Letter from Walter Manzke, Bouchee Executive Chef

By Walter Manzke, Fall 2003
wmanzke_bouchee@sbcglobal.net

Greetings from Carmel,

It's been just over a year since I left Patina in Los Angeles for quite
a different life in Carmel at Bouchée.

The Monterey region is so rich in resources. The abundance and variety would inspire anyone who loves food. It is my intention to send bi-weekly e-mails allowing me an opportunity to share my discoveries with you in what I hope becomes a conversation.

Please respond if you like -- call, write or come by the
restaurant.

Every week, I attend two Farmer's Markets, one held in the local junior
college parking lot, the other in downtown Monterey.

This week we are seeing the beginning signs of fall. Summer produce is still holding up so there is an abundance of all kind of fruits and vegetables.

While there is an advantage in variety, the disadvantage is that neither season is really at peak quality.

Figs are in their prime though, and I bought beautiful black mission
figs from a local farmer. Margarita, my future wife and Bouchée's pastry chef, will make a fig tart with an almond crust, served with lemon verbena ice-cream and sweet Rocky melon granité.

Pumpkins are coming in, although I haven't wanted to bring too much of autumn into my menus just yet, but I can't resist doing a house-made fresh pumpkin ravioli dish with parmagiano-reggiano, crispy pancetta and garlic croutons.

Two weeks ago I noticed a farmer trying to sell a small amount of
passion fruit. I bought a few to taste and since then have bought
everything he has. We're doing some desserts with them.

Margarita makes a peach ravioli, using two paper thin slices of peach poached in vanilla and honey, filled with peach panna cotta, then topped with a scoop of passion fruit pulp.

I'm thinking of doing scallops with passion fruit, endive and kafir lime vinaigrette. Think of the flavors.

It's definitely still tomato season on the Central Coast and one of the
most exciting deliveries I received this week was an outrageous
selection of tomatoes from Windrose Farms in Paso Robles.

Organic farmer Barbara Spencer drove up to Carmel and delivered ten different varieties; wondrous ones like Juliette, Caro Rich, Aunt German Green, black cherry tomatoes, Persimmon tomatoes. We'll use most of them in our watermelon tomato salad.

But with the Caro Rich, which are bright orange, I'm making a tomato coulis to serve with tuna tartare and yuzu (Japanese lemon).

Yuzu is one of my favorite tastes right now. It's a Japanese citrus, very tart with more bitterness than a regular lemon. The best way I can describe the flavor is by comparing it to a very fragrant, powerful lemon crossed with a grapefruit. I only use a few drops and serve with soy sauce gelée, or wasabi and avocado.

Since Barbara is planning to drive up with weekly tomato deliveries, I introduced her to some of the other chefs in the area and she's selling to them now also.

The first of the Matsutake mushrooms are in from the northwest. We're cooking them very slowly in oil and serving them like carpaccio, thinly sliced with Asian pear, apple, jicama and shiso.

The king salmon season will end shortly, and Alaskan halibut won't be available for long either so we're continuing to make the most of these beautiful fish in all sorts of ways on our menu. Virtually every day inspires a new preparation.

A great advantage to being on the Monterey Bay is the abalone. It's
farm-raised right here on Monterey Wharf #2. We receive five deliveries every week and I've never seen any seasonal fluctuation in quality.

I use them in an appetizer that's become one of my signature dishes. After some experimenting, I've found a great way to prepare them.

I start with German butterball potatoes, cooked and fork crushed with sea salt and olive oil. The abalone is shucked live to order. We pound it very lightly, then quickly sauté until just warm.

I add Noilly Prat, butter and black truffles, truffle oil and that's it. The briny ocean flavors blend together really well with the earthiness of the potatoes and truffles.

It's simple and balanced. This dish is one of the only things I haven't changed on the menu in over a year.

I don't use any breading or flour because you lose all of the flavor of the abalone and can easily overcook it. When I lived in Los Angeles I spent a small fortune eating out in sushi bars.

I always asked the chefs how they cooked abalone. It was either raw or lightly cooked, plain.

That's it. I'm going back to the kitchen. If you're interested in a
specific recipe, please let me know.

Kind regards,
Walter Manzke
Executive Chef, Bouchée