Last week some friends and I went to Cochon. I have been meaning to go for a long time but never got around to it. I made reservations expecting good and was thrilled to discover great. The food was fantastic.
We started with the Crispy Chicken Livers, Smoked Frog Legs, Fried Head Cheese and Escargot. Any restaurant that has wacky stuff like head cheese on the menu already has a little piece of Uncle Jimmy's heart space - so things were looking up before the food even came out.
It was all delicious with (in my opinion) the escargot taking the cake. I have never had better. It was served with pancetta, tomato concasse, & parsley garlic butter.
The head cheese wasn't exactly my cup o' tea, but... it's head cheese for Christ's sake.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Head cheese (AmE) or brawn (BrE) is in fact not a cheese, but rather a terrine of meat from the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow). It may also include meat from the feet and heart ...
Historically the cleaned (all organs removed) head was simmered to produce a gelatin (formed from the collagen in the bone) containing any incidental meat which came off the head. The more modern method involves adding gelatin to meat, which is then cooked in a mould.
Ugh... even gives ME the heebie-jeebies.
The crispy chicken livers were succulent. No word could describe them better. The frog legs were a rich and smoky.
For a main dish I got the gnocchi. Again, I may never have had the pleasure of a gnocchi so delicious. It literally melted in the mouth and it was served with a ton of veggies cooked to perfection... all dressed up in a light butter sauce... "shiitaki mushrooms, asparagus, tomato confit and herb-garlic butter".
The others at the table had rainbow trout (holy smokes was it good), lamb (its perfect crust flavored with mustard made us weak in the knees) and a pork shoulder which was the evenings special. Wow. Color me impressed.
Desserts were also stellar. We got one of each.
The meal proved to me that they were totally deserving of their best new BYO honor from Philly Mag. A recognition I didn't know they had been honored with (just that day) until the waitress informed us as we drooled over the food.
Of this I'm sure - I'll be back (said in bad Arnold Schwarzenegger accent).
Cochon - 801 E Passyunk Ave Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-7675
www.cochonbyob.com
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