Local restaurants inspire new creations
This past week we’ve had the chance to try two very different local restaurants. The first was just after we watched the new movie, “Up,” an animated charmer from Pixar. We left the theater at Midway Shopping Center, turned left and walked around the storefronts to Adriatico, a place we’d not yet tried in all our 10 years in Lewes.
Since I hadn’t finished my bag of popcorn during the film, I was ready for an indulgent Italian dish, hopefully one loaded with cheese and surrounded by pasta. Jack ordered a shrimp pesto over angel hair and I opted for the special, Saltimbocca. One bite and I understood why the name of this dish translates to “jump into the mouth.”
Typically made with thinly pounded veal escallops rolled with prosciutto and sage, Adriatico’s version substituted slender chicken cutlets, then added spinach and provolone.
Instead of chopped sage, the chef had flash-fried sage sprigs and set them atop the layers, combining tender, salty, creamy and sharp. A deep brown sauce made from the pan drippings finished the dish with buttery richness.
Inspired, I looked for a saltimbocca recipe to try at home. I found the traditional veal rolls as well as some new twists, like adding asparagus or smoked mozzarella and substituting basil or marjoram. With Adriatico’s version in my memory, I made an approximation of their dish (see photo). I don’t think my sauce was quite as thick (and Jack scooped off his spinach) but we thoroughly enjoyed the tastes “jumping into” our mouths.
The second restaurant we tried last week was the newly relocated Kindle. Originally opened in Milton’s Paynter’s Mill in July 2007, the owners recently left behind their signature copper fireplace and created an inviting dining space in the heart of downtown Lewes. The outside tables are an ideal destination on a balmy evening, and the dining room is lined with banquettes along chocolate-colored walls. The menu is an enticing collection of seasonal specialties and elegant presentations of familiar favorites.
Our friends, Lou and Margie, both ordered the diver scallops, perfectly seared on a colorful bed of succotash featuring edamame (baby soybeans). Jack (surprise, surprise) had the burger on a glistening brioche roll, and I enjoyed a roasted beet salad accompanied by a wedge of brie barely melted on a slice of French bread. Creamy asparagus and arugula soup was the favorite starter, and we all plan to return and try Kindle’s renowned macaroni and cheese.
The next evening, I decided to replicate the beet salad, combining both golden and red beets, roasted in seasoned olive oil. The presentation at Kindle was prettier – served on a bed of multicolored organic baby greens – but my beets were still tender and delicious. Our photo doesn’t show my substitution for the warm brie toasts; I tossed in rounds of herbed goat cheese before I ate it (Jack doesn’t eat beets, so all the more for me).
Roasting beets concentrates their natural sugars into a mellow sweetness, the perfect foil for young spring greens. Don’t bother peeling them first; their skins will slip off easily once they’re cooked. I like experimenting with different vinegars (balsamic is still my favorite) and I’ve tried various cheeses, the creamier the better to mix with the lettuce and beets.
When you’re assembling saltimbocca, substitute chicken for veal only when you can find very thin cutlets or slice through a thick boneless breast horizontally to get pieces the right size (pounding with the flat side of a meat tenderizer also helps). Rather than rolling them, I prefer to cook the cutlets flat and finish them in the oven while reducing the sauce. I’m a big fan of fried sage leaves, they only take a few moments to cook and crunch in your mouth with a burst of flavor.
While I’ve included my recipes for the versions we made at home, you might like to try the originals of these dishes. You’ll find Kindle at 111 Bank Street in Lewes; Adriatico has two locations: 22 Midway Shopping Center?and 30 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
Maybe we’ll see you there!
Roasted Beets
1 bunch small beets
2 T olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 t sea salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T Balsamic vinegar
2 C mixed baby lettuce
3 oz goat cheese, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash beets, trim off greens and leave on skins. Coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Toss beets with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in the baking dish. Cook until beets are tender when tested with tip of knife, about one hour. When cool enough to handle, rub to peel off skins. Cut into quarters and mix with Balsamic vinegar. Serve on a bed of mixed greens garnished with goat cheese. Yield: 4 servings.
Veal & Spinach Saltimbocca
4 to 6 slices veal scaloppini
1/4 C flour
salt & pepper
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 oz prosciutto
4 oz sliced mozzarella
4 oz spinach, steamed and drained
4 to 6 sage sprigs
1/2 C dry white wine
1 C broth
Preheat oven to 350 F. Pound the veal slices to about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; dredge with flour and shake to remove the excess. Melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Place the cutlets in the skillet and cook until they start to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn over veal slices and cover each piece with prosciutto; cook about three minutes more. Spread a tablespoon of cooked spinach on each piece and then add a layer of cheese. Remove the veal pieces to a serving platter and place in the oven. Raise heat under the skillet to medium high and cook the sage sprigs for one minute on each side, turning once. Remove the sage to a piece of paper towel to drain. Add wine and broth to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits; simmer until reduced by half. To serve, place a fried sage sprig on each veal stack and garnish with sauce. Yield: 4 servings.
Send comments, questions or recipe ideas to capeflavors@comcast.net.
