A Salute to Salt

SALT has been an institution in Beijing since 2007 when restaurateur Gaby Alves decided to go on her own after having successfully led Alameda to be a trustworthy worth-going-back-to restaurant in the Sanlitun area of Beijing. Her empire has now grown to include Terra Cevicheria and Rum Bar and Zest Coffee Shop. While her restaurants (like almost all restaurants in Beijing) suffer from the inability to always provide good service, good food and a great menu; SALT is reliable. It is affordable, clean, very customer friendly and is constantly coming up with new ideas and events to attract and keep customers.

As our loyal followers should have read in our earlier post, Decisions, decisions ..., we dragged (i.e., invited) our friends to join us for a tasting at SALT.  Their extremely difficult task was to help us try almost everything on the menu (so that we don't actually have to spend more time in the gym!).  Luckily for us, inspiration came fast and furious in the form of lemongrass and chili.

The party started with our Thai Martinis.  These fabulous concoctions immediately took us away to a  tropical beach.  You could almost imagine relaxing in a hammock while the world went on without you.  To keep us from staying on that beach, we enjoyed cheddar-wrapped olives (you really can't eat just one, or two, or five) and lemongrass and chili spiced nuts.  The perfect nibbles to get the evening started right.  

The smooth deliciousness of the pumpkin and lemongrass soup begged to be reinvented.  We served our version chilled with swirled yogurt and crowned with crushed peanuts.  After our duck disaster we were short of an accompaniment to the soup. Initially we wanted to put the smooth duck on toasted brioche and serve it with a mango salsa. Well, while the mango salsa tasted great, there was absolutely no way we could serve the massacred duck to any living being. Luckily we are extremely creative and confident home cooks (and a little stubborn – we just couldn´t let the duck go!) and decided to serve seared duck breast instead – and boy did it work! The saltiness of the duck, crispy skin and all, complimented the slightly spicy sweetness of the mango perfectly. The appetizer was a success.

As a main, we had all fallen in love with the fish dish –sole with fennel crushed baby potatoes, coconut ginger foam, roast yellow pepper cream, farofa and bok choy. We quickly eliminated the greens and the banana stuffing (farofa) but began to search for an alternate fish.  Good, fresh sole was just becoming too difficult to find.  After a multiple visit to the fish monger and a few test drives, we decided to go for cod. The crushed potatoes were a piece of cake but the real winner was the sauce. The only problem was that there wasn’t enough! To put some color on our plate and to add another texture, we quickly wilted some spinach for that touch of green.

For a grand finale, we decided to continue with the lemongrass theme and made silky, creamy lemongrass crème brulees. The crèmes were a piece of cake, to brulee them however proved a little difficult. As it turns out, our trusty kitchen torch didn’t fill up with gas as easily as it used to. We filled it up, and filled it up and then, filled it up again but still – it wouldn’t produce a flame! What to do? Well, at that point of the evening we simply did the most irresponsible thing you can do (don’t try this at home kids!) – we lit it up with a match. Nothing exploded and the dessert could finally be enjoyed – and it was delicious!

Appetizer and main course was enjoyed with a beautiful MOMO Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and dessert with a Serasin Gewurtztraminer.  YUM!

Though we were happy with our choices, we now think that we could have made the main dish even better by choosing another kind of side dish. Perhaps a sweet potato and parsnip puree instead of the crushed baby potatoes? And perhaps another kind of fish (we had big problems trying to explain what we wanted from our market lady) as in the end we spent quite some time getting bones out of the supposedly boneless fillets. So much for our fabulous Chinese skills!  The sauce (again, the sauce!) did not need any work and the greens were oxygen filled healthiness on the plate (and very colorful).

Thanks again Xiu for being such a great help before, during and after dinner and thanks to our guests who will remain nameless.

Duck! There is a Problem...

Duck! There is a problem.

So while working on the menu for our last STARA Beijing dinner; trying out recipes, perfecting the flavors and textures, gathering information, learning new skills, we encountered a slight problem. We loved the silkiness of the duck confit starter we had at SALT and, silly us, thought we were up to the challenge.  Having read and researched all about how to make duck confit; the traditional way, the quick way and the new way, it was time to get into the kitchen.  Thankfully duck is cheap in China!

Duck is mainly eaten in France and in China, where the most famous dish of all is Peking Duck. The bird is slowly roasted until the skin becomes crispy and the fat is almost completely melted into the meaty bits. These birds are pretty skinny and the fat layer is much thinner than that of the ducks eaten in France. The skin is considered a delicacy and is served as an appetizer. You dip the thin slivers of duck skin in sugar or, as in one restaurant we discovered, pop rocks, which actually was quite wonderful.

Peking Duck - even better with pop rocks - trust us!

In France duck is cooked many ways; some of the most famous recipes, duck confit excluded, is Duck a l’Orange (duck in orange sauce) and of course foie gras, duck (or most often goose) liver. French ducks are fatter and the fat is where the taste really is. When you cook a duck breast for example you score the skin side in a crisscross pattern and sear it in a very hot pan, then finish the cooking in the oven and most importantly – let it rest well before cutting! Duck is just like steak; if it isn’t allowed to rest there will be juices all over the place. The skin/fat should be crispy and the inside nice and pink and yes, you do eat the skin.

Duck a l'Orange

Here in Beijing, it is for obvious reasons difficult to find the French kind of duck and, as we quickly discovered, impossible to find duck fat (rendered (the clean kind) that is!). After searching the Internet we learned that neutral flavored olive oil can be used as a substitute and we decided to try it.  Now, we consider ourselves decent home cooks, cooks that love a challenge in the kitchen, but who knew that a duck would be the death of us!

We cured the stupid leg according to recipe books and Internet searches, cookbooks were consulted and famous chefs’ advice was taken. Oven temperatures were carefully monitored and the limb was treated as a newborn baby cocooning in a lukewarm bath in a sauna.

The sad duck curing away.

So, we tried it again, first in the slow cooker but that didn´t work because the slow cooker bought in China turned out to be a fast and hot cooker. Thus the second duck leg went in to the oven again. Do we need to tell you the result? Disaster. We admitted defeat, finally, and aborted the mission.  It was back to square one having to figure out what to cook for our SALT salutation starter.

After HOURS in the oven.  Doesn't look much different, does it?!? 

Finally, just for kicks, we thought we would share this photo we found of a Chinese duck born with three legs and four feet.  And you wonder why we worry about food safety????

Thai Martinis

These martinis came about while we were planning our Salute to SALT menu.  Lemongrass was the predominant flavor - infusing both the soup and the dessert.  It is a lovely herb that takes us away to tropical beaches, spicy food and lazy afternoons.  So how to combine all of that inspiration into a cocktail??  Time to play at the bar!!

Let's just say that after several rounds of trial and error (or was that error and trial??), it was a surprise ingredient that pulled it together and made it zing - Sriracha!   This fabulous chili sauce (from the Thai coastal town of Si Racha) is a traditional dipping sauce that isn't for the faint of heart.  We hope you like it!

THAI MARTINIS

1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 part lemongrass-infused simple syrup

2 parts lemongrass infused vodka

4 drops Sriracha

To make the simple syrup, combine 1 cup (250 ml) each water and granulated sugar.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved.  This will get you a standard simple syrup that you can use to sweeten any cold drink - from ice tea to lemonade - we prefer cocktails!!

Once the dry ends and outer layers are removed,
the lemongrass should be smooth and fragrant

To make the syrup really special, cut the dry ends and bottom from a stalk of lemongrass.  Remove the tough outer layers.

Press the knife down gently to bruise the stalk, not crush it,
to release to release the oils.  

Lightly bruise with the flat side of a knife and add to the simple syrup (along with a few strips of lime peel and slices of fresh ginger if you really want it to zing!).













Let steep at least 15 minutes or longer if you prefer a stronger flavor.  Strain the solids and you are ready to go!  The syrup can be made a month ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

To infuse the vodka, prepare two or three lemongrass stalks as you did for the simple syrup.  Pour a 750ml bottle of good quality vodka into a clean container, add the lemongrass, seal and allow to infuse away for at least twenty-four hours.  Strain into another container (or back into its original bottle).

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and fill at least half way with ice.  Shake well while listening to your favorite island music.  Strain into two chilled martini glasses and enjoy with whomever you like while planning your next holiday to Thailand!!

Warning, these are addictive!

Yields two cocktails

Decisions, decisions, decisions…. We’ll just keep eating until we decide…

We have been working hard at selecting a restaurant for our next STARA event - it is a tough job but someone has to do it!

We had a lovely long lunch at Barolo with the Champagne and Caviar Club of Beijing (CCC) last month.  We were really tempted to experiment with their dishes in our own kitchens but decided to try one other restaurant before making our decision and therefore invited two guests and headed over to SALT for lunch.

SALT has been an institution in Beijing since 2007 when restaurateur Gaby Alves decided to go on her own after having successfully led ALAMEDA since arriving in 2004. Peruvian Chef Paulo De Souza has been in charge of the kitchen since 2010.

Magic happens in this kitchen

Our friends were warned in advance to come hungry.  We were, after all, on a scouting adventure and looking for inspiration!  They were all asked (told) to choose whatever that they wanted from the menu, starters, mains and dessert included; just not the same thing and we would have to taste. No picky eaters or non-sharers welcome!

After having decided that the Mixed Greens Salad was too simple and the Salmon Tartar too similar to what we made at our last STARA event, we settled on Duck Confit Crepe, Cannellini Bean Cassoulet, Chicken Roulade and Pumpkin Lemongrass Soup. While all good, we quickly zoomed in on the soup with its light texture and amazing lemongrass scent and flavor. Ideas kept flowing; how can we put our spin on it? It was perfection as it was but being who we are, we wanted to know what and if we coulld somehow transform these flavors into something uniquely STARA. The other favorite was the Duck Confit Crepe. We mean, how is it possible not to like something poached in its own fat? It might appear on the menu as well, in another form and shape. Our intention with STARA is not to copy, simply get inspiration and challenge ourselves as home cooks.

Duck Confit Crepe - It's all about the fat!

We could eat vats of this pumpkin soup! 

As main we chose from Beef Tenderloin, Sole Fish, Beef Tenderloin Burger and Three Grains Risotto. There was also a Premium Angus Rib-eye and Grilled Pork Loin on the menu and while the béarnaise croquette served with the Rib-eye was calling out for our attention, we decided to diversify our choices. The burger was chosen mostly to compare with Pinotages’ excellent dish (see earlier post on umami).

The menu at SALT is extremely detailed; everything in the dish is described – almost. The tenderloin came with walnut cream fettuccini, foie gras bonbon, broccoli sprouts and parmesan crumble. Steak and pasta, basically. It was good but in the end it was steak and pasta. The risotto was a red wine risotto, leaving it delightfully spring pink in color, with goat cheese, beet root, pine nut crumbs and watercress but the oomph was missing.

The sole was what we all wished we had on our plates. The fish was perfectly cooked and went effortlessly with the coconut ginger foam. The fennel crushed baby potatoes and sautéed greens were nice too. The banana farofa we never discovered and the roast yellow pepper cream not really necessary. As a whole, the dish was simply wonderful; delicate and with unsuspected flavor. Hmmm….something to think about….

Our Dish of the Day!
We had to stop her from eating long enough to take the picture!

As an aside - have you ever had a farofa?  Even know what one is?  Neither did we so we asked our lovely server who had no idea either :)  Here is a good definition (Farofa). Basically, in Brazil, farofa is used in a stuffing for poultry and other dishes, usually containing raisins, nuts and/or finely chopped sweet fruits like apples and bananas.  It is served alongside the main course and can either be sprinkled on by individual diners to their taste before eating, or eaten as an accompaniment in its own right, much like rice.  Who knew?!?

Dessert – again. We were pretty stuffed at this point and trying four different desserts was out of the question. We settled for the Crème Brulee Taste and Dark Chocolate Cremeux. The crèmes were lemongrass, cinnamon and earl grey and we fell for the lemongrass immediately. Lemongrass is a wonderful grass commonly used as a herb in South Asia and also drunk as a tea and as an oil it also works as a pesticide. It can with wonderful results be infused in vodka (just saying)…

The chocolate dessert came with a blueberry coulis, cachaca anglaise and chocolate tuile and was a wonderfully chocolatey end to an excellent meal.

Armed with many ideas and a lot of inspiration we left the restaurant sated and content; happy to return to SALT for many more nice meals to come. We also left with an outline of what the next STARA dinner would bring to the table.

These are a few or our favorite things….

Champagne and Caviar….mmmm….is that not music to your ears? Well, it is to ours and while one of us is finally a lucky member of the very exclusive Champagne and Caviar Club of Beijing (CCC) the other one is very lucky to be invited as a guest as often as possible.

The March luncheon was set at Barolo at the Ritz Carlton Hotel (Barolo) on Jianguo Road. A beautiful venue with an open kitchen; where many, many, very enthusiastic chefs assisted head chef Gianluca Visani. We immediately fell in love with the front room of the restaurant, a table seating eight comfortably, the walls displaying all the wines on sale.

CCC takes pride in pairing the food and wine perfectly and this lunch was no exception.

The starter of Crab Salad with Caviar, Watermelon and Lobster Bisque Jelly and the Josmeyer, Pinot Blanc from Alsace, went perfectly together. We would love the recipe for the lobster jelly as it was surprisingly concentrated in flavor.  The wine worked particularly well with the watermelon and, while it was all good, we believe it lacked something. Perhaps some more texture in the base?

A pasta course followed, it was an Italian meal after all, Salmon Ravioli, Asparagus Sauce, Salmon Carpaccio, Asparagus Tips served with a beautiful Gruner Veltliner from Austria. “A little fishy”, someone said. “A little bit undercooked” we heard from somewhere else. It is difficult to make handmade pasta from scratch; the dough needs to have just the right thickness, the filling not too much or too little and then, it has to be cooked the exact right time. For one of us, it was the favorite course of the day so we’ll just quote a Swedish proverb:  “smaken är som baken -delad” (basically meaning we all have individual tastes or to be precise: the taste is like the bottom – parted…).

Main course: Wagyu Beef Cheek, Creamy Pumpkin, Crunchy Vegetabes served with an outstanding Nebbiolo from 2009. The beef literally melted in our mouths and blended perfectly with the wine. While it disappeared quickly from our plates, it was a surprising choice of dish for an early spring meal. Still, we closed our eyes, looked out at the grey Beijing sky and dreamt that we were sitting on a mountain top outside of Turin. 

Finally, quite a few hours after we arrived at the snazzy Ritz Carlton Hotel, it was time for dessert. CCC events cause one to linger long into the afternoon.  We aren't sure if it is due to the wine, fabulous food or simply an excellent opportunity for the women of Beijing to relax for an afternoon and catch up with old friends, all the while making new ones.  No strenuous activities should be scheduled on the afternoon or evening after a lunch; and take-out for dinner is a necessity…

The dessert: Sicilian Style Cannolo, Ricotta, Vanilla, Chocolate Filling, Pistachio, Candied Orange (we were too busy chatting to take a picture :)) did not help to get us out of the food coma but the Moscato d’Asti sure made the ride home a lot of fun!