Your Kobe knock-off is only one cow away! Chefs seem to have a case of made Kobe disease lately

Art Culinaire,  Fall, 2004  by Carol M. Newman

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Note: Potato pancake recipe will yield approximately 18 pieces.

ingredients

For the sea urchin jelly:

11 sea urchins
1 cup fish stock
1 tablespoon agar-agar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon yuzu juice

For the frozen yogurt:

2 ounces blanched basil leaves
4 ounces half and half
Pinch of salt
Pinch of granulated sugar
Pinch of ice cream stabilizer
6 ounces plain yogurt
1 ounce basil leaves, thinly sliced

For the potato pancake:

1 egg
1 ounce all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
6 ounces mashed potatoes
4 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
Canola oil as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Kobe beef:

6 ounces Kobe beef tenderloin, cut into 5 1 X 2 X 3/4-inch cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel
Basil leaves
Chervil sprigs

RELATED ARTICLE: Kobe Beef-Wrapped Tofu with Wild Mushrooms and Sweetbreads (Serves 4)

FABIO TRABOCCHI

Chardonnay, Collezione di Marchi

Isole e Olena

Tuscany, Italy 2001

directions

For the parmesan sauce: In separate pots, reduce cream and chicken stock by one-third. Combine chicken stock with cream; simmer for one minute. Add parmesan cheese, stirring until dissolved. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Transfer sauce to a blender; puree for 15 seconds. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside to cool to room temperature.

For the Kobe beef: Brush tofu with balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. On a flat surface, divide Kobe slices between two sheets of plastic wrap and arrange in rectangles with edges of Kobe overlapping each other. Cover each with another sheet of plastic and gently pound to an even thickness. Remove top layers of plastic and place tofu sticks on Kobe, wrapping Kobe around tofu. Wrap tightly with plastic and chill in refrigerator. Cut in half, remove plastic and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle a flat surface with salt and white pepper and roll in seasoning. Set aside, keeping cool.

For the wild mushrooms: In a saute pan, melt butter. Add thyme, garlic and mushrooms; saute for one minute. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard thyme and garlic. Finely chop mushrooms and toss with parsley, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the sweetbreads: Cut sweetbreads into four even pieces; dust with fennel pollen. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. In a saute pan, melt butter and sear sweetbreads until crispy. Set aside, keeping warm.

To serve: Place Kobe beef on a plate and top with parmesan shavings and a quenelle of wild mushrooms. Drizzle parmesan sauce onto plate along with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Place sweetbreads on plate and top with poached quail egg. Garnish with chives and basil leaf; sprinkle plate with fennel pollen.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

directions

For the parmesan sauce:

6 ounces heavy cream
6 ounces chicken stock
3 ounces grated parmesan cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the Kobe beef: