Moving beyond its traditional Baja-Mediterranean cuisine, Las Ven-tanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort, in Los Cabos, recently unveiled a new menu rooted in authenticity and all things local.
Under the helm of Executive Chef Fabrice Guisset and Executive Sous Chef Victor Palma, the new menu at The Restaurant reflects a sense of respect and admiration for Mexico’s culinary traditions, with ingredients and techniques that reflect the country’s history and customs. However, as Guisset and Palma point out, the entire culinary team was instrumental in the formation of the new menu, as their family recipes and culinary secrets were transported into the kitchen of Las Ventanas.
Another aspect that is evident on the menu is a list of ingredients sourced from within the region. Guisset forages from the area’s top farms, like Miraflores Farms, as well as from his own organic herb and produce garden at the resort. Based on the principle of locally sourced, nationally inspired cuisine, the menu reflects the seasonality of its produce and changes accordingly.
Signature dishes include Ensenada mussels in molcajete—cooked in dark beer, chipotle, tomatillo, and acuyo; grilled codfish fillet with cantina-style lentils in a green tomatillo and cilantro sauce; braised beef ribs in pascalito sauce, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pico de gallo; and Hunucma-style suckling pig, a modern interpretation of a Mayan classic. Making the new menu even more enjoyable, a tequilero, or tequila sommelier, is available to pair the regional dishes with a variety of Mexico’s premier tequilas and mezcals.
“We wanted the culinary experience to be a natural extension of that authentic Mexican tableau, which the new regionally inspired menu at The Restaurant will help achieve,” says Guisset. lasventanas.com.
RECIPE
Hunucma-Style Suckling Pig – Serves 4
4½ lbs. whole suckling pig, cut in large pieces
1 red onion
2 dried bay leaves
2 limes
50 ml white vinegar
2 tbsp. Guajillo chili
1 tbsp. peeled garlic clove
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin powder
½ bunch fresh thyme
6 tbsp. achiote paste
2 whole plantain leaves
Blend all ingredients together. Toss the meat with the sauce and place in a Dutch oven. Add water until it covers the meat, cover with plantain leaves, and seal with foil. Cook covered for 3 hours at 350 degrees, and then for another hour uncovered. Remove the meat from the oven, separate from the juices, and remove from the bones. Reduce sauce for another hour until thick. Serve suckling pig with sauce on top and Xnipec onion on the side.
Xnipec Onion
2? lbs. red onion
2? lbs. lime
3½ oz. habanero chili
1 tsp. dry oregano salt
Squeeze limes for fresh juice. Finely slice the red onion. Remove seeds from habanero chili and finely slice. Mix red onion with habanero chili and salt and let rest 15 minutes. Add oregano and lime juice. Marinate for 1 hour and serve.