Aska w/ Al

I had heard a lot of great things about Frederik Berselius' acclaimed restaurant Aska in Brooklyn. I had never really tried the high-end Nordic food that famous restaurants like Noma popularized, so it was a pretty new experience when I visited with Al in early 2019 for our annual dinner together.

Aska
47 South 5th St, Brooklyn, NY
askanyc.com

The restaurant is minimal and unassuming from the outside. Inside, it features an old warehouse feel, with lots of brick, wooden beams, and high ceilings. The tiny kitchen is open in the corner and visible to the diners. The space is also pleasantly dark, with black linens and decorations, and softly glowing candles everywhere. 

Cocktails

Wild Negroni: Chrysanthemum-Infused Gin, Salers Aperitif, Cocchi Americano

Snake In Eye: Rye, Dark Rum, Bäska, Kronan, Oleo Saccharum

Bladderwrack

Blue Mussel Emulsion

This first bite reminded me of the "snack" Leah and I had at é by José Andrés in Las Vegas. It was essentially a long chip made of seaweed with dots of mussel cream. It may sound strange, but it tasted great. 

Potato Pancake

Pommes Soufflé, Salted Winter Flounder Roe Smoked in Dried Carrot Tops, Elderflower

This was incredibly savory and warming, with a wonderful mix of soft, creamy texture from the pancake and crispiness from the potato bits on top. The richness was cut by the zing of the flounder roe. One of my favorites of the night!

Kohlrabi

Compressed with Linden Leaf Oil and Linden Flower Vinegar

The kohlrabi had a lovely crunch and a light, slightly tart flavor that was quite refreshing. We doubted whether the teeny little specs on top added anything to the flavor though. 

Grenache Gris

We opted for a beverage pairing mixing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pourings. Our first was this straightforward white with a nice minerality, which paired very nicely with the first few small bites. 

Oyster

Glidden Point, ME - Salted Green Gooseberries, Kelp, Juniper Needle Oil

Unquestionably our favorite dish of the night. The oyster emulsion (basically oyster mayo) left a linger flavor on the tongue which transformed as it was combined with the gooseberries and kelp gel. I had never had anything like this, and the flavors stayed with me long after our visit to the restaurant. 

Champagne

An odd champagne, as it was from a region that shouldn't have classified for that appellation. It was also made with pinot gris, not normally part of champagne. Still, it tasted quite nice. 

Caviar

Finnish Caviar from Carelia, Cabbage, Dulse, Fermented Asparagus Juice, Whey

A fascinating take on caviar service. The strong cabbage flavors actually went very well with the caviar, and the foam added some additional pleasingly subtle notes. 

Carrot & Pear Juice

Our first non-alcoholic beverage pairing was this nice blend of carrot and pear juices. The service staff made a point of saying that the carrot had been grown just down the block near the Williamsburg waterfront. Cool I guess?

Langoustine

Tail, Brain, Chamomile

Another huge winner of the evening. The bowl contained a small amount of very rich langoustine stock with the shellfish's brain. The second plate (which was astonishingly beautiful in its presentation) contained the super-tender, buttery langoustine tail wrapped in edible flowers.

Riesling Spätlese

From Rheingau, this Riesling had an incredibly funky flavor, which Al described as "petrol", but I felt was more barnyard-y. 

Onion

Grilled Onion, Scallop Broth, Roasted Onion, Black Currant Leaf

This was maybe my second-favorite dish. The onion broth was superbly savory, tasting like it contained a hundred sweet onions in each sip. The beautiful centerpiece was presented along with the onion and scallop. We were told that these were the shells from the scallops we were eating, shucked that morning. 

Manitoba Bread

Cultured Butter with Dried Yarrow Flowers

Whipped Pork Fat with Brown Sugar

These rolls were so warm and hearty. They came at a perfect point in the meal when we wanted something a little more substantial in our bellies. The pork fat spread in particular reminded me of the flavor of my family's Easter lard bread. 

Douglas Fir Juice

Another non-alcoholic pairing was this spectacular juice made from douglas fir needles and sorrel. It was sweet and tasted like a Christmas tree in a glass. 

Poached Hake

Sunchoke, Roasted Yeast and Rapeseed Oil Sauce

Yet another hit. The delicate flavor of the fish still came through despite the rich sunchoke accompaniments. 

Roasted VT Quail

Winter Truffle, Burnt Pine

I enjoyed this quite a bit, particularly the rich jus in the bottom of the plate, though the flavor of the truffle was not as pronounced as I expected. The glazed legs (with feet still attached) were a fun add-on. 

Not pictured - this course was served with a red wine, a Burgundy 1er Cru which I forgot to photograph. They described how it was a new winemaker who used the spent lees to scrub the wine barrels. Interesting story, but we thought the wine was outright gross. It had a highly acrid, almost vinegar-like flavor. Al said it was a poor representation of a Burgundy. I said it tasted like piss. 

Trockenbeerenauslese

This was a very nice dessert wine from Austria, which, in addition to strong sweetness, contained flavors of perfume and floral essence. 

Black Currant

Tart with Preserved Black Currant and Fresh Cheese

One of a small handful of misses. The black currant was so tart as to completely overpower the cheese. 

Thyme Soda

Our last pairing of the night was this incredibly fragrant thyme soda which accompanied our desserts. 

Birchwood Ice Cream

Pine Mushrooms, Black Trumpet, Woodruff Syrup

I don't know if I would have been able to tell that this ice cream was made from birch, but it was incredibly delicious nonetheless. The candied mushrooms added both texture and a hint of woods-y flavor, while the warm woodruff (similar to maple) syrup made the whole thing feel like a maple affogato.

Æbleskiver

The ice cream was also served with hot, doughy little balls filled with liquid mushroom. These were absolutely amazing. 

Espresso

Mignardises

Chewy Beet

Crispy Reindeer Lichen and Gold

Blood and Rosehip

White Chocolate and Sourdough

We had wondered where all the unusual Nordic ingredients like lichen and pig's blood were, only to be presented with them in the very final bites!

I absolutely loved the rich pig's blood bite, which reminded me of a sweeter, almost chocolate-y foie gras. The white chocolate and sourdough was also delicious. The beet was kinda meh, and the reindeer lichen was outright gross - it had an unpleasant, extremely dry texture and dusty, bitter flavor which reminded me of eating a tumbleweed made of sawdust. 

Final Menu!

All in all a very delicious and memorable meal. We thought that some of the fussiness on the dishes wasn't actually noticeable in a practical sense, and a few of the dishes fell flat. But there were many more highs than lows and Aska struck a major chord with me as a unique and very "worth-it" fine dining experience. 

Cooking Posts - 2018

Another year, another round of home cookin' (plus any misc. food pics)!

Foie Gras & Potato Tortelloni

These were the leftover tortelloni (which I imagined in a dream) from my dinner with Al that year. They were an oddball creation, but tasted pretty damn good. 

Skillet Meatball Parm

I love parmigiana-style food - I had the idea to try baking it all together in one skillet. The results were a total hit, even better with chicken, a few pics down. 

Bouchon Bakery Chocolate Chip/Chunk Cookies

For my dinner with Al that year I decided to make the Bouchon Bakery crepe cake. The recipe hilariously claims that it's the easiest recipe in the entire book (apparently Thomas Keller is a pro troll - who knew?).

Looking for an "ultimate" chocolate chip cookie recipe, I decided to try Bouchon's. I was thrilled with the results (huge, perfect outer crust and inner softness), and can definitively say that they are significantly easier to make than any crepe cake...

Skillet Chicken Parm

Pot Roast

Banh Mi Dogs

North Sea Oil

A wonderful cocktail I discovered at Eleven Madison Park / NoMad Bar, which is reasonable to make at home: 

Mix 1/4 oz Combier, 1/2 oz Laphroaig 10y Scotch, 3/4 oz Cocchi Americano, and 1 1/2 oz Linie Aquavit with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with a large ice cube and garnish with a grapefruit twist. 

Chocolate Cake

Leah and I had been watching a ton of the Great British Baking Show, so, on a whim, I decided to bake a chocolate cake. In true GBBS fashion, I made an amateur mistake, forgetting to add eggs to one of the cakes (which I baked in two batches). You can see the bottom cake is way more dense as a result. No Hollywood Handshake for me! Oh well, it still tasted good. 

Truffle Gnocchi w/ Ricotta

Buttermilk Ice Cream

Strawberry Sauce, Shortbread Crumble

My friend Nathanael is nuts about ice cream, so I often like to churn my own when we have him and his partner over for dinner. My idea here was to make a sort of strawberry shortcake in ice cream form - it turned out great!

Milk Punch

The leftover whey after making homemade ricotta has a lot of delicious uses. Here I used it as the base of one of my favorite cocktails, the classic Milk Punch. Though this method of curd/whey separation doesn't get nearly as clear as when you're doing it specifically in the cocktail method, it still tastes great. My preferred spirit to mix with it is tequila or mezcal. 

Spaghetti w/ Clams

Ravioli w/ Fresh Tomato Sauce

Eggplant Parm

Sodium Citrate Mac N' Cheese

Pork Chops w/ Sweet Potato Mash

Sous Vide Eggs

My wonderful sister and brother in-laws always get us great food-related gifts. For Christmas 2018 we received a sous vide stick, which I immediately put to use for it's best purpose - perfect slow cooked eggs. 

I hadn't quite gotten the temp/time settings down so these were a tiny bit overdone, but seriously nothing beats one of these eggs on a buttered English muffin topped with a dash of truffle powder. 

Terrier Dinner Club - Winter 2018

In late 2018 I had the idea to start a small dinner club. I thought it would be fun to have a trio of my work friends over - guys who enjoy food and would be open to trying new things. I decided to call the endeavor the "Terrier Club" after my favorite type of dog. The logo was modeled on my parents' dog Roxie, a Westie (and also the mother of my amazing dog Jacques).

I had done special dinners before, like on some of my annual dinners with Al or for my father's 70th birthday, but never something quite like this. It was a ton of work, but also a ton of fun - Leah helped a lot and together we showed my three coworkers a great time, which was really rewarding.

I have a lovely little bar area in my apartment, which allowed me to cook in the kitchen and simultaneously serve my guests. When they arrived, I had their places set, along with a drink menu for them to order from. The cocktails on offer included:

Apple Gin Sour

North Sea Oil (NoMad Bar)

Bacon Old-Fashioned (PDT)

Tequila Milk Punch

Popcorn

Butter, Fall Spices

I didn't know it at the time, but serving a starter of seasonally themed popcorn would become a staple at the Terrier Club. This dinner took place in December, so I used lots of butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The aromas filled the room and made for a welcoming experience when my guests arrived. 

Raw Bar

Blue Point Oysters - Shallot & Cider Vinegar Mignonette

Wild Madagascar Super Colossal Shrimp - Horseradish Cocktail Sauce

Critz Farms, Harvest Moon: Rippleton Original

I love a good raw bar and banked on my guests feeling the same way. Two of them had never eaten oysters before! Thankfully they enjoyed these light, sweet Blue Points. One of my guests said he was a big fan of hard cider, so we paired this course with a dry, champagne-like varietal from the good folks at Critz Farms in central NY. 

Snacks

Truffled Arancini - Foie Gras Filling

Bone Marrow - Parsley-Caper Salad, Country Toast

Queen of the Seven Kingdoms: Sour Blonde Ale Blend

I had this kooky idea to do an arancino (fried riostto ball) with a foie gras mousse filling. It was a great idea in theory, but terrible in practice. There was too much butter in the risotto, which caused it to fall apart when fried. Moreover, since I fried the balls straight from the freezer, the foie gras centers didn't have time to thaw. They still tasted ok, but boy what a mess it was!

Thankfully, Fergus Henderson's immortal bone marrow recipe remains a steadfast hit, one that my guests thoroughly enjoyed, having never eaten bone marrow before. 

Everyone was in full Game of Thrones fever around this time, so I couldn't resist serving this course with a nice GoT-branded sour ale, which cut nicely through all the richness.

Butternut Squash

Maple-Roasted, Fresh Ricotta, Fried Sage, Brown Butter

Domaine Guy & Yvan Dufouleur, Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits, "Les Dames Huguette" 2015

I'm particularly proud of this simple dish, inspired by squash I had eaten at Eleven Madison Park years earlier. I roasted a whole butternut squash, then portioned it and re-roasted each piece with a maple syrup glaze. We served it over homemade ricotta with a drizzle of warm brown butter and crisp fried sage - served with a nice rich Chardonnay / Pinot Blanc blend, it was amazing. 

Lobster Bucatini, Winter Version

Lobster Stock, Preserved Lemon, Pickled Chilies, Breadcrumbs

Domaine Guy & Yvan Dufouleur, Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits, "Les Dames Huguette" 2015

This was my tribute to the incredible Spaghetti with Crab at Del Posto. I've made this dish a number of times before, substituting lobster for the crab, though in this case I also used preserved and pickled ingredients to fit with the winter theme. The result was wonderful. 

Crispy Sweetbreads

Parsnip Purée & Chip, Pickled Apple, Veal Demi-Glace, Chicory

Francois Villard, Croze-Hermitage, "Certitude" 2015

An updated version of the sweetbread dish I originally thought up for my dinner with Al earlier in the same year. While the accouterments all came out better, my cooking of the sweetbreads was sub-par, resulting in a softer texture than I desired. Still, my guests were champs and cleared their plates, enjoying another weird meat that they had never eaten. 

Slider

Meat Hook Beef & Bacon, Chanterelles, "Gruyère Fondue American Cheese",

Twice-Cooked Fries & Sir Kensington's Mayo

Samuel Smith Old Brewery, Tadcaster Taddy Porter

I originally bonded with these particular work friends over burger talk, so I knew I had to finish the meal with my trademark slider. I humbly think this combination of mushrooms, bacon, and cheese could contend with any burger out there. I had fun using sodium citrate to make "American cheese singles" out of Gruyère, which, due to the sodium's unique properties, retain all the flavor of fondue, but possess all the melt-y qualities of American cheese. 

We served this with thick-cut, twice-cooked fries and our favorite mayo, as well as a rich porter to wash it all down. 

Smoked Chestnut Ice Cream

I love coming up with novel new ice cream flavors. In this case we made a chestnut custard, which we then infused with our smoking gun while it was churning. The results were smokey and delicious!

Pumpkin Soufflé

Bourbon-Molasses Sauce

Critz Farms: 20 Below Ice Cider

I'm nuts for soufflés, so in keeping with the fall theme we did one with pumpkin. Topped with rich bourbon-molasses sauce and served with deep-chilled ice cider from Critz Farms, it was one of the better desserts I've ever made!

"Half A Century Of Poetry"

Espolón Bourbon Barrel Añejo Tequila, Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao, Grady's Cold Brew, Cinnamon Simple Syrup, Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters

We closed the meal with my original dessert cocktail creation, named after a reference to my favorite fantasy novel series, The Witcher.