Gourmet feasts served in Stone Mansion's intimate setting
Chuck Errafaq is an amazing man. He speaks seven languages -- eight if you count his fluency in all things culinary.
"Every day you have a new menu, new recipes," says the executive chef of Stone Mansion Restaurant in Franklin Park. "It never ends."
The elegant fine-dining establishment -- the former stately home of Allegheny County Sheriff and Controller Robert G. Woodside -- caters to patrons seeking memories for a lifetime. The 1930s mansion, built from pieces of mahogany, oak marble and other materials gathered from run-down estates in the area, features nine private dining rooms, including one for two or four that is the site where a diner often hears, "Will you marry me?"
The restaurant also features a 24-foot cathedral ceiling and the original 1920s Wabash Railroad Station's Fireplace. Seven other working fireplaces add to the romantic glow.
Stone Mansion's owner, Don Mervis, founded the restaurant in 1994; it already was a restaurant at that time. Errafaq has been in the kitchen since opening day, charming patrons with a cuisine that's a blend of French and Italian, featuring extra flair from his native Morocco.
Errafaq received his basic culinary training in his home country, then traveled to France and Germany for more experience. At one point, he was cooking for Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia, son of King Abdul Aziz. The prince succeeded his father on the throne in 1982.
Errafaq came to the United States to help open a Moroccan restaurant at Epcot Center in Orlando, Fla. He worked his way north to Pittsburgh and Stone Mansion, where he offers six different menus a day -- a changing Chef's Menu for lunch and dinner; the regular lunch and dining menus; a new bar menu; and a patio menu. Weather permitting, lunch and dinner are served al fresco on the patio.
A few of the chef's specialties include Duck Breast Errafaq, a seared boneless duck breast with watercress, fried shoestring potatoes, sun-dried blueberries, macadamia nuts, and a mango and duck demi-glaze; the popular Colossal Lump Crab Cake, Chesapeake Bay-style accented with a light Dijon mustard sauce; and Osso Buco. Angel Hair with Spinach and Goat Cheese is a best-seller among the pastas, says Mervis.
Errafaq also enjoys cooking up on-the-spot dishes for diners who want the chef to display his broad talents.
He shared an appetizer recipe for a crab and shrimp portobello mushroom, which can be made into a complete meal by adding vegetables and a starch of your choice.
Stone Mansion Crab & Shrimp Portobello
- 1 medium portobello mushroom cap
- Homemade or bottled Italian dressing (oil-based)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Salt and black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) fish stock, clam juice or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) white wine
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- All-purpose flour
- 2 ounces lump crabmeat, picked through
- Paprika, for garnish
- Chopped chives, for garnish
Heat the oven to 350 to 400 degrees.
Soak the portobello mushroom cap in Italian dressing for a few minutes. Place the mushroom in an ovenproof skillet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan until hot. Add the shrimp and saute just until pink, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, shallot and white wine. Simmer the mixture until reduced.
Add the lemon juice and the fish stock. Roll the butter in flour to coat, then add to the pan to finish, stirring. Heat until hot, then stir in the crabmeat and cook until heated through. Remove from the stove.
To plate: Place the desired starch on a serving plate and add the vegetable mixture to one side. Lay the portobello mushroom, gill side up, on the plate and surround with the shrimp. Top with the crab and some of the pan juices.
Makes 1 serving.
Vegetables: Errafaq sautes baby carrots and slivers of zucchini, yellow squash, sweet red peppers, asparagus, spinach and radicchio in olive oil until tender to accompany the mushroom dish, but home cooks can choose other favorite vegetables instead. For the starch, he uses a simple tomato-based risotto seasoned with fresh basil.
Additional Information:
Details
Stone Mansion Restaurant, 1600 Stone Mansion Drive, Franklin Park, is open for lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and for dinner from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 4:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Details: 724-934-3000
