Kitchen Crashers_FW

RESTAURANT SCOUT

The Kitchen Crashers

BLACK SEED BAGELS NEW YORK CITY

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STAR CHEFS INVITE THEIR PALS TO TINKER WITH THEIR MENUS? THE ANSWER: ALL KINDS OF DELICIOUSNESS INVOLVING SANDWICHES AND TACOS.

Lilia’s Missy Robbins, an F&W Best New Chef 2010, is famed for her pastas. She teamed up with Dianna Daoheung, head baker at this Montrealstyle bagel shop, to create the Italian-inflected sandwich below.

BY JULIA HEFFELFINGER PHOTOGRAPHS BY CON POULOS

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Sesame Bagels with Soppressata and Burrata Total: 10 min; Serves 4

Puree ¼ cup oil-packed Cala­ brian chiles with 1 tsp. oil from the jar and 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice. Season with salt and spread on 4 toasted sesame bagels. Top with thinly sliced soppressata, burrata or fresh mozzarella and basil leaves; drizzle with extravirgin olive oil. Close the bagel sandwiches and serve.

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food stylist: simon andrews; style editor: suzie myers. spreader by tim roberts/glyph design

C

HEFS ARE ALWAYS

looking to one another for inspiration, but recently they’ve figured out a whole new way to collaborate: by brainstorming craveable new recipes for inexpensive foods like tacos, hot dogs, doughnuts and sandwiches.

“I think every chef has the secret guilty pleasure of making an amazing sandwich out of affordable ingredients,” says Brad Farmerie of New York City’s Genuine Superette.

“It’s fun to see what they can do with $12.” These collaborations are especially popular in cities with tight-knit chef communities.

In Portland, Oregon, Jose Chesa’s 180 offers a rotating lineup of churros from local superstars like Naomi Pomeroy. “We’re always texting after hours about new flavors and ideas,” Chesa says. “It’s like our little chef version of Pleasantville.”

Restaurant Scout

Thai-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches Active 1 hr 15 min; Total 5 hr Serves 8 to 10 1/3 cup Thai red curry paste ¼ cup Asian fish sauce 6 Tbsp. finely grated palm sugar or dark brown sugar One 4-lb. boneless pork shoulder roast with fat cap Kosher salt and pepper 2 cups chopped cilantro stems 4 garlic cloves 2 large shallots, halved 2 kaffir lime leaves 1 Thai bird chile 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, inner light green and white parts only, cut into 3 pieces One ½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 2 4 cardamom seeds

The Kitchen Crashers

Cover and roast, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the meat is very tender, about 3½ hours. Uncover and roast until a golden-brown crust forms, about 15 minutes.

1½ tsp. ground turmeric One 15-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk, chilled 1/3 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth

3. Transfer the pork to a large bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Skim the fat from the pan juices, then stir the juices into the shredded pork. Cover with foil and keep warm.

½ cup each finely chopped cilantro, Thai basil and mint leaves Mayonnaise, for spreading 8 brioche buns, split and toasted Thinly sliced cucumber and red onion, cilantro, Thai basil and lime wedges, for serving

4. Make a large double layer of foil. Wrap the cilantro stems, garlic, shallots, lime leaves, chile, lemongrass, ginger, cardamom and turmeric in the foil and seal the sides. Set the packet seam side up directly on a burner or in a cast-iron skillet. Cook over moderate heat until aromatic and beginning to smoke, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the packet to a rack; let cool slightly. The cilantro stems should be tender and the ingredients on the bottom should be lightly charred.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small skillet, simmer the curry paste with the fish sauce and ¼ cup of the palm sugar over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and a smooth paste forms. Let cool slightly.

2. Season the pork with salt and rub it all over with the curry paste. Set the roast in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.

5. Scrape the contents of the packet into a food processor.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of palm sugar and process to a smooth paste.

6. Open the can of coconut milk and spoon the thick cream on the surface into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat and whisk in the cilantro paste.

Whisk in the coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pulled pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

7. Spread mayonnaise on the buns and top with the pulled pork, cucumber, red onion, cilantro and basil leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

BEER A thirst-quenching Thai

pale lager: Singha.

GENUINE SUPERETTE NEW YORK CITY

From the start, the menu at chef Brad Farmerie’s casual all-day restaurant has featured a sandwich created by an acclaimed guest chef. The pulledpork one here, flavored with curry and coconut milk, is from Jamie Bissonnette of the tapas restaurant Toro. “Jamie immediately gave us a big twist on what we thought he was going to go for,” says Farmerie. “Spanish went Thai in a hurry.” Explains Bissonnette, “I am so excited for Toro Bangkok, I jumped at the opportunity.”

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Restaurant Scout

Crab and Crispy Cheese Tacos

Kosher salt and pepper

Active 50 min; Total 1 hr 45 min Makes 12

¼ cup mayonnaise

SALSA

4 dried guajillo chiles 2 dried chipotle chiles Boiling water 2 garlic cloves ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds 2 clementines, peeled 2 Tbsp. honey 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar Kosher salt CRAB FILLING

2 large shallots, minced 1 jalapeño—stemmed, seeded and minced ¼ cup plus 2½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice

The Kitchen Crashers

transfer to a blender. Add the garlic, sesame seeds, clementines, honey, vinegar and the chiles’ reserved soaking liquid and blend until smooth; season the salsa with salt.

¼ cup Greek yogurt

1½ lbs. fresh lump crabmeat, picked over 1 English cucumber, cut into thin 3-inch spears

3. Make the crab filling In a medium bowl, mix the shallots with the jalapeño and ¼ cup of the lime juice; season with salt.

Let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the yogurt and mayonnaise, then fold in the crabmeat and season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups) 12 corn tortillas, warmed Cilantro sprigs, toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges, for serving

1. Make the salsa In a medium skillet, toast the guajillo and chipotle chiles until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand at room temperature until the chiles have softened, about 20 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, toss the cucumber with the remaining 2½ tablespoons of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Drain the cucumber and refrigerate.

2. Drain the chiles, reserving ¼ cup of the soaking liquid.

Stem and seed the chiles and

5. Preheat the oven to 350° and position racks in the top, middle and bottom. Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease.

Mound four ¼-cup portions of shredded cheese on each baking sheet; the mounds should be about 4 inches wide and 1 inch apart. Bake until melted and light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Using a thin spatula, transfer the fricos to a rack and let cool completely.

6. Top each warm tortilla with a crispy frico. Spread some of the salsa on each taco and top with the crab, some of the cucumber, cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges and the remaining salsa and cucumbers.

BEER A hop-forward IPA

with a kick: Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin.

GALAXY TACO SAN DIEGO

“There’s nothing intimidating about tacos—they’re all about fun,” says Trey Foshee, an F&W Best New Chef 1998.

At his Taco Tuesday Takeovers, Foshee invites chefs he admires (and enjoys hanging out with) to be “guest taqueros.” That’s how Nate Appleman, an F&W Best New Chef 2009, came to concoct these rule-bending crab tacos.

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