Upside Down Peach Raspberry Cobbler

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
July 16, 2006

THE NORTH FORK TABLE & INN
57225 Main Road
Southhold, NY 11971
631-765-0177

A long weekend trip to Shelter Island not only gave my sister, friend Adria and me the opportunity to visit some North Fork wineries and meet awesome people in Greenport, but it was also a chance to try The North Fork Table & Inn. At this recently opened little inn, husband and wife team Gerry Hayden (of Amuse) and Claudia Fleming (of Gramercy Tavern) continue to showcase their skills as executive chef and pastry chef, respectively, by using locally grown biodynamic and organic produce and the region’s fresh seafood and cheeses.

We tried four appetizers and two main courses and, surprisingly, both mains were stand-outs compared to the starters — this happens very rarely, as I tend to find that most restaurants have better appetizers than entrées. To start, the sashimi of local fluke and ruby red grapefruit was visually a treat for the eyes. But in tasting it, the grapefruit overpowered the fluke. The olive oil-infused grapefruit was sweet, juicy and delicious, but I couldn’t taste the fluke. Even the Hawaiian sea salt that was sprinkled on top was a tad too strong for the dish. The sweetness and saltiness of these accompaniments to the fluke stole the spotlight.

The warm salad of frisée and oyster mushrooms, with Prosciutto di Parma and a four-minute egg, was the clear winner for the starter. Mixing the egg into the salad really brings this dish to life. The line-caught yellow-fin tuna tartare with mizuna, ponzu sauce and sesame croutons was refreshing, but nothing exceptional to note. The orecchiette tossed with pancetta, tomato and rosemary ragu seemed a bit of an anomaly on the menu, but it sounded good so we ordered that too. It was only after the fact that I realized what was strange about this dish being part of the appetizer line-up. I can’t resist pasta, pancetta and cheese (this dish had both sheep’s milk ricotta and buffalo Mozzarella), but as a starter, especially as our fourth, it was too heavy. That is no fault of the restaurant’s, but my own faulty decision. It just didn’t pair well with the rest of what we ordered.

For main, we shared the 1½ lb shelled butter-poached lobster with chanterelles and sweet pea risotto and the roasted L.I. duck breast and confit leg with Hudson valley foie gras. Both dishes were stellar. The lobster was fresh, tender and rich, and the accompanying sweet pea risotto was such a fresh contrast in flavor. I think I had one too many bites of the risotto, which was also rather dense, so I couldn’t eat much of the duck even though it was cooked perfectly medium rare — so juicy and succulent, bringing out the best flavors in duck! Full as I was, of course, I couldn’t resist picking at the foie gras with a bit of preserved apricot-mustard seed chutney. Yes, I know, it was a rather decadent night of rich foods. My stomach hurt it was so full, but I was happy.

But it doesn’t end there. I saved the best for last. It was a difficult choice to pick just one dessert to share, but we really didn’t have room for more. (Meanwhile, the couple at the table next to ours had spent the entire evening appalled and aghast at how much the three girls next to them could eat. I think they stared at us more than at their own food.) Claudia’s signature coconut tapioca from Gramercy was a strong contender, but then it seemed to make more sense to try something new. With some help from wine director, Mike Mraz (whom I recognized as a friendly face from Hearth), we settled on the upside down peach-raspberry cobbler with cream cheese ice cream. Apparently, this creation was an accidental success. Because there hadn’t been enough time to finish baking the pastry dough for the originally intended dessert, Claudia decided to make it into an upside down cobbler, which for the most part is like a tatin, and low and behold it became a hit. This cobbler actually has more of a pound cake consistency, and it soaks up the caramel poured on top. The peaches, raspberries and cobbler work together like they were meant to be. The cream cheese ice cream was a nice touch too, but with or without the ice cream, I could devour that cobbler instantaneously. Yes, I know, I mentioned that I was so stuffed that my stomach was hurting, but when something this good is revealed, I can’t help but succumb to my vice of gluttony.

You understand, don’t you?!

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