“This is not a cookbook. This is the story of Coi, written through the food,” writes chef Daniel Patterson in the introduction to his new book named for his restaurant in San Francisco.
When I first picked up “Coi,” I was struck by color photos of artistically plated dishes interspersed with shots of the northern California landscape that inspires Patterson in the kitchen. Normally, I would pass such a book over to Sauce art director Meera Nagarajan for a first look, but once I began reading the 300-page tome, I guarded it until I was finished. Why? Because Patterson, recently named James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: West, accomplishes something I prize in any cookbook. He offers a highly personal connection between himself and the dishes he shares. (Even if he doesn’t consider this a cookbook, there are more than 50 recipes, which equates to a cookbook in my mind.)
A home cook likely won’t prepare the majority of Patterson’s recipes; they are labor-intensive, call for hard-to-find ingredients and require equipment typically found only in professional kitchens. Among those I tabbed as ” I can actually make that”: musk melon; carrots roasted in coffee beans; quinoa with almond, cauliflower and popped sorghum; butter; and – my pick – popcorn grits, which sounds like fun and required only five ingredients.
Patterson weaves commentary and advice into each of his recipes. It’s as if you’re standing next to Patterson while he makes the dish, erstwhile chatting about the products and the process. In this instance, Patterson observes that some professional cooks are inept at making popcorn: “It’s amazing to me how many well-traveled, well-trained cooks have no idea how to pop popcorn. Give them a bag of gellan, and they’ll spew out ratios. Give them a bag of popcorn, and they’ll look confused.” His advice for turning out good popcorn: Begin with quality, fresh kernels (an heirloom variety, if possible) and, for this recipe, opt for yellow over other corn colors.
The next step is to soften the corn by putting it in a pot with 750 grams water, 100 grams butter and salt, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Yes, you read that right. All Patterson’s weights and measures in the book are listed in metric units. Thank you, chef! The rest of the world works in metric –why aren’t we?
However, when it came time to “strain” the softened kernels, I had problems. I used a potato masher to press the softened popcorn through the sieve, but I didn’t get much meat. I even enlisted the help of my husband and a friend who had (ahem) popped in that evening. Moreover, what Patterson said would look like stiff grits was thick and coarse, more like No. 3-size cooked bulgur wheat. I took the miniscule amount of strained corn, added it to a saucepan with the reserved cooking liquid and put it under some heat. Patterson prescribed more butter and water to achieve a grits-like texture. I followed suit, but 20 minutes later, my popcorn grits still looked more like bulgur instead of the thick, creamy grits in the picture.
My results weren’t as pretty as Patterson’s. However, they did taste like chef said – a cross between grits and a movie theater.
Daniel Patterson’s Popcorn Grits 4 servings
500 g. vegetable or corn oil
1 kg. popcorn
750 g. water
100 g. butter
Buttered popcorn, to serve
• Popcorn requires a lot of heat and a lot of oil. In a large pot (The one I use at the restaurant can pop an entire recipe of popcorn at a time.), heat a generous amount of vegetable or corn oil to smoking. Add a thin but solid layer of kernels, cover, and shake the pot a few times until you hear the corn starting to pop. Lower the heat to medium-high, shaking often so there are no hot spots, and listen – it’s the only way to know when to pull the popcorn. When the popping slows to a trickle, remove the pot from the heat and let it stand 1 minute. Uncover and pour the popcorn into a bowl, watching for any burnt pieces on the bottom, which should be discarded. If the corn tastes burnt, the grits will taste burnt.
• Bring the water, butter and some salt to a simmer. Throw in a big handful of popped kernels, simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the corn has softened, and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Transfer the liquid that strains through back to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Add more popcorn. Repeat until all the corn is gone. Add water as necessary, although you shouldn’t need to add too much.
• Press the softened kernels through a medium strainer basket, discarding the hulls and seeds that cannot be pushed through. Transfer the strained corn, which will look like stiff grits, into a pot. Add the reserved cooking liquid, which should be slightly thickened from the cornstarch, and should taste like popcorn (On its own, this makes a nice sauce for steamed fish.). Add butter and more water as necessary to make a grits-like texture – we find that slightly on the thicker side is better. It should taste like a cross between grits and a movie theater. Serve with a bowl of buttered popcorn on the side.
Reprinted with permission from Phaidon What restaurant story would you most like to read about and why? Tell us about it in the comments section below for a chance to win a copy of “Coi.” We’ll announce the winner in next week’s By the Book column.
This article appears in June 2014.