Thursday, November 10, 2016

Recipe - Grilled Swordfish with Sweet Potato, Preserved Lemon, Caper Berry, Tomato, Garden Blossoms

(Serves up to 4)




Ingredients

  • Swordfish steaks
  • Salt
  • 2 - Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 TBSP - Butter
  • 2 Cups - Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup - Milk
  • 4 - Thinly sliced caper berries\
  • 8 - Multi-colored baby potatoes (boiled and peeled)
  • 10 - Cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 18 - Parsley leaves 
  • 6 - Alfanzo olives 
  • 1/4 Cup - Diced basil
  • 1 - Thinly sliced shallot
  • Fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon, more if needed)
  • Thin sliced preserved Lemons to taste

Swordfish Preparation
  • Cut thin (1/3”) steaks
  • Season with salt
  • Sear in cast iron pan with neutral oil

For the Sweet Potato Puree
  • Peel 2 Sweet potatoes (Orange, purple, or gold)
  • Slice in uniform pieces and cook in milk until tender enough to puree
  • Puree to smooth
  • Add salt and butter 

Preserved Lemons (If you make 10, they keep very well for other applications)
  • Make two cross cuts on the top of lemon from north pole to almost south pole, not completely cutting through
  • Pack with salt and leave in covered container for a week, rinse and slice into very thin slices. 

Mediterranean Vinaigrette
  • Combine and blend the caper berries, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, parsley leaves, olives, basil, shallot, fresh lemon juice, preserved lemons, olive oil and salt (to taste). 

Final Preparation
  • Grill swordfish
  • Place sweet potato puree below fish or in piped dollops around plate
  • Spill gorgeous and vibrant vinaigrette on top of fish
  • Place any blossoms or microgreens of choice on top such as elyssum, fried basil leaves, dahalia, etc. 


Wednesday, November 9, 2016

New Faces In The Kitchen

A new season has brought with it a few (somewhat) new faces, which have delivered new life into the kitchen while injecting bold new flavors and concepts into our menus. We’re proud to introduce our new Executive Chef Elizabeth Murray, Pastry Chef Ben Spungin and Sous Chefs Quinn Thompson and Miguel Hernandez to the Sierra Mar family. Treat your palate to some of their delicious dishes during your next visit. 

Executive Chef Elizabeth Murray, who was elevated from Chef de Cuisine, brings with her an international culinary pedigree, having cooked in a number of Michelin Star restaurant kitchens ranging from London to Italy’s Amalfi Coast to San Francisco. Chef Elizabeth has already made her mark, earning rave reviews from those guests who have already had the pleasure of dining with us.

Pastry Chef extraordinaire Ben Spungin, who previously delighted Post Ranch guests with his tasty treats back in the early 2000’s, cooked in several restaurants in Carmel, Los Angeles and Monterey as well as a successful tenure at the acclaimed French Laundry in Napa Valley. It’s great to have Ben (and his chocolate making skills) back in Big Sur! Chef Ben will also be adding some delicious touches to your mini-bar.

Joining Chefs Elizabeth and Ben in the kitchen, are two outstanding chefs who deserve special recognition – Sous Chef Quinn Thompson, whose grandmother was a Plastkett, an original Big Sur Homesteader, and Sous Chef Miguel Hernandez, who is responsible for your sumptuous breakfast and our new lunch menu. Please take the opportunity to meet our amazing and passionate culinary team during your next visit to Post Ranch.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Smoked Wagyu

Sometimes you miss the flavors of home… Even though most of my childhood was spent in Northern New Mexico, I was born in Dallas, which makes me a sixth generation Texan! This is my little tribute to East Texas barbecue- Slow Smoked Wagyu Cheek with Salt Roasted Celery Root - Green Apple Salad and Wild Herbs.



Thursday, April 14, 2016

Collaboration

I have a weird relationship with collaboration. On the one hand I thin we do some of our best work as a culinary team, bouncing ideas off each other. On the other hand, I think that sometimes singular vision can be the most poignant and unique. Because of this, and because our menu changes to often, I am constantly pushing my staff to be inquisitive and work on new ideas. This is a dish by one of our cooks, Julia Felder. Spring Chicken and Marcona Almond Ballotine with shaved fennel and braised purple cabbage puree.



Monday, April 11, 2016

Wild Oxalis Blossom Juice





The bright yellow oxalis flowers that are popping up along the coast are a true harbinger of spring! Kids often call these flowers “sour-grass” and suck on them like wild sour candies. I wanted to find a way to harness the beauty and energy of these amazing spring blossoms. We took hundreds of blossoms and put them through a wheat-grass juicer to slowly pull out the fluorescent yellow juice. In this dish we have marinated a live diver scallop with oxalis juice and then painted the juice onto the plate. Sea Beans, Wild Oxalis Leave and Roots finish the dish.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Miso

White Miso-Seaweed Broth with Foraged Sea Vegetables, Wild Onion and Shaved Bonito