SFoodie: Cream of Cauliflower with Fried Oysters and Chervil

A hot take on a cold “French Laundry” classic

By Chef John from Food Wishes Video Recipes

I’m sure many of you (the ones with jobs) have heard of the French Laundry, a small gourmet restaurant located in Yountville, CA. It’s considered by many the finest restaurant in the country and the Chef/Owner, Thomas Keller is considered to be one of the country’s top Chefs.

I’ve had the pleasure of eating there twice, and for a hardcore foodie it’s about as good as it gets. Chef Keller does a 9-course fixed price (think down payment on a small car) tasting menu that shows off the finest local ingredients, as well as his classical, yet creative techniques.

The first course I had there sounded very unusual when I read it on the menu. It was a cauliflower “panna cotta” topped with a fresh raw oyster and caviar. Why I was a bit apprehensive is because a panna cotta is a cold flan-like Italian dessert. My initial fear was soon replaced with bliss as I enjoyed maybe the single best first course I’ve ever had. Savory, cold, silky smooth cauliflower flan-like custard topped with a glistening freshly shucked oyster, garnished with a large spoon of Ossetra caviar. It was amazing, as were the rest of the courses.

This clip you are about to see it a sort of warm version of those same ingredients (except the caviar, but feel free to add). It’s also partly inspired by a very old fashioned soup, “oyster stew” which is simply oysters poached in milk or cream.

CLICK HERE to watch the Video, as well as get this recipe's ingredients and amounts.