Charcuterie
By Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn
Published by W.W. Norton on November 21st, 2005
At his first taste of duck confit a decade ago, food writer Michael Ruhlman felt himself inspired by a new passion. He was permanently hooked by the amazing taste of duck that been salted for hours then poached gently in its own fat and finally submerged in that fat and left to "ripen." He began to explore the technique, and as his enthusiasm grew, he asked a chef friend, a teacher and an expert in the ways of preservation why now, given that we can "preserve" food in a fridge or freezer or in a Cryovack, why was confit, why was charcuterie--a culinary specialty largely defined by preservation methods--still relevant? The chef looked it him as if he were an idiot and said, "Taste, of course." Derived from the French words flesh (chair) and cooked (cuit), the term charcuterie designated shops in 15th century France that sold products made from pork.
As Ruhlman's fascination with confit flowered, he connected with Brian Polcyn, an artisan chef from the Midwest, owner of Five Lakes Grill near Detroit and a butchery instructor as well. Polcyn had been surrounded by charcuterie his whole life. "My Polish grandma made Kielbasa every Christmas and Easter," he told Ruhlman. An expert butcher, skilled with a smoker, and a walking dictionary of charcuterie recipes classic and modern, Polcyn had become a true master of the art of charcuterie.
In Charcuterie, he and Michael have created the only comprehensive book on the subject, thereby filling an enormous gap in our understanding of cooking. They have included all the classic charcuterie recipes--duck confit, sausages, prosciutto, pancetta, pate de campagne, knackwurst, and many more. They have also expanded traditional concepts by offering contemporary recipes such as hot and cold smoked salmon, foie gras and sweetbread sausage, and grilled vegetable terrine. No longer the domain of elite chefs, Charcuterie gives the modern beginner cook recipes such as Maryland crab, scallop, and saffron terrine, Da Bomb breakfast sausage (no casing required), herb-brined smoked turkey breast, and spicy smoked almonds.
Charcuterie is thoroughly and instructively illustrated with more than 75 detailed line drawings that guide the reader through techniques such as making sausage and pate and display the equipment and cuts of meat or fish used in the recipes.
Michael Ruhlman is one of the most highly regarded food writers today, having co-authored The French Laundry Cookbook with Thomas Keller and authored the best-selling Soul of a Chef, which won an International Association of Culinary Professionals award. He has also won a James Beard Foundation award for magazine food writing. He has written for Gourmet, Saveur, Food Arts, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Brian Polcyn is nationally recognized as an authority on the technique of charcuterie. He has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Wine Spectator. Polcyn teaches butchery and charcuterie at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan and is the chef-owner of Five Lakes Grill in Milford, Michigan, where he can be found cooking in the kitchen almost every night.
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