Canlis Chef Brady Williams Shares Recipe For 'Signature' Dish

SEATTLE, WA - Now you can experience a slice of Seattle's renowned Canlis restaurant at home. Canlis' head chef, Brady Williams, who is a 2017 James Beard award nominee, is sharing the recipe for his signature dish: barley porridge with geoduck, green strawberries, and shiso. Williams says the dish is representative of the Pacific Northwest (that's the geoduck) and the region's relationship to the Pacific Rim (hence the Japanese shiso).

“This dish is the perfect snapshot of who we are – an iconic Pacific Northwest restaurant, combined with Japanese influence, and a focus on the best ingredients our area has to offer," he says.

Canlis, opened in 1950, is perhaps Seattle's most iconic fine-dining establishment. Perched on a hillside off of SR 99 in Queen Anne overlooking Lake Union and the cityscape, a tasting menu costs $150 per person - but all reviews indicate the experience is well worth the price. Williams is nominated for a 2017 James Beard Award for rising star chef of the year, which is being presented by S. Pellegrino.

So, take advantage of Williams' recipe and stage a gourmet meal this weekend. Here's the recipe:

Barley porridge with geoduck, green strawberries, and shiso

Ingredients: Barley porridge (creamy barley porridge with garlic paste, butter, shio shoyu, lemon juice); geoduck (thinly sliced and dressed in shio shoyu and lemon juice), green atrawberries (thinly sliced and dressed in a muscatell vinegar and honey); sorrel (wood sorrel garnish); shiso (grapeseed oil infused with shiso).

Barley

• 500 g Barley
• 1000 g Water

Rinse the barley well. Be sure there are no hulls still attached to the barley. Groats with the hull still attached will usually float when soaked in water. Add 1000 g of water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender.

Barley Milk

• 200 g Barley
• 400 g Water

Place barley and water in a blender and spin until smooth. Strain through chinois. The barley starch will settle out and must be mixed thoroughly before every use.

Barley Risotto (one portion)

• 100 g Barley, cooked
• 30 g Barley milk
• 15 g Shiro shoyu
• 30 g Butter
• Salt, lemon juice, garlic paste (to taste)

Combine barley, barley milk, and soy sauce in a small pan and bring to a boil to activate barley milk starches. Add garlic paste and lemon juice and then emulsify in butter. Season.

Green Strawberries

• 500 g Muscatell vinegar
• 500 g Honey

Mix two ingredients together with a pinch of salt. Thinly slice green strawberries and compress in liquid until translucent (about three cycles).

Shiso Oil

• 1 part Shiso
• 1.5 parts Grapeseed oil

Add to a blender and blend until steaming (about 5 minutes). Strain through a coffee filter.

Image via Creative Commons