Chef Wilberto Sauceda makes his mark as head of the kitchen at Larkin’s sparkling new location.
As executive chef at Fluor Field, overseeing all the food concessions and myriad events, Wilberto Sauceda had the perfect job for several years. Yet the chef, who worked with James Beard Award and Iron Chef America winner Michelle Bernstein in Miami before moving to Greenville with his wife and baby daughter in 2016, began to feel that something was missing. “I needed to be more challenged; I needed to touch food; I needed to create dishes. I missed the rush,” he says.
Adam Hayes, now owner and CFO of the Larkin’s group of restaurants, had long been trying to lure Sauceda away to work with him. Finally, last January, they met for one of their frequent lunches, and Hayes broached the subject again. This time, Sauceda answered, “maybe.”
That “maybe” quickly turned into a new job. “Larkin’s [open] kitchen is perfect; I can see everything,” Sauceda says. “I missed that Miami vibe of watching the people.” From the kitchen, he can feel the restaurant’s buzz, and often steps out to deliver dishes and chat with diners, charming them with his warm, infectious smile.
In its vibrant new space on Camperdown Plaza, Larkin’s is at once an 18-year-old restaurant and a 1-year-old restaurant, Hayes points out. At Larkin’s redux, Hayes, co-owner/COO Kristina Murphy, and Sauceda are reaching out to a new demographic, with menu changes to match.
“The food has to go with the concept now,” Sauceda says. At its heart, Larkin’s remains a steakhouse, but the new executive chef, with input from Hayes and Murphy, has designed a menu that spotlights seasonality. New dishes such as the irresistible pepper-crusted filet mignon carpaccio complement the menu standards, which have been reimagined with the addition of fresh herbs, seasonal vegetables, and subtle sauces that enhance the star ingredient. “I like to experiment with certain flavor combinations,” says the chef. “A dish has to have balance.”
Sauceda grew up on his grandparents’ farm in Honduras, where he woke each morning to the intoxicating smell of freshly made corn tortillas sizzling on a makeshift plancha over an open fire. Decades later, he learned French technique from his mentor Michelle Bernstein in Miami, but his own style leans toward lighter Mediterranean-style cooking. He favors olive oil and fresh citrus juices over copious amounts of butter.
“Wilberto has brought a different cultural mindset to the back of the house,” Hayes observes. “We’re developing our staff at the moment and he is a great teacher.”
Larkin’s: Art of Plating
Honoring the adage that you eat first with your eyes, Wilberto Sauceda approaches plating as an art. He first visualizes a dish in his mind. Once it is prepared, he lays out all the components in a line on a white plate to see what colors pop out first. A dish should unfold like a flower, he believes, with dark colors in the middle and light colors on the outside of the plate. A garnish of microgreens and edible flowers puts the finishing touches on the work.
Apple Beignets with Bacon Dust Recipe by Wilberto Sauceda
Makes 15 beignets
Make the Beignet Dough:
- ½ lb butter
- 2 cups water
- 2.5 cups of White Lily self-rising flour
- 8 eggs
- 3 Tbsp salt
- Powdered sugar, for serving
- Bacon dust, for serving (recipe follows)
Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan; then add water and salt. Take pan off the heat and add flour, stirring until incorporated. Chill the mixture until it comes to room temperature. Remove mixture from the refrigerator and add eggs, one at a time, stirring until each is fully incorporated. Set mixture aside while you prepare the apple filling.
Make the Apple Filling:
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into brunoise (finely diced)
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup brown sugar
Mix apples in spices and sugar. Fold the apples into the beignet mixture. Use an ice-cream scoop to form the mixture into 2-inch balls.
Cook the Beignets:
Add neutral vegetable oil to a saucepan (enough to cover the beignets) and heat the oil to 350°F. Add beignets, a few at a time, and cook until golden brown—about 5 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat frying beignets in batches until all are cooked.
Bacon Dust:
- 100 grams (2/3 cup) of rendered bacon fat
- 3 grams (3/4 tsp salt)
- 50–80 grams (1/3 to ½ cup) of tapioca maltodextrin powder (available on amazon.com)
Warm the bacon fat in a saucepan over low heat. Then put it in a blender, and while the blender is running, start adding maltodextrin until the mixture becomes a powder. Bacon dust can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
To Serve:
Sprinkle beignets with powdered sugar and bacon dust and serve warm.
