Category: Food

In the kitchen with Sue Poulin

Sue Poulin is the co-owner of Bouillon Bistro (123 Union Square, Milford, 718-3305, bouillonbistro.com), known for its rotating menu of scratch-made artisan soups, chowders and stews. Poulin left her corporate career to purchase Wicked Pissah Chowdah, at the time located on South Street just off the Milford Oval, from founder Ellen Muckstadt in June 2020. She and business partner Lisa Gamache have also since opened a second location in Townsend, Mass. Last October, Bouillon Bistro of Milford reopened in its current spot on the opposite end of the Oval — the restaurant is unique for featuring a different lineup of six home-cooked options every single day.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

One thing that I never thought I would ever have … is this big paddle. It’s probably eight inches wide and 24 inches long, and it’s great because it scrapes the bottom of the pot as you’re making your mirepoix in the beginning and all the butter and the vegetables. It grabs all of that before any burning happens. … This paddle has really become the be-all, end-all tool in the kitchen. A spoon never really does the job.

What would you have for your last meal?

Prime rib, medium rare, with au jus, a baked potato with all the fixings, and a side of any kind of vegetable.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I think that Buckley’s does such a phenomenal job. … I like to use their Hollis bakery, and I’m really impressed by what they do there.

What celebrity would you like to see eating in your restaurant?

I do love myself a good John Mayer song. … So I think if he came in, had some soup and played some acoustic music for us, then that would be a great day.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

For soup, the beef barley is my ultimate favorite. There’s just so much flavor in that one, and it’s so hearty. … Then for non-soup, it’s the braised beef Ragu, which is chuck roast meat in a tomato sauce, and it’s processed over a long period of time and all that juice is then poured into the pot. It’s so good.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

We get so many requests daily [to] offer more gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. … Whereas those options were things that only a handful of people used to request in the past, now the tides have turned where that’s the majority.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I find that because I blend so many things together in the pots at work, that when I cook at home I like to keep it very simple. So I’ll typically do something like a chicken, rice and vegetable dinner, or a filet mignon with a potato side or a vegetable side.

Lemon chicken orzo (broth finish)
From the kitchen of Sue Poulin of Bouillon Bistro in Milford

½ stick butter
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 cups chopped onions
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped carrots
10 cups chicken stock
Dry chicken bouillon to taste
3 cups cooked cubed chicken
3 cups baby spinach
Zest of 1 whole lemon
Juice of 1 lemon

In a pot, combine the butter, black pepper, bay leaves, onions, celery and carrots and saute until softened. Add the chicken, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, spinach, lemon zest and lemon juice. Simmer on low until the temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve with orzo noodles.


Featured photo: Sue Poulin of Bouillon Bistro in Milford. Courtesy photo.

Burgers, bacon and beyond

The Hidden Pig opens in downtown Nashua

New life has been breathed into a Nashua restaurant building that has sat dormant for more than three years. The Hidden Pig opened Feb. 9 in the former Riverside Barbeque Co. storefront on Main Street, bringing with it a thoughtfully crafted menu of gourmet burgers, sandwiches, rice bowls, doughnuts and even bacon boards — yes, boards filled with juicy slabs of candied bacon.

The eatery may be new to the Granite State, but it’s actually the second Hidden Pig location for owner Phil Bentham II, a native of Methuen, Mass., who opened the first one in downtown Haverhill in 2018. Bentham, who’s been working in the industry practically his entire life, got his start at Salvatore’s Italian Restaurant in Lawrence, which was also where he would meet future Hidden Pig head chef Brandon Allardice.

Unexpected and consistent success in Haverhill would soon open the doors for Bentham — along with his wife, Ashley, who mostly handles operations and marketing — to look into the possibility of a second spot. Through a Realtor friend, he learned of an available restaurant space overlooking the Nashua River. It had last been occupied by the Riverside Barbeque Co., which closed in December 2019 after a nearly decade-long run.

wooden restaurant platter displaying assortment of doughnuts
Doughnut board. Courtesy photo.

At nearly 4,000 square feet, The Hidden Pig’s Nashua restaurant more than doubles the size of its Massachusetts counterpart, with completely renovated interior dining and bar areas.

“The ‘hidden’ part of the name is a play coming from the idea of being a hidden gem north of Boston,” Bentham said, “and then we started incorporating little bits of bacon in all of our food, kind of like they are ‘hidden,’ almost.”

While some barbecue-inspired items like burnt ends and pulled pork are offered, Bentham said The Hidden Pig is not a barbecue restaurant; rather, he categorized the concept as more of a gastropub with particular focuses on burgers and local craft beer — and, of course, bacon. Lots of bacon. Look no further for it than the bacon board, which comes with a homemade bacon shallot jam and baguette crostinis; or any one of the burgers, most of which are topped with bacon or pork belly, or have a bacon-infused aioli or jam.

“We try to be a bacon- and a gourmet burger-focused restaurant, for sure,” Bentham said. “We try not to get too weird with the burgers, but we do do some funky stuff. … Our most popular burger … is called the Big Bad Wolf. It’s got a blueberry jam spread on there, mixed with a maple bacon aioli, and then it’s got a piece of pork belly and cheddar cheese.”

The Hidden Pig is also known for its Sunday brunches — those menu items are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with highlights including Fruity Pebbles chicken and waffles, and Reese’s “overload” buttermilk pancakes. Doughnuts are a huge deal too, from maple bacon glazed to Oreo and Reese’s flavors, and even a “Dunkaroonut” with animal crackers and sprinkles.

“We do a doughnut board with a big handle … and we decorate it with four, five, six doughnuts on there,” Bentham said. “We put it right in the center and people just go to town on it.”

The craft beer side is where Bentham said The Hidden Pig’s Nashua restaurant will mostly differ from Haverhill, and that’s because he is looking to incorporate more New Hampshire brews on tap. For the past few years, he has worked with Ali and Rob Leleszi of Rockingham Brewing Co. in Derry to brew a house New England-style double IPA that also comes canned.

The restaurant is open six nights a week, with the bar usually staying open an hour later than the kitchen, depending on the night.

“If there’s a good crowd, we’ll continue to stay open,” Bentham said. “There’s not really much up here, I feel, as far as on a Sunday evening, so hopefully we can change that.”

The Hidden Pig
Where: 53 Main St., Nashua
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (brunch only) and 3 to 9 p.m. (dinner only)
More info: Visit thehiddenpig.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram or call 402-9640

Featured photo: Bacon board. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/02/23

News from the local food scene

• African eats at the library: Join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a Taste of Africa on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m., featuring LaFortune Jeannette Djabea of Mola Foods. Attendees will have the chance to immerse themselves in African culture and cuisine, sampling small plates of food hailing from different parts of the continent while enjoying music and meeting Djabea. A native of Cameroon, Djabea founded Mola Foods in 2016, and expanded her brand of globally inspired spice blends and chili relishes in the form of a retail store front, tasting room and commercial kitchen, which opened at 9 Simon St. in Nashua in February 2021. Since debuting them last April, her Taste of Africa lunch and dinner series has been wildly successful, with events continuously selling out at her shop. The Feb. 25 event is free and sponsored by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library, but registration is required. Vegan options are also available for attendees. Visit nashualibrary.org.

• Almost time for ice cream: Brookline soft-serve ice cream stand Sundae Drive (346 Route 13) will hold its opening day of the 2023 season on Saturday, Feb. 25, according to a recent post on its Facebook page. Since 2018, the Route 13 ice cream stand near the Brookline and Milford town line has been known for its rotating flavors of soft-serve, in addition to its seasonally inspired themed sundaes — last year, for instance, they offered a special “red, white and blue” strawberry shortcake sundae for Memorial Day weekend, featuring vanilla soft-serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and sprinkles. According to the post, Sundae Drive is also now booking events for the 2023 season, like birthday parties, weddings and work gatherings. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @sundaedrivenh or call 721-5209 for details on their specials.

• Drink wine, win a prize: There’s still plenty of time to participate in the New Hampshire Winery Association’s annual Wine Trail for a chance to win prizes. Through April, participants can visit 10 or more Granite State locations on the trail and collect “stamps” in their passports. Each year, the Association holds a drawing to select prize winners. Available prizes include a $250 gift certificate redeemable at any of the member wineries; a one-night stay at RiverCrest Villas in Epping, and two tickets to a wine tasting at neighboring Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee; and a $50 gift certificate to Fire & Spice Bistro in Newfields. Passports are available at any of the wineries on the tour, or they can be downloaded at nhwineryassociation.org. Mail them no later than May 15 at Squamscott Winery (P.O. Box 1050, Newfields) to be included in the drawing.

The remedy for February

“Hi,” the lady in the apron says to me.

I look up from a pile of tangerines. “Hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. You?”

I fall back on my stock answer when I don’t really want to think too much about how I actually am: “You know how it is — the power, the money, the respect, the women. Frankly, it would crush a lesser man.”

“I can imagine. Are you finding what you want?”

And that’s when it hits me: What do I want? I have no problems that a rational man would complain about. And I realize that she’s almost certainly talking about my produce needs, not my emotional ones.

And yet—

What do I want?

I’m overwhelmed by an image. I’m on a bamboo veranda, overlooking the dark cyan* waters of the South China Sea. (*I looked it up later on a paint chip.) An overhead fan whooshes. A gentle breeze carries the scent of salt and white ginger. I’m reclining on something made out of teak.

This is all a bit much to lay on my new friend of 35 seconds, so I ask her where the macadamia nuts are.

Sill distracted by my tropical vision, I end up buying pineapple juice and paper umbrellas. It’s February. It’s time for pancakes and tiki drinks.

The pancake part is easy.

Pancake batter should be thinner than you think, as should the pancakes themselves. Fluffy pancakes are a false standard put forth by Big Pancake; go with the thin ones. You absolutely will not regret it.

The syrup is up to you, but there should be a small pitcher of melted butter. As for the cocktail —

Singapore Sling

  • 2 ounces dry gin
  • ½ ounce kirsch (cherry brandy)
  • ¼ ounce cognac
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice
  • ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1¼ ounces cherry syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries
  • 1 to 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • 1 to 2 dashes orange bitters
  • 2 ounces plain seltzer

Add all ingredients except the seltzer with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until the ice starts to break up.

Pour, with your now-cracked ice, into a tall glass — the type is up to you. A tiki mug would work well. So would a Pilsner glass. You could make a case for a clean peanut butter jar.

Top with the seltzer and stir gently. Garnish with at least five maraschino cherries.

The first sip of a proper Singapore Sling is deceptive. You will wonder if you forgot an ingredient. Considering the pineapple and cherry juices, you’d think it would be sweeter. Should it be this pink?

Do you know what puts negative thoughts like that in the front of your brain?

Stress and anxiety. Also, February.

By your third sip, do you know what are losing their grip and slipping down your cerebral cortex? The Negativity Triplets.

This is what you need.

Featured photo: The Singapore Sling. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Justin O’Malley

Justin O’Malley is the chef de cuisine of Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com), a seasonally inspired farm-to-table restaurant that opened in May 2019. O’Malley grew up in Lowell, Mass., getting his start in the restaurant industry at age 16 as a dishwasher. It was while working at Papa Razzi in Burlington, Mass., that he first met Greenleaf owner and founder Chris Viaud. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America — and completing an externship cooking in the owners’ suite of Fenway Park in Boston — O’Malley worked at North Andover Country Club for about a year before coming to New Hampshire to join the staff of Greenleaf in August 2021. There he worked his way up the ranks, assuming the role of chef de cuisine in January.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It’s probably the Vitamix [blender], with all of the purees and different things that I like to do.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would go with a traditional omakase, which is basically like a chef’s table for sushi.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Probably the Nashua Garden. Every time I’ve been there, they make a solid sandwich.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Greenleaf?

Kid Cudi [rapper Scott Mescudi].

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Duck in general is one of my favorite things to mess around with. It goes really well with sweeter flavors.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I think I’ve seen a short rib [dish on] every menu [at every restaurant] that I’ve been out to.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Usually something pretty simple. Fried rice is always nice — it’s quick and easy, it’s just kind of tossing everything in a pan.

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
From the kitchen of Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford

For the roasted garlic:
1 bulb garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pinch each salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb tightly in foil and roast in the oven until soft and well browned (about one hour).

For the mashed potatoes:
2 pounds russet potatoes
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 cups warm milk
1 bulb roasted garlic
Salt and white pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes into a pot with enough cold water to cover. Season the water with a heavy pinch of salt and place on the stove set to high heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until soft (about 15 minutes). Strain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Place the pot back on the stove over medium-low heat to dry the potatoes (about one to two minutes). Add the butter and roasted garlic. Mash using your favorite method (a potato masher or fork will work). Slowly add the milk until your desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Featured photo: Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford. Courtesy photo.

Local pours

Mardi Gras wine festival returns to Derry

Early in the fall of 2021, the Rev. Chris Gaffrey of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry attended a wine tasting at LaBelle Winery — and he left feeling inspired.

“The next day I was talking to some parishioners about it and one of them said, ‘Oh, we should do a wine tasting here,’” Gaffrey said. “I said, ‘Even better: why don’t we get a whole bunch of wineries [to] come together and do a wine tasting here? We can turn it into a fundraiser.’”

The idea sparked so much interest among the church community that they would end up celebrating Mardi Gras the following February with an inaugural wine festival. The event was a resounding success. Two of the five participating wineries, Gaffrey said, would sell out of product before the night was even over.

“Every one of the vendors said to us afterward, ‘Are you doing this next year? Please invite us,’” he said. “We had food, music, prizes [and] games. … Everybody seemed to have a good time.”

Indeed, the festival, set to return for a second year on Saturday, Feb. 18, will feature all five of the wineries from the first event, in addition to a few new faces. It’s happening inside the church’s Aquinas Center and will include a night of wine sampling along with a variety of home-cooked food options, raffle and door prizes, games, live music and more.

“It’s just a great wholesome cultural event … that also highlights our blossoming New Hampshire wine industry,” Gaffrey said. “I’m really excited that it’s basically a pretty good cross-section of New Hampshire winemaking. … We’ve got two from the Lakes Region that are coming down and then one that’s coming from the White Mountains.”

Tickets are available both in advance online and at the door. If you buy them online you also have various add-on options, from Mardi Gras beads and masks to up to four wine glasses. If you like what you try during the evening, there will also be the option to buy bottles of it on site.

“The attractive thing about this for the wineries … is that unlike [at] some other fundraisers or church events, we’re actually able to offer them the capacity to sell,” Gaffrey said. “So if somebody makes a purchase in the wine festival area, either one of the wineries will have a runner or we’ll have somebody helping out to take the purchased bottle to a table … for pickups at the end of the evening or when people leave.”

As for food, Gaffrey said several church members are contributing everything from assorted meats and cheeses to Italian wedding soup and some Cajun dishes like jambalaya — he himself is planning to cook a shrimp gumbo. Frank Howard of the church’s Lazarus Ministry of Praise will provide live music, and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win special baskets that the participating wineries are putting together.

Proceeds from the festival, Gaffrey said, benefit some ongoing church renovation projects, in addition to some outreach programs and initiatives, like its food pantry.

Second annual Mardi Gras wine festival
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: The Aquinas Center at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 26 Crystal Ave., Derry
Cost: $40 per person, or $70 per couple; tickets are available at the door or in advance online
More info: Visit stthomasderry.org or see “A Mardi Gras Wine Festival” on Facebook
Event is 21+ only. Smart casual or business casual attire are recommended. Mardi Gras masks are optional.

Featured photo: Last year’s Mardi Gras wine festival at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry. Courtesy photo.

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