“We have such great proximity to produce. I look out the window and see the farms where our produce comes from. Mostly Covert Farms. Sesen Farms has really nice strawberries and melon. We can even buy local fish — the habitat restoration project up the Columbia River system is now at the point where there is a short commercial salmon season in Osoyoos Lake.
“We have early morels.” Where? “That’s a secret,” he says. “In the fall we’ll see porcini. We don’t have the range they do on the coast, but what we have is very nice.”
“Miradoro is about both food and wine; ultimately our purpose is to broaden exposure of Tinhorn Wines. Certain dishes that are designed food first, such as the Japanese-style halibut on our menu now, we had to rethink. Especially the pickled cabbage in order to make it as wine-friendly as possible. It’s all about terroir.
“It’s important for a chef to have outside influences. It fuels my fire. I like to stay creative and have a lot of ideas floating around in my head. This is the our third season, we’re closed January and February. This year I went to New York to 11 Madison Park, Spotted Pig, Katz’s Deli, and Roberta’s in Brooklyn.
“Sure, there are challenges with a seasonal business. It’s important to create a culture in the kitchen — the cooks here feel they are part of something special.”
Sockeye salmon, zucchini fritters, grilled scallion, romesco sauce
Romesco sauce
- ¼ c blanched almonds
- ¼ peeled hazelnuts
- 1 head garlic
- 1 slice stale white bread
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes
- 2 large red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
- 1 c good quality extra virgin olive oil
- ½ c good quality sherry vinegar
- ¼ t chili flakes
Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Season as needed
Zucchini fritters
- 2-4 zucchini (about 2 lbs)
- 3 T salt
- 1 c all purpose flour
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 2 T chopped chives
- 2 T chopped mint
- 2 eggs, beaten
Grate zucchini. Add salt and mix. Place in a colander in a sink and let the zucchini sit for about 20 minutes then squeeze out excess moisture.
Mix in remaining ingredients.
Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a nonstick pan that has been heated to medium. Spoon about a half-cup of mix into the pan and flatten into a pancake about a centimetre thick. Fry until both sides are golden and crisp and the interior is cooked, about 5 minutes. Repeat until all the mix is made into pancakes and reserve.
Salmon
- 6 five oz portions of fresh sockeye salmon, scaled with skin on
- sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
- olive oil
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Heat 2 nonstick sauté pans on the stove to medium high heat.
Season the skin side of the salmon lightly. Place the salmon into the pans and cook on the stovetop until the skin starts to crisp and get golden. Finish in the oven until the flesh is medium rare.
To serve: Spread a dollop of romesco on 6 plates. Place a zucchini fritter on each plate and the salmon on top of that, skin side up to show off that beautiful crispy skin. Serve with a platter of roasted summer vegetables drizzled in good quality olive oil.
Chef’s wine suggestion: Tinhorn 2 Bench White.