Stamford, Connecticut native,  Chef Pasquale "Pat" Pascarella may be young; however his experience began at age 13 years washing dishes in a restaurant. By 14 he was working the sauté area and making salads, and by 15 he was a sous chef, this while still attending high school. Graduation from the French Culinary Institute in New York, plus impeccable externships have given this talented chef the experience needed as the Executive Chef at The Saltwater Grille in Shippan Point where he is also one of the partners.

Meeting with Chef Pascarella at The Saltwater Grille in March 2010, I learned that this personable chef has always been passionate about cooking. He grew up around great food and making homemade pasta with his grandmother. By chance he was at his best friend's house when the friend's uncle announced he had purchased a restaurant in Stamford and was looking for a dishwasher. Needing an after-school job, he readily accepted and soon became fascinated with cooking. When he was 14 he progressed to working the sauté area and making salads for the restaurant, and at age 15 when the sous chef left, the owner decided to give this budding talent a shot; not a bad gig to have on your resume while in high school.

Executive Chef Pasquale Pascarella

Although he was trained by working at the restaurant, he realized the need for formal training and attended the prestigious French Culinary Institute in New York followed by externships with notable New York chefs including Mario Batali, Eric Rippert, and Rocco DiSpirito, to name but a few. After graduation he went to work for Mario Batali, at his restaurants, Esca and Babbo in New York, where he honed his craft to perfection.  However, when the opportunity came to work in his home city of Stamford, he readily accepted.

At The Saltwater Grille there is a nice balance on the menu of rustic Italian, seafood, and meat, as well as more adventurous options. He likes to experiment with molecular cooking including the use of liquid nitrogen and agar agar, and although his focus is on New American Bistro cuisine there are also European influences. When not dreaming up new recipes, which he changes weekly, and sometimes daily, he likes to work out, fish, cook for his family, and when time allows, hunt.

The Saltwater Grille Dining Room 

The Saltwater Grille Recipes

 

Salmon Cornet Ingredients:

Method for the Cornets: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter until it is completely smooth and mayonnaise-like in texture.  Using a stiff spatula or spoon, beat the egg whites into the dry ingredients until completely incorporated and smooth.  Whisk in the softened butter by thirds, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary and whisking until the batter is creamy and without any lumps.  Transfer the batter to a smaller container, as it will be easier to work with.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Make a 4-inch circular stencil. Place a Silpat on the counter.  Place the stencil in one corner of the sheet and, holding the stencil flat against the Silpat, scoop some of the batter onto the back of an offset spatula and spread it in an even layer over the stencil.  Then run the spatula over the entire stencil to remove any excess batter.  After baking the first batch of cornets, you will be able to judge the correct thickness; you may need a little more or less batter to adjust the thickness of the cornets.  There should not be any holes in the batter.  Lift the stencil and repeat the process to make as many rounds as you have molds or to fill the Silpat, leaving about 1½ inches between the cornets.  Sprinkle each cornet with a pinch of black sesame seeds.

Place the Silpat on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the batter is set and you see it rippling from the heat.  The cornets may have browned in some areas, but they will not be evenly browned at this point.

Open the oven door and place the baking sheet on the door.  This will help keep the cornets warm as you roll them and prevent them from becoming too stiff to roll.  Flip a cornet over on the sheet pan, sesame seed side down, and place a 4½ inch cornet mold at the bottom of the round.  If you are right handed, you will want the pointed end on your left and the open end on your right.  The tip of the mold should touch the lower left edge of the cornet.  Fold the bottom of the cornet up and around the mold and carefully roll upward and toward the left to wrap the cornet tightly around the mold; it should remain on the sheet pan as you roll.  Leave the cornet wrapped around the mold and continue to roll the cornets around molds; as you proceed, arrange the rolled cornets, seam side down, on the sheet pan so they lean against each other, to prevent them from rolling.

When all the cornets are rolled, return them to the oven shelf, close the door, and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to set the seams and color the cornets a golden brown, if the color is uneven, stand the cornets on end for a minute or so more, until the color is even.  Remove the cornets from the oven and allow to cool just slightly 30 seconds or so.

Salmon Tartare Ingredients:  

Red Onion Crème Fraiche Ingredients:  

Method for the Red Onion Crème Fraiche:  Place the red onions in a small strainer and rinse them under cold water for several seconds.  Dry them on paper towels.  In a small metal bowl, whisk the crème fraiche for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until it holds soft peaks when you lift the whisk.  Fold in the chopped onions and season to taste with the salt and white pepper. Transfer the onion cream to a container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to six hours.

Housemade Tagliatelle with Black Truffles

Pasta Dough Ingredients:  

Sauce Ingredients:   

Method for the Pasta Dough: Mound the flour on a work surface and make a well in the center.  Add the eggs to the well and using a fork, gradually draw the flour into the eggs, starting from the inside walls and being careful not to let the eggs spill out.  When you have a rough mass of dough, set it to one side of the work surface and scrape the work surface clean.  Wash your hands.

Lightly sprinkle the work surface with flour.  Knead the dough, sprinkling it lightly with more flour as needed, until it is smooth and elastic; if you stick your finger into the center of the dough, it should no longer be sticky.

Method to roll out the dough:  Cut the pasta in half.  Work with one piece of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with plastic wrap.

Set the rollers of the pasta machine at the widest opening.  Flatten the piece of dough with your hands and roll it through the machine. 

Fold the dough into thirds, gently press it together, and roll it through the same setting of the pasta machine, starting from an open end of the dough.  Fold and roll the dough 2 more times, dusting it very lightly with flour if necessary to prevent sticking. 

Adjust the rollers of the pasta machine to the next setting and roll the pasta through it.  Continue to roll the pasta, without folding it, through the successive settings of the machine until you reach the next to the thinnest setting, lightly flouring the dough as necessary to prevent sticking.  Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remaining dough. 

Method to cut the dough: Using the fettuccine cutter on the pasta machine, cut each sheet of dough into strips.  Separate the noodles and arrange on a floured work surface or baking sheet.  The pasta can be cooked immediately or dried and stored for several days.

Method to cook the pasta:  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.

Presentation: Top with fresh black truffle shavings. 

Read about The Saltwater Grille in the Restaurants section and the Chefs' Recipes section for Executive Pastry Chef Ralph Day's recipe for Goat Cheese Cake with Pink Lemons and Blueberry Sauce. 

The Saltwater Grille
183 Harbor Drive
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
United States
Telephone:    +1-203-391-6500
Fax:               +1-203-391-6504
Website:       www.SaltwaterGrille.net

Read other articles on Stamford, Connecticut and the surrounding area in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, and Arts sections.