Getting Excited for Saturday

Scallops are one of the featured protiens for our next event. We'll be preparing the scallops using the Paladar "Brine-Pan-Torch" method. We think that the guests on Saturday will be especially pleased with how the brining process enhances the natural flavors of the scallop and with the crisp texture achieved through the dual carmelization. See "before & after" shots for our scallops below. Enjoy!

Before:










After:

A Fresh Take on Fresh Pasta, part 2

In our ongoing effort to bring new items to the Paladar table, we spent some serious time this past weekend experimenting with the sauce for our March 26th Bucatini dish. We set out with two parameters...

1)Incorporate one of our current favorite ingredients, Guanciale. If you've never had Guanciale, it can be loosely compared to Pancetta or even a thick bacon; however, the flavor is stronger, more distinctly "porky" and the texture is refined, in no way chewy. You'll taste salt and pepper from the curing process; I find the falvor to have an earthy, almost herbal quality. The meat is sourced from the cheek or "guancia" of the pig, unlike other bacon-type products. Guanciale is somewhat temperamental to prepare; it is generally cooked to melt down the fat but it can burn easily with too much heat or time in the pan. If overcooked, the pork flavor is overwhelmed by one distinctly charred. See to the right for a shot of our test kitchen Guanciale.

2) Create a robust and rustic tomato based topper that will provide enough body to stand up to the strong flavor of the Guanciale and will offer the right texture to compliment the hearty Bucatini noodles. We started with fresh, plumb tomatoes then layered in various flavor combinations using herbs, garlic, vinegars, wines and other alcohols. In the end, we landed on a simple yet flavorful combination of lightly seasoned, roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic. The topping will be loosely diced into a vibrant contrast to the fresh pasta. Fresh basil, sea salt, black pepper and pecorino will be used to garnish the dish and will help each of the dominant flavors really pop. The image to the left is of a pre-roasted batch of garlic and seeded, quartered plumb tomatoes.

We are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our expirmentation with the guests of our March 26th event!

March Menu!

The theme of this month's Paladar can be described a bit like March itself: In like a lion, out like a lamb. We open up with bold flavors back to back (with the assistance of palate cleansers) and we close the evening with lighter fare such as souffles, brioche, and lavender ice cream. This is our first Paladar of 2011 after taking some personal time, so we are committed to opening up with a menu we are absolutely proud of. Some of these items have even brought tears to our eyes upon finally coming to the right flavor combination. We hope you enjoy reading about what we do, and let us know your thoughts, feedback and questions as well!

Sincerely,
Whitney & Claire

Homemade Fennel and Mustard Spiced Pork Sausage and Kale Soup

Sauteed and Caramelized Sea Scallop in Cognac and thyme with Cognac Cream and Sweet Potato Puree

Stilton dressed Arugula with Candied Bacon

Duck breast, roasted turnip, balsamic cranberry and pickled beet relish and a dusting of coffee grounds

Housemade Bucatini with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic, Shredded Pecorino and Guanciale

Roasted Lamb Chop with Mint Chutney and Lemon Risotto garnished with Preserved Meyer Lemons.

Foie Gras Torchon, salted caramel, apricot, crepes

Bite Sized Blue Cheese Souffles with Grape Syrup on Fig and Walnut Brioche

Lavender & Honey Iced Cream with Fresh Blackberries and Butter Cookies

Paladar's Newest Soup

All Paladar meals kick-off with a soup course, post-amuse bouche, of course;) Throughout 2009 and 2010 soups were often hearty and blended. Our vichyssoise and our mushroom bisque have been favorites. for 2011, we wanted to depart from what we've relied on in the past and branch out to feature different textures and additional from-scratch elements. Our newest soup is a perfect example - Kale & Sausage.

This soup will highlight three absolutely lovely elements. Sauteed kale provides earthy and bitter flavors along with a substantial texture. Homemade pork sausage will offset the kale with a light sweetness from sugars and wines along with a bite from fennel and mustard. A light vegetable broth will pull the two together into a warm, comforting soup.

You can see the kale and onion sauteing in the Paladar test kitchen in this image below!

Adventures in bread making...

One of our 2011 Paladar goals is to venture further into the world of baking...specifically the baking of bread. To accomplish this goal, we intend to incorporate freshly baked bread into our 2011 Menus, this effort will begin with a dish featuring a freshly baked fig and nut brioche for our March 26th event. Enjoy the pictures of the Paladar Test Kitchen sticking to this new year's resolution!

A Fresh Take on Fresh Pasta!

Fresh pasta has been a staple of Paladar menus since the beginning. Typically we feature a stuffed ravioli dish toward the beginning of the meal. We love experimenting with meat, seasonal vegetables, and cheeses; we often land on creations including a little of each. For our March 26th menu we are trying something new - Bucatini! This is a think (~3mm), spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running down the center; "Buco" is the Italian word for "hole". We love this hearty pasta for its ability to hold-up to bold sauces and for its appealing look. Attendees of our next event can look forward to a brand new menu item featuring this pasta along with a traditional roasted tomato and garlic sauce, Italian cheese, and touch of guanciale.

Check out this photo from our initial Bucatini test session!