Technique is something Bradley thrives on in
his upscale restaurant. Last winter, the menu
featured labor-intensive candied cabbage
and plums to accompany licorice-glazed
squab. The cabbage turned dark burgundy
as it simmered and stewed for four hours in
red port, cocoa powder, bacon, apple juice,
plum wine and sugar. The flavorful result
was arranged in a ring mold and topped with
Japanese umeboshi pickled plums and fresh
peeled and wedged common plums tossed in
a bit of cabernet vinegar, olive oil and sea salt.
The outcome was a contrast of three reds in a
round side dish after the mold was removed.
Combining contrasting produce in a side
is another form of technique, as well as
art. Bradley serves a beet/citrus side
using colorful beet varieties served with
grapefruit, orange and lime segments. He
poaches the beets with the skin on, then
serves them marinated in olive oil with the
citrus segments on top, all sprinkled with
a little sea salt. “It’s very simple. You have
sweet, earthy beets mixed with really
bright, crisp acidity from all the varieties
of citrus. It’s a lovely side for grilled
salmon,” he says.
Artist/chef Wendy Brodie of Carmel, Calif.,
host of the TV program “Art of Food with
Wendy Brodie,” who also conducts cooking
classes, stands back and thinks before
wielding the paring knife with vegetables.
“Do I want to do this as a purée, mash or
fry? Or do I want to tease the eye by cutting
things in unusual shapes? Or, serve them
whole, or as a mosaic of vegetables with
purées or gelatins that are sliced, or with
custard-type things?” she asks. “There are
so many fun ways to play with a side dish.”
MASH FAVORITES
American tradition automatically opens
the door to mashes and purées. To make
them more colorful is to make them more
Bob Bussinger, courtesy of Wendy Brodie
Roasted root vegetables with sage are a fall scene on the plate.
AUSTIN EXAMPLES
Restaurant chefs in Austin, Texas,
put on their thinking caps in
preparation for Austin Restaurant
Week in late September last year.
Draw inspiration from some of these
entrees with colorful sides noted on
www.dininginaustinblog.com:
Wild Sockeye Salmon, braised
fennel, pernod butter and spicy
tobacco onions at Aquarelle
Restaurant Français
Brioche Crusted Rack of Lamb with
English pea risotto, whole-grain
mustard and tomato confit at The
Carillon Restaurant
Voodoo Shrimp with Caribbean
Mango Sauce—coconut-crusted,
fried large Gulf shrimp served on a
bed of spicy Caribbean-style mango/
habanero sauce, served with a
banana/corn pone filled tamale and
fresh papaya/pineapple relish and an
electric lime/mango purée at Corazon
at Castle Hill
Falda de Cerdo—smoked pecan/
porter braised Richardson Farms
pork belly, membrillo compote,
sweet potato risotto and baby
arugula at El Arbol
Fig and Port Braised Short Ribs
with a parsnip/potato purée, Swiss
chard and a red chili/fig marmalade
at Mansion at Judges’ Hill
Shiki Sakana—seared sea bass with
grilled tomato, shiso, brandy and
lemon grass at Uchiko
www.acfchefs.org
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