DUO Hosts McCallister for Pickling Class

by Steven Doyle

Last evening Matt McCallister gave us another clue as to what his new restaurant concept Campo will be all about as he chatted up the male dominated class at DUO  last evening.

The class dealt specifically with pickling and charcuterie, two still very hot topics in the Dallas area, and the group was clearly interested as they tossed out dozens of pointed questions to the chef.

Arriving to the class we were greeted by DUO manager Brandy Taylor  who played host for the evening, making sure guests were comfortable and wine glasses topped.     

“The cooking classes are so much fun because of the variety we host at DUO. Often you will see women coming in large groups, making it a fun girl’s night out. But Matt’s class was interesting since it was a full house and only three women signed up,” noted Taylor.

McCallister moved at a fast pace, first offering up abundant samples of his cured salumis, then later plating several terrines that he made during the class, including Ciccioli and duck rilletes, along with several of the pickled vegetables he demonstrated through out the evening.

“Pickling and charcuterie are nothing new, this is how we have been eating since early times. It is just popular once again, but never went away,” said McCallister as he sautéed a large pan of chanterelles.

The gathered group were particularly interested in how they could make these items at home, and McCallister properly demystified several of the recipes as he shredded duck for his large bowl of rilletes. A rillete is basically shredded meat with copious amounts of duck fat rendered into the meat, splashed with brandy then sealed off with even more duck fat. The rich meat is best eaten on crostini with a dollop of house-made mustard that was provided.

Particularly delicious were the pickled red pearl onions and chanterelles McCallister offered, but the hidden gem of the evening seemed to be the tiny morsels of pickled celery piled high next to the meats. The clean taste of the celery was super-charged by the acids of the pickling solution making a bright and crisp addition to the plate.

September brings more classes to DUO, including instructions on proper tail-gating. Look for harvest meal classes in November, and holiday party notions in December. Discounts are given when two or more sign up together, along with additional discounts on purchases made the evening of each class.