“This riff on chicken and rice was inspired by a dish served at El Bulli,” says TJ Garrish, CEC, Executive Chef, L’Hirondelle Club of Ruxton.
TJ Garrish, CEC, Executive Chef of L’Hirondelle Club of Ruxton (Towson, Md.), likes to leverage the freedom of wine dinners to create playful dishes that allow him and his team to think outside the box.
“This riff on chicken and rice was inspired by a dish served at El Bulli,” says Garrish. “We used it as the first course in a recent wine dinner. It ‘wowed’ the guests as soon as they saw it, and they enjoyed the nostalgia of chicken and rice.”
The dish starts with a light and airy puffed-rice texture. Then it moves through umami and salty with the chicken salt. It closes with a slight sweetness from the squash puree and finishes when the mustard frill hits with a slight pepperiness.
“We have fun and push ourselves to be better and strive for more,” says Garrish. “We balance a little modern with a touch of core fundamentals, and it works for us.”