Small Plates: Carson Kitchen and “Back to Butter”
DINING OUT
CARSON KITCHEN, 124 S. SIXTH ST.
Carson Kitchen, from Chef Kerry Simon, opened last week in downtown Las Vegas. Dubbed an “American gastro-lounge,” it has an ingredient-driven menu and follows Simon’s pattern of putting new spins on classic — and usually comfort — foods. It was named in honor of its location in the old John E. Carson Hotel and also is a nod to The Mercer Kitchen, a restaurant of Simon’s mentor, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The interior is heavy on repurposed wood and steel and has a stone oven designed to evoke an old hearth. Carson Kitchen can seat 90 people in the dining room of about 1,800 square feet and also has a 900-square-foot roof-top patio, complete with a 6-foot-tall living wall, which will host DJs and bands. Here’s a sample of the menu:
Social plates: Crispy chicken skins, $6; bacon jam with brie, $12; Devil’s Eggs, $8; Wellington empanada, $10; gyro tacos, $10; Spam croquettes, $8.
Between bread and flatbreads: Butter burger, $14; fried green tomato, $10; grilled cheese, $10; short rib sliders, $14; wild mushroom flatbread, $8; duck confit flatbread, $10.
Fish, farm and garden and meat: Steelhead trout cake, $12; roasted young beets, $8; rabbit ragu with spaghetti squash, $12; rainbow cauliflower, $8; black rice and oxtail risotto, $14; sprouts and spuds hash, $10; cocoa-espresso New York strip steak, $18; roasted pork loin, $16.
Carson Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Call 702-473-9523.
NEW BOOKS FOR COOKS
ROASTED SHRIMP SALSA
For shrimp:
½ pound 16/20 count shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
For salsa:
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
¼ cup small diced yellow pepper
¼ cup peeled, seeded and small diced cucumber
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
¼ cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon garlic paste (see note)
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 cup medium diced avocado
To make the shrimp, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the shrimp and dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
Add the coconut oil to a small sheet tray. If the coconut oil is solidified, place the tray in the oven as it preheats for two minutes to melt the oil.
To the pan, add the shrimp, coriander, sea salt and pepper. Toss well with a spatula and roast for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss again. Transfer to a plate to cool.
To make the salsa, in a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, yellow pepper, cucumber, jalapeno, red onion and parsley. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture. Toss gently with a spatula to combine.
Dice the cooled shrimp into ½-inch pieces. If serving immediately, add the shrimp and avocado to the tomato mixture. Toss gently with a spatula to combine and serve.
If not serving immediately, toss the shrimp with the tomato mixture and chill. Right before serving, add the avocado and serve.
Note: To make the garlic paste, mince garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Chop some more; then, using the flat side of the knife, press down firmly on the garlic and drag the knife along the cutting board and through the garlic. Pile again and repeat until it forms a paste.
Serves 6 to 8.
Recipe from “Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook” by Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost (Fair Winds Publishing; $24.99)
— Heidi Knapp Rinella
