Sac Foodies

I live in East Sac so dinner with the Selland’s is a family weeknight favorite when we don’t feel like cooking.  On the flip side, there’s only been one lucky night in my life that I was able to experience Randall Selland’s The Kitchen.  I was just reminded of that wonderful day in December a few years ago when this month’s menu (see below) arrived in my email inbox.  A true foodie cannot deny how delicious this menu reads.  Apparently reservations are still available.  Call now for reservations (916.568.7171) if you’ve never been.  It’s worth the splurge and the dining room is stunning during the holidays!

The Kitchen: December Menu 2008

- First Course -

Randall’s Classic French Onion Soup
with Cave-Aged Swiss Gruyère Fried Bread

This is one of our perennial favorites at The Kitchen. With a deep and richly flavored mix of all organic red and yellow cipollinis, red and white pearl, and sweet Walla Walla onions, this comforting classic is a winner. For the cheese, we are using a decadent and intensely flavorful cave-aged real Swiss Gruyère melted on sourdough bread and then fried. On top, a bit of crisp micro-chive is a perfect last touch.

- Second Course -

Fresh Dungeness Crab Chopped Salad
with Preserved Meyer Lemon, Celery Heart, Chervil
and Vetrice Orchard Designated Olive Oil

We follow the French Onion Soup with a crisp, delightful salad of fresh local Dungeness Crab chopped with romaine hearts and topped with crunchy celery heart and chervil drizzled with a touch of our house preserved Meyer Lemon to really accent the crab. We also have a beautiful orchard designated Vetrice Olive Oil from Prunatelli that is made from picholines for a robust and earthy counterpoint. This is a lovely, light second course to lead you into our tempting Sushi and Sashimi Intermission.

- Sushi – Sashimi – Crudo -

- Third Course -

Our Signature Perigord Black Truffle-Maine Lobster Pot Pie

This is one of our all-time best-loved dishes. It’s so simple, but the excellent ingredients don’t need much gussying up. We take our flakey, buttery house made pot pie crust and fill it with fresh butter-poached Maine lobster and first-of-the-season real Perigord black truffles. In truth, the lobsters this month are coming from slightly further north off the East Coast of Canada, where the colder waters make for a lobster with a harder shell and sweeter meat. And the aromatic, divine black truffles are just becoming available and are pure heaven with the lobster. We are really excited to serve this dish in December.

- Fourth Course -

40-Day Dry-Aged Five Dot Ranch Strip Loin,
Roasted Root Vegetables, Béarnaise and
Baby ‘Baked’ Butter Potatoes

My favorite beef is back! Five Dot Ranch out of Susanville raises the tastiest all-natural, lean yet full-of-flavor beef. We usually use the tenderloin, but this month we are taking the New York strip that is dry-aged a whopping 40 days to delicious effect. These cuts are aged hanging with the bones and fat still attached to allow for optimal moist and tender flavor. With the grilled strip, we are serving roasted root vegetables from the farmers markets – most likely parsley root, parsnips, Tokyo turnips and the like – along with Stan’s baby baked butter potatoes. Our Sous Chef Stan Moore loves these miniature potatoes simply baked and then topped with our house made crème fraiche. As a final touch, a creamy, rich Béarnaise sauce will delight your palate.

- Dessert Course -

The Kitchen’s Funnel Cake with
Chocolate-Swirl Ice Cream, Black Walnut Brittle
and Caramel-Huckleberry Broth

This is a new and fun dessert that is pretty indulgent a bit decadent, but hey, it’s the holidays. Our version of a deep-fried funnel cake will be topped with a house made chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream and a black walnut brittle. Now, normally walnuts can be a little bitter, and they don’t scream, “brittle” or “dessert.” But these black walnuts are unique. Locally grown, they have a higher oil content and are much sweeter than traditional walnuts. For a sauce, Noah is using these delicious little garden huckleberries from Del Rio Botanicals to make a sweet and rich caramel-like syrup.

By Kris Caputo Hurley