A Delectable Dozen

Daniel Dirth, Captain and Bartender

Using an egg to crack the code of a restaurant is not uncommon and has historically stood as a quality marker in our industry. The pleats in a chef's toque are believed to represent the number of ways a professional should be able to prepare an egg.

In the 1950s, Chef Fernand Point of La Pyramide in Vienne, France, would put fellow three-star Michelin chefs on the spot and have them prove their culinary mastery by frying an egg. Even the famed gastronome James Beard recalls, "There are few things as magnificent as scrambled eggs, pure and simple, perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned." The care that goes into cooking our eggs at Eleven Madison Park would make these chefs proud, but just as special as their preparation is their source.

Chef Daniel Humm features Knoll Krest Farm eggs, continuing the more than 20-year relationship that Danny Meyer started at his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe. Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley, in Clinton Corners, New York, the farm has been a regular at the Union Square Greenmarket for nearly 25 years. In the farm's infancy, the Messerich family patriarch declared, "I will never put a bird in a cage." Thus was born the farm's 60-year commitment to its flock and customers.

Seeing the farm today is a window into the past, as the chicken coops are some of the oldest remaining upstate. They boast beautiful stone foundations, where chickens roam free--reminiscent of old farms in Tuscany or Provence. The family raises Rhode Island Reds, which produce fewer eggs than commercial breeds. What they lack in quantity is made up for in quality. Their firm egg whites and sturdy, bright yolks are the result of a vegetarian diet free of hormones and antibiotics. The eggs arrive at our doorstep within three days of being laid, continuing the family's original practice of door-todoor delivery.

The painstaking care and practices of Bob and Alice Messerich produce eggs that are the foundation for Chef Humm's menu. Diners might not realize that the humble egg can be found throughout the entirety of their meal. Featured as an appetizer, used in many sauces, sabayons, and even cocktails, diners experience Knoll Krest Farm eggs from the first gougère to the last macaron.

Bob and Alice, now in their 80s, have joined forces with Elizabeth Ryan of Breezy Hill Orchard. This union ensures the family's farming legacy will be preserved well into the future, maintaining their roots and presence at the Greenmarket. After knowingly and unknowingly sampling Knoll Krest eggs at Eleven Madison Park, we hope that you grow to admire, respect, and appreciate Knoll Krest and their product as we do. And the best part is that you can bring a Knoll Krest delectable dozen into your own home, sharing with your friends and family the magic of a perfect egg.

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Kind of Bleu

Jeff Taylor, Sommelier

The poulet de Bresse is the French gastronomic mascot, its colors mimicking the country's flag. Aside from the bird's white feathers and red cockscomb, the poulet de Bresse is defined by its distinctive, striking steel-blue feet. If you visit any three-star Michelin restaurant in France, there will invariably be a chicken dish featuring the coveted poulet de Bresse. The breed is so highly sought after that it fetches around 15 euros a kilo ( just over $10 a pound) in markets, and it is illegal to export any part of the bird--dressed, live, or even an egg--outside of France.

The city of Bourg-en-Bresse is in eastern France and is just 43 miles northeast of the country's gastronomical capital, Lyon. Its residents have raised their prince among poultry since early Roman times. However, the first recorded mention of the bird was triumphantly scribed in 1591, when citizens of Bourg-en-Bresse awarded the Marquis of Treffort with two dozen birds for his bravery, which included driving off an army of marauding Savoyard soldiers. As if that proved too small a gesture to solidify its status in the gastronomic elite, the poulet de Bresse's reputation was assured by 1825, when the 19th-century epicure and gastronome, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, described the bird as "the queen of chickens and the chicken of kings."

In 1936, the chicken breeders of Bresse waged a bitter court battle in order to protect their product from fraudulent farmers elsewhere in France. Court experts determined that the region's distinctive clay-rich soil, the temperate climate, the breed's proven purity, and specific poultry-rearing methods indeed combined to produce a unique, inimitable bird. The French thought so highly of their first-class fowl, they treated it like their prized wines from exclusive terroirs, granting it AOC status in 1957.

American chefs tasted this delectable bird abroad and sought a way to offer a similar specimen to the American dining public. Thanks to the efforts of Peter Thiessen, a Canadian poultry breeder, and Bob Shipley, manager of a California farm cooperative, they were able to do just that. In 2004, after years of experimentation, Thiessen produced a bird that wowed Vancouver's French chefs and eventually reached Central Valley Farms, one of Shipley's co-ops, where it's now bred exclusively and distributed by D'Artagnan. Thus, the California Poulet Bleu--or California Blue Foot, as it's commonly called--made its way onto menus from coast to coast. The American gold standard had finally arrived.

These chickens are treated like royalty, raised with plenty of room to roam, natural lighting, and an all-vegetable, antibiotic-free, whole-grain diet. They are fed milk with their water, allowed to age many weeks longer than other poultry, and air-chilled after slaughter. All of these factors result in the classic supple texture and rich gamey flavor of this prized poultry. As an ode to their French counterparts, American chefs commonly present the cooked bird tableside, with the head and feet intact--thus showcasing the chicken's dramatic colors in the dining room.
As chefs on both sides of the Atlantic adoringly prepare their prized poultry, it is obvious these birds stand at the top of the pecking order. And because they need little embellishment in their preparation--the bird has already done most of the work--diners constantly give them what might one day be construed as the highest praise: "They really taste like . . . chicken."

11 Madison, Spring 09

Eleven Madison Park (S 08)

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Eleven Madison Park

Plated By Design

At Eleven Madison Park every detail is thoughtfully considered, and the tabletop design is no exception. Daniel Humm and Will Guidara constantly seek out pieces that complement the restaurant's cuisine and décor. The tableware hails from the esteemed design houses of Bernardaud and JL Coquet, Guy Degrenne and Riedel, respectively, while other tabletop accessories were created for the restaurant by some of New York City's brightest young designers.

One such artist is Jono Pandolfi, a Queens-based ceramist, whom Daniel and Will commissioned to create custom pieces exclusively for the restaurant. The three collaborated at Jono's studio in Long Island City to create special items that would present Daniel's food in a unique and unexpected manner.

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