When challenged by organizers of the Kelseyville Pear Festival to create a dish featuring local fruit, chef John Arslanian of Fresh & Bangin’ Eatery decided to stick to the basics.
“Pork and pear — the salty and sweet go together,” he said.
Arslanian sourced the meat from a nearby ranch and ground it into sausage. Sauteed until a husky trait emerges, it provides a stern contrast to the lean, juicy fruit. A toss of red pepper flake, paprika and cumin contribute a low, earthy din sparked by distant bolts of heat that serves as a constant — a court upon which the rally of pork and pear plays out.
All of this is folded into a light dough pocket, fried for a neat textural snap.
“That’s about it,” the chef said of Fresh & Bangin’s pork and pear empanadas. “It’s very simple.”
Empanadas have featured on the restaurant’s constantly changing menu before. The dish is common throughout Latin America, where it serves as modest street fare — sweet or savory, depending upon the time of day or whims of the chef.
The versatile nature of empanadas, however, allow for more refined treatment. The flaky crust works beautifully with rustic meats or an easy mix of fruit and sugar. But it shares the same crispy kinship with steak and truffles or other culinary superlatives.
At the Lucerne destination, Arslanian and crew decided to elevate the dish through other means. Through the end of the month, Fresh & Bangin’ offers the pork and pear empanada paired with Chacewater’s Riesling.
It’s a remarkable touch. The wine nestles with the fruit, nudging it from a counterpoint to something resonant. With each sip the pear filling begans to lift and then soar, finding some of the natural sweetness in the pork and urging it along for the ride.
Suddenly, Arslanian’s simple meat pie becomes a marvel.
He credits fellow Fresh & Bangin’ chef Scott Price for the pear pairing genius. After all, Arslanian selected a different wine after they sampled a few, but Price insisted on the limited edition Riesling.
“Pear usually soaks in whatever you give it,” Arslanian observed. “The Riesling instead brought it out.”
The Fresh & Bangin’ chefs will be demonstrating preparation of the pork and pear empanadas Saturday at the Kelseyville Pear Festival and those interested in learning the technique are welcome to stop by and watch.
“I’ve never done a live cooking demonstration before a large crowd,” Arslanian said. “It should be fun.”
The challenge for those who attend will be to withstand the urge to order an empanada then and there.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
