Spicy Miso-Lemongrass Broth
Castle Hill Inn & Resort - Newport, RI
When chef Casey Riley prepared this bracing broth at the Beard House, he served it in small sake cups garnished with foie gras lardons. “With this preparation, the sweet, spicy, salty, tart broth is a fascinating complement to the foie gras,” Riley told us. “It really brings your appetite up, which a good hors d’oeuvre should.” Diluted with some water or stock, our recipe testers noted, it is also good in larger portions with rice noodles, sliced scallions, and strips of grilled beef.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 8 lemongrass stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 large Spanish onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon dried, hot red chile flakes
- 2-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 cups white wine
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup tamari, or to taste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 orange
- 8 to 10 ounces foie gras, cubed
- Coarse sea salt and cracked white pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
Method
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the lemongrass, onion, garlic, chile, and ginger, and cook until very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce the volume by half, which should take another 10 minutes or so. Add the vinegar, tamari, chicken broth, and citrus juices. Slowly simmer the soup, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer.
While the broth is cooking, season the foie gras with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet to hot, add the cubed foie gras, and turn the pieces periodically, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the cubes from the skillet and let cool to room temperature.
When you are ready to serve the broth, stir in the miso. Place the lardons in sake cups or other small serving dishes, and ladle the broth over the foie gras.
Yield
15 hors d’oeuvre portions
