Recipe Provided by Chef Jason Cichonski: Lacroix
For the Puffs:
1 pork skin
20z dried porcini mushrooms Finely ground
salt
2qt grapeseed oil for frying
Remove as much fat from the skin as possible. In a large pot of salted water boil the skin for about 2 hours or until soft enough o poke a fork through with no resistance. Lay the skins out in a dehydrator or in a convection oven turned all the way down with high fan and allow the skin to dry out completely. Using a spoon scrape away any excess fat that remains attached to the crisp skin. Heat oil to 400 degrees and fry pieces of the skin for about 20 seconds (they will almost instantly puff up to about 4x their normal size and become light and airy. Transfer the puffs to a tray lined with towels and immediately season with salt and the ground porcini, allow to cool to room temp and store in an air tight container at room temperature.
For the Apple:
3 Granny Smith apples
½ cup sugar
1tsp Szechwan pepper finely ground
1cup white verju or white wine
Quarter the apples and place in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cover. Cook the apples until completely tender, puree and pass through a fine mesh sieve. Chill and reserve.
To Serve: Serve the puffs like you would chips and dip, along side the apple sauce.
Chefs tip: The seeds and skins of the apples contain pectin so it is important to cook the apples with them to give the finished product its silky smooth texture.
