A Little Preview of Rappahannock Restaurant

Cured Scottish Salmon Trout with beets, soft boiled quail egg, creme fraiche and Grinnel caviar

So last night was the grand opening of Rappahannock Restaurant, the brand spanking new joint by those crafty Croxton cousins of Merroir, Rappahannock River Oysters and Rappahannock River Oyster Co. in DC. After finally nailing down that ever-elusive Richmond ABC license (just in time) and hoisting signage from artist Ed Trask, the Croxton's officially opened Rappahannock to a full and happily busy house.

As admitted Merroir junkies, where we often take our pup Hankdog along and sit riverfront to nosh oysters, crab cakes and clams, we weren't going to miss this one. With Prosecco on tap (yes, you heard that correctly), a stellar chef, Dylan Fultineer (of Hungry Cat and Hollister Brewing Co. in Santa Barbara) and Mixologist Katie Nelson (of The Columbia Room and Passenger in D.C.), we set out to stuff ourselves silly and that we did.

Rappahannock's menu boasts a solid raw bar with RR Oysters' signature bivalves as well as various caviars and cured seafood. The "From the Kitchen" section of the menu has an array of small and larger plates (good for sharing) and there are a few desserts along with a Virginia cheese plate for snacking. To drink, there's a solid draft beer list, plenty of tasty cocktails from Ms. Nelson and a wine list (priced by the glass as well as the bottle) that's built for seafood.

So, here's a taste of what you're in for if you plan to hit up Rappahannock and I highly suggest you do.

Rockfish and Barcat oyster Bourride with garlic, fennel, potatoes topped with grilled bread and a poached egg

Oysters and Pearls: 6 Rappahannock oysters topped with nori granita and trout caviar

Appalachian Heritage Farm's grilled pork belly with braised shell beans, apples and salsa verde

Grilled Virginia sea scallops over braised oxtail with roasted curried cauliflower

Northern Lights caviar with creme fraich egg salad and house-made cracker.

...

...which we shared with a certain Modern Gentleman and his beautiful fam to celebrate his birthday.

The open-air kitchen with chefs at work and a cameo (bottom left) of Merroir's Chef Peter!

©2012 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission,

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Scrambled Eggs with Smoked BC Wild Salmon and Caviar

Rocky Mountaineer's GoldLeaf breakfast of eggs, smoked salmon, caviar & creme fraiche

I just got back from an incredible trip aboard the Rocky Mountaineer on a food and wine laden culinary rail tour of the Canadian Rockies beginning in Vancouver and ending in Banff.  It was a two day tour with an overnight stopover in the quaint village of Kamloops, and in between there was much deliciousness to be had (see above for photo and below for the recipe for this drool worthy breakfast dish).

Rocky Mountaineer offers 45 unique rail tours throughout British Columbia and Alberta. Without a doubt it's a luxury experience, especially their GoldLeaf service where our group wined and dined inside a glass-dome coach while winding leisurely through stunning mountain scenery. Service is simply impeccable aboard Rocky Mountaineer, with exceptional breakfasts and lunches paired with local wines served in the train's dining car.  

Chef Frederic Couton oversees Rocky Mountaineer's menu which boasts an array of local delicacies including Steelhead Salmon in Mustard Cream over Red Potato Hash (above), Alberta beef short ribs and pork loin, British Columbian mushrooms as well as locally made ice creams and British Columbian wines, including a particularly decent Sumac Ridge White Meritage. Along the way, we saw plenty of wildlife including marmots, bighorn sheep and elk. Oftentimes, guests aboard the train spot black bears and grizzly bears, but unfortunately we didn't see any on this trip, but no worries. As the wines flowed and the views commenced, we forgot all about those bears.

View from the train coming into Banff National Park

So, back to the food. The desserts aboard the train were simply to die for. Overwhelmingly decadent in the best sense, I derailed (pun intended) from my diet during our first meal. As you can see, these sugary treats were impossible to resist.

If you can't climb aboard the Rocky Mountaineer anytime soon, at least you can try your hand at one of their signature recipes The GoldLeaf Breakfast of Scrambled Eggs with Smoked British Columbia Wild Salmon, Caviar and Dilled Creme Fraiche.  Trust me, it's not a hard to make as it sounds and it's totally worth the extra effort. Goes perfectly with a chilled mimosa.  Photo note: This recipe called for molding the salmon and eggs. However, as you'll note, the photos I took show it served with salmon placed on top. Either way, it's lovely.

Scrambled Eggs and Smoked BC Wild Salmon
Recipe courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer
Serves 6








Ingredients:
1 pound smoked wild salmon, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
12 eggs
1 cup dill creme fraiche (see recipe below)
1 ounce caviar
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped plus four springs for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter

Method:

Rub the inside of six small bowls or medium ramekins lightly with vegetable oil. Line each bowl evenly with smoked salmon, covering all areas but being careful not to layer too thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (Note: This can be done in advance and refrigerates overnight. If so, allow 10 minutes out of the fridge before adding cooked eggs.)

Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk. Scramble lightly over medium heat in a saute pan with butter, salt and pepper until eggs are medium firm. Fill salmon-lined bowls immediately with eggs, pressing into a firm mold. Turn bowl over and lightly remove mold, serving flat side down. Drizzle with 1/4 cup dill creme fraiche per plate and spoon caviar on top. Garnish each with a dill sprig.

For the Dill Creme Fraiche: Mix one cup whipping cream with two tablespoons buttermilk. Pour into a glass jar and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 8-24 hours or until thickened. Stir well and refrigerate (up to 10 days). Remove from fridge 10 minutes before serving and stir in fresh, chopped dill.

All photos and text ©2011 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission Pin It Now!