Gerard Craft | Sardella
Spice roasted chicken with charred Brussels sprouts and preserved lemon at Sardella has a smoky depth of flavor that Chef Gerard Craft has created not with a spice rub, but with a spice brine and a spice butter. The flavor-packed butter is made with dried Guajillo and New Mexico chiles, caraway and coriander seeds, cumin, fresh mint, olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and garlic.
Devon Quinn | Eden
What’s good for the duck is good for the diner? That’s the philosophy behind a few menu items at Eden, including this braised duck lasagna with puffed wild rice by Devon Quinn, chef and partner of Eden in Chicago. “We have done a couple of dishes incorporating the natural feeding habits of whatever protein we’re cooking,” Quinn says. “Wild rice is an important water fowl food; biologists report that ducks eat it at every stage of their growth.” The wild rice is puffed like popcorn in fryer oil, adding that all-important crunch factor.
Jared Sippel | Italienne
Crostini Toscani with chicken liver, sieved egg and housemade dill pickle combines flavors and textures in a shareable small plate made to delight diners. This menu item, by Chef Jared Sippel, is a platform for showcasing chicken liver’s rich qualities. Available on the Taverna side of Italienne, the more casual-dining area, the crostini is a good example of the French food with an Italian accent (and vice versa) selection at Italienne.