bouchon santa barbara owner Mitchell Sjerven also owns Seagrass Restaurant. Seagrass is situated on the corner of Anacapa & Ortega streets (at the former Sage & Onion location), features Coastal Cuisine with Chef Greg Murphy at the helm. Check out the website at www.seagrassrestaurant.com for menus & more –- and we hope to see you soon at Seagrass Restaurant!
Private Dinner Parties in the Cork Room
bouchon santa barbara offers private dining in the Cork Room, where up to twenty guests can be accommodated at the grand table.Reserve the cork room for special holiday occasions and enjoy an evening of food & wine to remember in an elegant and unpretentious atmosphere.Perfect for a group of friends, staff party or corporate function—and there is no charge to reserve the room! Call (805) 730-1160 and speak with Jennifer or Mitchell to book your event now.
New Year’s
Eve 2009 !
Thursday,
December 31st
(TWO SEATINGS: 6:00pm and 9:00 p.m.)
New Year's Eve at bouchon santa barbara is a special evening, celebrating the New Year with a regional fine dining experience. We offer two seatings, the 1st Seating, at 6pm, is designed for guests attending the Santa Barbara symphony at the Arlington Theater just across from bouchon (of course, it's not required you attend the symphony!).
The 2nd Seating, at 9pm, is for food & wine aficionados looking to ring in the New Year at bouchon.
The Symphony Seating features our Regular Dinner Menu in a three course à la carte format,
allowing you to
choose from all of our first course, entrée and dessert menu items. Dinner service begins at 6pm and is completed in time to make the Pops Concert 8:30 curtain, head out to a party or just head home.$65.00 per person, food menu.
The Premier Seating is a five-course dinner designed for the 'gourmand' who wishes to enjoy a leisurely meal. Dinner begins at 9:00pm and continues 'til 11:30pm, with those wishing to ring in the New Year at bouchon treated to champagne & party favors at Midnight! Premier seating is $95.00 per person, food menu (vegetarian menu available, too!). Seating limited to sixty guests.
Chef's New Year's Eve Tasting Menu
9:00 pm Premiere Seating
curtain
Escargot
‘vol au vent’
California snail in puff pastry with
garlic butter
seared
lamb ‘carpaccio’
Kenebec chip,
caramelized onion, Pt. Reyes blue
house-cured
salmon
smoked steelhead roe, pumpernickel, crème frâiche
’08 flying goat
‘bubbles’, brut rosé, santa maria valley
act II
local
ridgeback shrimp bisque
chervil and
shrimp garni
’07
star lane sauvignon blanc, estate, santa barbara
intermezzo
roasted root vegetables with market
mizuna greens
Purple Haze goat cheese
’07 palmina tocai fruliano, honea vineyard,
santa ynez valley
act III
seared
sea scallop & foie gras
chanterelle
risotto and braised beet greens
’06 foxen pinot
noir, julia’s vineyard, santa maria valley
act IV
duck
confit
roasted squash, winter greens and port
reduction
’05 kenneth-crawford grenache, larner vineayrd, santa ynez valley
act V
char-grilled ‘wagyu’ beef ribeye
roasted
beet hash and grilled asparagus
’06 santa barbara
winery primotivo, joughin vineyard, santa ynez
finale
petit fours, at bouchon or ‘to-go’ so you can enjoy the
midnight hour in your own way, if
desired
chef Brandon Hughes
$95. per person, food menu
(tax, beverages & gratuity additional)
$75.00 Wine pairing menu, per person (optional)
We wish you & yours a very happy & healthy 2010!
* all bouchon
santa barbara menus are seasonal and subject to change
Santa Barbara featured on ‘Giada’s Weekend Getaway’
We’re thrilled Food Network TV found bouchon Santa Barbara! One of the network’s most popular shows, ‘Giada’s Weekend Getaway’ featured several local restaurants, including Elements and Santa Ynez’s Trattoria Grappolo, as well as the most unique winery in the valley, Artiste. Giada was every bit as delightful in person as she appears on television and raved about one of our favorites: McConnell’s Ice Cream!
If you missed the August 2007 airingslog on to www.foodnetwork.comand topic-search ‘Santa Barbara’ for featured bouchon recipes and additional info on the show.
Bay Area TV Station features Santa Barbara
CBS 5 station KPIX showcased several Santa Barbara area destinations, including bouchon, in its February 23, 2007 episode of "Eye on the Bay", check out the links below:
bouchon santa barbara was honored by Frommer's California 2005 publication as one of “The Best Restaurants in California”. They write: "With an always-intriguing seasonal menu derived from Santa Barbara County's Wine Country and fresh ingredients, this intimate restaurant (whose name means "wine cork") lies hidden behind a shrubbery portal in the heart of downtown. The food and service are impeccable, and an experienced staff stands ready to help coordinate by-the-glass (or even half-glass) wines for each course." Thanks, Frommer's! To see more, visit www.frommers.com on line.
Wine List Awards
We’re excited to have just received our 10th straight Wine Spectator magazine ‘Award of Excellence’ (2001-2010). Criteria reward food and wine menus that work in concert and demonstrate a strong focus— in our case, the wines of the California Central Coast. Check out the Aug. 31, 2010 issue dedicated to ‘restaurants for wine lovers’ for complete list of recipients.
And, once again, our entry in the Wine Enthusiast wine list competition resulted in an ‘Award of Unique Distinction’ for being ‘one of the nation’s most wine-friendly restaurants’. Look for the complete list in the Feb. ‘09 issue of Wine Enthusiast.
Cooking Classes are a great way to create your own event!
bouchon santa barbara offers cooking classes by group reservation only, where ten to thirty guests can be accommodated in the dining room between 10 am - 2 pm.
At bouchon santa barbara we do cooking class by private arrangement only. In other words, you need to get a few friends, family or business associates together and we'll customize a class to your likes and our menus. The minimum expenditure required for a cooking class is $1,500.00 and the per person cost for the food & wine luncheon is typically around $75.00, including instruction.
Hello to all of our Cooking Class participants! (scroll down for all recipes)
We had a great time and hope you have fond memories of our lunch together. Below are the recipes and some helpful cooking terms and techniques from class. Please feel free to email any questions you may have to: info@bouchonsantabarbara.com
Bon Appètit!
Recipes from Cooking Classes:
Roasted kabocha Squash Soup with 'Beurre Noisette'
Yield: 6-8 appetizerportions
Ingredients:
3 ea. medium-sized butternut squash
1 ea. medium-sized yellow onion, diced small
3 ea. small celery stalks, diced small
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
1/4 cup olive oil
2 qt. water
Method:
Halve and de-seed squash, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes. Sauté mire poix (carrots, celery and onion) in olive oil until onions are translucent. Scoop out roasted squash, discarding the tough outer skin. Add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are soft. Cool, strain and reserve liquid. Place solid ingredients in a blender on liquefy and slowly pour reserved liquid into blender until mixture reaches soup consistency. Season and serve warm.
For Beurre Noisette:
Slowly melt 1/2 stick butter until golden brown. Add 1 T. of favorite fresh herb (sage, thyme, tarragon, marjoram, etc.). Allow herb to steep, then strain and drizzle over soup just prior to serving. Adds a nice visual touch as well as imparting another flavor.
Notes:
If you want a more vibrant color to the soup, add carrots.
Also, to use as a pasta sauce simply add more water. Great over tortellini, ravioli, etc.
(Puff pastry often comes in standard 10” x 15” sheets.It can be purchased in the frozen food section, Pepperidge Farms is a widely available brand.You’ll need enough to cover either one 12” skillet or ten individual 3-4” molds)
for caramel:
1 cup sugar
1 #butter, quartered
½ cup sherry wine
¼ cup cream
Preparation:
Make caramel in a medium-sized sauce pan, stirring sugar with a wooden spoon until it begins to caramelize.Carefully & slowly add
sherry with a measuring cup avoiding steam.Stir until liquids are combined, then carefully and slowly add cream (adding cold liquid
will create steam).Add butter a quarter at a time and continue to stir until caramel is brown and ‘pourable’.Will make enough for
10 individual ‘tarte tatin’ or a large one.
For individual Tartes:
Slice fruit into ¼”-thin wedges, set aside. Pour caramel into molds (individual ramekins or shallow china ‘cappuccino’ cups work very
well) and set aside.When ready to bake, place apples on top of caramel and bake for approx 15 minutes at 350°.
At the same time, use a ramekin as a ‘cookie cutter’ and create individual puff pastry ‘tops’.Bake puff pastry separately until it rises
and turns golden brown (approx 15-20 minutes).When ready to server, add round of puff pastry to top of ramekin and invert for
each individual on a dessert plate.
For cast iron skillet version:
qButter bottom of 12” skillet.Layer on cored and halved apples and pour caramel mixture over fruit.Fit cut out puff pastry sheet over top of fruit and bake together for approx 15 minutes at 350°.Carefully invert on wooden cutting board to cut and serve.
Yield
Serves approx. 10 desserts. Delicious a la mode, we serve with cinnamon ice cream (but vanilla bean is great, too!). Enjoy with Santa Barbara Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.
Mizuna Greens & Shaved Fennel Salad
with Grapefruit segments and Hass Avocado
equal parts
fennel and Mizuna greens
1 ea.
grapefruit, with segments cut out
1 ea.
avocado, sliced
1 pint
1 T.
sherry vinegar
Dijon mustard
2 pints
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lemon
Cracked Seed Vinaigrette
½ tsp
toasted, cracked mustard seed
1 tsp
toasted, cracked fennel seed
1 tsp
toasted, cracked coriander seed
1 tsp
toasted, cracked caraway seed
1 tsp
minced shallots
1 cups
1 T.
sherry vinegar
Dijon mustard
2 cups
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lemon
In heavy-bottom pan toast mustard, fennel and coriander seeds on medium heat. Seeds will lightly brown, be careful not to burn, pull off of heat as soon as you can smell seed aromas. Once cooled, grind seeds in coffee grinder or crush with mortar & pestle. In food processor add vinegar, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil. Pulse 10-15 times until liquid begins to emulsify, then add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Slice fennel bulb on mandolin for very thin, evenly sliced pieces. Toss with Mizuna (or arugula as a substitute) in cracked seed vinaigrette. Garnish top of salad with grapefruit segments and avocado slices.
Excellent with crisp, acidic Sauvignon Blanc, such as Vogelzang Estate or Brander au Natural.
Seared SEa BAss with Saffron, Spinach & sun-dried tomato Risotto
with 'Pistou' sauce
1 1/2 lb.
Sea Bass
1 each
onion, minced
6 cloves
garlic, minced
1 ounce
olive oil
1 pound
Arborio rice
4 cups
hot water
1 cup
1/4 cup
1/4 tsp.
½ cup
6 T.
baby spinach leaves
sundried tomatoes, sliced
saffron, crumbled
butter
Parmigiano, grated
Preparation
Heat water to simmer, keep aside and ready. In saute pan sweat minced onion and garlic in oil until translucent. Add rice and coat with oil until just starting to brown. Gradually add hot water, a half-cup at a time. Stir constantly, risotto is an exercise in patience. After two cups of water have been added, pour in wine. In last two additions of hot water add saffron and sundried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper add spinach, remaining butter and cheese, stir and serve.
Sea Bass cooking
Season four 6 ounce Sea Bass portions with salt & pepper and sear in very hot cast iron pan (almost smoking hot). Add grapeseed oil to pan, coating the bottom and carefully add in the Sea Bass fillets. Let them sear until golden brown then flip and repeat.
Finely chop garlic in processor. Add basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until basil is finely chopped, adding in olive oil as machine is running. Season with pepper.
Yield
Four entrée-sized portions.
Tips
If you are fortunate enough to have secured nice, thick fillets of Sea Bass you can finish the cooking process in the oven (instead of risking burning in the pan-- the thicker the fish, the longer the cook time). Place Sea Bass neatly on top of mound of risotto just before serving, drizzle pistou around risotto/fish 'mound'. For richer, non-vegetarian risotto substitute one cup chicken stock for one cup water. If your rice is not cooked enough but you’re running out of moisture, continue adding water a little at a time until it is both cooked and moist.
roasted farmers market squash salad
2 tbsp EVOO
1 kaboacha squash
2 ea delacotta squash
3 ea traviso or radicchio
3 tbsp Pt. Reyes blue cheese (crumbled)
2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
¼ c cracked seed vinaigrette
salt & pepper to taste
1 bottle of Vin Cotto Fig Balsamic (garnish)
Peel delicata squash and cut into rings. Take out seeds and place in a roasting pan, sprinkle with EVOO, salt & pepper. Roast at 350 degrees (or until tender), remove and cool. Repeat steps with kabocha but cut into wedges, if the skin is thin you do not have to peel it. Wash and dry traviso (or radicchio) and tear by hand into bite size pieces. Crumble blue cheese and reserve. Toast pumpkin seeds and reserve.
Cracked Seed Vinaigrette
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
¼ c champagne vinegar
1 c grapeseed oil
salt/pepper to taste
In a dry skillet toast seeds, when they start to smoke, pour onto a cutting board to cool. Crack the seeds with the back of a cool sauté pan until just cracked. Place seeds in a bowl and add vinegar. Slowly add in the oil while whisking until all the oil is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble: In a large bowl toss the squash and traviso with the vinaigrette and season with salt & pepper. On 4 plates divide squash & traviso evenly. Garnish with blue cheese & toasted pumpkin seeds. Drizzle fig balsamic over and around the salad.
Enjoy with Riesling or Brut Rosé!
Seared Scallops with Exotic Mushroom Risotto
1 each onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 ounce olive oil
1 pound Arborio rice
4 cups hot water
1 cup asparagus, chopped small
1 cup chanterelle, porcini & shitake mushrooms
½ cup butter
6 T. Parmigiano, grated
Preparation
Sauté mushrooms in ½ of the minced garlic and onion and 1 T. butter. Set aside. Heat water to simmer. Sweat remaining minced onion and garlic until translucent. Add rice and coat with oil until just starting to brown. Gradually add hot water, a half-cup at a time. Stir constantly, risotto is an exercise in patience. After two cups of water have been added, pour in wine. In last two additions of hot water add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper add remaining butter and cheese, stir and serve.
Scallops
4 (each) U-8 or U-10 dry diver scallops
s/p to taste
EVOO
1 lb of watercress (garnish)
white truffle oil (drizzle as garnish)
Preparation
Heat a cast iron pan until almost smoking. Season scallops. Add oil to pan, coat the bottom and carefully add in the scallops. Let them sear until golden brown then flip and repeat.
Yield
Four entrée-sized or eight appetizer-sized portions.
Tips
Use larger, U6-U10 scallops, a size distinction your fish counter will understand (meaning roughly that number of scallops per pound). Scallops cook very quickly so be careful not to overcook (= rubbery, tough). Place scallops neatly on top of mound of risotto just before serving. For richer, non-vegetarian risotto substitute one cup chicken stock for one cup water. If your rice is not cooked enough but you’re running out of moisture, continue adding water a little at a time until it is both cooked and moist.
Enjoy with Sauvignon Blanc for a crisp foil to the richness of the scallop & risotto (such as Vogelzang estate) or meet the searing head-on with a complementing pinot noir (like melville estate).
Pumpkin Cheesecake with mixed berry compote
Cheesecake Ingredients:
1 ½ lb. Cream cheese, room temp
3 large eggs, room temp
½ lb. Mascarpone, room temp
¾ C. Sugar
¼ C. All-purpose Flour
1 C. cooked pumpkin, still warm
½ C. graham cracker crumbs, crushed and mixed with almost melted soft butter
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350º. Have roasting pan at the ready. Butter bottom, sides and rim of an 8 inch cheesecake pan (or, for individual cheesecakes use 3” across ramekins). Press graham cracker crumbs evenly around sides, about a ¼ inch think (for ramekins press graham cracker crumbs firmly into bottom of ramekin about ¼ inch deep). Use plenty of butter when making graham cracker crust crumbles.
Beat cream cheese 4-5 minutes or so until smooth on medium speed. Scrape bowl and fold into mixing batter frequently. Add sugar and continue to beat until dissolved, about 4 more minutes. Add flour, pumpkin and mascarpone and beat just until folded in. Add one egg, beat for another minute. Egg will loosen ingredients in the bowl, then add one egg at a time and continue beating until smooth. Continue scraping bowl throughout process.
Place cheesecake in pan in a roasting pan with enough water to come up halfway on cheesecake pan (with ramekins place also place in roasting pan with water just over ½ way up the outside of the ramekin). Bake on center rack for about an hour. Top should appear puffy and slightly browned. Cool on wire rack, allow to settle one day before serving. Serve refrigerator temp.
Mixed Berry Compote:
1 pt raspberries
1 pt blackberries
1 pt blueberries
¼ c sugar
1 tbsp water
Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cool. Spoon mixture over cheesecakes as serving.
For wine pairing, enjoy Shadow Canyon Late Harvest Pinot Blanc or Foxen Late Harvest Viognier.
Mixed Greens with citrus-marinated Feta & roasted beets
Marinated Feta
1 lb feta cheese
1 lemon (zest only)
½ bunch fresh thyme
½ bunch fresh oregano
½ bunch fresh parsley
3 fresh bay leaf(s)
EVOO to cover
Remove feta and rinse in cold water. Place cheese in small plastic container. Pour enough olive oil over to cover cheese. Add all ingredients and let marinate overnight.
Roasted Beets
2 red beets
2 golden (yellow) beets
EVOO
Preheat oven to 375. Wash beets in cold water and pat dry. Coat beets with oil and place in a roasting pan, cover with foil and roast at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until beets are tender. Let cool, then peel the beets with a side towel and cut into bite size wedges.
Sherry Vinaigrette
1 tbsp diced shallots
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ c sherry vinegar
¾ c EVOO
s/p to taste
In a bowl add shallots, Dijon and vinegar, whisk. Slowly add olive oil while whisking constantly. When all has been incorporated, season with salt and pepper.
Black Olive Oil
¼ c salt cured black olives
2 tbsp EVOO
Pit all olives and put into a food processor. Add in olive oil and puree until olives are finely chopped.
Mixed Greens
4 c organic mixed greens. Wash greens very well in cold water and spin dry in salad spinner.
Assembly
In a large bowl add greens & 2 teaspoons of the vinaigrette, toss to coat the greens. Divide the dressed greens onto 4 plates. Place roasted beets around the outside of the greens, alternating colors. Spoon the black olive oil around the outside of the salad (over the beets). Crumble the marinated feta on top and enjoy!
Seared Scallop & Mushroom Stew
Vegetable Stock
3 onions
2 carrots
4 celery ribs
2 bay leafs
6 sprigs of thyme
2 qts of water
In a large pot add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender. Remove the bay leaves & thyme. Puree and reserve for later.
Mushroom Stew
2 porcini mushrooms
¼ lb of chanterelles
¼ lb of shitakes
1 shallot, diced
1 tsp parsley
1tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
s/p to taste
vegetable stock
¼ lb butter
Clean mushrooms with a damp towel. Cut porcinis into ¼ pieces, tear the chanterelles in half and tear the caps off the shitakes off their stems and reserve the stems for later use. In a large sauté pan add the butter, shallots, mushrooms, herbs and s/p. Cook all the ingredients, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms start to give off their liquid. Add in the vegetable stock, cook and simmer for 10 minutes to develop a full flavor. Keep warm.
Scallop
4 (each) U-8 dry diver scallops
s/p to taste
EVOO
1 lb of watercress (garnish)
white truffle oil (drizzle as garnish)
Heat a cast iron pan until almost smoking. Season scallops. Add oil to pan, coat the bottom carefully and add in the scallops. Let them sear until golden brown then flip and repeat.
Assembly
In four large bowls divide the mushroom stew. Top the stew with watercress leaves. Cut each scallop in half through the middle and place browned side up on top of the stew. Drizzle with white truffle oil and enjoy!
Crème Brulee
½gallon.
heavy cream
2
vanilla beans
¾ cup
18
sugar
yolks
To prepare:
Mix heavy cream, vanilla bean and sugar. Scald. Whisk egg yolks and temper hot cream into yolks. Using flat sheet pan, bake 8 ounce ladle full in crème brulée dishes at 250 degrees in water bath. Do not preheat oven.
Roasted Beet Salad with Date Vinaigrette:
Date vinaigrette:
¼ cup Dates, chopped
1 T. cider vinegar
S & P to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste
Combine dates and vinegar in large bowl. Slowly drizzle in EVOO while whisking. Season with Salt & pepper to taste. Dressing keeps in fridge for one week.
Salad ingredients:
1 bunch yellow beets
1 bunch red beets
1 bunch peeled, raw candy strip beets
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch sorrel, cut to ribbons
1 sm. wheel Humboldt Fog Cheese
1 bunch baby red carrots
1 bunch thyme
Preparation
Roast red & yellow beets (individually, so as to not discolor the golden beets) in 1 T. EVOO, thyme and garlic at 350° or until tender, then peel after cooled.
When ready to serve:
Slice candy stripe beets very thinly and layer on plate as a beet ‘carpaccio’. Quarter red & yellow beets and toss with date vinaigrette and sorrel. Place in generous mound on top of ‘carpaccio’. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place a slice of Humboldt Fog cheese over each plated salad.
This salad pairs brilliantly with the 2005 Vogelzang Estate Sauvignon Blanc, enhancing the herbaceous characteristics of the dressing/earthy flavors of the beets without making the wine seem ‘vegetal’. Also, Sauvignon Blanc is considered a natural match with goat cheese and I like a lot in my salad!
Serves 4 (starter-sized salads)
Santa barbara ridgeback shrimp & asparagus risotto:
1 lb.
1 each
shrimp, peeled & deveined
onion, minced
6 cloves
garlic, minced
1 ounce
olive oil
1 pound
Arborio rice
4 cups
hot water
1 cup
½ cup
½ cup
6 T.
to taste
asparagus, chopped small
squash blossoms, chopped (sub arugula, swiss chard or other hearty green)
butter
Parmigiano, grated
Salt & Pepper
Preparation
Sweat garlic and onion and 1 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil. Set aside. Heat water to simmer. Add rice and coat with oil until just starting to brown. Gradually add hot water, a half-cup at a time. Stir constantly until rice is ‘al dente’. In last two additions of hot water, add asparagus. Season with salt and pepper add remaining butter and cheese, stir and serve.
Yield
Four entrée-sized or eight appetizer-sized portions.
Tips
For richer, non-vegetarian risotto substitute one cup chicken stock for one cup water. If your rice is not cooked enough but you’re running out of moisture, continue adding water a little at a time until rice is both cooked and moist.
Wine Recommendation:
Ojai Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Citrus-Seared Sea Scallops, Asparagus Risotto and bursted Tomato Beurre Blanc
1/2 cup small tomatoes (sweet 100's are recommended)
1 T. thyme, picked and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
for Scallops:
20 U6-U8 Scallops ('U8' is a size designation that means there are roughly eight scallops per pound)
2 T. grapeseed oil
1 lemon, lime or one of each
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Follow box directions for preparing Arborio rice. Puree the asparagus stalks you've blanched then fold into risotto just prior to finishing. When rice is finished a