Epicure
Sakuramaki
the restaurant to us. I’m the cook,
the waiter, dishwasher and usually
the entertainment. Also, the main
reason I enjoy cooking at home is
that I know I am creating lasting
memories with my family.
Maralyn: Would you share a recipe
with us?
Chef Keller: This technique of
“solidifying” a liquid has become a
trademark component in many of my
dishes.I made this recipe in reference
to the spring celebrations in Japan.
Sakura translates to cherry blossom,
and this is my take on a maki roll.
I use agar agar, which is very popular
in Asia, and fuse it with French
chevre. The flavor is delicate, light,
bright and rich all together, balanced
like sushi and perfect for spring
entertaining.
Sakuramaki
Cherry Blossom and chevre
For the candied blossoms
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon whipped egg white
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the maki
3½ ounces chevre or similar
goat cheese
1 cup tart cherry juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon agar agar
25 cherry blossoms (reserve 3
for candy)
For the candied blossoms, preheat
oven at 100 Fahrenheit or a
prepared dehydrator. Mix the egg
white and sugar to create a sugar
“paint”. Carefully remove the
petals from the blossoms. Have a
dehydrating pan, a set of tweezers
and a paintbrush for assembly.
Using a very small amount of paint,
paint each blossom petal, front
and back. Drop into the tablespoon
sugar, remove with tweezers and
place on dehydrating pan. Candy
all the petals and dehydrate, using
manufacturer settings. Dehydrate
in a convection oven set at 100
Fahrenheit for 1 day.
Line a small sheet pan with acetate
film. This preparation can work
on any flat cool surface, but the
acetate is a bit easier to work with
and creates a beautiful shine to
the film. Portion the goat cheese
into ¼ ounce cubes, cover and
refrigerate. Place the cherry juice,
sugar and agar agar into a small
saucepot. Whisk well and bring
liquid to a boil. Turn the heat off
immediately and pour onto the
acetate sheet. Refrigerate until
firm. Remove the petals from 15
blossoms and adhere to the cubes
of chevre. Cut the cherry film the
width of cheese and 6-7 inches in
length. Place the chevre on one
end of the strip and firmly roll
up, allowing the seam to be hidden
on the bottom.
Plating
Plate the sakuramaki on a platter,
garnish with one candied petal
and one fresh blossom per maki.
serve with chopsticks.
Yields 4 small servings.
Chef Keller also shared one of his
recipes for focaccia crackers that
go especially well with this dish.
Focaccia Crackers
3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons salt
⅔ cup olive oil
4 cups bread flour
4 cups all-purpose wheat flour
Additional 3 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil (reserved for
final baking)
Place the water, yeast and honey
in a small mixer with a hook
attachment, and mix on low for one
minute. Add the salt and oil and
mix for an additional one minute.
Add the flour, mix and knead on
low for ten minutes. Place dough in
oiled bowl and rise until doubled in
size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Fahrenheit. Add one tablespoon of
the reserved olive oil to a half
sheet pan, gently turn the bowl
with dough upside down over the
pan and release the dough from the
bowl. It should pop right out on its
own, then roll dough to fit pan.
Use a fork and put holes into the
dough, roughly ¼” deep. Brush
the remaining olive oil across
the dough and let stand for 20
minutes. Place dough in oven and
bake f