Blackbird: Persimmon jam
The Chicago restaurant Blackbird opened in 1997 and quickly became the darling of the downtown food scene. Having read that the owner has a thing about coats on chair backs, we quickly surrendered our jackets to the front desk. Blackbird is a spare, white room emphasized by striking architectural details and one large black and white oil painting. Two-top banquettes, elbow-to-elbow, line one wall and closely-spaced four-tops complete the seating plan. Floor to ceiling windows in the front frame the outside West Loop scene.
We usually avoid restaurants with tall food, valet parking, and high critical praise so I don't know what happened this time. I tried to get a reservation at Stephanie Izard's Girl & the Goat, this year's wonder, but 4:00 was too early even for us and 9:30 was definitely too late. And I didn't even try to get into Grant Achatz' Alinea or Next. Anyways, I'd read a lot about Blackbird in the past, so there we were and we had a perfectly fine experience.
The plate presentation was beautiful, each element full of flavor and perfectly cooked. For all its' starkness, Blackbird's atmosphere was celebratory and casual—tables full of beautiful people, hipsters, families, office parties, and romantic duos. Bob and I shared appetizers of waygu beef tartar and steamed mussels, each of us ordering an entree: Bob—veal tenderloin with shaved artichokes, me—braised sturgeon with persimmon jam and walnut broth. We finished with complimentary dark chocolate cream truffles.
The valet guy reminded us about the Bulls game, and we were home in plenty of time to watch them get beat...sorry, Manny.
As to the merits of paying more money for tall food, I'm still inclined to prefer the ethnic, less refined, more enthusiastic (not to mention, cheaper) food experience.
Waygu beef tartare with beets
Steamed mussels
Braised sturgeon with walnut broth and persimmon jam
An "amuse bouche" of prosciutto, black sesame
seed, and mint crema
Persimmon Jam
2 quarts ripe fresh persimmon pulp
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
Grated rind of 1 orange
Combine all ingredients in a 4-quart enameled or stainless steel pan and cook over medium-high heat,
stirring often until thickened, usually about 20 minutes.
Pour into sterilized half-pint jars and seal at once. Makes 6 half-pint jars.
We usually avoid restaurants with tall food, valet parking, and high critical praise so I don't know what happened this time. I tried to get a reservation at Stephanie Izard's Girl & the Goat, this year's wonder, but 4:00 was too early even for us and 9:30 was definitely too late. And I didn't even try to get into Grant Achatz' Alinea or Next. Anyways, I'd read a lot about Blackbird in the past, so there we were and we had a perfectly fine experience.
The plate presentation was beautiful, each element full of flavor and perfectly cooked. For all its' starkness, Blackbird's atmosphere was celebratory and casual—tables full of beautiful people, hipsters, families, office parties, and romantic duos. Bob and I shared appetizers of waygu beef tartar and steamed mussels, each of us ordering an entree: Bob—veal tenderloin with shaved artichokes, me—braised sturgeon with persimmon jam and walnut broth. We finished with complimentary dark chocolate cream truffles.
The valet guy reminded us about the Bulls game, and we were home in plenty of time to watch them get beat...sorry, Manny.
As to the merits of paying more money for tall food, I'm still inclined to prefer the ethnic, less refined, more enthusiastic (not to mention, cheaper) food experience.
Waygu beef tartare with beets
Steamed mussels
Braised sturgeon with walnut broth and persimmon jam
An "amuse bouche" of prosciutto, black sesame
seed, and mint crema
Persimmon Jam
2 quarts ripe fresh persimmon pulp
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
Grated rind of 1 orange
Combine all ingredients in a 4-quart enameled or stainless steel pan and cook over medium-high heat,
stirring often until thickened, usually about 20 minutes.
Pour into sterilized half-pint jars and seal at once. Makes 6 half-pint jars.
Posted by Marla Nichols at 5/22/2011 4:37 AM 
Categories: Canning and Preserving, Breakfast
Tags: Chicago Blackbird persimmon jam sturgeon West Loop
Categories: Canning and Preserving, Breakfast
Tags: Chicago Blackbird persimmon jam sturgeon West Loop
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