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| A kit for braised chicken. The players in order of appearance: Applewood-smoked bacon, celery, garlic, carrot, leek-clove-black-peppercorn, yellow onion |
There's a special pleasure I take, I think all chefs take, in the making of a kit. A kit is the backbone, the base for a project- be it a soup, sauce, braise, bean preparation, or vegetable dish. In French you often hear of "miripoix", referring to the holy triumvirate of carrot, onion and celery. It's the humble whisper that lends complexity, sweetness and savor to your finished product, always supporting the central focus of the dish. In Italian, "soffritto", in Spanish "sofrito", in Cajun and Creole cooking, "trinity"-- great cuisines recognize and revere the quiet but critical under-frieds.
After building on this beautiful beginning with a nugget of tomato paste,a splash (or two, or three) or red wine, a rich stock and bouquet garni, you end up with something like this: warm, rich and wonderful for a winter's evening with some crusty bread. Followed with a fresh, sprightly green salad, some cheese and an apple dessert, it felt like a wonderful ringing in of the autumn-- and certainly brought us together in the spirit that, to my mind, is the point of a great meal- togetherness, warmth, comfort and community.
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| A chunky, rustic apple-almond tart. The perfect launch into after-dinner gaming... dominoes, anybody? |
