Summer recipes call for cool, light bites. This chef’s recipe for Smoked Trout Rillettes covers all of the above. Try serving with pickled vegetables and a grainy mustard.
Next time you are gallery hopping in West Chelsea, NYC or taking a stroll on the High Line you must make a stop at The Fillmore Room, the newest project from Chef Liran Mezan, formerly of STK. You might think this restaurant has been a NYC staple for a 100 years or more, with its sprawling, deco-style bar, tin ceilings, and fireplaces, but it has just been thoughtfully renovated to achieve the feeling of nostalgia. [UNFORTUNATELY, this place has permanently closed since this post ran. But please make the fab recipe at your next hosting, and get the details for the rest of the menu for throwing a fun summer bash at this link.]
You can also welcome a straightforward menu of well-made American fare with a French influence. For starters, dive into a bounteous raw bar platter, sweetbreads, or steak tartare with gribiche sauce. Nicely-priced entrees include a brown-butter trout, pea/ricotta gnocchi, and roasted eggplant, mushrooms, with pecan-faro ravigote. Steak lovers can feast on a peppercorn NY strip or share a dry-aged bone-in ribeye. Brunch offers a trio of drinks from the Bloody Bar: the classic Bloody Mary, Fiddler’s Green includes a medley of fresh veggies along with gin, or the Mellow Yellow, which pairs tequila with peppers, pineapple, herbs and hot sauce.
Mezan welcomes neighborhood folks and those wandering on the west side to partake in the casual, bustling space—and to host a party room in the cavernous room in the back. The venue would be ideal for weddings—or a birthday bash with your 100 closest friends.
Chef Liran Mezan shares the recipe for this seriously seductive bite. (I tried the Smoked Trout Rillette at the opening party and just had to know how it was made.) Be sure to serve on toasted slices of a baguette with a side of pickled vegetables. fillmoreroom.com
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recipe
Smoked Trout Rillettes
1/4 lb butter
2 TB chopped onion
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1/2 LB smoked trout, skin removed, bones removed, shredded
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp salt
pinch white pepper
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2 TB chopped chive
1 TB mascarpone
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Heat a medium size heavy bottom sauté pan. Add the butter and melt until foaming slightly. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the trout meat, white wine, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cook until wine evaporates.
Cool the mixture slightly before mixing. Spoon the mix into a bowl and add the chives and mascarpone cheese. Cool over ice and refrigerate.
See more of the formula for throwing a fabulous summer bbq in 16 Summer Fare
