There’s so much great food to try in DC, so we’ve decided to take a deep dive into some of the city’s best dishes! We’’re continuing the series today with Xiquet DL; Owner/Executive Chef Danny Lledó takes us through what makes the restaurant’s Suckling Pig Bossa or “Beggars Purse” so special:
For starters, when and/or where did the inspiration for this dish come from?
This dish was influenced by my father who is a reputable chef from Denia, Spain. Both my father and the region of Valencia influenced the making of this spectacular dish. I spent so much of my time in the region growing up and wanted to bring those special Spanish flavors to the dish as well as the French techniques that my father inspired. This dish itself is very Spanish, which is why we used the rotisserie suckling pig and the pasta elements. The foie gras adds in the French inspiration from my father.
What was the recipe development process like? Any notable trial and error moments resulting in either “AHA!” or “OH NO” breakthroughs?
One particular breakthrough moment is when we realized the true beauty of this dish which is its versatility. When it comes down to the suckling pig beggar’s purse, the best part is you can fill it really with anything of your liking. We have tried it with muscadelle glaze with oranges, rabbit, suckling pig, and much more. It is so versatile and once I was able to develop new fillings, I realized I could rotate it on the menu with whatever ingredient was in season. It is all about freshness and developing the perfect pairing.
Obviously, all of the elements of the dish are important, but is there one in particular (whether it’s an ingredient or technique) that stands out as especially crucial?
For this specific dish, we roast the suckling pig in our woodfire kitchen to give it the aromas of wood which tie in with the foie gras. The other important element is that the pasta “pouch” is made daily to ensure freshness which really enhances the overall product.
It’s one thing to roll out a menu item and another to know for sure it’s a keeper. What for you solidified it as the latter
The beauty of this dish is that we can change the filling and continue to keep it on the menu and try different combinations with seasonal ingredients and different cooking techniques. That is how we knew it was a keeper.
And if someone were to order this, what are some good additional pairings (food or drink) to go with it?
A great pairing would be a full rich white wine like Chardonnay.
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Try it out for yourself over at Xiquet DL!
Xiquet by Danny Lledó
2404 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
