LONE EAGLE GRILL
Celebrates New Chef and Vegetarian Menu
By Erin Meyering, edible Reno-Tahoe editorial assistant
My boyfriend and I recently had the opportunity to dine at @Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s Lone Eagle Grille in Incline Village. The reason for our visit is the restaurant has just debuted a new vegetarian menu.
We shared the Butternut Squash Risotto, the Living Butter Salad and fought forks for each bite. The risotto was creamy and we were both wishing the bowl was never-ending.
I, being a full-time vegetarian, notice it’s been difficult at times to find a restaurant that serves a thoughtfully planned vegetarian meal, not just an array of side dishes you hope taste well together.
For my main dish, I ordered the Stuffed Roasted Bell Pepper with a potato purée, braised kale, Boursin cheese, and juniper mustard cream and my mind was changed. Despite feeling full, I found myself digging for more potato purée far after it was gone.
This area has several options for vegetarians, but for a night out with a view overlooking the lake and absolutely delectable, filling food, Lone Eagle Grille with Chef De Cuisine Shane Hammett is a fantastic choice.
All menus, including Lone Eagle Grille’s comprehensive vegetarian menu, can be found at http://loneeaglegrille.com
I provided the recipe for the Butternut Squash Risotto below because it was simply too good not to share.
Butternut Squash Risotto with Black Garlic, Parmesan and Roasted Mushrooms
Serves: 4 (entrée portions) or 4 (appetizer portions)
One butternut squash, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
2 cups cream
2 ounces black garlic, minced
2 and a 1/4 cup white wine
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
4 ounces olive oil
Two cups Arborio rice
One bay leaf
1/2 pound maitake and chanterelle mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt (to taste)
For squash:
Steam butternut squash in a medium-sized pot until soft enough to mash easily with a fork. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Once the squash is cool, place in a blender with two cups of cream and purée until smooth. Set aside.
For black garlic sauce:
Place two ounces black garlic in a sauce pot with 1/4 cup white wine and 1 cup of cream.
Simmer the black garlic in the cream for 20 minutes on low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar and remove from heat.
Add black garlic mixture and cream into a blender and purée. Set aside.
For risotto:
Combine 3 cloves minced garlic, one minced shallot, and 2 ounces olive oil in a large saucepot and sauté over medium heat for two minutes.
Add two cups of arborio rice and sauté for another two minutes.
Add two cups white wine, three cups of water, and one bay leaf, stirring constantly until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, toss the mushroom pieces with two ounces olive oil and three teaspoons kosher salt.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place tossed mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
Add roasted mushrooms, butternut squash purée, four tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese to risotto. Combine and salt to taste. Remove risotto from heat.
Final preparation/plating:
Place risotto in a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of black garlic sauce to serve
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