Mar 17, 2007 8:35 am US/Central
Art Of Pickling Lives At Vie Restaurant
4471 Lawn Ave., Western Springs
(708) 246-2082
by Vince Gerasole
WESTERN SPRINGS, Ill. (CBS) ―
A chef in Western Springs finds himself in quite a pickle, but for him that's a good thing.
As CBS 2's Vince Gerasole reports, at Vie in Western Springs, chef and owner Paul Virant preserves farm-fresh flavors all year long, to the delight of diners.
Tony surroundings complement the contemporary cuisine at Vie. But over half of Virant's offerings get a boost of flavor from the Old World art of preserving and pickling.
"My grandmother on my mother's side always had a garden, and always would put things up each year when things were in season," Virant said.
The shelves in Virant's pantry are bursting with the colors of hundreds of jars he's personally prepared.
He has classic dill cucumber pickles, of course, but also has jars of watermelon rind, apples and cinnamon, Meyer lemons and Michigan grapes – to name a few. The tastes run the gamut from sweet to sour
"We have our favorites," Virant said. "We love to do asparagus. We love to do pickles."
At Vie, on a dish as sophisticated as Tasmanian king salmon with crème fraiche, Virant adds a punch of flavor thanks to his pickled beets. He credits the techniques to farming traditions.
"In the Midwest, they had to put things up because in the wintertime, they didn't have access to tomatoes and strawberries and asparagus and French beans," Virant said.
Fennel bulb in hand, Virant showed us how he is personally preserving the art of pickling.
First, Virant slices the fennel, placing the shavings into a sterilized preserve jar. Meanwhile, in a pan he toasts a mix of seeds and spices, and adds to that a boiling pickling solution of vinegar, water, sugar and salt.
The mix is then added to the jarred shavings, boiled again and stored for at least a week.
Eventually, it gives a nice kick to a plate of seared scallops on a bed of black rice. Virant says pickled fennel is also great with chicken, pork and fish.
Virant says you might want to try pickling.
"It will add an interest to your food," he said. "Anyone can do it."
Vie is located at 4471 Lawn Ave. in Western Springs. Vince says it's worth the drive for a sophisticated dining experience.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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