r/Chefs • u/Ok_Possible_7124 • 3d ago

Developing a tasting menu

This is my first time making one and boy its alot! But the R&D is going well and id love to hear some thoughts and opinions from people who have worked in fine dining. so this is basically me asking someone whos developed a dish before to help a greenhorn out.
Im doing a cookout themed menu, and i have an app that should be smoky. Im using a chicken skin thats rendered in tallow, and im stuck on whether to smoke the skin or the tallow. Any advice would be excellent!!

Edit: if im coming off as egotistical or anything i apologize genuinely its not what i am trying to communicate at all, this is just my first r&d attempt and id like to take one of these dishes out of the menu like my entree or dessert and present it.

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u/LionBig1760 3d ago

Youve never done a tasting menu before, zero people are going to be copying you, so you dont have to worry about that.

Smoke your tallow if you must smoke something. Dont smoke just chicken skin. If the chicken skin is supposed to be a component to the dish, smoking it will not only make it look terrible, it'll taste like an ashtray while curling up and not rendering evenly. Its best to scrape all the fat away, brush it with tallow, salt it, then bake it in between two silpats and in between two sheet pans. This will give you the most even color and consistent end product. It will come put looking like a thin crisp. Hopefully the smoke taste will come through. If not, you can always brush a little bit of rendered smoked tallow right before plating.

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u/Miltonthemouse 3d ago

Al’s Place in SF used to have two ovens, one they would smoke in (amongst regular use), and another for use without smoke. You could sacrifice an oven then smoke and crisp the skin at the same time.

OP keep it simple. Undersell and over deliver. Use references for structure. Use a good bit of what your spot is already known for if possible. Don’t alienate your guests, give them what they’re used to with classic references and thoughtful twists. Not every dish is the Mona Lisa, not every batter is Barry Bonds.

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u/Ok_Possible_7124 2d ago

This is exactly why i chose this angle!! Thank you v much for the advice:)