[Evelyn]

AiiiiYEEE!

What on earth? That is one of the sounds of Acadiana. You can pretty much bet if someone lets lose with AiiiYEEE!, they are thrilled with whatever they are eating, drinking or listening to at the time. Cochon elicited a big AiiiYEEE! from me.

Cochon is housed in a refurbished warehouse not too far from the maze of onramps and expressway overpasses for the freeways that connect New Orleans to the Left Bank, Baton Rouge and points beyond. The neighborhood is one that if taken on looks alone, you would keep driving. But open the door to the restaurant and you are greeted by the scent of woodsmoke and the sounds of Zydeco and a boisterous crowd enjoying the cooking of Chef Donald Link. The room is large and open. A bar area to the left of the hostess stand awaits with friendly bartenders pouring creative cocktails, bourbons and even moonshine!

A bit about Donald Link who also owns Herbsaint in New Orleans. He has been nominated by the James Beard Foundation for the 2007 Best Chef of the Southeast (and Cochon for overall Best Restaurant in the US). But, that is not what I find impressive. The kudos go to Chef Link and his partner, Stephen Stryjewski for opening Cochon a mere 6 months after Hurricane Katrina. It would have been easy not to have gone through with the plans for this new venture. He lost his house to the storm and also had to close Herbsaint for extensive refurbishing.

The restaurant is large and open. Concrete floors, blonde wood planks and bare red brick cover the walls. The open stainless steel kitchen with a chef's counter for a few lucky diners dominates the enitre back wall of the restaurant. More blonde wood for the tables and the custom designed (and very comfortable) chairs.

Now, for the AiiiYEEE! So many things on the menu appealed to me. While perusing it, I enjoyed a Mayhaw Lemonade. Fresh squeezed lemonade with Grey Goose L'Orange and mayhaw juice. The food at Cochon is a mix of Acadiana, Cajun and good ole Southern, many dishes are served "small plate" style. The restaurant features items from the inhouse boucherie, also mustards, pickled vegetables, relishes and a hot sauce all made on premise. The boucherie plate we sampled had wonderful examples of boudin, andouille, rillettes, smoked pork jowl bacon and some mighty fine cracklins accompanied by pickled peppers.

I sampled multiple dishes over the course of three visits. The restaurant serves the same menu from 11:30-10:30. My dining companion ordered "shrimp and deviled egg gumbo". A spicy and thick, deep mahagony colored roux with plump shrimp, tomatoes, celery and onion. Excellent. I did not get a taste of the egg, as he polished it off before I could get to it. We took pieces of the steaming house rolls, which are delivered in a minature steel bucket, and wiped the bowl clean.

Although alligator is not uncommon in the Gulf and Florida regions, it can be difficult to find it properly cooked. I decided to try the "fried alligator with chili garlic aioli". I think I got a half an alligator! Multiple large nuggets of tender fried alligator tossed with the piquant aioli. Very good.

Perhaps my favorite dish was the "wood-fired oyster roast". The name is a bit deceptive. Five fat, juicy Gulf oysters arrived still in their shells and hot from the oven. Bathed with lemon, garlic, butter and red pepper, I only wish there had been more. Since I had to share (well, okay, I only gave up one of these beauties), a plot formed in my mind to return, with these being the basis for idea and the fact I realized I couldn't work my way through the menu in one sitting no matter how much I wanted to.

There was the golden fried "crawfish pie", huge and stuffed with in-season crawfish, celery, onions and cajun spices. The "fried boudin", golf ball sized balls of boudin and rice fried to crispy perfection on the outside and moist and steamy on the inside. Puffy "spoonbread with okra and tomatoes".

From the entrees, I opted for the namesake "Lousiana cochon with turnips, cabbage and cracklins". A large disc of tender pulled pork, crisped on the top and bottom. Those cracklins though, were pure pork heaven.

Another visit I tried the "rabbit and dumplings". A minature cast iron skillet brimming with succulent bites of rabbit in a light stew of celery, carrots, onions, and turnips. Topping the stew, petite "not as heavy as Southern" dumplings.

I did sample one dessert and would have tried more if i could have talked my various companions into doing so. The "mudpie". This puppy is pure sin. A graham cracker crust holds a layer of pecan pie topped with ice cream and finshed off with meringue and drizzles of chocolate sauce. Oh my goodness, get that fork away from my plate, this is all mine!

Oh, I imagine you are wondering about the "Catdaddy" mentioned in the topic title. That, my friends, is Catdaddy Moonshine. Not the illegal stuff from stills made out of radiators that was my first foray into moonshine. This is legally distilled and bottled. This clear corn-based alcohol packs powerful wallop underneath the smooth sweet flavors of nutmeg and vanilla. AiiiYEEE!!!

If you find yourself in New Orleans, this is the place to head for excellent food in a relaxed atmosphere and the perfect introduction to AiiiYEEE!

[Rail Paul]

Cochon's website

[pixelchef]

AiiiYEEE!!! Great write-up.

[Rail Paul]

Tony Bourdain featured Cochon on his TV show last week. It was a very impressive story.

Chef/Owner Donald Link explaining how he and some of his boys sneaked past a checkpoint to get back to their restaurant. Link explaining the fun of cleaning out walk-ins with three tons of spoiled meat, vegetables, etc. Cooking food for the neighbors, guardsmen, etc on gas grills a few days after they returned. "Thass wha' we do heah, we feed peepul. Couldin imagin bein anywhea else"

It was pretty inspiring stuff, accompanied with pictures of pig roasts, lots of beer, and happy people.

Frank Bruni was quite impressed, too. Cochon made his list of recently visited restaurants...

Cochon

[joiei]

I was very impressed when I had lunch there with 12 people. I think we ended up ordering the bulk of the menu and sharing tastes around.

[Rail Paul]

The Donald Link publicity machine must be running on overdrive right now. The chef got a nice write-up in this weekend's WSJ for his pork chops.

In the interview, Mr Link notes that he usually cooks his bacon to just brown around the edges, leaving the center raw.

Smothered Pork

Smothered Pork Roast

Yield: 8-10 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours, 50 minutes

1 6- to 7-pound boneless pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
2 large yellow onions
8 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tablespoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Generously season the pork with salt and pepper, rubbing it into the fat and meat. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

• Halve and thinly slice the onions and thinly slice the garlic. Place them in a large bowl along with the rosemary and thyme toss to combine.

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pork and sear until all sides are browned and crusty. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

• Add the butter to the Dutch oven and, once it's melted, stir in the flour. Stir continuously until the flour becomes a rich, brown color and then add the onion, garlic and herb mixture and stir to evenly coat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

• Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven, cover and roast in the oven until the meat pulls apart easily and is tender, about 3 hours, basting the pork every hour. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and set aside.

• Place the saucy onion mixture on the stovetop and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer, skimming off any excess fat, until the sauce is reduced by about one-third and coats the back of a spoon, stirring often. Squeeze in the lemon juice, pour over the pork and serve.

• Note: If using a pork loin (as pictured) instead of a pork butt or shoulder, heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the loin until browned on all sides. Transfer the pork to a roasting rack set into a roasting pan and cook in a 375-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until it's cooked through and reaches 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. While the pork roasts, make the sauce in a large saucepan, cooking it over medium-low heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Finish with lemon juice as instructed above.

[Evelyn]

I stopped in for a couple of small plates 2 weeks ago. Many of the dishes I had last year are still on the menu. I did have the wood-fired oyster roast again. It is still just as wonderful as on my previous visit. My second plate was "Fried Rabbit Livers with Pepper Jelly Toast". Even though this was listed as a "small plate", the portion was sizeable. Three large fried livers glazed with the house made (red) pepper jelly, each resting on their own thick slice of toasted baguette. The livers were perfectly fried and the hot/sweet jelly a perfect accompaniment. My only (minor) complaint would be the toast was too thick and difficult to cut without the fear I might send it scooting across the plate and onto the table. My final dish was "Fried Pigs Ears & Spicy Honey Mustard". Another stellar example of frying technique. The slices of ear were perfectly golden and crisp. Another housemade accompaniment with excellent balance of sweet to spice.

Had I not been planning a long Friday lunch at Galatoire's the next day, I would have delved deeper into the menu's newer dishes. Luckily, I will get that opportunity when I return to New Orleans next week .

[OTB]

Cochon was by far one of our new favorites the last time we went to New Orleans.

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/09...-dining-cochon/

[rancho_gordo]

I think my problem is that there was an entire city full of good food and all anyone seemed to talk about was Cochon. It wasn't fair to Cochon. I liked the pig ears best.

[Evelyn]

I think my problem is that there was an entire city full of good food and all anyone seemed to talk about was Cochon. It wasn't fair to Cochon. I liked the pig ears best.

Tasty, aren't they?

Don't forget the Catdaddy!!

[foodie52]

I think my problem is that there was an entire city full of good food and all anyone seemed to talk about was Cochon. It wasn't fair to Cochon. I liked the pig ears best.

Were you at IACP?

[rancho_gordo]

I think my problem is that there was an entire city full of good food and all anyone seemed to talk about was Cochon. It wasn't fair to Cochon. I liked the pig ears best.

Were you at IACP?

I don't know if you're funnin' with me or you didn't read this.

[ulterior epicure]

Like Cochon Butcher, Cochon is minimally designed. Preferring wood to metal, the place looks like it might have been sponsored by IKEA, making it the perfect backdrop for the yuppies that filtered through over the noon hour.

At Cochon, I ordered six dishes – all first courses – and a dessert. I’m sure my server thought me mad, but played it cool. It was a considerable amount of food for one person.

To see all of the photos from this meal, CLICK HERE.

-

Wood Fire Oyster Roast ($11)

Bitter Greens
Pumpkin calas, pecan & tasso bacon. ($8)

Fried Boudin
Pickled peppers. ($8)

Fried Alligator
Chili-garlic aioli ($10)

Warm Hog Head Cheese
Field beans and ravigote. ($10)

Fried Rabbit Livers
Pepper jelly toast. ($9)

Oyster & Meat Pie ($8)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Cornmeal cake with coconut-lime sorbet & dulce de leche. ($7)

-

The first set of three dishes that arrived were the best.

The “Wood Fire Oyster Roast� was excellent. Five to an order, these large oysters were fat and juicy, bursting with oyster liquor. Coated in a spicy chili butter and served warm, they were delicious, by far the most memorable dish of the day.

Chef Donald Link’s personal take on a Southern classic, the “Fried Boudin� yielded three large croquettes, each with a golden, crisp breaded exterior. If I’m not mistaken, Link braises pork in water (not stock) and mixes the cooked meat with rice and seasonings. I half-expected the interior to be wet and slightly mushy like an arancino. Instead, the even mixture of rice flecked with pork was surprisingly light and fluffy. It was like a very fancy version of a hush puppy, though it was a bit less flavorful than I had expected.

The lightly dressed “Bitter Greens� salad was a little over-seasoned, but otherwise very good. The greens (a variety including mizuna and arugula) were pert and fresh, topped with creamy goat cheese and dotted with soft pieces of tasso ham coated with dressing. Although there were supposed to be pecans in the salad, I encountered none. The best part of this salad were the pumpkin calas that anchored three corners of the plate. These savory fritters were wonderful. Cochon should considering adding a bowl of these calas as a side dish.

The remaining dishes ranged from mediocre to disappointing.

The chili-garlic aioli coating the pieces of “Fried Alligator� was good, but, like most alligator I’ve had, the meat was tough and sinewy. I admit that this may not be a fault of the dish, but rather a matter of personal taste.

The “Fried Rabbit Livers� were terribly dry and chalky, a reminder why so many shy from livers. It’s a pity, because everything else on the plate was wonderful, especially the sweet pepper jelly, which had a devilish bite.

A pasty with a meticulously crimped edge, the “Oyster & Meat Pie� sported a wonderfully soft, flaky pastry crust. The filling – a mixture of rice, chopped pork, and minced oysters – was more akin to what I thought the inside of the fried boudin would be like – wet and slightly mushy. Unfortunately, for having both pork and oysters in it, it was shockingly flavorless, relying on the spoonful of zesty, tomato-based condiment for excitement.

Like the Fried Boudin, the “Warm Hog Head Cheese� had a beautiful, fried crust. But the interior – a jumble of meat, collagen, and fat – was cold and stiff, not at all the melting seduction I was expecting. It tasted as if the square of pre-breaded head cheese had just been pulled from the icebox and deep-fried just long enough for the crust to cook. The creamy ravigote was bland; it lacked the balance of acidity and salt that the delicious, accompanying bean salad had.

You won’t find anything terribly creative on the dessert menu here. It’s a short and sweet survey of Americana, the type of simple desserts that I tend to like. There’s Root Beer Float, Mississippi Mud Cake, and “Pineapple Upside Down Cake,� which I ordered.

Buttery, sticky, and caramelized, the dome of cornmeal cake was very good. But there was hardly any pineapple caramelized on the turned-over bottom for this dessert to earn its name. The accompanying coconut-lime sorbet, dices of ripe pineapple, and a lovely dulce de leche sauce were fantastic together. They could have served this tropical trio in a bowl, labeled it “Argentinian pina colada,� and called it a day.

Cochon has been universally praised. Enthusiasm for this restaurant and its food seems unbridled. It has developed a cult following.

I don’t get it.

Or, perhaps, I do. In an age where the words “porkâ€� and “fatâ€� – especially when used together – have become a clichéd cue for obligatory excitement and cheer, it’s not surprising that a restaurant named Cochon would cause such mouth-foaming

What is surprising, however, is that I found myself at a restaurant named Cochon marveling at the oysters and accusing its pork of being bland.

It’s apparent that Cochon puts a great deal of care into its craft. There’s an emphasis on high-quality and fresh ingredietns. Everything was well-crafted, well-plated, and thoughtfully composed. I especially enjoyed the use of fresh mint to temper the spiciness of some of the dishes (it was wilted into tumble of alligator nuggets and perched atop the fried rabbit livers). What Cochon did well, it did very well.

But none of the dishes I tried was anything that couldn’t be found in dozens of good restaurants around the country, or even in New Orleans.

Although I didn’t get to sample any of their main courses, I’d be more inclined to return for the restaurant’s bread rolls, which were like a hybrid between a good Parker House and a well-crusted brioche (i.e. lots of butter), and the service, which was helpful, efficient, and warm.

I understand that mistakes happen. At my meal, unfortunately, there were a few. The head cheese could have been thawed out a little longer before going in the fryer. The rabbit livers could has used a little less time in heat. And I wish that the salt in my salad could have been redistributed throughout the other dishes.

[Ron Johnson]

This mimics my experience. I was disappointed overall. I really wanted to like this place, but I doubt I will return.

[Evelyn]

As I told UE via PM before his trip--really not a place worth seeking out. I now only go if someone insists on a visit. And, when I do go, I order the oysters. It is the only dish that is consistently 'good'.