Cooking – Eric Korsh

Award-winning chef Eric Korsh has produced fine cuisine at several restaurants in California and New York City. From 2012 to 2014, Eric Korsh owned and operated Calliope, a French bistro-style restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village. He and his wife Ginerva Iverson created a menu that earned high praise from a New York Times food critic, served in a casual setting reflective of the Parisian small-scale eateries.

Singled out for special attention were the rabbit dishes, which were prepared in an impressive variety of ways. For instance, the kidneys on toast, a traditional method than can have a bitter taste, was enlivened by a cognac-chicken sauce. Also notable were the rabbit saddle, garnished with bacon and leek, and the braised legs, made popular by Italian chefs but here retaining a distinct French flavor.

In addition to boiled eggs, tete de porc, and New York strip steak, Calliope offered a good selection of desserts, such as angel-food cake with apricot-pit ice cream and vanilla custard with a chilled red plum puree.

With an extensive background in Manhattan in the culinary field, Eric Korsh served as North End Grill executive chef and helped define a rustic American-French eatery that received a pair of stars from the New York Times. In a 2014 Food Network article, Eric Korsh introduced his signature grilled free-range chicken with butter lettuce salad.

Mr. Korsh described his philosophy as one that combines flavor and healthy cooking, with an emphasis on making the most of his restaurant’s wood-burning grills and high-temperature Josper ovens that run on hardwood mesquite charcoal.

With the chicken dish, Mr. Korsh butterflies an air-chilled and brined organic bird that has fresh marjoram stuffed under the skin. The skin is coated with olive oil and seasoned with simple salt and pepper before being barbecued at medium heat in the Josper oven, skin side down. This approach ensures that the skin is extremely crisp without burning, while the chicken meat is fully cooked and retains juiciness.

The chicken is served as-is out of the oven, with a champagne vinaigrette dressed salad that incorporates fresh herbs, such as chives and dill.

Category: Cooking

Calliope in New York City – A Taste of Paris in a Bistro Setting

Eric Korsh’s Grilled Free-Range Chicken in a Josper Oven