Dining in--Minneapolis/St. Paul cookbook

The charming rococo decor of the restaurant is also unusual. Dainty moldings, gracefully draped windows, and beaded chandeliers have been retained from the days of the room’s former grandeur, today updated by subtle tones of pearl gray and deeper charcoal, by mirror tiles, and by tasteful touches of growing greens. In this resplendent setting, the serving staff, attired in evening dress, present themselves with a successful blend of friendliness and formality. “We want to see that our guests are served very good food very well,” pronounces the 510’s genial host. “We ask them to doa great deal more for us than many places would. They see the owner getting his own hands dirty, so they gainan immediate sense of what's happening around the restaurant and want to do it even better.” That mix of loyalty and freedom is epitomized in the 510’s young chef, Sidney Larson, whose trademarks are curiosity, creativity, and taste. “You can’t teach those,” avers his mentor. “Those are the real marks of a chef. For them I would trade all the great training from the Continent. Sidney’s quite experimental. He tends to havea light hand at seasonings and sauces. He’s just tremendous at the art of delicate stock making, and that’s the heart of a kitchen. He’s got half a dozen kinds, some of the richest flavorings I’ve ever tasted, and they appear all over the menu in soups, meats, sauces... .” This ode to consummate cuisine is borne out in the tasting. The 510’s menu boasts such a meal as mushroom mousse that delights even hardened connoisseurs, patés and terrines as lovely in their presentation as in their taste, a palate-cleansing homemade sorbet to follow, and then perhapslamb en croûte Florentineor sliced duck breast with green peppercorns. “We don’t put anything on the table that we haven't done ourselves. There’s total integrity in what we do.” 510 Groveland Avenue Minneapolis FOIE GRAS MOUSSE 1 (4-ounce) can foie gras Y4 teaspoon salt 1 small shallot, minced Pinch of white pepper Ya pound chicken breast, Y, loaf French bread skinned, boned, and (preferably day-old) coarsely diced 4 tablespoons butter Ya cup cognac PERIGUEUX SAUCE 2 tablespoons Madeira (see next page) 1 cup whipping cream . Drain the fat from the can of foie gras into a small sauté pan. Over medium heat, sauté the shallot, foie gras, and chicken in this fat about 3 minutes, or until just brown. Add the cognac and Madeira and simmer over low heat about 2 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. . Ina separate small pan, reduce the cream by one-fourth. Place the foie gras mixture and the reduced cream into an electric blender and blend until the mixture is silky smooth and fluffy. Season with the salt and pepper, and blend. . To make croutons, cut the bread into twelve /2-inch slices. Heat the butter in a sauté pan and sauté the slices on both sides until golden. . Spread the mousse on the croutons and arrange on a serving plate. Serve at room temperature garnished with the Périgueux Sauce. The mousse can be served in other ways: scooped into individual serving dishes or molded. To create a mold, turn the prepared mousse into a lightlybuttered form, chill several hours, and unmold by wrapping the form with a tea towel dipped in hot water and wrung nearly dry. However you choose to serve it, be sure the foie gras mousse is at room temperature to attain utmost flavor. DETEeOLO td ACER PEST PERIGUEUX SAUCE 3 tablespoons truffles, Scant pinch of minced white pepper 3 tablespoons unsalted Ya cup Madeira butter 1 cup VEAL DEMI-GLACE Pinch of salt 1. Ina small sauté pan, gently sauté the truffles in 1 tablespoon of the butter for 1 minute. Season with the salt, white pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the Madeira. Drain the truffles, reserving the juice. Set aside.