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| Mango Mousse |
Recently I
took a spur of the moment trip to Brazil. Without having to dig out my
passport, pack a bag, or exchange currency. How did I do that? Well, I was invited to
visit Montclair’s only Brazilian restaurant, Samba.
Owned by
Ilson Goncalves, a native of Brazil, Samba recently installed a new chef and
new menu. Chef Roberto Carnero, a graduate of the International Culinary Center in
NYC, took over the kitchen in March, and has transformed the menu into a
delicious, virtual trip to Brazil.
Chef
Carnero offered one of his signature dishes, Butternut Squash Soup with
Shrimp. Presented in the hollowed-out squash, the soup was luxurious and
the shrimp were perfectly cooked. I scraped up every bit of the squash to make
sure I didn’t miss one delightful mouthful.
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| Butternut Squash Soup |
One of
Brazil’s traditional dishes has been transported to north Jersey with the
Chef’s Bolinho de Mandioca.
Lovely little pastries made with yucca and
filled with dried beef and more of that fabulous butternut squash. This was
followed by a Roasted Beet Salad topped with Strawberries and creamy Goat
Cheese.
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| Bolinho de Mandioca |
The main
act was Chef Carnero’s tender Skirt Steak served with roasted
cauliflower and “farofa,” (toasted yucca flour). Make sure you try
farofa when you visit; this side dish reminded me of polenta, and had a tender
nuttiness that I loved. Because farofa does not seem to be well known here, I
asked the Chef about this dish. He told me “through my research many restaurants
use only the southern farafo. I personally like the northern farofa. I like the
texture. We use a Brazilian purveyor from the ironbound section of Newark.
Preparing the farofa is tricky as the more milled southern farofa can burn
quickly, which obviously changes the flavor. We bloom garlic and onion until it
browns but doesn't caramelize adding saffron when the time is right. We then
add the raw farofa until it's cooked. If it not cooked, you get that raw chalky
taste in your mouth.”
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| Farofa |
Two
terrific desserts completed my little weekday visit to Brazil, a luscious mango
mousse, and a flourless yucca-coconut cake with dulce de leche and passion
fruit sauce.
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| Yucca Coconut Cake |
Samba’s
warm casual interior invites you to linger awhile, and candles and wall sconces
provide a romantic atmosphere.
I
understand there is a lovely outdoor patio that I look forward to enjoying next
summer. But I don’t think I will wait that long to return to Samba. Chef
Carnero’s inventive Brazilian-inspired cuisine in nearby Montclair may just satisfy
my culinary wanderlust.
Samba
7 Park Street
Montclair, NJ 07042
973-744-6764
Serving lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
