Chef Marc Vidal at Boqueria Soho
The Boqueria restaurants have been successful not only in bringing delicious Spanish dishes to NYC with two locations in lower Manhattan, but also to locations outside of New York including Washington, D.C. and Hong Kong! The restaurant offers a blend of traditional Spanish dishes and ones created specifically for the restaurant. Executive Chef Marc Vidal has done a tremendous job of expanding the program while keeping the quality top notch. Here are a couple recipes from Boqueria Soho that illustrate their respect for tradition as well as a keen sense of culinary creativity.
Torrada de Anchoas
Photo courtesy of Boqueria/CEMMedia
Ingredients
• 1 fillone bread toast (or a good country bread)
• 2 tbsp of farm fresh ricotta cheese
• 3 pieces of roasted tomato in oil
• 3 Don Bocarte anchovies
• 2 basil leaves chiffonade
• 1 tbsp of pinenuts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch black olive salt
Procedure
• Toast the fillone bread with a little olive oil on the plancha
• spread the ricotta cheese on top of the bread
• put 3 pieces of roasted tomatoes on top
• put 3 pieces of don bocarte anchovies on top
• add pinenuts
• add basil on top
• drizzle with olive oil
• add a pinch of black olive salt
Crudo de Navajas en Escabeche
Photo courtesy of Boqueria/CEMMedia
• 3 razor clams
• 1 red radish, pickled
• 3 tbsp of escabeche sauce
• 1 pinch micro cilantro
Directions
• Bring a pot of salted water to boil
• Blanch the razor clams for 10 seconds and shock in ice water
• Open the razor clams and remove the insides
• Keep the unbroken shells on the side and clean thoroughly
• Cut the clam in thin slices on a bias. Use the whole clam except for the intestines (black part).
For Service
• Mix one tbsp of escabeche sauce with each razor clam separately. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour each razor clam mix in it’s shell
• Sprinkle with micro cilantro
• Serve in a cast iron pan with crushed ice on the bottom
Ingredients for Escabeche
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 3 leeks
• 2 cups white wine
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups Olive oil
• 1 bay leave
• 2 ea black peppercorns
Directions for the Escabeche
• Cook the vegetables (cut in a very thin brunoise) in a rondo for about 2 hours, very slowly, making sure
they are very soft but don’t get any color with a little olive oil
• Add the wine to the vegetables and reduce
• Add vinegar and bring to a boil
• Add olive oil and bring to boil
