When is a steak house not just a steakhouse? I had never gone to Angelo's 677 Prime in Albany because I always figured that it was just a steakhouse, albeit a very good one. I have nothing against steak or steakhouses. A good steak can be an extremely satisfying meal, but I can and do make a pretty decent steak at home (thanks to my CVap and great local grass-fed beef from Mack Brook, Lewis-Wait and Brookside Farms), so I don't typically go out for steak.
This past Wednesday evening, I attended a fascinating and useful forum on Media 2010: How blogs shape the new conversation sponsored by the Albany Times-Union and The College of Saint Rose. The event was over early enough to get dinner afterward and panel moderator and T-U senior writer and food blogger, Steve Barnes, and I decided to go out for a bite. I have very little experience with Albany restaurants, so Steve suggested sitting at the bar at Angelo's 677 Prime. Trusting his judgment, I said sure.
Angelo's 677 Prime is definitely a steakhouse, but owner Angelo Mazzone has given Executive Chef Jaime Ortiz and Chef de Cuisine Steven Kerzner license to be creative. Dinner overall was excellent, but one dish stood out as being particularly extraordinary - "Crispy Egg with Pork Gelatine." A perfectly poached egg covered with crispy chiffonaded strips fuille de brick and laying in a deeply flavorful pork broth, the dish rocked from every angle. The flavors were complementary and the textures of the soft egg, the liquid stock and the crispy strips contrasted marvelously. The dish was just outstanding and is clearly my taste of the week!
Since dinner was a spontaneous event, I did not have my camera with me. Chefs Ortiz and Kerzner were kind enough to send me a photo and the recipe for this great dish. I need to get back and see what else these two fine chefs have up their sleeves!
Crispy Egg with Pork Gelatine
1 qt water
2 tsp salt
2 tbl white vinegar
2 eggs fresh as possible
4 sheets fuille de brick or thin spring roll wrappers
2 eggs beaten
1 cup flour
½ c gelatinized pork jus
¼ c veal demi glaze
1 pinch chopped parsley
Tt tt salt pepper
1 qt canola oil in a 3 qt tail pot heated to 375 degrees
- in a 2qt tail pot heat water, vinegar and salt to barely a simmer
- crack eggs into small ramekins to ease the sliding of eggs into water
- gently slide eggs into water
- poach for 4-5 minutes
- using a slotted spoon carefully remove egg from water and submerge in cold ice water
- remove from ice water when cooled and pat dry gently
- roll up the fuille the brick into one long log
- using a chefs knife cut thin ¼ inch strands crosswise so that when they unroll you have long strands
- season flour with salt and pepper and gently roll the poached egg in the flour
- shake off excess flour and dip egg into the beaten egg
- unroll the strands of fuille de brick and lay them out on a work surface in small flat clusters
- place the egg that has been dipped in beaten egg onto one of the clusters and wrap the egg in the shreds
- quickly and carefully place into the fryer oil tailpot and fry until the shreds stop fizzling or barely fizzle
- remove from oil onto paper towels to drain
- season with salt pepper
- heat demiglaze
- spoon pork gelatine into center of a bowl
- top with the warm egg (the heat from the egg with melt the gelatine)
- drizzle with demiglaze and sprinkle parsley onto the egg before serving
for pork gelatine
8 ea pigs feet
3 lbs pork bones roasted until dark
12 cloves garlic whole
1 tbl cumin seeds
2 tsp dry oregano leaves
1 ea bayleaf
1 ea onion sliced
1 tbl black peppercorns
Water to barely cover
- combine all ingredients in a stock pot
- bring to a boil
- simmer for 4 hours
- strain through a fine mesh strainer or chinois
- season with salt
- chill until gelatinized
- skim off the top layer of fat that will set at the top and discard
for the veal demiglaze
1 qt veal stock
1 tsp tomato paste
½ c small diced white onion
¼ c small diced celery
¼ c small diced carrot
1 sprig thyme
1 tsp butter
- heat butter in a small 2 qt tail pot
- add onions, celery and carrot and cook medium heat until very caramelized
- add tomato paste and cook until the paste begins to caramelize
- add thyme and stock and cook until reduced to 3/4 cup
- strain through a fine mesh strainer or chinois and reserve
- when ready to use, heat in a sautee pan and reduce to desired consistency
Sorry to have missed you at the Media 2010 conference and at your dinner with Steve.
The dish sounds like a lot of fun.
My dinner at Wolff's was not as good, even though I ordered the one dish that Ruth Fantasia found to be the best on the menu.
http://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/restaurants/onereview.asp?RestaurantID=1669
Next time I'll stick to the weisswurst.
Posted by: Fussylittleblog | March 08, 2010 at 09:30 PM
It's dishes like this that really pull me to trying out Prime. I just love the picture - it looks so inventive, definitely not the typical steakhouse type offering.
Posted by: Albanyeats.blogspot.com | March 31, 2010 at 09:30 AM