Jenner Tomaska's Ribeye and Trumpet Mushroom Carpaccio
Like many dishes at Esmé, this carpaccio takes a classic and refines it. The pepper crust uses “every peppercorn known to man”. A housemade mushroom shoyu dresses the carpaccio. Multiple mushroom flavours - and truffles - are layered in. “We’re looking for depth,” says Jenner Tomaska.
The Chicago chef is drawn to the Westholme Wagyu story as much as the flavour and texture of the meat. “I think that’s what people care about,” he says. “I relate it to wine. I don’t care what year it’s from and what varietal of grape it is. If I’m having a nice meal, I want the stories, why it’s been chosen, how it connects to who we are. I would start there.”
Ingredients
Peppercorn Ribeye
Peppercorn Ribeye
50g Thai long peppercorn
25g Szechuan peppercorn
25g black peppercorn
25g pink peppercorn
salt
1 Westholme ribeye
Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Pine Nut Vinaigrette
50g shallots
10g garlic
200g pine nuts, toasted
600g sherry vinegar
100g olive oil
200g canola oil
10g salt
Trumpet Mushroom Shoyu
Trumpet Mushroom Shoyu
1kg black trumpet mushrooms
200g rice koji
1 litre filtered water
250g kosher salt
MCL (Mushroom Cooking Liquid)
MCL (Mushroom Cooking Liquid)
150g Trumpet Mushroom Shoyu (see above)
100g vin jaune
100g apple cider vinegar
225g chicken demi-glace
Trumpet Mushrooms
Trumpet Mushrooms
MCL (see above)
1.4kg king trumpet mushrooms
Truffle Sauce
Truffle Sauce
100g butter
485g shallots
35g garlic
400g Cognac
1400g veal jus
350g truffles
truffle oil, to taste
salt, to taste
To Serve
To Serve
Peppercorn Ribeye slices
Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Trumpet Mushrooms
Truffle Sauce
confit potatoes
pickled shallots
toasted pine nuts
chives
parsley
Method
Peppercorn Ribeye
Toast peppercorns over medium heat for 2-5 mins or until aromatic. Use a spice grinder to crack pepper lightly. Use a tammis to separate cracked pepper from ground pepper.
Season ribeye with cracked pepper and salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Sear in a cast iron pan, being sure to not overcook.
Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
When ready to serve, slice using deli slicer at number 3.
Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Place all ingredients in a Vitamix and blend until smooth.
Trumpet Mushroom Shoyu
Pulse black trumpet mushrooms in Robot-Coupe with koji rice and water to make a coarse meal. Finally add salt. Beware of heat during this process so as not to kill the koji.
Transfer into a nonreactive container such as ceramic or glass. Cover the top of the mixture with a plastic film, leave to ferment in a cool dark place for 30 days.
During the fermentation process, stir as often as possible with a sanitised utensil and wipe down the sides with a towel dipped in vinegar.
Once finished, strain and press through a nut bag. Bottle or vac-bag the liquid and dehydrate the solids to be used as a seasoning elsewhere.
MCL (Mushroom Cooking Liquid)
Blitz mushroom scraps in Robo-Coupe until broken down into small pieces.
Add 2% salt by weight to the total amount of mushroom scraps.
Mix together in a bowl and seal in a cryovac. Let the bag sit at room temperature for a couple of hours to a day.
Pass the mushrooms through a chinois to get the MCL.
Trumpet Mushrooms
Trim trumpet mushrooms from the stem. Use only the head. Slice.
Cryovac 800g of the mushrooms with 450g MCL (see above). Vac-seal at 80% to avoid mushrooms getting crushed.
Place the bagged mushrooms in the combi-oven at 100C / 212F (steam function) for 10 minutes. Ice down immediately.
Truffle Sauce
Sweat the shallots and garlic with the butter.
Add Cognac and reduce to au-sec.
Add veal jus and truffles, simmer for 3-4 hours until a nappe.
Blend in the Vitamix until smooth and add in truffle oil and salt to taste.
To Serve
Carefully lay Wagyu slices onto plate. Arrange mushrooms over the top.
Gently toss together confit potatoes, pickled shallots, toasted pine nuts, chives and parsley. Season with Pine Nut Vinaigrette. Arrange over mushrooms.
Dress with Truffle Sauce.
This carpaccio takes a classic and refines it. "We’re looking for depth,” says Jenner Tomaska.
