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Michael Attardo, the head chef at the Red Coach Inn, knows that long time guests are loyal to the traditional menu found at a restaurant some have long considered to be the cornerstone of the tourist district.
He does, however, like to have some fun with the daily specials, offering up such unusual faire as Italian bread baked with smoked salmon, onions, capers and Boursin cheese or other such unexpected creations.
Attardo, a ‘93 Lewiston-Porter High School graduate, went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree at the Culinary Institute of America before landing a job in the kitchen at a fine-dining resort in Vermont owned by the Guiness Beer company. Last year he became the head chef at the Red Coach Inn, a historic hotel on Buffalo Avenue which is noted for as much for its polished English-themed decor and beautiful landscaping as it is for it’s dependable upscale lunches and dinners.
Attardo credits his Polish-Italian background for his love of cooking.
“My father was Italian and my mother was Polish,” he said. “Between the two it was always traditional holidays and great food.”Attardo has helped to expand the staff at the Red Coach, enlarging the kitchen from about five chefs to nine, because “we have to bring in chefs with good experience to maintain the high quality of what we do.”
Some of the favorites at the restaurant include the ostrich appetizer, which is served pan seared and medium rare with apple-cranberry chutney. Another favorite, he said, is the portabella Napolean, which is presented as a little tower of mushroom, proscuitto, Swiss cheese and spinach.
When asked to share a favorite recipe, Attardo decided upon chicken manicotti with goat cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes made on handmade pasta circles.
“You can do several different things with the filling,” he explained. “You can do a seafood and ricotta mixture or three cheese or beef mixture. There’s so many different ways to prepare this dish, but this is one of my favorite ways.”
“With the flavors of the chicken and the spinach and the sun dried tomatoes,” he added, “it works really well.”
Pasta Dough
2 cups all purpose flower
3 eggs
2 c-ups water
I Tbsp salt
Place flour in bowl make a well in middle of flour in bowl add eggs, water, and salt whip with a wisk, until smooth'butter.
Place 2oz in dry non-stick skillet and spread evenly around pan. When top
of pasta begins to dry turn over and cook for 10 seconds remove froin pan and cool.
Filling
12 oz skinless chicken breast cut in strips
I can sun-dried tomatoes
Garlic
2 cups Fresh baby spinach
2 cups sliced butter mushrooms
I cup feta cheese
In a hot skillet saute chicken until golden brown add garlic & sun dried tomatoes & mushrooms.
In a mixing bowl place feta cheese add hot chicken mixture and fold in spinach. Season with salt and pepper, and cover with Alfredo Sauce.
Alfredo Sauce
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp garlic
1 cup grated Romano
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Heat oil and garlic in sauce pot, add flour and mix with whip, add heavy creajm and bring to a simmer.
Add grated romano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Place pasta sheet on flat surface with dull finish facing up
Place tablespoon of chicken mixture in middle of pasta and roll
In a baking dish coated with Alfredo Sauce place manicotti in pan next to each other.
After all manicotti are filled placed in pan, coat with Alfredo Sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Romano cheese over top.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Contact reporter Michele DeLuca at 282-2311, ext. 2263.
Multimedia
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Red Coach Inn head chef Michael Attardo prepares chicken manicotti with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese
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