Bake for 15 minutes, then (without opening the oven door), reduce the heat on the oven to 350 and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes. Poke a small hole in each profiterole using a paring knife.

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Spicy Peach Ginger Sauce
1.5 lb sliced peaches (we used frozen from Remlinger Farms)
2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and julienned
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tspn salt
2 Tbspn lemon juice
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper

Place the peaches in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat and cover, allowing them to cook for a few minutes. Add ginger, orange juice, sugar and salt, and stir. Continue cooking, covered, until the peaches are soft and easily broken up with a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice, and cayenne and stir. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a blender. Blend on low until mixture is smooth. Chill.

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Cold Lemon Soup
2.5 cups of chicken broth
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of saffron
Salt
White Pepper
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 egg yolks
2 Tbpsn cold water
1 Tbpsn cornstarch
2 Tbspn lemon juice

Bring the chicken broth to a boil, then add the lemon zest, saffron, salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Combine the lemon juice and egg yolks in a small bowl. Ladle a small amount of the hot broth into the egg/lemon mixture and whisk to combine, repeating until the egg mixture is warmed. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Return to medium heat. Combine the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Continue heating, whisking frequently, until the soup thickens a bit. Transfer to a glass container, cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Just before serving, whisk in the remaining lemon juice.

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Cold Duck Champagne Cocktail
1 part cold duck champagne
1 part peach nectar
1 part ginger ale

Combine in a champagne glass and serve.

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Guava Chiffon Cake
Batter:
2-3/4 cups cake flour
2/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup guava juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted
5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 drops red food coloring

Meringue:
7 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease the bottom of an 11-by-13-inch pan. To make batter, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center; add oil, water, guava juice, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat with a spoon until mixture is smooth. Add food coloring. Set aside. To make meringue, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff. Gently fold batter into meringue until barely mixed. Pour into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and invert on a rack to cool completely. Remove from pan gently. Cake may be cut in half lengthwise and frosted as two layers, using the filling and frosting below.

Guava Chiffon Frosting:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup guava juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg yolks and sugar until lemon-colored; add guava juice, place in saucepan and cook over low-to-medium heat until thick, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and chill. Whip cream and vanilla, then fold into guava mixture. Frost sides of cake; cover top with guava topping. Makes enough to frost one cake. If layering an 11-by-13-inch cake, double this recipe.

Guava Topping:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Pinch salt
12-ounce can guava juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter

Mix cornstarch with water to dissolve all lumps. Add salt, guava and lemon juices and egg yolk. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter. Spread when slightly cooled but still warm.

(From http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/01/12/features/request.html)

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Here's Jason's Notes on the Preserved Lemon Peel he used in the salad course:

Original recipe from Marcus Samuelsson's The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa

Preserved Citrus Peel
2 lemons, scrubbed
2 limes, scrubbed
1 orange, scrubbed
1 grapefruit, scubbed
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp curry powder
1 red chili
1 tsp ground cardamom
One 2" piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 c. Salt
1/4 c. honey

Cut away the peel from the fruit leaving as little of the white pith as possible. Reserve the fruit. Cut the peel into 1/2" wide strips. Squeeze juice from fruit and reserve. You should have about 2 c. of liquid. Bring peel and 2 c. water to a boil; drain. Repeat with fresh water. Repeat once more with fresh water. After draining the third time, add peel to pan with reserved juice, cimmamon stick, curry powder, chili, cardamom, ginger, salt, and honey. Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, then transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid. Stores for up to three weeks.


Now Jason's version:

Preserved Lemon Peel
2 lemons, scrubbed with love
1" cinnamon stick, broken with care
1" red serrano chili, hot with lust
~ 1/8 tsp nutmeg, shaken with humor
3/4" piece of ginger, peeled and sliced with ease
a dash or two of salt, dashed with elan
1/8 c. honey, poured lugubriously

Pretty much repeat the instructions for the citrus peel, with a few exceptions:
1) I think I used about a 1/2 c. of lemon juice with the remaining ingredients. Depending on your lemons, you may need to add more to get that much.
2) I also let the lemon peel boil down more so that it was left in a more syrupy liquid. 5 to 6 minutes left a lot of liquid in the pan and I really wanted a strong and sweet syrup.
3) Use more adverbs.

Note: I substituted nutmeg for curry and cardamom specifically to complement the fiddleheads. Really, use what ever you want.

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