Aspic, Aspic, Everywhere (and I'm Lovin' It!) - Wednesday, 17 October

Tonight I had dinner at a fairly trendy new spot in my 'hood, l'Apibo.  For my main course I had a wonderful roasted Turbot over a bed of delicious white beans in a "spicy prawn juice" that wasn't nearly spicy enough (but wow, this fish really lends itself to roasting...substantial in texture, mild and moist and buttery, it simultaneously deepens and comes alive with a bit of a browned surface).  And a baba au rhum for dessert with absolutely perfect strips of mango.  But the star of the meal was the first course, a slice of foie gras terrine with fresh figs, Montbazillac aspic and a sprinkling of fleur de sel.  The foie gras was lovely, but wow that Monbazillac aspic blew me away.  Monbazillac is a late-harvest sweet white wine like Sauternes, and it had been cooked with some aromatics and reduced into the most perfectly intense sweet and savory syrup then solidified with some gelatin.  Amazing.  And combined with a few flecks of fleur de sel and the fairly decent foie gras - home run!

31, rue Tiquetonne  http://www.restaurant-lapibo.fr/

It's yet another thing that I must figure out how to add to my repertoire.  When I get home I'm going to just HAVE to retire so that I can have the time to refine and manage this growing repertoire!