Putting a twist on American classics
Jeff Koop from Mamie Taylor’s in Chinatown has a hankering for comfort food
Chef Jeff Koop is putting his spin on American diner food at Mamie Taylor’s in Chinatown. He elevates the classics, from fried pickles and pimento cheese to Po boys and ham grenades. That’s right, ham grenades.
Q How would you describe the type of food you like to cook?
A You could call it imaginative American food. I like to take classic American comfort food and put my own twist on it.
Describe a recent creation.
I’m very happy with “bunny in a blanket.” We take a house-made, smoked Andouille-style rabbit sausage, wrap it in puff pastry and bake it. It’s served with a relish made of carrot, ginger and mustard and garnished with carrot greens.
What’s your favourite local product and how do you use it?
Okanagan peaches are pretty hard to beat. In the summer we had peaches all over the place. We pickled them in apple cider vinegar for our buttermilk fried chicken. We poached them in vanilla syrup for our pot de crème. One of the cooks made a down-home peach cobbler that was outstanding. I must’ve eaten three that day.
If there’s one important piece of advice you might have for home cooks, what might that be?
It’s a two-part answer: Try new things constantly and give yourself the freedom to fail. The pleasure of cooking is in the little discoveries. If you can, try to give yourself a little extra time on a new culinary adventure so that if your recipe doesn’t work out perfectly the first time, you can try again.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie PIE CRUST
1½ cups (375 mL) flour
1¾ cups (430 mL) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1½ tsp (7.5 mL) salt
PEANUT CARAMEL
½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream
2½ tbsp (37.5 mL) unsalted butter, cubed 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
¾ cup (180 mL) sugar 2 tbsp (30 mL) light corn syrup
2 tbsp (30 mL) water
¾ cup (180 mL) roasted peanuts
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
2 tbsp (30 mL) cocoa powder
½ cup (125 mL) water
¼ cup (60 mL) sugar
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt 2 tsp (10 mL) powdered gelatin
¼ cup (60 mL) crushed peanuts
PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE
2 tsp (10 mL) powdered gelatin
1 cup (250 mL) smooth peanut butter
1½ cups + 2 tbsp (375 + 30 mL) heavy cream
1½ cups (375 mL) icing sugar
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
PIE CRUST
▶ Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine flour, salt and butter and mix together quickly by hand. The dough should have small lumps of butter throughout. Add ¼ cup (60 mL) ice water and bring together until just barely combined. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Butter and flour a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out dough 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick and press into pie pan. Trim edges and poke bottom of pie crust liberally with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Cover dough with a layer of parchment paper and weigh down with pie weights (dry beans work well and are inexpensive). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove pie weights and paper and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool at room temperature.
PEANUT CARAMEL
▶ In a saucepan, warm cream, butter and salt together on low heat until butter is melted. In a separate pan add sugar, corn syrup and water and cook on medium heat without stirring until you have a golden brown caramel. Add cream mixture and whisk vigorously. Cook until a candy thermometer reads 235°F (112°C), then remove from heat and stir in peanuts. Pour hot caramel into pie crust and spread evenly. Allow to cool at room temperature.
PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE
▶ Bloom gelatin in 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water. Whisk 1½ cups (375 mL) heavy cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. In a saucepan on low heat, warm gelatin mixture in remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) heavy cream until melted. Transfer to a mixing bowl and gently fold in peanut butter and salt until fully combined. Pour mousse into pie shell on top of peanut caramel and spread evenly. Refrigerate until set.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
▶ Bloom gelatin in 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water. In a saucepan, bring water, cocoa powder, sugar and salt to a boil while whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in gelatin. Strain through mesh colander and cool to room temperature. Pour glaze on top of peanut butter mousse to crust edge. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.