Ravioli Con Granchio – A Celebration of Crab

By Mary Swift-Swan

Café Pescatore, located at 425 Northpoint Street, San Francisco, CA, is just two blocks up from Fisherman’s Wharf. There is less traffic on the corner giving it the feeling of a local place for local people, yet it is discreetly attached to the delightful boutique hotel called The Tuscan. As the name indicates, the Italian seafood flavors of the12-year-old restaurant’s menu reflect the rustic cuisine of the Tuscan region.

San Francisco’s famous Italian district warmth pervades this classic waterfront area cafe. The hammered metal edging around the doorframe sets the stage for simple elegance and quiet beauty as one enters into a warm atmosphere, where an interesting gallery of ships line the walls. Hospitality at Café Pescatore begins with Delilah Acox’s kind and friendly greeting. Then, while a table is being prepared, you can view the evening’s anti-pasta bar or move to the classic curved wooden bar where Manager John Dooley assures a very smooth Vermeer Chocolate Martini awaits you. On sunny days, sidewalk tables are set out for customers to enjoy the sunshine along with a wonderful lunch or Sunday brunch.

Café Pescatore is a cozy eatery where menus change every month, except for a few items loyal customers insist must stay put. Ravioli Con Granchio, Crab Ravioli, is one such item. This dish is so popular that executive Chef Rafael laughed with fondness at his own folly of past attempts to change the recipe. “Customers ask for it (Ravioli Con Granchio) whether it is on the menu or not. When it was unavailable on a few occasions, our regular customers made such a fuss that we have to say Crab Ravioli is one of Café Pescatore’s signature menu items.” Chef Rafael felt Bay Crossings home chef readers would enjoy learning to make the unique Ravioli Con Granchio recipe in honor of the Crab Fest (see event ad this section). After all the heavy holiday feasts, making this delicious dish is a wonderful and flavorful way to start the New Year.

The first step is to make the pasta. Chef Rafael chooses a mixture of 3/4th semolina and 1/4th all-purpose flour. He prefers this mixture because it highlights semolina’s warm color and flavor, plus it is durable to freeze and boil. It also includes enough of the softer more pliable white flour to help create a good seal, which keeps the raviolis from losing any of the wonderful crab filling.

Pasta
Makes about 30 ravioli
2 extra large eggs
(use 5 large eggs if doubling recipe)
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Allow eggs to warm to room temperature while assembling the other ingredients. Combine dry ingredients using a standard blender with a dough hook(*).

Separately blend the eggs together with the oil. Slowly add eggs/oil mix to the dry ingredients. Continue to mix for 10-15 minutes, add water only as needed to form an elastic dough. Divide in half forming dough balls. Wrap each tightly in plastic to keep from drying out. Place the plastic wrapped dough in the refrigerator to rest and chill for 30-40 minutes before using.

(*)The dough can be blended in about a minute in a food processor. Achieving the proper moisture content is key to stuffed pasta. No processor or blender with dough hook? Then first make a well in the flour and pour egg mixture into the well mixing gradually right in the well. If making dough is just more of a project than you want, won ton wrappers can be used as the pasta. Making the pasta does take time.

Consider doubling the pasta and filling part of the recipe and storing half of the finished pasta in the freezer for a future quick meal.

Filling
1/2 lb fresh crab meat (1 crab shelled)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 lb ricotta cheese
1/2 diced red bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Turn crab and other ingredients gently in a bowl to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until dough wrappers are ready.

Ravioli Assembly

Work one ball of dough start to finish leaving the balance in the refrigerator, to minimize drying. Roll out dough to a 16th of an inch thick either by hand or using a pasta machine. If using a pasta machine, begin at the largest setting and sequentially reduce size to the smallest. Keep the rollers dusted with flour. Prepare flour dusted working surface to lay rolled dough. Cut out 3-inch circles or form 2 long rectangle sheets to form squares. If preparing squares, cut rolled dough in half to lay dough sheets side by side.

On one half of the circles place 1 teaspoon of filling. Cover with second half and press edges to seal. Use the same procedure with won ton sheets. If preparing squares, place teaspoon of filling every 2 inches, in a double row. Cover with the second sheet and press around the filling to seal, then cut. Place finished ravioli on a cooking sheet, that will fit in the freezer, dusted with cornmeal or flour. Put the whole cooking sheet into the freezer between each batch. The ravioli are sticky at this point. Chilling solves that problem. Cornmeal falls off when cooking, dropping harmlessly to the bottom of the pot.

Cooking Fresh Pasta

The rules are the same for cooking homemade fresh pasta or store bought. The most important factor for good pasta is cooking with plenty of boiling water. A good rule is 1 gallon of water to 1 pound of pasta. Do not add oil to the water. Plenty of water and stirring keeps it from sticking. Oil can keep sauce from adhering to the cooked pasta, and you know it’s the sauce that makes the umm. Fresh pasta is cooked when it rises to the surface, 2-4 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce for 4
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 leek julienned
2 tomatoes diced
1 asparagus bunch cut into 1” sections
1 shallot minced
1/4 cup basil chopped (plus reserve 4 whole leaves for garnish)
1 1/2 cups fish stock
1/4 cup marinara sauce – enhances flavor and
warms rosy color
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add leeks and shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add fresh tomatoes continuing to saute for one minute more until leeks are soft.

Add fish stock, marinara, basil, asparagus and cream then simmer to reduce until desired thickness is obtained. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serving

Place cooked pasta on warmed individual plates, 6-7 per plate. Lightly cover ravioli with sauce and garnish with a leaf of fresh basil. Finish with pinch of salt and pepper. Ravioli Con Granchio is a light yet richly filling flavorful meal. Serve with light salad and warm French bread. Enjoy!

Café Pescatore Executive
Chef Rafael Mayoral is from Mexico City. He loves to cook. If he had a choice he would cook seven days a week. At 30 years old, he has spent half his life working in a kitchen. Rafael clearly remembers helping his Mom in the kitchen starting at age 5. His father, now 63, is and has been a chef in Mexico City most of his life. Rafael, with his characteristic quiet pride and gentle bright smile said, “My father is renowned for making the best ‘Birria’ in all of Mexico City.” Birria is a slow roasted lamb stew that is a regional favorite. Yet it was not becoming a chef that Rafael had planned for his life. He wanted to come to San Francisco to further his keen interest through a college education in mathematics. Coming to San Francisco newly married to Mayorai, he worked in restaurants as a line chef to pay bills while going to college. Along the way came a family, and they now have two girls, 3 and 9. The 9-year-old wants to be a chef continuing the family tradition.

Mexico City has become a pretty tough place to raise children. San Francisco has less crime and more opportunities for chefs of fine cuisine. Rafael wanted to stay in San Francisco, so he joined the staff of the Kimpton Group’s many boutique restaurants where he was appreciated and encouraged to grow as a professional in culinary expertise. First he worked at Scala’s, then Pucinni and Pinetti restaurants in Union Square, and then a few years ago was moved to Café Pescatore. After only one year as a Sous Chef, he was promoted to Executive Chef. His favorite jacket from his Sous Chef days when he was able to cook more is the one he wears. Being an Executive Chef has its joys, too. Rafael said, “I try to enjoy all that I do. It’s the attitude you bring that makes such a difference. At Café Pescatore it is easy to enjoy my work. It’s a kitchen with a view. The chef station is behind glass in the dining area. Diners can watch the flames and hear the pans rattle, making cooking fun and exciting for all.”

Café Pescatore
Tel: (415) 561-1111
Website: www.tuscaninn.com