575 WARBURTON AVENUE
HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY 10706
(914) 478-2542
EXECUTIVE CHEF/OWNER: ALEX SZE
For such a soft-spoken man, Chef Alex Sze has a lot of nerve. With no cooking experience whatsoever, Sze somehow managed to scam his way into the kitchen of Washington, DC’s Citronelle under the Gallic icon, Chef Michel Richard. Richard, having hired Sze as a pastry chef, was soon confronted with Sze’s total lack of experience. Still, he spotted something in the recent UConn biology graduate and took Sze under his wing. Over a period of three years at Citronelle, Richard led Sze through every aspect of working in a professional French kitchen, eventually allowing the young chef (for so he had become) to man Citronelle’s grill and sauté stations.
Sze took what he learned at Citronelle to move into other elite restaurants in and around D.C. before returning to the Northeast (Sze was raised in Hamden, Connecticut). In 2009, when Sze was only twenty-seven, he debuted Juniper, a tiny BYOB in sleepy Hastings-on-Hudson. Instantly, Juniper drew the loyalty of devoted regulars and raves from the critics. Even other chefs were vocal fans; Hastings-on-Hudson resident, Chef Andy Nusser (of Mario Batali’s Tarry Lodge), calls Juniper “a gem.”
What’s not to love? With its open kitchen, light-filled windows, and glass counter holding pastries and desserts, Juniper emanates a breezy, almost offhanded energy that disguises its secret weapon: the finesse in Sze’s ever-changing, French-inflected menu. Dishes like red beet and yogurt gazpacho (recipe follows), might come and go overnight, but whatever is on Juniper’s menu, we know that it’ll be good.
(SERVES 4 AS A STARTER)
For the shrimp sausage:
1 cup (½ pound) chopped shrimp
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3½ tablespoons sliced green onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cream
Pinch of white pepper
For the rye croutons:
2 slices rye bread
Olive oil
For the horseradish mousse:
½ cup crème fraîche
1 teaspoon horseradish
Salt to taste
For the pickled beets:
1 pound golden beets
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup white wine vinegar
⅔ cup water
1 ⅓ tablespoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon salt
For the red beet gazpacho:
2 sliced shallots
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 pound peeled chopped beets
4 cups vegetable stock
½ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh dill, for garnish
2 tablespoons trout roe
To make the shrimp sausage: Beat all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour mixture into the center of a piece of plastic wrap and form a 1½-inch-thick sausage log. Twist ends of plastic to seal.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the plastic-wrapped sausage and turn off heat. Poach in hot water for 8–10 minutes until cooked through.
To make the rye croutons: Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush the bread with olive oil and cut into squares. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10–12 minutes until golden brown.
To make the horseradish mousse: Whip crème fraîche until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in horseradish. Season with salt and reserve.
To pickle the beets: Toss beets with olive oil. Wrap in foil. Roast in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes. Cool and peel off skin. In a large saucepan bring sugar, vinegar, water, mustard seeds, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat, add beets, and pickle in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
To make the red beet gazpacho: In a large sized saucepan, sweat shallots, thyme, bay leaf, and salt in olive oil over medium-low heat for 5–10 minutes, or until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add chopped beets and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until beets are fork tender. Remove bay leaf. Add yogurt and white balsamic vinegar, then place everything in a blender and blend for 5 minutes until smooth. Chill.
To serve: Pour gazpacho into four bowls and garnish with sausage, rye croutons, horseradish mousse, pickled beets, dill, and trout roe.
