How to sell a feature 101: Wrap it in bacon!

Today's feature sold like hotcakes. Then again, when is the last time you've seen hot cakes sell like hotcakes. I think perhaps that saying needs to change. What is selling a lot these days. Well, Canada's mortality rate is dwindling, perhaps condoms are selling really well these days. I say that the phrase, 'sold like hotcakes' be changed to 'sold like rubbers'...I digress. The feature sold well. In fact 25 portions in no time at all. Lesson, wrap everything in bacon!

I took some Ling Cod with a sage leaf on top and wrapped it in Jon's home made bacon(I hope that one day he will actually start writing about all his magic on here). That was pan seared until nice and golden, then basted in a little bit of butter which I browned in the pan and a little bit of herbs.

For the risotto I finished it with a some ricotta cheese and cracked black peppercorns.
Also, I had some great berry gastrique which really complimented the risotto, adding some acidity to the fat of the ricotta and balancing the spice from the peppercorns.

For the marmalade I used some apricots that our friend Janice picked in her backyard yesterday. A lot of acidity again with a load of natural sweetness. I knew that this would really pair nicely with the fat and smoke of the bacon and also lift the subtle flavors of the ling cod.

All in all, a total success.


A little side note: The other day a friend was commenting on my last special(pea's and carrots), and said that she was not a big fan of stacking food. That she prefers to have her food separate so that she can taste each component on its own. I can understand this. I also agree with it, when the cook is merely stacking the food for the sake of stacking or god forbid, height.

My only response to her was that 'I stack my food because I make all the components of a dish to be eaten together'. After this I said that I know it sound egotistical or arrogant or something like that, but its true. I have been told several time before that certain components on my plates by themselves are almost inedible alone, but when eaten as a whole dish it works out beautifully.
This is what I strive for in all my food. A perfect balance between sweet, sour, salt, fat, bitter or what ever textures may be involved as well. I use a hell of a lot of acidity in some components because I know that the fat of the dish needs to be mellowed on the pallet. A lot of gastriques will allow me to add a sweetness and a sourness that will counteract with fat and salt and all the other things that make the French style of food so heavy. So when you see some of these dishes that I do I hope that you can realize that I am always putting flavor before presentation and that I really do think about what I'm composing. It's easy to make a great starch or a great protein or a great vegetable component. What is really a challenge is to make them all live in harmony both on the pallet and in someones memory.
Sorry for sounding conceded, I don't mean to be. Merely passionate and thoughtful.

Love Sean.