October 22, 2016, Dinner at Tamarin

The second night of business at Tamarin was a hit with us. The adorable and full of energy husband and wife hosts, Julie and Paco, welcomed us back. Paco and Julie look relaxed and well rested from their summer weeks in France. The staff was professional and helpful and caring. The gardens are in amazingly great shape. However, I did not see the mascot, Edgar the duck, around. Wonder where she is?

What a splendid meal and dining experience this turned out to be. Phil began with thin slices of melt in your mouth tender Iberico ham, tomato and mozzarella cheese on a slice of grain bread and topped with a sprinkling of rich balsamic vinegar.


I had, and will have again, the seared fois gras over pineapple preserves, served with Zacapa rhum and Jerusalem artichokes.



The grilled slice of ribeye steak served medium rare with a side of home made frites was perfectly prepared.



My cornucopia contained 2 huge shrimp from France, and slices and chunks of squid tempura. It was served with a wonderful tartar sauce for dipping and a refreshing bowl of crispy Tamarin salad



Phil had the citron tarte with both a couple of hard shell meringue and soft meringue topping.


Believing simple would be best I opted for the creamy vanilla ice cream with lots of salt caramel sauce and nuts and popcorn. We finished with tamarin flavored rhum.

The room filled up and it looks like Tamarin and their new menu can surpass the success they enjoyed their rookie year 2015. In any case, this is a beautiful and delicious lunch or dinner spot and a special destination when visiting St Barth.

Tamarin also has an amazing parking system headed up by the island's best valet parker who possesses a truly fantastic memory!

Looks great! Is it a new menu from last year. I don't recognize those dishes, but I'm no expert on their menu either.

And did you set this one up on purpose?!?!? No duck in the garden, but foie gras on the plate!

Looks delicious. Is canard on the menu? :wink2:

Bart -my real name- said:

And did you set this one up on purpose?!?!? No duck in the garden, but foie gras on the plate!

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Foie gras is goose liver.

All new menu. We will-be back to try other tempting dishes too.

Looks great!

andynap said:

Foie gras is goose liver.

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Not necessarily. Literally "fattened liver", it pertains equally to the liver of force fed (gavage) ducks or geese. Foie gras de canard. Foie gras d'oie.

Aujourd’hui, on savoure infiniment plus de foie gras de canard que de foie d’oie. Mais la raison de cette inversion des goûts est aussi économique car le prix du foie gras de canard est plus avantageux.
Le foie gras d’oie garde ses fidèles qui apprécient la douceur subtile des saveurs. Il est dit-on, d’un goût “ plus raffiné, plus élégant, plus aristocrate ”. Mais le foie gras de canard a aussi des amateurs qui préfèrent la franchise de ses arômes musqués, mêlé d’une pointe d’amertume, persistante en bouche.
Le foie gras d’oie est plus gros que celui de canard, sa forme est aussi plus massive. Contrairement à ce que l’on pourrait penser, un foie gras de bonne qualité n’est pas forcément volumineux. Un bon foie gras d’oie pèse dans les 700 à 900 gr. Le foie gras de canard est plus petit, son contour présente des arêtes plus marquées. Un bon foie gras de canard pèse dans les 500 à 600 gr.

Un foie gras cru de bonne qualité qu’il soit d’oie ou de canard doit se choisir selon quelques principes de bases : la taille, l’aspect, la couleur et la souplesse. Une légère pression du pouce sur un lobe du foie doit laisser une empreinte qui s’efface progressivement.

Quand le foie gras chaud est digne des grands repas, le foie gras froid se plie à toutes les situations. Et s’il reste un met royal, la variété de ses préparations en fait le champion de tous les repas. Les différentes préparations de foie gras du commerce sont liées essentiellement au mode de cuisson, elles sont réparties en 4 grandes catégories :

LE FOIE GRAS CRU
A l’achat, le foie gras cru peut être destiné à la préparation d’une conserve mais généralement, il sera utilisé à une préparation chaude comme le foie gras aux raisins. Les grands cuisiniers actuels travaillent surtout le foie gras cru, contrairement à leurs prédécesseurs du début du siècle. Le foie gras cru est généralement coupé en escalopes, simplement poêlé à feu vif dans un peu de graisse et relevé toujours d’une sauce acidulée ou sucrée. Tous les mariages, toutes les associations et les combinaisons sont possibles, dès que l’on a la notion de l’équilibre et de l’harmonie des saveurs.
LE FOIE GRAS MI-CUIT
Le foie gras mi-cuit se présente généralement sous forme de terrines, de bocaux ou de boîtes métalliques. C’est une semi-conserve qui a été pasteurisée, c’est à dire cuite à coeur à une température de 70 à 85°c selon les fabricants. Cette préparation connaît un vif succès, car elle permet de conserver la fraîcheur et les arômes du foie. Le foie gras mi-cuit se conserve au frais, il se garde entre 3 semaines et 6 mois selon la durée et le temps de cuisson.
LE FOIE GRAS EN CONSERVE
Le foie gras en conserve est stérilisé, traité en autoclave entre 105°C et 115°C, sa conservation est de quelques années. C’est la préparation la plus traditionnelle, on le sert en début de repas, en entrée ou en apéritif. Cependant, il existe une vaste gamme de préparation en conserve à partir du foie gras : le foie gras entier, en bloc, parfait, mousse La réglementation est bien précise sur les différentes dénominations où figure le terme foie gras.

FOIE GRAS ENTIER
Composé de un ou plusieurs lobes de foies entiers.
FOIE GRAS
Composé de morceaux de foie gras agglomérés entre eux
BLOC DE FOIE GRAS
Composé de foie gras reconstitué Bien que ces 3 préparations soient exclusivement à base de foie gras, elles ne sont pas de la même qualité, ni du même prix. Le foie gras entier est au summum de la hiérarchie, il provient toujours de foie gras de très bonne qualité. Les parfaits sont composés d’un mélange d’au moins 75% de foie gras malaxé avec des foies de volailles. Les pâtés, les médaillons, les galantines, les mousses de foie contiennent une proportion de foie gras minimale de 50%.

But of course.

What is Foie Gras Terrine?

A foie gras terrine is cooked in a terrine mold, usually a porcelain one with a tightly-fitted lid. Terrine, the preparation, is the purist experience of foie gras, since the whole raw liver is packed into a terrine mold and cooked at low temperature in a water bath. There are very few ingredients to distract from the rich, buttery taste of pure foie gras: salt, pepper and Sauternes wine, that wonderful sweet white wine from France (or sometimes Armagnac) is all that is added. The foie gras can be packed into the terrine mold and marinated in wine overnight. In the terrine preparation, the foie gras is actually steam cooked; the closed porcelain terrine is nestled on a folded towel in a pan of hot water (the towel holds the terrine still) and placed in the oven. After the terrine is fully cooked, the excess fat (foie gras butter - freeze it for later!) is drained off and set aside, often to be poured back on top of the preparation to protect it as it rests refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
What is Foie Gras Torchon?

Foie gras torchon is the sister to foie gras terrine. The only real difference is the shape and cooking preparation. Both terrine and torchon are made from raw foie gras and little else. “Torchon” means “dish towel” in French, since the foie gras was traditionally wrapped in a towel for cooking. Today, many prepared torchons are sold wrapped in a towel to make that historical connection. More commonly, cheesecloth is now used to form the raw foie gras into a cylindrical shape, and it is this oblong bundle of cheesecloth and foie gras that gets gently poached in a pot of water or stock to cook it. The process of making foie gras torchon takes a few days, as there is plenty of resting the liver between steps. Like a terrine, a torchon should stay in the refrigerator for a few days before serving, so that all the flavors fully develop.
Eating Foie Gras Terrine or Torchon

In Gascony, the capital of foie gras in France, the terrine of foie gras is traditionally served cold, still in the terrine mold with serving spoons and a bowl of hot water. The spoons are dipped into the hot water, so they can slice through the rich foie gras, which is usually spread in a slice of bread. In the United States, foie gras terrine is more commonly served thinly sliced, on elegant toast points or flaky pastry shells.
A foie gras terrine can be unmolded gently onto a clean cutting board. Run warm water over the outside of the terrine dish to loosen it slightly. For slicing, use a knife that has been dipped in hot water to make clean, perfect slices every time. Remember that foie gras is delicate, so it’s best to handle it with care. Thin slices can be fanned out on a platter for serving.
Foie gras torchon will come out of the refrigerator in the cylindrical shape, making perfect, neat circles when sliced (a hot knife will also help here). These luscious rounds can be served in the same fashion as terrine of foie gras. Both benefit from a sprinkling of coarse fleur de sel.
Serve either terrine or torchon chilled with slices of crusty peasant-style bread, more delicate toasted brioche, cranberry walnut loaf, and any jam or fruit compote to complement the creamy, fatty flavor. Drink a glass of Sauternes or late-harvest Jurançon, both wines from the Southwest of France, with either foie gras preparation.

Thank you Amy and Phil for all the most recent reviews with photographs! Keep them coming

Thank you Hank for the fois gras tutorial. I had known most of the preparatory steps, but always eager to learn more.

Last night's at Tamarin was seared--yummalicious.

definitely on our dinner list, after having become an expert on fois gras

Tamarin has been always been our favorite place since our first visit to the island a long time ago. Have seen many changes and owners through the years and Julie and Paco have absolutely done it right...Looking forward to being there again in just over a week....

we will be going there very very soon! great photo's amy, looking forward to this new menu.

Second visit I had the risotto with black truffles..yummy.

Profiteroles remain on menu.

Second visit I had the risotto with black truffles..yummy.

Profiteroles remain on dessert menu.