Is there a place for French’s yellow mustard in haute cuisine? While a former CIA instructor of Franco exec chef Chris Williams may say “no,” I can tell you, vehemently, that it does – and that Williams agrees.
This classic condiment is a crucial ingredient in a sweet, tangy coleslaw currently available at Franco, one which props up a huge disc of foie gras that’s been double-battered in buttermilk and breadcrumbs and deep-fried to crisp perfection. Williams takes things to the next level, serving this Southern-style foie alongside a salty, fluffy, sweet potato biscuit, and sitting the entire dish atop a pool of Bourbon-maple gastrique (otherwise known as the best syrup ever). The mustard provides a tanginess to the creamy slaw that both offsets and compliments the sweet richness of the gastrique and the impossibly crunchy – yet gooey – fried foie.
The kitchen crew at Franco asks that you give them a week’s notice if you would like to devour this delectable dish. And while that may seem a tad excessive, I can emphatically tell you that I waited nearly 37 years for this dish; a week is just child’s play.
This article appears in April 2011.