Culinary Director Ryan Costanza channels inspiration from music, design, art, and his fellow cooks into The Hart’s offerings. “I look to my travels and the emotions that come up when thinking about a certain place,” he says.
The result is a menu filled with highly accessible dishes prepared using creative techniques and locally sourced ingredients, with layers of flavor that perfectly complement the tropical- infused dining room that anchors BentoLiving, Chestnut Hill. Costanza’s Ora King Salmon Donburi is a prime example of the simple-yet-elevated dishes on the compact menu. “Salmon is generally a crowd pleaser, but also generally boring,” he says. “Using different techniques throughout the process of building this dish allows us to serve something that is unique though still safe and accessible, whether you are a full on ‘foodie’ or a bachelorette from Missouri.”
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. The dish comes together quickly whether you’re firing up the grill or staying indoors. And an ocean trout or mackerel works nicely if the king salmon isn’t available. At the restaurant, you’ll also find umami packed Hakurei turnips added to the mix. The final piece of advice: Costanza suggests pouring a nice glass of sake before savoring this Pacific Rim-inspired rice bowl. (321 Hart St., 629-231-4006; thehartrestaurant.com)
Ora King Salmon Donburi
Fish:
- 1 5-ounce Ora King Salmon filet
- Sake Lees (for marinade)
- Soaked Kombu (for marinade)
- Lemon
- Maldon salt
- Japanese Binchotan Charcoal for grill
Rice:
- 1 cup cooked rice of your choice (short to medium grain)
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1 2-inch piece of kombu
- 1 cup sake
- 1 cup mirin
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup yuzu juice
- 3⁄4 cup white miso paste
- 1 cup white soy sauce
To Serve:
- Golden Trout Roe
- Local Strawberries (preferably small, wild berries)
- Shiso, Sorrel, Pea Shoots
- Tokyo Onion (optional garnish)
- Furikake (optional garnish)
Prepare Fish:
- Sprinkle each fillet with a mixture of salt and sake lees, then wrap in a soaked piece of kombu (seaweed) for about 6 hours.
- Rinse each portion, keeping the skin intact.
Prepare Misoyaki Marinade:
- Blend together 1 cup sake, 1 cup mirin, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup yuzu juice, 3⁄4 cup white miso paste, and 1 cup white soy sauce. Strain and reserve.
- Take half of the misoyaki and mix it with 1 cup of sweet soy sauce for glazing.
Prepare Sushi Rice Vinegar:
- Mix 1 cup rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon mirin, and a 2-inch piece of kombu.
- Heat until simmering, then let cool.
- Reserve in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
COOK:
- Start your charcoal (or pre-heat your oven to broil*).
- Lightly oil your marinated salmon and sprinkle very lightly with salt.
- Grill skin side down, taking care not to char the skin too much. After about four minutes of grilling, turn and lightly cook for about two minutes on the flesh side.
- With a spray bottle, spray the salmon with a mixture of sake and shoyu after every turn.
- To finish, glaze each side using a pastry brush with the misoyaki sweet soy glaze.
- Rest the fish for about a minute, spritzing lightly with lemon juice and a touch of Maldon salt.
PLATE:
- Mix one cup of cooked rice with a little bit of your sushi rice vinegar in a bowl.
- Add the salmon.
- Place sliced strawberries around the fish, finishing with a few dollops of trout roe for added pops of brininess.
- Finish with fresh leaves of sorrel, shiso, and pea shoots. (Costanza recommends shoots from Radical Shoots Microgreens.)
*(If using the oven method, place skin side up on a sheet tray. Cook for 8 minutes, skin side up. Turn it over and cook for 1 minute. Cooking it this way in the oven keeps it moist, using the skin as a barrier to direct heat.)