Chef Daniel Dionne Recipes, Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial, Concord, NH, USA

Chef Daniel Dionne of Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel in Concord, New Hampshire takes time out from the kitchen to speak with Luxury Experience on the restaurant’s focus of New American cuisine with French, Mediterranean, and Asian influences. Chef Daniel Dionne graciously shares a taste of the restaurant with his recipe for Red Wine Braised Short Rib with Brown Butter Sweet Potato Puree, Wilted Garlic Spinach, and Braise Reduction.

The Centennial Hotel

We had a wonderful dinner at Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel during our stay in Concord, New Hampshire, and had the opportunity to meet with Chef Daniel Dionne who is passionate about all things culinary. The restaurant industry is in his family’s DNA; his brother is a pastry chef, and his stepfather is the Executive Chef at a prestigious Country Club in Manchester, New Hampshire. He started out as his brother’s prep chef, then after going to school and deciding on a culinary career, he worked as a pastry, then as a savory chef. He admits to having a tremendous sweet tooth, so even though he works as a savory chef now, he still enjoys creating special desserts. His latest creation is a Smores Chocolate Cookie, and having tried it, we can attest to its delectable decadence.

A few of the chefs that have influenced him include Thomas Keller, Dan Barber, Grant Achatz, and David Kinch. The best advice he ever received from a chef was to show up on time with a good attitude and be ready to work. His advice to those considering a culinary career is that you must really want to do this, be passionate, take criticism, care about what you are doing, and be open to new ideas. His favorite ingredients are butter, salt, any protein, red meat, local fish, and of course, lobster, "I’m a New England guy." Chef Daniel’s favorite kitchen tool is his knife, which is pretty much attached to him.

Granite Restaurant and Bar

Two of his favorite items on the Granite Restaurant menu are the duck, which he presents with wild arugula, curried yogurt couscous, house made rhubarb relish, glace decanard, and crushed pistachios, and the Faroe Island Seared Salmon presented with Whole Grain Mustard Roasted Potatoes, Haricot Verts, and Savory Sabayon. (We enjoyed both during our dinner.)

When not working at Granite Restaurant or creating new sweet or savory recipes, Chef Daniel Dionne likes to ride his bike, play his guitar in his basement (he used to play in a band and played Heavy Metal music), go hiking, and go to the beach.

Chef Daniel Dionne graciously shares a delectable taste of Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel to tempt your palate into dining at the restaurant.

Chef Daniel Dionne – Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel, Concord, New Hampshire

Red Wine Braised Short Rib with Brown Butter Sweet Potato Puree, Wilted Garlic Spinach, and Braise Reduction

Braised Rib Ingredients

Method: Portion out the short ribs into 8-ounce pieces, lightly salt them and leave out of the refrigerator for 30-minutes.

Heat a medium sized sauce pot over medium heat with 90/10 blended oil, once the pot is hot, sear all six of the sized portions of short ribs until they are golden brown. Remove short ribs and place in a braising pan, turn the heat on the pot down and add all the mirepoix (diced vegetables: carrots, celery, onion,garlic). Sweat the vegetables until they are tender. Add red wine and beef stock to deglaze, pour the mixture over the short ribs in the braising pan, add thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Cover the braising pan and place in a 325-degree Fahrenheit (163 degree Celsius) oven for 3 hours.

Sweet Potato Puree Ingredients

Method: Preheat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius).

Using a fork, poke holes in all the sweet potatoes. Place on a sheet pan and roast for 45-minutes. Test the potatoes with a toothpick. If you can push it through the potato with no resistance it is ready to remove. Use an oven mitt to hold the potatoes and a fork to pull the skin off, so you only have the roasted inner potato left. It can be tricky to do, but the best results require a hot potatoto make a smoother puree.

Place your butter in a pan and slowly heat over medium low until the butter solids start turning brown. At that point you can remove the butter from the stove. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Wilted Spinach Ingredients

Method: In a large sauté pan, sweat the garlic in oil over low heat for about 3 minutes, add the spinach, gently stirring it with a wooden spoon once it starts becoming darker in appearance with wilted looking. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir until the spinach looks shiny, and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Method for the Braise Reduction: Remove the short ribs from the braising pan and set aside. Remove the rest of the contents from the braising pan and place into a large sauce pot. Place the sauce pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Once a quarter of the liquid has evaporated, strain off the vegetables and place the short ribs and liquid back into the pot to slowly reheat the ribs. Once they are hot, they are ready to serve.

Chef Daniel Dionne notes: "Don’t forget to taste all of your food for seasoning!"

Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel is open Sunday from 7:00 am until 2:30 pm, and from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Monday through Thursday the restaurantis open from 7:00 am until 10:00 am, from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm, and from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 7:00 am until 10:00 am, from 11:30 until 2:30 pm, and from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm.

Read about our dining experience at Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel in the Restaurants section.

Chef Daniel Dionne

VIDEO– Luxury Experience interview with Chef Daniel Dionne – https://youtu.be/a6ydEYKY3e8

Granite Restaurant and Bar at The Centennial Hotel
90 Pleasant Street
Concord, New Hampshire
Telephone: +1-603-227-9005
Website: www.GraniteRestaurant.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CentennialandGranite/
Instagram: @centennialandgranite
Twitter: @centennialandgranite

Until next time, Bon Appetit!

Read more on Concord, New Hampshire in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, Adventures, and Wine Cellar sections.

Important Travel Information

Getting There by Plane

Private aircraft may fly into Concord Municipal Airport, which is 1.5 miles from downtown. Commercial flights fly into Manchester-Boston Regional Airport as well as Logan International Airport in Boston.

Approximate Driving Distances

For more information on Concord, New Hampshire, please visit the website: www.visitconcord-nh.com or visit them Monday through Friday from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm.

Visitor Center at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce
49 South Main Street, Suite 104
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Telephone: +1-603-224-2508
Email: info@concordchamber.com
Website: www.concordnhchamber.com
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