8373 STATE ROUTE 28
BIG INDIAN, NY 12410
(845) 254-6500
CO-OWNERS: MARYBETH MILLS AND DEVIN MILLS;
EXECUTIVE CHEF: DEVIN MILLS
While nearby Woodstock bears the tie-dyed mother lode of 1960s nostalgia, in fact, many other Hudson Valley towns have equally notable histories in 1960s counterculturalism. The Band’s landmark was composed in West Saugerties in a house at 2188 Stoll Road (now 56 Parnassus Lane), while Dr. Timothy Leary created an LSD utopia in William Hitchcock’s mansion in the Dutchess County town of Millbrook. Not only did both Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell once dwell in the Hudson Valley, but in Big Indian there existed a whole countercultural society.
Marybeth Mills, who co-owns Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room with her husband, chef Devin Mills, explains the history of the centuries-old building that they ultimately bought. “It was part of an ashram community. Our building was Rudi’s Big Indian Country Kitchen, and Rudi was a swami who had a following in the 1960s and ’70s.” Rudi, born in Brooklyn as Albert Rudolph (1928–1973), was a follower of Tibetan Buddhism who declared himself a spiritual leader in the late 1950s.
“The people at the ashram studied meditation and metaphysics. They worked here at the restaurant and grew their own tomatoes and sprouts for their sandwiches.” Mills explains, “They worked here as part of the ashram to cover the expenses of the ashram. And it was very successful for about twenty-five years.”
Mills continues, “We’ve always wanted to own our own restaurant. We were both working in Manhattan under very talented chefs; we had the good fortune to work with some of the best in the industry. My husband cooked under Tom Colicchio at Gramercy Tavern and Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin. I worked with Terrence Brennan at Picholine and with Waldy Malouf at the Hudson River Club.” She laughs, “I always worked front-of-the-house, though I did study in Switzerland to be a chef. Believe me, you are much better off having Devin cook for you than me.”
He saved his money and went into a lot of debt to go to The Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. And whenever we would come up from the city to visit his mother, we’d see this old building for sale.” Mills continues, “And we’d always wanted to come back to this area.”
The Millses opened Peekamoose with a commitment to celebrating Hudson Valley produce. “We came from kitchens that had the same respect—especially Gramercy Tavern. They were really—twenty years ago—developing relationships with local, New York farmers and highlighting the ingredients and their quality. That kitchen was about seeing that there is just as much beauty in a carrot as there is some over-processed Kobe beef or something. What we do here is a farmhouse type of cuisine—we absolutely avoid all types of agribusiness. We want to celebrate what grows around here.”
(SERVES 8)
For the goat sausage:
5 pounds fresh Snowdance Farm goat meat (leg/belly)
¾ pound pork fat
3 cloves garlic
½ bulb fennel
5 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 cup white wine (Lamoureaux Landing Semi-Dry Riesling, New York State)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
3 sprigs fresh thyme
½ sprig fresh rosemary
For the biodynamic beets:
2 large beets, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
½ tablespoon coriander seeds
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
For the goat cheese espuma:
2 cups fresh goat’s milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the fennel puree:
1½ bulbs fennel
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the beet greens choucroute:
Beet greens from 2–4 large beets, julienned
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 medium-size Spanish onion, julienned
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 cup white wine (Lamoureaux Landing Semi-Dry Riesling, New York State)
1 cup Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
To make the sausage: Using a meat grinder affixed to a stand mixer, grind the goat meat, pork fat, garlic, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Chill. In a pot simmer the white wine with spices and herbs. Strain and cool the liquid. Once cool, incorporate the herb-infused wine with the ground goat meat. Allow the proteins to bind. The mixture should have a texture similar to that of meatballs. Adjust the seasoning, then roll into 6-inch-long logs. Vacuum seal the logs in a Cryovac bag and cook in an immersion circulator set to 146°F. Alternatively, you can seal the logs very carefully in plastic zip bags and then poach them in 146°F water (monitor the temperature carefully with a digital probe thermometer). While sausages are cooking, set up an ice bath. Remove the logs and plunge them in the ice bath to halt their cooking. Cut them into ½-inch slices.
To prepare the puree: Roughly chop the fennel. In a medium saucepan combine the fennel and enough water to cover. Add a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the fennel is tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and reserve the fennel water. Place the cooked fennel into a blender and puree on high speed while slowly drizzling the olive oil into the blender. For a smoother texture, a little of the reserved fennel water may be added to the puree. Adjust seasoning. Reserve.
To prepare the beets: While wearing rubber gloves, peel the beets and slice them ⅛-inch thick on a mandoline. Reserve the beet greens for the choucroute, below. In a medium saucepan add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, coriander, and olive oil. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Add the beets and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Allow the beets to cool in the oil and season with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, remove the beet slices.
To make the choucroute: Wash the beet greens carefully and remove the stems. In a medium saucepan add the olive oil, caraway seeds (if used), and julienned onion. Sweat until the onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper, then add the beet greens. Cover with wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning and finish with butter, if desired.
To make the espuma: Into a CO2-charged iSi canister, place the seasoned goat’s milk and the olive oil. Shake for 30 seconds.
To serve: Heat a grill or grill pan. Lightly grill the sausage slices for color and flavor, about 2 minutes on each side. On a small plate place a tablespoon of the fennel puree and spread it across the center of the plate. Add a tablespoon of beet greens. Arrange small circles of beets and grilled goat sausage. Garnish with a small mound of goat cheese espuma squirted from the iSi canister. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.