The
Essence of Danko
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Chef
Gary Danko
Danko's, San Francisco, CA |
By
Ellen Walsh
To
understand the flow of Gary Danko, is to understand
his love of great wines from around the world.
He loves to taste them, describe them, and he loves to pair them.
"I
will not sacrifice the wine for the sake of a dish. They are equally
important and should meld harmoniously in the mouth". This
philosophy goes a long way in under standing his approach to sauces,
which are a flavor palette of understated elegance.
Always
built from scratch, they are designed, to reflect and enhance
the flavors of the main dish, never overpower. We share some of
Gary's most important tips about stocks in this article.
It
was a true exchange, from a tender writer of food words, from
the master who was willing to share his secrets with whomever
cared to learn from them. For this, the world will be eternally
grateful, for we all yearn to learn from, and emulate the masters.
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Click
on Images for Captions & Wine Pairings |
Gary
Danko's Sommelier Christie Dufault was on hand to lend her assistance
with the pairing of these dishes, and we asked her specifically
to pair first with the rare and expensive wines, and secondly
with a more probable every day selection. "There is a never
ending quest to find the finest wines." says Christie, "
There are a lot of Bordeaux and Burgundies—the values go
up - they become more scarce, they are like a piece of art."
The fine wines are not limited to the great French wines - there
are the Italian SuperTuscan wines, and special desert wines from
Austria, Hungary, and Germany...."
We
started out with menu favorite Seared Foie Gras, Caramelized Red
Onions, Orange Segments and Essencia Sauce, followed by Duck Proscintto
and Foie Gras Torchon with an Apple Gastrique. The Foie Gras,
supplied by Preferred Meats, was of the highest possible quality—the
height of fresh, light, and its preparation contrasted beautifully
with the accompanying sauce.
“I
will not sacrifice the wine for the sake of a dish.
They are equally important and should meld harmoniously
in the mouth".
We
were there to taste dishes where meat and game were the center
of the plate, so we then chose to taste the Juniper Spiced Venison
Medallions, Cranberry Onion Compote with a Chestnut Spaetzle,
Moroccan Spiced Squab with Chermoula and Orange-Cumin Carrot,
Seared Filet of Beef with Porcini Mushrooms, Candied Shallots
and potato Gratin. All of this was finished off by a Pineapple
Coconut Cream Parfait with Tropical Coulis.
"Slow
and gentle cooking helps to break down the cellulose in the vegetable,
releasing the next level of flavor. It ties together with the
orange juice, which is the essential element in the marinade."
The
meat of the squab is so tender and sweet, that you have to be
careful to parallel other flavors with it. Squab is best eaten
rare to medium rare otherwise it will taste like liver. Gary prefers
to season it with sweet spices, such as Moroccan. He creates a
marinade using the juice from two oranges, infused with cumin,
coriander, fennel and cinnamon and a touch of olive oil. The orange
juice, besides adding its flavor, becomes the essential element
in the marinade as well as the sauce. Let the squab marinate over
night. Season it just enough so as not to a overpower any of its
own inherent juices and flavors.
Gary
conveniently gets his squab tunnel boned from Preferred Meats
with the wing bones, wing tips, thigh and leg bones left in place.
The wings are then trimmed, the cavity is stuffed with grains,
and then the bird is reshaped, and placed in a small aluminum
foil roasting pan (sometimes referred to as a coffin) to retain
the juices. You will want to leave a litHe bit of fat on dhe bird,
as the fat helps to flavor the sauce.
At
the restaurant, when the order comes in, the squab is browned
in clarified butter, and finished roasting in a 350 degree oven
for 20 minutes. It is removed from the oven and allowed to rest
for five or ten minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute
equally. Lightly salt it, remove it from it's foil, (reserving
any juices) and carve the breast into thin slices. The accompanying
carrots are cooked gently with cumin, orange juice and a pinch
of salt, slowly, at 250 degrees. You want them to be tender. Slow
and gentle cooking helps to break down the cellulose in the vegetable,
releasing the next level of flavor. It ties together with the
orange juice, which is the essential element in the marinade.
To
make the sauce you start by making a reduction using orange Muscat
wine such as essentia. Start by mincing two shallots, a little
honey to make it slightly sweet and slightly acidic. Reduce to
a glaze. Add one cup of squab essence, the one that was finished
the day before. Simmer for a few minutes. Be careful not to over
reduce. Finish the sauce by adding two tablespoons of butter.
This adds flavor and puts a little slip on your palate and velvitizes
the sauce, giving it a nice "mouth feel". Strain any
left over juices into the sauce and season to taste with salt.
For extra rich flavor, add a bit of Foie Gras to flavor the sauce.
It acts in the same way as the butter, but dhen you must be careful
not to boil the sauce or it will curdle.
Corrections
to Articles
“The Essence of Danko" *
* At press time, the current sommelierís name was identified
as Jeff Anderson.
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