Atelier Crenn

Metamorphosis of Taste

Dominique Crenn
with Karen Leibowitz

Contents
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About Our Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Day in the Life of Atelier Crenn. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ORIGIN

LAND

Kir Breton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Broccoli and Beef Tartare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Beef Carpaccio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Foie Gras with Winter Nuances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pintade Japonaise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter Squab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summer Squab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PLANT

Le Jardin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carrot and Aloe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carrot Jerky with Orange Peel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
White Chocolate Salsify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tomato. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Onion Soup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grains and Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Walk in the Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Salad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEA

Oyster with Citrus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fish and Chips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sea Urchin with Licorice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Abalone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shima Aji with Turnip Tempura. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Squid with Lardo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Crab with Sunchoke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lobster Bisque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DREAM

Seckel Pear (Winter). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Honey (Spring). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Sea (Summer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spiced Brioche (Autumn). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mango-Dougllas Fir Ptes de Fruits . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cedar Macarons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bonbons (with Mocha Filling or
Praline Bourbon Filling). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CRAFT

Crme Frache paisse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cultured Butter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yogurt with Ground Nuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fromage Blanc with Honeycomb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Onion Broth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mushroom Broth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rutabaga-Grapefruit Broth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tomato Consomm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dashi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lobster Stock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Poultry Consomm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ham Broth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stabilizer Syrup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buckwheat Flatbread. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pumpernickel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brioche Feuillete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pte Fermente:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pain de Seigle (Rye Bread) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pain au Son (Spelt Bread) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Atelier

AT E L I E R C R E N N

is named after a little studio behind my childhood home in north-

western France, where my father used to paint pictures inspired by the natural world
around us in Brittany, from seascapes to landscapes to still-lives of the food grown on
our familys farms. We called his studio Atelier Papa Crenn, and it was a haven to
me as a child who often felt out of step with the mainstream culture. While my father
painted, he shared with me a love of art that continues to this day, more than fifteen
years after we lost him, and he inspired me to become an artist myself. My father always
encouraged my painting, writing, and cooking as equally valid artistic endeavors, so
when I opened my first restaurant in 2011, I wanted it to be a testament to the values
that he instilled in me. I hung his paintings on the wall, wrote my menus as poems, and
drew my inspiration from nature.
In French, the word atelier can be used to refer to artists studio or an artisans
workshop, and I like the way that it embodies the intersection between art and artisanship in the culinary world. When I first started cooking, it might have been laughable
for a chef to claim to make art, but these days, I have noticed a dawning awareness
that food can be a medium for artistic expression. I recently read about a study in
which salads plated as exact replicas of paintings by Bauhaus painter Wassily Kandinsky were found to be more delicious than the same ingredients presented as a random
hodge-podge, and this confirmed my intuition that the visual aspect of food affects
our perception of taste. But its deeper than a simple matter of making the food look
prettyafter all, Kandinskys compositions are challengingly modern, abstract, and
even discordant in designits about creating and communicating an intention, a feeling, a memory, or an idea. It may sound sentimental to talk about cooking with love,
but the truth is, food can touch us in the same way as a poem, a painting, or a song, if
we open ourselves to receiving its meaning.

I N T RO D U C T I O N

. . . a restaurant that serves a cuisine so visually,

texturally and conceptually inventive it has both delighted
and baffled critics and drawn international attention.
The Wall Street Journal

In Brittany, the sea has always signified bounty and camaraderie, so seafood platters (or plateaux de fruits de mer) are a
natural expression of hospitality. When I was a child, my mother would offer our guests such a gorgeous array of
shellfish, from lobster all the way to sea snails, along with a choice of homemade mignonette, clarified butter, and
herbed mayonnaise. I still love these simple flavors, but I have adapted the impulse behind those seafood platters
into my own sampling of the sea, accompanied by squid ink meringue, juniper lime foam, and a powder made of
anchovy, lemon, and sesame oils. The specific components in this dish have ranged from tai snapper to sea urchin,
and I particularly love to highlight fish and bivalves such as mussels and clams, as in the recipe below, but feel free
to substitute freely, as the important principle is to procure whatever is absolutely best at the precise moment in
any particular market. After all, seafood is a snapshot in time, so mix and match according to local and seasonal
availability, and remember to serve a nice fresh bread as well. In Brittany, we eat plateaux de fruits de mer with a pain de
seigle (see page 000), and it is quite appropriate alongside this dish as well. | Serves 10

The Sea
squ id ink
m er ingu e
INGREDIENTS

150 grams (5.3 ounces) egg whites

(about 5 eggs)
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
50 grams (2 tablespoons) liquid glucose
10 grams (0.4 ounce) squid ink powder
10 grams (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
EQUIPMENT

Stand mixer with a whisk attachment

Cooking thermometer
Acetate sheet
Nonstick spray
Spatula
Dehydrator (optional)

At least twenty-four hours in advance:

I n a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites
on medium speed until frothy, 4 to 5 minutes.
I n a small pot with a cooking thermometer attached, mix together the sugar and liquid glucose and cook over medium heat
until the temperature reaches 121C/250[dg]F.
With the stand mixer running on high speed, drizzle the warm
sugar and glucose into the egg whites. The mixture should appear
glossy. Continue to run the mixer on high and gradually sprinkle
in the squid ink powder and salt to incorporate.
S pray an acetate sheet with non-stick spray and wipe down with
a paper towel; the residual non-stick coating will suffice.
U
 se a spatula to spread the squid ink meringue in a thin, even
layer across the acetate sheet.
To dry the meringue in a dehydrator: Place the acetate sheet in
a dehydrator tray. Transfer the tray to a dehydrator set to 50[dg]
C/120[dg]F and let dry until crispy, 24 hours.
To dry the meringue in an oven: Preheat the oven to 50[dg]
C/120[dg]F or the closest temperature available. Place the
acetate sheet in a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the
oven and turn off the heat. Let the meringue dry in the closed
oven until crispy, about 24 hours.

RECIPES

00

Atelier Crenn

Metamorphosis of Taste

is the debut cookbook of Dominique Crenn, who is arguably the greatest female chef in
the country. This gorgeous book traces Crenns rise from her childhood in France to her unprecedented success
with her own restaurant, Atelier Crenn, in San Francisco. Crenns food is centered around organic, sustainable ingredients with an unusual, inventive, and always stunning presentation. To put it simply, Crenns dishes are works
of art, and her cookbook, Atelier Crenn, will share with readers her poetic recipes, signature creative plating, and
stunning photographs.

AT E L I E R C R E N N

is the first female American chef to earn two Michelin stars. Raised in France and
trained in top kitchens around the world, Crenn opened her acclaimed restaurant, Atelier Crenn, in San Francisco
in 2011, where she transforms her experiences living in France, California, and Asia into culinary art. Named
Chef of the Year by Eater in 2012, Crenn makes frequent media appearances, including TODAY and Top Chef.
DOMINIQUE CRENN

I S B N 978-0-544-44467-6

P U B L I C I T Y C O N TA C T :

Hardcover
9" x 11"
356 pages
Publication date: November 3, 2015

Rebecca Liss
Rebecca.Liss@hmhco.com
212.598.5729

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING:

Author photograph Ed Anderson

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