El Gaucho Signature Mushroom Flatbread

El Gaucho has been known for its Flat Bread for some time now. While most people view bread as an “add-on” to a meal or an appetizer, we make ours so it could stand alone. Yes, it is that good.

Working with our executive Chef Kent Sharp, we formulated this particular recipe about 3 months ago. We finally settled on a recipe that includes an unbelievable crust (a key part of any good flat bread) that includes 10% whole wheat in the dough to give it just a bit of chewiness and slight nuttiness. The base of the dough starts with the finest bread flour we can get, mandako flour.

We top it with Crimini mushrooms that are sautéed with fresh garlic and shallots until they are golden brown and then add Italian Marsala which reduces it down and puts a slight glaze on the mushrooms and seals in the flavor. This not only intensifies the flavors (again, less is more) but makes it all come together nicely. We finish it off quite simply with some Reggaino parmesean and some olive oil – can’t use enough olive oil in my opinion to enhance the flavor.

The end result is our most popular Flat Bread that everyone seems to love. Let me know what you think – give it a try sometime.

28 days to a great Steak Sandwich

OK, now we’re talking about favorites. Of all the lunch items we serve and among the ones we are doing in the Taste and Tweet event we are holding tomorrow, this is everyone’s favorite. And why wouldn’t it be – you’re basically getting filet mignon on a baguette.

As with all our steaks, we use only the best, 28-day aged, prime tenderloin for this sandwich – no cutting back here. The meat is tender so you don’t need a knife to cut it up, just pick it up, dip it in the Au Jus and enjoy. Simple but flavorful.

Speaking of the Au Jus, that is what also makes it something special to me. Most places use au jus from a packet to make the sauce – leaves something to be desired in my opinion. We make ours from scratch using a beef stock that simmers for 8 hours with onions, peppercorns, bay leaves and a few special spices. It has a clarity to it that is not salty but has a deep flavor to enhance the flavor of the filet mignon. No wonder it is an absolute favorite and staple among our guests.

High Quality Burger - unbelievable Sauce

OK, I might be a bit biased, but to me this is the best burger in Bellevue – hands down. It is made from Certified Angus Beef and is full of flavor from the first bite. And you get lots of bites – this isn’t some wimpy burger, it is big and bold. We top it with smoked bacon, Coastal Cheddar Cheese (white cheddar from England that is just a bit dry to give it a good sharp flavor) that compliments both the bacon and the beef.

Like most burgers, it comes with lettuce, tomato and onion and a magical dressing. We created a Thousand Island Dressing that has its own special flavor. We use some red pickle relish and a bit of lemon juice to just give it an interesting flavor that works with the burger and bacon and cheese. The final ingredient is of course the bun – no skimping there. We use fresh buns from Mario’s Bakery in Tukwila to complete the creation.

If you’re into burgers, and who isn’t, this is one you have to try. I hope you enjoy it and let me know how it stacks up against any other burger you have had out there.

Ahi Tuna Salad - custom designed, custom prepared

When you are a chef, many people ask, “What are your favorites?” For me the Ahi Tuna Salad is one of my own personal favorites for two reasons. It was one of my personal creations inspired by my mother. When I grew up, my mother was a chef and was influenced by the likes of Muriel Hemingway, Julia Childs and others of such caliber. She taught me at an early age that less is more – use less heavy ingredients to create more intense flavors.

The Ahi Tuna Salad does just this. I purposely kept it simple to bring out the flavor of the tuna and vegetables we use in the salad. The ingredients are all high quality with emphasis on fresh – nothing artificial in this salad. This allows me to amplify the flavor and let the salad do the talking. When I first came up with it, I wanted to focus on more of sashimi type salad where we could use a very high grade tuna. It simply works better.

I finish off the salad with some great vegetables, such as green beans that will be coming in next week from Duris Farms in Puyallup. These are incredible beans that you have to taste to appreciate. We add some Kalamata Olives, Basil, Grilled Potatoes (from the Skykomish Valley) and finish with a light lemon, basil vinaigrette dressing. I can taste it now – which is why it is one of my personal favorites. It is healthy, low carb salad that just offers great flavor.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy it and leave me your comments on what you think.

My Scottish heritage revisited. A trip back to Scotland (sort of)…

This week I get the chance to relive a bit of my heritage. I will be hosting a Johnnie Walker dinner where my inspiration came from the fact I am Scottish (clan Macintosh). Two years ago my wife and I toured Scotland and the Edinburgh Castle. While there, something strange happened to me and I felt as though I was finally among people like myself – and the funny part is that they looked just like me!

So telling you all this, you might be asking what this has to do with my love for creating great food? Well, James Beard was one of my long time heroes (I know he wasn’t one of these rock star chefs that are all over television). James was Scottish as well and I highly recommend that you take some time out to read a little of his inspiration. His approach was that all food needs a foundation to be built upon and he was a rock. Some of the food I will be making for the dinner was researched on the Robert Burns website. They hold a dinner every year to celebrate his contribution to writing in the world.

So if you want to taste a bit of my Scottish heritage and thoroughly enjoy yourself for an evening, please stop by (call 425. 455.2715 to RSVP) and enjoy the Johnnie Walker dinner. And whether you are Scottish or not, make sure you come up and introduce yourself to me and that you read my Scottish story.

Chef Cain