Sound grain: how cereals become an important restaurant product
As a rule, cereals are associated with a rather ordinary homemade meal, far from gastronomic delights. However, in recent years, cereals have increasingly appeared on restaurant menus, not only in the breakfast sections, but also as a striking addition to the main items. Of particular interest to both chefs and gourmets are archaic cereals, many of which have practically disappeared from our daily diet for various reasons. What kind of products they are and in what dishes they can be found in different restaurants today — in the Izvestia article.
What is the place of cereals in high gastronomy
The growing interest in cereals in the restaurant industry in the last decade has partly been influenced by the fashion for Nordic cuisine, which is based on the principle of working with the simplest and most affordable local products. This trend turned out to be consonant with the new domestic trend towards a return to the ancestral culinary traditions, in which grains and cereals have always been in great demand.
"Cereals and porridges with them are part of our Russian gastronomic identity," the brand chef of the Northern cuisine restaurant Roomi (Arkhangelsk) told Izvestia Andrey Anikiev. — Cereals can be not only an amazing side dish to a hot dish, for example, the same game, but also an independent unit.
Porridge with grouse
According to the brand chef of the Zakroma restaurant (Yaroslavl) Pavel Trifonov, dishes with cereals are necessary in the menu, as guests are accustomed to such a "base" of Russian cuisine, and porridges are our cultural heritage, which Russians are happy to support. He also noted that in recent years there has been an increase in demand for porridges made from root crops or vegetables, such as pumpkin, zucchini, celery or cabbage.
— The guests have become better versed in food, products, traditions, and gastronomy in general, — says the brand chef of the restaurant Tunguska (Krasnoyarsk) Nikolai Bobrov. — Even 10 years ago, putting bulgur or couscous on the menu was akin to madness, and with any sauce — they would simply have been ignored, I checked. But now, on the contrary, cereals are of interest.
Oatmeal porridge with shrimp and goat cheese
In recent years, many restaurants have been particularly attentive to the availability of healthy dishes on the menu and use cereals such as quinoa, green buckwheat, and spelt, adds Alexander Rusakov, chef of Tilda restaurant (Moscow). These products are an affordable source of carbohydrates, plant proteins, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids that are essential for the body. Unpolished cereals are especially useful due to the large amount of fiber that ensures proper intestinal function.
— There are cereals that never go out of fashion — rice, millet, oats, buckwheat, — our interlocutor continues. — Risotto, pilaf and rolls are not going to give up their positions, and recently paella has joined them, which can be seen in restaurants more and more often. Everyone's favorite healthy oatmeal can be made not only sweet, but also salty by adding parmesan or shrimp to it.
Spelt and millet
Among the traditional cereals of our country, which were undeservedly forgotten, and are now gradually returning to restaurant gastronomy, spelt is the most popular. In fact, it is a kind of relict wheat, rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It has a pronounced nutty taste and a lower gluten content.
— For many, spelt was and will be a controversial cereal due to its semi—solid, dense and springy consistency, - says brand chef Bobrov. — But I really like this type of wheat, besides, it perfectly replaces the varieties of black rice that have disappeared from the Russian market.
Khakass lamb square with spelt with wild boar espuma and porto sauce
At the Tunguska restaurant, spelt is complemented by a Taimyr deer cutlet with curry sauce, various mushrooms and celery and chocolate cream. Another dish, a square of Khakass lamb with wild boar espuma and porto sauce with seasonal cherries, is also served with this wheat. Dishes with deer and sturgeon are also prepared with it, adding smoked fermented baked milk sauce and mushrooms.
Kamchatka sockeye salmon cutlet with wire rod
Another rare grain crop that is on the menu of a Krasnoyarsk restaurant today is millet. After processing, millet groats, which are more well-known and familiar to us, are obtained from this cereal. However, unpeeled millet contains more useful trace elements, in particular amino acids, which contribute to rapid saturation, despite the fact that the caloric content of this product is lower than that of millet.
— I got acquainted with millet in Tuva, during the first gastroexpedition within the framework of Tygastro, — our interlocutor recalls. — We prepare simple and authentic dishes with this cereal, for example, Tuvan green tea with milk, dalgan, millet and butter. Millet can also be added to soups, in the same soup, or made into a kind of popcorn and used in desserts, salads and cold appetizers as a cool crunchy texture. This is how we revive forgotten products and recipes through our dishes, making them understandable and attractive to guests.
Barley and oatmeal
The Roomi restaurant popularizes the cuisine of the northern peoples by collecting and reinterpreting recipes from settlements located in remote areas of the Arkhangelsk region. During an ethnographic expedition to the village of Yerkino, brand chef Anikiev learned from local residents how traditional dishes with barley are prepared, and included their author's interpretations in the menu of his project.
— We prepare two types of barley porridge, — our expert shared the details. — The first option is with goat cheese and venison jerky. For the second course, we first brew mushroom flour (brewing is a key technique in Northern cuisine), add steamed barley, caramel onion cream, and finally wild bird. For me, this dish is a complete reflection of the gastronomy of the North and the local culture in general.
Barley porridge with goat cheese and venison jerky
Another exotic ingredient used in the Arkhangelsk restaurant is oatmeal. This is flour made from oat grains that have undergone special multi-stage processing. The grains are pre-steamed, dried, fried, then crushed (pounded or ground) and sifted. This product contains less fiber than classic oatmeal, but it contains more fat, starch and proteins, which provides a high calorie content.
— We use oatmeal to make cabbage fritters and shanezh bread, with which we serve scrambled oyster mushrooms for breakfast, — our interlocutor continues. — You can also make porridge from oatmeal by boiling it with boiling water from a samovar, adding salt, ghee and leaving it to infuse under the lid. You can serve it with soaked cranberries and their juice — it will turn out simply and expressively.
Wheat
In the Yaroslavl restaurant Zakroma, cereals and porridges are iconic dishes that are prepared in a Russian oven. In this establishment, you can try whole, unprocessed wheat. It is pre-soaked for a long time, and then boiled and served as a side dish to veal cheeks.
—Wheat as a product is very suitable for the concept of our restaurant, so I wanted to display it in a real, dense, textured way," brand chef Trifonov explained to our publication. — We prepare rather coarse, unprocessed grains with concentrated mushroom broth and add melted butter, fried onions, fresh parsley to them and serve them with tender stewed cheeks and cream of burnt cabbage.
Wheat with veal cheeks
In order for any porridge to taste better, our expert advises not to add a lot of liquid to it at once, but to pour it in little by little or pre-steam the cereal. He also recommends combining porridge with butter, cream, vegetable milk, truffle paste or mushroom duxel.
— I like to fry vegetables (white cabbage, onions, carrots, roots, celery, parsnips) and combine them with steamed buckwheat, — our interlocutor shares his experience. — This is a self-contained dish with character that doesn't even need butter. In the "Bins" we also cook buckwheat groats with stewed goose, seasonal morels and baked onion mousse.
Green buckwheat
The fashion for healthy eating has brought green buckwheat to the fore, so that today it can be found in many restaurants. It surpasses other cereals in the content of easily digestible protein, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and is also a source of B vitamins. Green differs from the more familiar brown in that it is not subjected to massive roasting, so it can be sprouted.
—Green buckwheat can be cooked with minimal heat treatment, thus preserving more vitamins and nutrients,— Chef Rusakov told our publication. — I make porridge with it according to the risotto principle: first I steam it in boiling water with garlic and bay leaf, then I brew it with parmesan, porcini mushrooms, shallots and butter. I serve it with poached egg, dried cherries and foam of parmesan cheese.
Green buckwheat with poached egg
When choosing green buckwheat, you should pay attention to ensure that there are no impurities in it and it does not smell damp, advises our interlocutor. Buckwheat should be either a pale green color or a shade of melted milk. Only light green cereals can be sprouted.
— I recommend not cooking buckwheat for a long time, but rinse it and pour boiling water one to two and hold it for 2-3 minutes, then close the lid tightly and leave on low heat for about 10-15 minutes, — our expert shares useful advice. — If you want to get a more flavorful side dish, then you can pre-fry buckwheat in a dry pan at medium temperature, stirring constantly until caramelized, then cool, rinse and then cook, increasing the cooking time to about 10 minutes. By the way, sweet porridge with such buckwheat will have a very pleasant cocoa flavor.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
