At The Alley Burgerhouse, we have been hard at work testing and developing recipes for our menu. Each Thursday night at the Home of the Heffernan’s, I cook up a variety of dishes and snacks that will eventually be part of our opening menu. This past week we had a break from tasting our delicious burger prototypes for some tasty starters and vegetable dishes.
We snacked on these beautiful, smashed heirloom potatoes with a romesco dipping sauce. Romesco is a Spanish condiment made from roasted red peppers, tomato, almonds, hazelnuts, garlic, and sherry vinegar.
Next up were my version of salt and pepper shrimp. These beauties were so fresh they were alive just moments before they were dipped in a light cornstarch batter and fried until crisp. The best part is that the entire shrimp is edible from head to tail. We dipped them in a slightly spicy aioli made with fried garlic, fried onions, peanuts, and korean chili.
Lastly we had a fun throwback to childhood with my take on broccoli with cheese sauce and crispy fried shallots. The broccoli is grilled over mesquite and dressed with olive oil and salt. I made a cheese fondue with smoked white cheddar cheese and goat’s milk gouda. The dish is topped with some crispy shallots for a little salty crunch. It's a dish that takes me way back to when my mom would make broccoli with cheddar sauce.
While we are a bit away from opening we are having a blast tasting, testing and watching our bellies grow. We look forward to the day when we can have all of you in to enjoy with us!