Palm Beach’s beloved chef Clay Conley (clayconley.com) shares the secrets behind the crave-worthy dishes you’ve been missing from his restaurants while homebound. Here, the chef-owner tells us how to prepare the famous handcut farro tagliatelle from Buccan (buccanpalmbeach.com), the savory grilled asparagus and mushrooms from Imoto (imotopalmbeach.com), and Conley’s refreshing and light grilled shrimp “scampi.” Bon appétit.
Handcut Farro Tagliatelle With Brown Butter, Pistachio de Bronte, Lemon and Parmesan From Buccan
Prep time: 2 to 3 hours, with resting of the dough
Yields 6 servings as a main course, or up to 10 as a
small-plate dish
PASTA DOUGH
7 oz. farro or spelt flour
19 oz. “00” flour
21 oz. egg yolk
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
SAUCE
8 oz. unsalted butter
10 oz. heavy cream
6 oz. roughly chopped Sicilian pistachio
4 oz. finely chopped shallots
4 oz. Sicilian Pistachio paste
2 lemons, zested
1 bunch small diced chives
4 oz. Parmesan
salt to taste
PASTA Begin by measuring everything. Once everything is scaled out, mix together the flours and salt in a large bowl and push to the sides to create a well in the center. Mix together the yolk and olive oil and pour into well. Start mixing by hand. When the dough starts coming together, begin kneading (this step can be done on a clean cutting board or clean table). Knead for a good 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add a few drops of water; if it seems too wet, add a little flour. Once kneaded, cover with plastic and let rest 1 to 2 hours. After dough has rested, cut dough into 4 workable portions. Roll one at a time into ⅛-inch-thick sheets, then cut into ½-inch strips to create the tagliatelle noodle.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Reserve 4 oz. of pasta water for finishing step.
SAUCE In a heavy saucepan, brown butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and 4 oz. of the chopped pistachio, reserving 2 oz. for garnish. Once the shallots and pistachio are lightly browned, add the cream and pistachio paste. Add the cooked pasta and adjust the thickness of sauce with the reserved pasta water. Finish with zest of lemons and salt to taste.
PLATE Divide into portions and garnish with chives, remaining pistachio and Parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Grilled Asparagus and Mushrooms With Truffled Ponzu Butter From Imoto
Yields 4 servings
1 lb. cleaned asparagus, cut into 1 ½- to 2-inch pieces
1 lb. cleaned mushrooms (shiitake and beech mushrooms are preferred, but any type is fine.)
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz. ponzu sauce
1 oz. chopped canned truffle slices (or prepared truffle salsa)
2 oz. butter
2 oz. Parmesan
1 oz. chiffonade scallions
Combine the mushrooms and asparagus in a medium-size bowl. Toss with olive oil to evenly coat, and season with salt and pepper.
On a grill over medium heat, evenly distribute the seasoned mushrooms and asparagus. You may need to use a wire rack if your grill grate is too large to prevent product from falling through.
In a large saute pan, heat the ponzu sauce and truffles. Once it simmers, whisk in the butter to emulsify.
Add the grilled mushrooms and asparagus to the saute pan with the sauce, and reduce until the sauce starts to coat the vegetables.
Toss with Parmesan. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with the scallions.
Grilled Shrimp “Scampi”
Yields 4 servings
8 U-8 shrimp
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 minced shallots
8 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. chili flakes
¼ cup white wine
juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup chicken stock
4 Tbps. unsalted butter
1 seeded and diced tomato
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
8 baguette slices
1 cup arugula
3 Tbsp. lemon vinaigrette
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
Build a wood and charcoal fire and allow to burn until only embers remain. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and a touch of olive oil. Place shrimp over hot part of the grill and char on both sides; remove from grill and keep warm. While shrimp is cooking, over medium heat melt butter with shallots, garlic and chili. Cook until translucent. Deglaze with wine and lemon and reduce until dry. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil and reduce. Turn to low and whisk in butter. Add tomato, parsley and shrimp and allow to cook until shrimp are cooked through. Take baguette slices, toss in more olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and over a cooler part of the grill toast bread. Toss the arugula in lemon vinaigrette. Take a piece of bread, top with a nest of arugula; place the shrimp on top and sauce.
Photography by: Grilled Asparagus photo courtesy of Imoto; all other photos courtesy of Buccan
