Chef Joseph Adamo Recipes – Aragosta Bar + Bistro, Boston, MA, USA

Executive Chef Joseph Adamo of Aragosta Bar + Bistro at the Battery Wharf Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts graciously provides a delicious taste of the Mediterranean and seafood inspired menu with his recipes for Lobster Papardelle and Bolognese Sauce to tempt your palate until you can dine at the restaurant.

We had the opportunity to get to know Executive Chef Joseph Adamo while staying at the Battery Wharf Hotel and dining at Aragosta Bar + Bistro during our stay in late June 2015. What we learned was that the culinary world beckoned to this Connecticut native at a young age. Growing up, his mother worked as a waitress in a Greek diner and after school he would go there and wait for her in the kitchen. It was not long before the owner started to put him to work peeling carrots, making salads, and washing dishes, and little by little, he learned how to cook and became intrigued.

After high school, he attended the prestigious culinary school Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, and upon graduation his first culinary post was an externship at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, Florida, working his way up the culinary ladder to the position of sous chef. His love of cooking and traveling coincided when Four Seasons transferred him to London to work at their Four Seasons Hyde Park hotel where he worked for several years. It was there that he learned to perfect Classical French techniques in the all-French kitchen, techniques which he continues to use today. While based in London he also took the opportunity to travel throughout Europe and to experience different cuisines and cultures, influences which he brings along with his set of chef knives to each new kitchen where he works.

Chef Joseph Adamo

Chef Adamo returned stateside to work on the opening of the Miami  Loews Hotel in South Beach, Florida, later worked at Turnberry & Associates in South Florida, at Melia International Hotels and Resorts in Atlanta, and also worked in Indianapolis before joining the Battery Wharf Hotel as the Executive Chef at Aragosta Bar + Bistro in October 2014.

From his extensive travels and his diverse culinary experiences, the dynamic Chef Joseph Adamo brings fresh and innovative influences to the restaurant’s focus of Mediterranean and New England cuisine using local shellfish and seafood.

Having spent the past 20 years as a professional chef, when asked his advice for those thinking about a culinary career he jokingly replied, "Become a lawyer or a doctor." Still passionate about his chosen profession, he stated that to succeed as a chef you must be passionate about what you do as this is not an easy profession. Do not expect to become an executive chef upon graduation from culinary school; you need to rise up through the ranks and learn each position so that you will have the knowledge and the skill to control and lead your team when you get the opportunity. You must be diplomatic, and as the brigade system is long gone in most kitchens, you must be flexible and to be able to work all positions.

Opposed to when he first started his culinary career, he feels that people are dining completely differently now due to influences from television cooking shows and social media and are more conscious about eating, and as a chef he thinks this is great. To appeal to adventuresome foodies, Aragosta Bistro + Bar has a Chef’s Counter where diners can experience a 5-course tasting menu in the winter while watching the chefs in action cooking their dinner.

Chef Adamo and Captain Fred Penney

His favorite culinary ingredients? Boston has a rich shellfish culture and he likes the high quality local oysters, scallops, and lobsters. When he was working in Miami, his favorite fish were snapper, kingfish, and mahi. His favorite food when not working? Chicken Parm, which is perfect as the hotel’s neighbor is Boston’s famous Italian North End. When not working in the kitchen, Chef Joseph enjoys traveling, fishing, golfing, playing basketball, camping, and cooking out and barbecuing for his wife, family, and friends.

Chef Adamo graciously shares his recipes for Lobster Papardelle and Bolgnese Sauce to introduce you to Aragosta Bistro + Bar until you can dine at the restaurant.

Lobster Papardelle

Ingredients:

Method: Clean the meat out of the tail, knuckles, and claws of the steamed lobster. Set aside. In a 10-inch (25.4 cm) skillet, heat 1-tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium heat. Add diced pancetta and render until the fat starts to release. Add shallots and mushrooms. Cook until tender. De-glaze the pan with white wine. Once reduced by half, add heavy cream. Heat until just simmering. Slowly stir in mascarpone cheese. Place lobster in the sauce to warm it up.

While lobster is warming, cook papardelle pasta in the salted water for 4 minutes. Set the lobster aside to plate on top of the completed pasta. Add asparagus to the sauce, as well as the cooked papardelle. Sauté for 3-minutes to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Presentation: When ready to serve, place the sauce and pasta in a bowl. Top with the warm, steamed lobster. Enjoy!

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

Method: Finely dice the vegetables until they are one-quarter square around. Heat vegetable oil in large braising pot or high-sided skillet. Add the ground veal and cook until lightly browned. Add the diced vegetables and cook until onions start to become translucent. De-glaze with red wine. Add the braised oxtail and veal cheeks. Then add the reserved braising liquid, milk and cream, a little at a time until it is completely absorbed. Simmer for 2-3 hours and season with salt, pepper and fresh grated nutmeg.

Presentation: Toss with rigatoni or other wide-tube pasta; finish with grated Parmesan.

Chef Adamo and Edward Nesta

Aragosta Bar + Bistro is open from 6:30 am until 10:00 pm, the Dinner menu is served until 10:00 pm, the Bar is open from 11:00 am until 12:00 am, the Bar Menu is available until 11:00 pm, and the Patio is open from 9:30 am until 10:00pm (the last dinner seating at 9:30pm). In Room Dining Menu is available from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm.

Read about our dining experience at Aragosta Bar + Bistro in the Restaurants section.

Aragosta Bar + Bistro
Battery Wharf Hotel
Three Battery Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
United States
Telephone:      +1-617-994-9001
Toll-Free:         +1-877-794-6218
Website:           www.AragostaBistro.com
Website:           www.BatteryWharfHotelBoston.com
Facebook:         www.Facebook.com/BatteryWharfHotel
Twitter:             www.Twitter.com/BatteryWharfBOS

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