Portland, Ore., is one of the hottest cities on the West Coast these days. Not only are 25-to-35-year-olds flocking to live there because of its vibrant culture and lively recreation, it's also a great vacation destination. And the food is exceptional. The best meal we had on a recent visit was at Chef Gabriel Rucker's Le Pigeon, a small buzzing restaurant where all the tables are shared, a concept that is catching on in several Portland restaurants.
Rucker takes risks in his cooking and you can always be assured of some surprises. Other excellent eateries include Park Kitchen, where the food is quirky and fun. Try their chick pea French fries for a novel take.
Most of the good Portland restaurants serve what is known as "flossy" food (for fresh, local, organic, sustainable, seasonable). Flossies are people who believe in these ideals and try to eat in that manner.
LE PIGEON'S DUCK BREAST WITH PICKLED RADISH
I love this dish because of the way the flavours work together. At the restaurant, it is served with a goat-cheese perogie. To simplify things, we have turned the filling into a potato side dish. If you prefer perogies, you can stuff dumpling skins with the potato mixture and sauté them in the rendered duck fat.
What you need
Radishes:
2 bunches radish, trimmed and thickly sliced
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar
1½ teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup water
Duck:
4 duck breasts, about 225 grams each
Salt and freshly ground
pepper
Sea salt
What you do
Combine radishes, vinegars, honey, sugar, salt, butter and water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook until liquid is syrupy, about 8 minutes. Reheat when needed.
Using a sharp knife, cut through the duck skin in a cross-hatch pattern, being careful not to cut the flesh. Season with salt and pepper, and place the duck skin-side down in a cold pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn heat to low and continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, draining fat from pan as needed, or until fat is rendered from skin. Raise heat to high and turn breast over to finish cooking for 2 minutes (it will be rare) or to desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat and allow the meat to rest.
To serve, divide goat-cheese mashed potatoes (recipe below) among 4 plates. Place a nice pile of radishes next to it. Spoon some of the warm radish liquid onto the plate. Slice duck and place on top of radishes and potatoes. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serves 4.
GOAT-CHEESE MASHED POTATOES
What you need
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
¾ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
6 ounces soft goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground
pepper
What you do
Place potatoes in cold water, bring to boil and cook until tender. Drain.
Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until browned, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove mixture from heat and add cheese.
Mash potatoes with cheese-onion mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
HONEY-BACON-APRICOT
CORNBREAD WITH MAPLE
ICE-CREAM
It sounds like a strange combination, but when I ate it at the restaurant, I could not believe how well the flavours worked. My testers raved when they tasted it too. I ate the leftovers for breakfast.
What you need
1 cup raw bacon, diced small
2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1¼ cup corn meal
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons molasses
½ cup chopped dried apricots
Garnish:
Maple ice-cream
Maple syrup
What you do
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place bacon and butter in a sauté pan, and cook until the bacon is crisp. Set aside to cool.
Reserve ½ cup for the topping along with some fat, the other half for the bread.
Grease and lightly flour an 8- by 8-inch pan.
Combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Combine eggs, buttermilk, milk, honey and molasses in a medium-sized bowl.
Create a well in the centre of the bowl of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the centre. Whisk carefully until everything is evenly combined. Stir in the apricots and half the bacon including half the fat. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Top corn bread with a scoop of maple ice-cream, sprinkle with reserved bacon bits and drizzle with any remaining bacon fat and maple syrup.
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