Spring Hill Menu
Last week I finally went to my first Seattle Foodies lunch orchestrated by Darryl Duke. (Thank you Darryl) Each month 40 or so lucky foodies get together to try out some of Seattle’s favorite dining spots. This was one lunch that did not disappoint. Spring Hill Restaurant is located in West Seattle at 4437 California Avenue, Seattle, WA 98116 (206) 935-1075. Just 15-20 minutes outside of downtown Seattle. Spring Hill was established by Mark Fuller and his wife Marjorie in the summer of 2008 and have been entertaining Seattle foodies ever since. (http://springhillnorthwest.com/)
Mark is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and is very committed to Northwest local sustainable foods with a fresh and simple theme. We know how I love that!
The selection of food for the Seattle Foodies lunch was clean, simple and yet slightly decadent. Here was the menu in photos:
Pupus
Our starter:
Crsipy Kalua duck
Ahi poke
Bulgogi beef with khim chee
They were so delicious. Clean and the bulgogi beef was superb. Tender to a flaw! The duck was encrusted in a bread like crumb coating *(don’t know exactly) that held it together beautifully. And the Ahi tasted right off the boat.
Chicken Lunch
Our Lunch:
Roasted Chicken
Stir Fried Emmer with smoked Hedgehogs
Baby Sweet Potatoes
Egg yolk and watercress
This was a wonderful combination with the best baby sweet potatoes I have ever tasted. The yolk was a perfect compliment to the chicken and smoked hedgehogs. And btw, I can’t even describe the taste of the hedgehogs. A wonderful surprise.
Dessert
Dessert:
Roasted Pineapple Sorbet
Il hing mui
Haupia
Let me just say the dessert was my favorite dish of the day. And it had to be impressive after that lunch. This Pineapple sorbet was hands down the best sorbet I have ever tasted. Now I never have tropical fruits or tropical desserts unless I am in tropical climates, generally speaking. But after this dessert I wanted to quickly board a flight to Hawaii with nothing but a bathing suit and a good book. The round looking nutmeg in the photo is a tiny miniature coconut. It is delightful. The pink shavings on the plate (please forgive as I only had my Iphone camera with me) is Il hing mui, a salty dried plum which was not really that salty imho! In this dish it was a nice compliment to the sorbet. The Haupia is like a ribbon of sweetness. Haupia is a typical Hawaiian dessert found at luaus made from sweet coconut cream. Wonderful texture.
Make it over to Spring Hill some night. Especially if you are in the mood for feeling tropical. It will most likely become a tradition.
Here is one of Mark’s Signature Recipes:
CHOPPER’S RED ALE PORK CHOP
Serves 4
3 bottles (12 ounces each) red ale
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
Pinch dried red pepper flakes
4 thick cut pork loin chops, 10-12 ounces each
Combine ale, sugar salt, onion, garlic, mustard, thyme, bay leaf and pepper flakes in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Add the pork chops to the brine, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours for chops that are 1 1/2 inches or more thick, or 6 hours for 1 inch thick chops. If you’re using thin chops, 2-3 hours will be sufficient.
When ready to cook the chops, preheat an outdoor grill to high heat. Remove the chops from the brine, rinse them lightly and pat dry with paper towels. Grill the pork chops until nicely browned on the surface and just a hint of pink remains at the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side for thick shops, 2 to 3 minutes per side for thin chops. Set aside, covered with foil, for a few minutes before serving.
Thanks Mark and Marjorie for a wonderful lunch! See you again soon.
I hope you find yourself at the next Seattle Foodies event too. Do come hungry and plan on meeting new friends to dine with. Until then, buy local and love deeply!
Bon Appétit!
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