Just one of the many artful dishes found in Ana Roš’s new cookbook from Phaidon.
Photo: Suzan Gabrijan
Hiša Franko Chef Ana Roš’s Debut Cookbook Is a Visual Feast
New from Phaidon, Ana Roš: Sun and Rain pairs meticulously plated dishes with photos that capture the beauty of the remote Slovenian countryside
Photo: Courtesy of Phaidon
Tasting the flavors of another culture is the best way to experience a place without hopping on a flight. In chef Ana Roš’s first cookbook, Ana Roš: Sun and Rain (Phaidon), 90 recipes from her highly acclaimed restaurant, Hiša Franko, immerse epicureans in Slovenia’s remote Soča Valley.
Filled with imagery of the region’s lush pastoral beauty, every page is a visual feast. Even a photograph of a dish with a name as simple as Bread and Milk evokes a modern masterpiece. And while gourmands may want to tackle a freshly foraged kale taco of wild plants, more familiar dishes like the goat cottage cheese ravioli nod to the country’s Italian neighbors.
Photo: Suzan Gabrijan
Photo: Suzan Gabrijan
Here, Roš shares one of her favorite recipes from the book with Galerie:
Photo: Suzan Gabrijan
Polonka Rocks — Beer and Cheese Popcorn
Ingredients:
Walnut Crunch
40 g butter
30 g glucose
80 g sugar
100 g walnuts
White Choko Cream
120 ml milk
240 ml cream
6 g glucose
3 g gelatin
175 g white chocolate
Beer Gel
250 ml FEO beer
2 gelatin leaves
Cheese Ice Cream
300 ml milk
50 ml cream
35 g sugar
100 g 3-year-old Tolminc cheese
5 g super neutrose
Beer Chips
160 ml beer
30 g glucose
4 g aga
Wild Hops
80 g wild hops
Cheese Popcorn
20 ml olive oil
40 g corn grains (popcorn kernels)
Instructions
First, make the walnut crunch. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the glucose and sugar. Stir until you get a caramel, then add the walnuts and stir constantly until it crystallizes. Spread out on a Silpat and let it cool.
In a pan on medium heat, mix the milk, cream, and glucose. Add the gelatin and stir to dissolve. Continue stirring until you reach 85°C (185°F). Take off the heat and add the chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Let it cool and then whip in a mixer at high speed.
To make the beer gel, heat the beer until 85°C (185°F), then add the gelatin and stir to dissolve. Heat for 2 more minutes, place in a plastic container and reserve in the refrigerator.
Next, make the cheese ice cream. Place the milk, cream, sugar, and cheese in a Thermomix, blending for 6 minutes at 80°C (180°F). Add the super neutrose and blend for 1 more minute. Let the mixture cool, and place in a Pacojet container. Freeze to be used before serving.
To make the beer chips, place all the ingredients in a mixer and blend for 3 minutes. Place the mixture in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into a plastic container and let it cool down in the refrigerator for about 1.5 hours. Once the gelatin is ready, put it in a Thermomix and blend it until puréed. Spread the mixture on Silpats with 110 g on each one. Dry overnight at 65°C (150°F).
To prepare the wild hops, chop the stems in small pieces and reserve them in ice water.
To make the cheese popcorn, using a nonstick pan, heat the oil, and add the corn grains. Cover the pan and let the popcorn puff. Dress it with caramelized corn and mix with salt. To plate, place the beer gel, then the walnut crunch, followed by white chocolate topped with chopped wild hops. Place the cheese ice cream and beer chips alongside.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2020 Summer issue in the section The Artful Life. Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Just one of the many artful dishes found in Ana Roš’s new cookbook from Phaidon.
Photo: Suzan Gabrijan
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