Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/724773
f a l l 2 0 1 6 | 3 9 Merrill Shindler: One of your dishes is a 62 Degree Egg. 62 degrees sounds so very specific . . . Steven Greene: It's a dish that was created by Thomas Keller at The French Laundry. You poach the egg in its shell at a low temperature—62 degrees centigrade—for one hour. The white is intact; the yolk is cooked enough. It has the consistency of a cus- tardy sauce. It doesn't overcook, and it doesn't undercook. It's just perfect for those who like their eggs poached. MS: Where do you get your eggs? SG: We have two different local farms, along with our own acre-and- a-half farm nearby. The chickens are completely free-range—they run all over the property. We make sure our eggs are as fresh as can be—you know the egg is fresh if the yolk doesn't pop easily. If it does, not as fresh as I'd like. MS: And the egg is served with Charleston Gold rice, which sounds very artisanal . . . SG: It's the best of the best. Our Chef de Cuisine is a huge fan of heirloom grains. We get the rice from Anson Mills in Columbia, South Carolina. Along with a professor from Clemson, they saved the seed and brought it back.* It's the rice of all rice—short- grain, with a mild, fair flavor. It's hand- pounded with a mortar—very expen- sive, very labor intensive. But we're a five-star restaurant, so people expect the very best ingredients. MS: And you serve it with smoked roe—and with uni. I don't think of uni as Southern . . . SG: The smoked roe is from Oregon; it's trout roe, with a little tooth, a real pop. And I've always loved uni. When I discovered the woman I was dating loved uni too, I married her. I knew she was the one. MS: So, we've resolved that the egg comes before the chicken—at least on your menu. And your chicken is . . . red? SG: It's called poulet rouge. The feath- ers are red—but not the chicken. It has a very different taste— gamier, but in a good way. We use a wet brine, stuff the legs with a sausage farcie, serve a roast breast with one leg, use the wing bones to make an au jus with spiced chorizo. MS: And once again, there's rice, but this time it's Carolina Gold rice, rather than Charleston. SG: A different flavor, and a different treatment. The Charleston rice is aged for three years with laurel leaves. The Carolina rice is cooked with heirloom red African peas from Anson Mills, along with smoked pork. It's a modern version of Hoppin' John, very South- ern, very good, very filling. MS: And speaking of Southern—you serve peanuts with the chicken . . . SG: Not just peanuts, but pickled peanuts. They add texture and more of a Southern feel. They also add acidity to the dish. It doesn't taste as good without the peanuts. And everyone loves peanuts. MS: There's also kohlrabi on the plate. Does everyone love kohlrabi? SG: Not everyone knows what it is. But it gives the dish a nice creamy texture. And it adds height to the dish. Vegetables taste good, and they look good too. *A history of the development of Charleston Gold rice can be found on the Anson Mills website at ansonmills.com. PHOTO: KELLY FORDHAM The poulet rouge at Herons is prepared using a wet brine. ■cr