I Made a Recipe from the State Bird Provisions Cookbook
Was it worth it?
State Bird Provisions or simply “State Bird” has been one of my favorites if not favorite restaurant for years. How can you not love their burrata garlic bread, smoked trout dip, sauerkraut pancakes, carrot mochi, hearts of palm salad, peanut milk, ice cream sandwiches and pretty much everything else on the menu. When I learned that all of these recipes are in the cookbook I was stoked but after looking at the amount of ingredients and steps I questioned if they are really worth making at home. Should you search for every ingredient needed in the recipe or should you just make a reservation for that one random Sunday in 3 months at 10pm?
Every recipe is essentially 5 recipes in one meaning; Oh yeah just add 1 cup of carrot juice which you will spend an hour making, then pickle some carrots overnight, then add carrot vinaigrette oh btw the recipe is on page 96, then take more carrots and boil them, then put them in a blender and the list goes on.
I decided I would embark upon making the Carrot Mochi with Pickled Carrots, Carrot Vinaigrette and Pistachio Dukkah. Surprisingly I already had most of the spices thanks to some Ottolenghi recipes, but I did have to buy over 3.5 pounds of carrots and make a trip to Nijiya (the Japanese market) to get mochiko sweet rice flour.
As you’ll see below the Carrot Mochi is 6 recipes in 1 and is very time and labor intensive. Do as much as you can the day before and in advance and it will seem like much less work. Overall the dish tasted amazing and exactly how I remember it at State Bird! Definitely a success. Will I make it again? Likely, but believe it or not it’s easier to get a reservation.
State Bird Provisions Carrot Mochi with Pickled Carrots, Carrot Vinaigrette, and Pistachio Dukkah by Gaby Maeda
Make the Pickled Carrots (do in advance)
5 trimmed young carrots (about 1/2 inch thick), thinly sliced into rounds
3/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
Put the carrots in a heatproof container.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and chile flakes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil over high heat and then pour over the carrots. When the liquid has cooled, press plastic wrap to the surface to help keep the carrots submerged.
Cover and store in the fridge for at least 1 day and up to 1 week.
Make the Carrot Mochi (make earlier in the day)
8 oz large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp carrot juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup mochiko-style sweet rice flour, plus more as needed
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the carrots, 1/2 cup of the carrot juice, and kosher salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, skimming the foam on the surface as often as necessary, until all but 1/2 inch or so of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook just until the liquid has completely evaporated and the carrots are fully tender, about 10 minutes more.
Transfer the carrots to a blender and puree on high speed until very smooth, adding up to 2 Tbsp of the remaining carrot juice if necessary to blend. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the flour until smooth dough forms, gradually adding more flour as needed just until the tacky dough no longer sticks to your hands. Roll the dough into 1 1/2- inch balls.
Prepare an ice bath in a medium mixing bowl.
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the mochi balls and boil, stirring occasionally, until they’re no longer grainy in the center (cut one in half and taste it), 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mochi to the ice bath to cool, then drain well in a colander. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. (If not using immediately, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Tips: either buy carrot juice or make it the day before and you’ll need 1/4 cup more for the Carrot Juice Vinaigrette
You can buy mochiko-style sweet rice flour at a Japanese market
Make the Pistachio Dukkah (make earlier in the day)
1/4 cup raw shelled pistachios
3/4 tsp coriander seeds toasted
3/4 tsp cumin seeds toasted
1 Tbsp sesame seeds toasted
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
Preheat the over to 350° F.
Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking occasionally and keeping a close eye on them, until lightly browned and aromatic, about 6 minutes. Let cool and then very coarsely chop.
Pound the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a mortar until coarsely cracked. Transfer to a small bowl; add the pistachios, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and sea salt and stir well. Set aside.
Tips: you can toast the coriander seeds & cumin seeds together in a pan for a few minutes. Keep moving them around until they start to brown and are fragrant. Toast sesame seeds separate in a pan for a few minutes while constantly moving them around with a wooden spoon until they start to brown and are fragrant and shiny.
Make the Carrot Juice Vinaigrette (do in advance)
1/4 cup carrot juice
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp finely grated (on a Microplane) jalapeño chile
1/8 tsp finely grated (on a Microplane) garlic
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the carrot juice, lime juice, salt, jalapeño, ginger, garlic, and Tobasco in a medium mixing bowl and stir well. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until well combined.
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Whisk well before using.
Make the Roasted Carrots
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 trimmed young carrots (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof medium saute pan until you see wisps of smoke. Add the carrots in a single layer and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter, thyme, rosemary, and garlic and let the butter melt. Sprinkle with kosher salt, toss well, and transfer to the oven. Roast until the carrots are tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Halve them on the diagonal and keep warm.
Tips: an All-Clad pot works great for this recipe since you can throw it right in the oven.
I did not halve the carrots and they worked great with the dish.
Finish the Dish
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup drained Pickled Carrots (recipe above)
1 recipe Carrot Juice Vinaigrette (recipe above)
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
1/2 cup micro sorrel (optional)
1 Tbsp very coarsely chopped dill
8 large mint leaves, torn at the last minute
Melt the butter in a medium light-colored skillet over medium-high heat. Let it froth and bubble, occasionally stirring and pushing the froth aside to check on the color, until the butter turns a light golden hue, about 3 minutes. Add the mochi balls, sprinkle with the kosher salt, and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the balls are crispy and golden brown on the outside, about 3 minutes. Transfer the balls to a serving platter and spoon on the butter remaining in the pan.
Sprinkle the balls with the pickled carrots and spoon on the vinaigrette. Arrange the roasted carrots on top and sprinkle with the Pistachio Dukkah along with the sea salt. Top with the sorrel (if using), dill, and mint. Serve right away.
