GARNISH
Ч2 cup sour cream 4 lime wedges (or sour orange wedges if you have them)
2 cups black beans, soaked overnight in the refrigerator in water to cover
3 tablespoons cumin powder 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
and ground cinnamon Ч4 cup clarified butter 1 tablespoon butter
1 large red onion, cut into medium-thick slices
1. Cut and squeeze orange and limes into a large ceramic or glass bowl. Add the fruit rinds, olive oil, garlic, peppercorns, cilantro, and bay leaves and mix well. Add the pork and marinate overnight in refrigerator.
(rec2. The next day, begin by making the sauce: Cook the diced slab bacon in peanut oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot, stirring often. When bacon is almost cooked, add the diced vegetables and stir.
3. When the vegetables are soft add the drained beans and cook 1 minute. Add the cumin and cayenne and stir. Add the stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Skim stock, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook beans until just soft and reserve. (It's possible the beans will require more stock as they cook.) Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.
4. Dredge plantain slices in seasoned flour. Gently cook floured plantain slices on both sides in lA cup clarified butter until golden. Remove plantains to a plate to drain on paper towels until serving time.
5. Shortly before serving time, remove meat from marinade, season with freshly ground pepper, and saute medium-rare to medium in a hot skillet; keep warm.
6. Retry plantains in 1 tablespoon butter and remove from pan.
7. Ladle the black bean sauce into the same pan that you used to saute pork, and heat quickly. Add a splash of Spanish vinegar and divide sauce among plates.
8. Slice each of the pork tenderloins into 1-inch slices. Arrange meat and plantains alternately over the sauce. Garnish each serving with sour cream, lime wedges, and red onion slices.
-Foie Gras, Parsnip Pancakes, and Savory Caramel Sauce
This is one of the most sensually decadent pleasures I've known, and as Mae West once said, "When I'm asked to choose between two evils, I always pick the one I haven't tried- yet."
"SHORT STACK"
Serves 4
cup Savory Caramel Sauce (page 246)
recipe Little Vegetable Pancakes (page
196) made with parsnips cut into
2-inch lengths before cooking
cup clarified butter
pound foie gras, sliced % to Ч2 inch
thick and kept covered and chilled
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
'/4 cup red wine vinegar
V4 cup sour cream Cracked black pepper to taste Edible flowers, such as nasturtiums, roughly chopped, for garnishipe continues)
1. Prepare caramel sauce. Prepare pancake batter.
2. Make 12 pancakes in the clarified butter, in batches, using 3 tablespoons batter for each pancake. Lightly butter four 2-ounce ramekin molds and set aside.
3. Using a cookie cutter, cut the pancakes into uniform circles. Discard the scraps and set aside the pancake circles.
4. Saute the foie gras slices about 20 seconds on each side in a fairly hot, ungreased pan. Carefully lift them out and transfer them to a plate. There will be fat from the foie gras left in the pan.
5. Add the scallions to the pan and return the pan to the heat. Cook for about 30 seconds and add the red wine vinegar. Lower the heat and reduce till syrupy. Add the caramel sauce to the pan and allow to cook a few minutes.
6. Arrange the pancakes and foie gras in layers in the buttered ramekins. Turn the pancakes upside down as you do this so that when you invert the molds to present them, they will be right side up. You will need to cut the foie gras so that it fits well in the mold. (You can prepare these hours in advance, up to this point, and refrigerate.)
7. About 20 minutes before you plan to serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees. When it is hot, put the molds in the oven. They will be heated through in just 4 or 5 minutes if they have not been refrigerated.
8. While the molds are baking, strain the caramel sauce and keep very warm.
9. Remove the molds from the oven and invert them onto serving plates. Surround the pancakes with the warm caramel sauce. Top the cakes with sour cream and garnish with the pepper and flowers. Serve.