The Dish: Barbara Lynch

Barbara Lynch is the only woman in the U.S. holding the elite title of Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux. She was born and raised in South Boston, in a large Irish family that struggled to survive. But years of hard work paid off - the chef was named Outstanding Restaurateur in 2014 for the award-winning "Menton."

Her popular Boston-area restaurant group features a full range of dining options. Here are some of Lynch's signature dishes:

B&G lobster rolls

Serves 4

4 whole lobsters, each about 1 1/4 pounds
1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (or lleon aioli, page 000 if you're feeling fancy)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (leave out if using the aioli)
1/2 cup finely peeled and finely minced celery
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 top-split hot dog rolls - we use Pepperidge Farm
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a clean sink or very large bowl with ice water. Cook the lobsters, covered, in a large pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Plunge them into the ice water to halt the cooking.

2. Remove all of the meat from the tail, knuckle and claw and cut into generous bite size pieces.

3. Gently toss the lobster meat with the mayonnaise, lemon juice and celery. Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. To serve, cut the inside of the hot dog on each side at an angle to make a wider roll. Butter the hot dog rolls on the outside and toast them on a griddle or skillet until nicely golden brown.

4. Taste the lobster salad again to see if it needs more seasoning -- cold folds often do -- and divide the lobster salad among the four rolls, over stuffing them. Garnish the lobster with the chives.

Note: To make ahead -- You can make the lobster salad a few hours ahead and keep it chilled but it is best to have it as fresh as possible.

B&G coleslaw

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and shredded
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup lemon aoili or 1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise mixed with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more if needed
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more if needed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrot and onion together. In a small bowl, whisk together the aioli, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard and pepper to taste.

2. Toss the dressing well with the vegetables and chill. Before serving, taste and add more vinegar or salt if necessary, as coldness can mute the flavors a bit.

Note: To make ahead -- you can shred the cabbage and grate the carrot a day ahead. Store them separately, covered, in the refrigerator.

Poulet au pain

Serves 2 to 3

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 3-to-3 1/2 pound chicken, giblets and excess fat and skin removed, patted dry
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Directions

1. To make the bread dough, combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix with the paddle, stopping the mixer occasionally to break up bigger chunks of butter with your hand.

2. Add ½ cup water and continue mixing until the dough begins to come together. At this point, turn off the mixer and switch to the dough hook (scraping all the dough off the paddle first, of course).

3. Knead the dough into the hook until it comes together in one mass, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead it by hand, pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it over, giving it a quarter turn, and pushing it away again until it feels nice and elastic. If the dough is very sticky, add a little more flour to it as you knead. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, rosemary and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender but not colored. Let cool for eight minutes.

5. Clip the chicken wings off at the body and save for making stock or discard. Season the chicken liberally inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the bird with the cooled vegetables and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

6. Heat the oven to 400° F. On a very lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ⅛ inch thick; this will take some muscle. If the dough is very stubborn, let it rest for a few minutes before trying to roll it some more.

7. Put the chicken on the dough breast side down and wrap the dough up and around the bird, encompassing it completely and overlapping the dough. (If there is a lot of overlap, trim the dough.) Pinch the seams together to keep them closed. Turn the bird over and put the bird seam side down on a baking sheet.

8. Brush the dough all over with the egg and sprinkle it lightly all over with salt. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the bread is lovely golden brown, 1 to 1½ hours, depending on the size of the chicken (an instant-read thermometer inserted through the crust into the breast should read 170° F.)

9. Let cool for at least an hour, preferably 2, before tearing it apart and serving.

Note: To make ahead -- You can refrigerate the dough-wrapped chicken, covered in plastic wrap, for a day before cooking it.

Tomato tarte tatin

Serving 6 as a first course, or makes 12 two-bite hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

1 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, preferably whole grain
8 to 14 basil leaves (the number depends on how many servings you plan to make), 2 leaves chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
Flour for during your work surface
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
Tomato confit (recipe follows)
1 egg
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese or fresh ricotta
1/2 cup oil (for optional garnish)

Directions

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn an even dark brown, 45 minutes to an hour. Be patient; if you crank the heat and brown them too early they won't get the sweet caramelized flavor and soft texture you're after. If the pan dries out, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan as needed.

2. When the onions are nicely caramelized, take the pan off the heat and stir in the mustard and chopped basil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

3. Lightly flour your work surface, and roll the puff pastry out until 1/8-inch thick. Invert a tart pan over the pastry sheet. With a sharp knife, cut out the shape you need by tracing around the pan with a paring knife; do this multiple times if using smaller tart pans or molds. Transfer the cut out dough to a very lightly floured sheet pan and refrigerate while you assemble the rest of the tart.

5. Heat the oven to 375°F. Use a finger to spread the honey on the bottom of the tart pan, dividing it as necessary among multiple molds if you're going that route. Place a single layer of tomato confit in the tart pan or pans, overlapping as needed to cover the bottom completely. (A very small tart mold may need just a single piece of tomato.) Distribute the caramelized onions over the tomatoes, dividing them evenly among multiple pans as needed, and gently spreading them to disperse them evenly.

6. Remove the cut dough from the refrigerator and place it directly over the onions. Lightly beat the egg and brush the top of the tart or tarts with the beaten egg. Sprinkle each lightly with additional kosher salt. Bake until the pastry is puffed and a deep, golden brown, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on size.

7. Allow the tart or tarts to cool for about 10 minutes before unmolding, but unmold the tarts while they are still warm because there's less chance they will stick. To unmold them, run a small knife around the edge of the tart to loosen it. Place a serving plate a little larger than the tart pan directly over the top of the tart pan and invert the tart onto the plate.

8. If the tarts have cooled too much, and the tomatoes are sticking, put the tarts in a warm oven for a minute or two to melt the honey. If a tomato piece sticks, just carefully remove it from the pan and arrange it on the tart.

9. If you want to fry some basil leaves for the garnish, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan until a basil leaf dipped into it sizzles. Place the remaining leaves in the oil and fry,turning them once, until crispy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on paper towel.

10. If you have made one large tart, slice it into six servings; (serve the tiny tarts whole). Garnish each serving with a small dollop of mascarpone and a fried basil leaf, if using.

Note: To make ahead - you can cook the onions up to three days before assembling the tarts. Keep them covered and refrigerated. You can arrange the onions and tomatoes in the tart pan earlier in the day and then simply top with the already-cut crust right before baking.

Beet salad with blue cheese & black olive croutons

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 pounds beets, stems trimmed to 1/2 inch (leaving a little stem helps preserve nutrients and color during cooking)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 to 2 slices day-old brioche or other good quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon good quality purchased tapenade
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound Chevre cheese at room temperature
1 bunch baby lettuces, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

For the brine-

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the beets and put them in a small ovenproof pan, with a little bit of water on the bottom. Season the beets with salt and pepper and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake until the beets are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 40 to 50 minutes or more depending on size.

2. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them into medium-sized dices to yield about 4 cups. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F. Toss the bread cubes with the black olive paste and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

4. To serve, combine the 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Taste and add more lemon juice if you like. Add the baby lettuces, season with a little salt and pepper, and toss. Add the parsley to the beets and toss. Among six plates, divide the beets, baby lettuces,and then the croutons.

5. Or, for an even more beautiful presentation, use an individual ring mold. (If you don't have a mold, you can fashion one by removing the bottom of a similar size empty can or by cutting the bottom off of a straight-sided plastic food storage container.) Put the mold on the plate, spoon in the beets, baby lettuces, and croutons, and crumble Chevre cheese over the top and then remove the mold by lifting it straight up off the plate.

Note: To make ahead - You can leave the cooked beets whole with their skin on and keep refrigerated for at least a week. You can also dice them ahead and keep them refrigerated for a couple of days.

Creamy vanilla bread pudding

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients for the cake

3 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
5 cups cubed white bread, such as brioche or even Pepperidge Farm sandwich bread, about 5 slices
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
Fresh fig sauce
Caramel sauce
Chantilly cream

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream over low. If using the vanilla bean, split it lengthwise with the tip of a paring knife and scrape the seeds out into the cream. (Add the bean to the pot, too.) Stir in the salt and cook the cream until warm to the touch.

2. Take the pot off of the heat and let the vanilla bean steep for 1/2 hour to 1 hour.

3. Pile the bread cubes into a 9x13 baking dish, distributing them more or less evenly.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs and sugar on medium speed the mixture is light yellow in color and falls from the beater in thick ribbons, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract.

4. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream mixture and reheat it over medium. Do not let it boil, but do let it get quite hot. Remove the cream from the heat, and slowly pour 1 cup of it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly as you do to temper the eggs. Then pour the egg-cream mixture into the saucepan with the remaining cream and whisk it together.

5. Strain the egg and cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Give the pan a gentle shake to be sure all is distributed well and them let the bread absorb the custard for at least 30 minutes before baking. If baking the bread pudding right away, heat the oven to 350°F. If not, once cooled, cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it.

6. When ready to bake, set the bread pudding dish in a larger roasting pan. Add enough hot water until the water if halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the center of the oven until the custard is just firm, 50 minutes to 1 hour (begin checking earlier; give the pan a gentle shake and take it out of the oven when the custard is no longer jiggly).

7. Let cool a bit and serve warm, at room temperature or even cold. Put a serving in a large dish and top with both the Fresh Fig Sauce, the Caramel Sauce and a dollop of Chantilly Cream.

Note: To make ahead - This might actually taste better the longer the bread soaks in the custard, so feel free to refrigerate it unbaked for as long as 24 hours. You can also bake the bread pudding a day or two ahead, let it cool at room temperature before covering it with plastic wrap and refrigerating it. Take it out before serving and let it warm up a bit. You'll taste the vanilla better if the pudding is not very cold.

Pasta with potatoes and pesto

Serves 4

Ingredients for pesto

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet or the oven until golden brown
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, well washed and dried, plus 4 small leaves for garnish
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Reserve 1 heaping tablespoon of the pine nuts and put the rest in a blender. Add the ½cup basil, garlic, olive oil, 1.2 teaspoon salt, and a few good grinds of pepper. Purée well.

Ingredients for pasta1 Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch lengths on the diagonal (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 pound tagliatelle, preferably homemade
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup lightly packed Parmigiana-Reggiano shavings from about a 2-ounce chunk
Fleur de sel

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready a bowl of ice water. Cook the potato at a gentle boil until just tender, about 8 minutes.

2. With a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer it to the ice water to halt the cooking. Add the green beans to the pot, cook till just tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and shock them in ice water to cool. Reserve about 1.2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot.

3. Drain the potatoes and green beans well and add them to the pot with the pasta. Add the pesto and toss gently over low heat, adding a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the pasta among four bowls. Garnish each with some of the shaved Parmesan, the reserved pine nuts, and a basil leaf. Finish with a tiny sprinkle of fleur de sel and serve.

Notes: To make ahead - You can make the pesto up to a couple days ahead. Cover it well with plastic wrap to prevent the top from darkening. It will still taste good if it does blacken a little, but won't look as pretty. The pesto also freezes well for up to a month.

The Palymyra

*This is the signature cocktail on No. 9 Park's cocktail list since they opened.

Ingredients

2 oz Vodka (No. 9 uses Aylesbury Duck)
0.75 fresh lime juice
0.75 mint simple syrup

Directions
1. 1:1 simple syrup. Add lots of mint and let sit for 48 hours in fridge or until desired mint flavor is reached. Serve in a martini glass.