SALT & PEPPERS: Manresa: 320 Village Ln. San Francisco, CA

Monday, February 25, 2008

Manresa: 320 Village Ln. San Francisco, CA

Manresa specializes in French and Spanish cuisine, dousing diners with delicious Catalonian influenced cooking. The menu is a four course prix fixe menu amounting to about $92 or $150 with wine pairing. Owner and executive chef David Kinch opened Manresa in 2002 after studying in France, Spain, Germany, and Japan, naming the restaurant after a medieval Catalonian town. Manresa hales its Dungeness crab with exotic Indian spices and its local abalone in brown butter with braised pig as some of its most renowned specialties. The braised pig literally falls apart at the bone and is so moist, and the browned butter compliments the slight crisp on the outside of this delicious meal. Its obvious that Kinch takes Spanish and French cuisine and immerses it in local products like grain fed meats and biodynamic produce grown exclusively for Manresa at a farm near the Santa Cruz Mountains. The concentration on local ingredients, the variety of difficult cooking techniques, and the unique menu items available make Manresa a great restaurant experience.

No comments:

Post a Comment

RECIPE OF LAST WEEK

Spicy Potatoes with Preserved Lemon and Goat Cheese

2 pounds red potatoes
1 small onion, grated and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
Pinch of ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
6 ounces goat cheese
1/2 preserved lemon

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes and place in a pot of cold water on the stove. After all of the potatoes are prepared turn the unit to a boil. Cook potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender

2. In heavy saucepan set over moderate heat, cook the grated onion in olive oil until melting, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaf, preserved lemon, paprika, cumin, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.

3. Drain the potatoes,and add to pan with the onion mixture, tossing to coat. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

4. Turn the stove top off and add crumbled goat cheese, toss so cheese is just melting and serve.

Note: Use a four-sided box grater to grate the onion, then squeeze to remove excess moisture.

PRESERVED LEMONS
Preserved Lemons are a citrus preparation that is technically a pickle, rather than a preserve. Common in Middle Eastern cuisine, it is also known as "country lemon" or leems. Diced, halved, or perfectly whole lemons are packed in a simple brine made up of a combination of lemon juice and salt. The lemons are packed tightly into a jar, with the lemon juice engulfing it and this sits at room temperature for 7 to 10 days. Simply wash before using to remove any surface salt, or blanch to remove all of the salt and bring out the natural mild sweetness, and then slice, chop, or mince as needed for the texture of the dish. After 7 to 10 days, or until the rind is soft, remove lemons from jar, rinse off, thoroughly clean the jar, and place lemons back in jar and cover with oil. The flesh of the preserved lemon can be used in stews and sauces, but it is the rind that is most valued.Preserved lemons are the key ingredient to many Moroccan dishes like stews and tagines, the flavor is mildly tart but intensely lemony.