Perennial
July 20, 2009
Perennial
Perennial, one of the new restaurants from the Boka Restaurant Group that also runs Boka and Landmark, has quickly become one of “The Best 50 New Restaurants in America” according to Travel and Leisure Magazine. Chef Ryan Poli is the driving force behind the food of Perennial. He was the executive chef of Butter in Chicago, which was also named one of the country’s twenty best new restaurants by Esquire Magazine in 2005. Even with the recognition he gained from Butter, Poli decided to leave and go to Spain to work for a host of restaurants while he refined his techniques and skills. With this experience and his previous work in the kitchens of The French Laundry and Le Francais, Poli was ready to open Perennial.
Perennial’s blend of flavors from many cuisines with an emphasis on quality ingredients and proper technique has given their menu a wide variety on great food. Starters such as their black truffle gnocchi lead to inspired entrees such as grilled Amish chicken with cranberries, endive, and toasted farro.
While the kitchen is certainly impressive, so are the surroundings. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a casual and inviting atmosphere. A beautiful bar and comfortable lounge makes Perennial a destination as both a quality restaurant and a great atmosphere for drinks as well. Located at 1800 North Lincoln Avenue, Perennial provides yet another great choice for residents of the Lincoln Park area.
Below is Chef Poli’s recipe for Berkshire pork belly with mustard greens and red wine poached apples is an example of his attention to flavor and detail as well as his use of top-quality ingredients.
Berkshire Pork Belly with Mustard Greens and Red Wine Poached Apples
Makes eight servings.
Pork belly 3 lb Berkshire pork belly 1 medium onion, diced 1 leek, cleaned and diced 2 cups dry white wine 1 carrot, diced 4 quarts veal stock 4 thyme sprigs 10 parsley stems 1 bay leaf 8 black peppercorns Salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pork belly in a large roasting pan with high sides. Cover the pork with vegetables, wine, stock, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer on the stove top, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven for two hours.
After two hours, check on the pork—you should be able to break it apart easily with a spoon. When it’s ready, remove the pan from the oven and let the pork rest at room temperature in the braising liquid for 30 minutes.
Transfer the pork from the braising liquid to a sheet pan. Place another sheet pan on top of the pork, and put a six-pound weight on top (a large cookbook works well). Place the trays in the refrigerator until the pork is cool throughout, at least 90 minutes.
Remove the pork from the tray and cut into one-inch by three-inch rectangles. Season the rectangles with salt and pepper, and grill (using an outdoor grill or indoor cast-iron version) until the top is crisp and the pork is warm throughout, about six minutes on each side.
Mustard greens 3 bunches mustard greens 2 oz vegetable oil 2 oz smoked bacon, cut into cubes ½ onion, diced Salt and pepper
Method:
Remove stems from mustard greens and discard. Wash the greens under cold water and dry completely.
Heat the oil in a stockpot. Add the bacon and onion; cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the greens in batches (they will shrink as they cook) and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, drain on paper towels to remove excess liquid.
Red wine–poached apples 6 Granny Smith apples 10½ oz (about 7/8 cup) honey 150 ml red-wine vinegar 1.5 liters dry red wine 2 tsp ground sumac 6 black peppercorns 2 cloves
Method:
Peel and core the apples. Set aside in a bowl of water to avoid browning.
Bring the honey and vinegar to a boil in a wide saucepan.
When the honey is completely dissolved, reduce the heat to low and add the wine, sumac, peppercorns and cloves.
Halve the apples lengthwise and place rounded-side down in the poaching liquid. Cover loosely and allow the apples to poach on low heat for 30 minutes.
Store the apples in the refrigerator covered in the poaching liquid until ready to use. Thinly slice the apples lengthwise just before serving.
Perennial, one of the new restaurants from the Boka Restaurant Group that also runs Boka and Landmark, has quickly become one of “The Best 50 New Restaurants in America” according to Travel and Leisure Magazine. Chef Ryan Poli is the driving force behind the food of Perennial. He was the executive chef of Butter in Chicago, which was also named one of the country’s twenty best new restaurants by Esquire Magazine in 2005. Even with the recognition he gained from Butter, Poli decided to leave and go to Spain to work for a host of restaurants while he refined his techniques and skills. With this experience and his previous work in the kitchens of The French Laundry and Le Francais, Poli was ready to open Perennial.
Perennial’s blend of flavors from many cuisines with an emphasis on quality ingredients and proper technique has given their menu a wide variety on great food. Starters such as their black truffle gnocchi lead to inspired entrees such as grilled Amish chicken with cranberries, endive, and toasted farro.
While the kitchen is certainly impressive, so are the surroundings. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a casual and inviting atmosphere. A beautiful bar and comfortable lounge makes Perennial a destination as both a quality restaurant and a great atmosphere for drinks as well. Located at 1800 North Lincoln Avenue, Perennial provides yet another great choice for residents of the Lincoln Park area.
Below is Chef Poli’s recipe for Berkshire pork belly with mustard greens and red wine poached apples is an example of his attention to flavor and detail as well as his use of top-quality ingredients.
Berkshire Pork Belly with Mustard Greens and Red Wine Poached Apples
Makes eight servings.
Pork belly 3 lb Berkshire pork belly 1 medium onion, diced 1 leek, cleaned and diced 2 cups dry white wine 1 carrot, diced 4 quarts veal stock 4 thyme sprigs 10 parsley stems 1 bay leaf 8 black peppercorns Salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pork belly in a large roasting pan with high sides. Cover the pork with vegetables, wine, stock, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer on the stove top, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven for two hours.
After two hours, check on the pork—you should be able to break it apart easily with a spoon. When it’s ready, remove the pan from the oven and let the pork rest at room temperature in the braising liquid for 30 minutes.
Transfer the pork from the braising liquid to a sheet pan. Place another sheet pan on top of the pork, and put a six-pound weight on top (a large cookbook works well). Place the trays in the refrigerator until the pork is cool throughout, at least 90 minutes.
Remove the pork from the tray and cut into one-inch by three-inch rectangles. Season the rectangles with salt and pepper, and grill (using an outdoor grill or indoor cast-iron version) until the top is crisp and the pork is warm throughout, about six minutes on each side.
Mustard greens 3 bunches mustard greens 2 oz vegetable oil 2 oz smoked bacon, cut into cubes ½ onion, diced Salt and pepper
Method:
Remove stems from mustard greens and discard. Wash the greens under cold water and dry completely.
Heat the oil in a stockpot. Add the bacon and onion; cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the greens in batches (they will shrink as they cook) and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, drain on paper towels to remove excess liquid.
Red wine–poached apples 6 Granny Smith apples 10½ oz (about 7/8 cup) honey 150 ml red-wine vinegar 1.5 liters dry red wine 2 tsp ground sumac 6 black peppercorns 2 cloves
Method:
Peel and core the apples. Set aside in a bowl of water to avoid browning.
Bring the honey and vinegar to a boil in a wide saucepan.
When the honey is completely dissolved, reduce the heat to low and add the wine, sumac, peppercorns and cloves.
Halve the apples lengthwise and place rounded-side down in the poaching liquid. Cover loosely and allow the apples to poach on low heat for 30 minutes.
Store the apples in the refrigerator covered in the poaching liquid until ready to use. Thinly slice the apples lengthwise just before serving.
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