Description
This is how it goes at Cortez in Echo Park: A base ingredient, selected for its freshness and high quality, is paired with one or two other components for an outcome that's simple and often startlingly good.
The sweetness of roasted delicata squash is grounded by the high, nutty tang of tahini and the smoky whisper of the spice mix za'atar. It's a generous, almost decadent dish, and also just some slices of squash on a plate.
Line-caught Pacific snapper, so fresh its sweet, white flesh practically swims down your gullet, gets a perfect golden sear, a forkful of minerally turnip greens and a dousing of chermoula — dark green, pert and tasting of photosynthesis. Pork loin, cured in Spanish paprika, is contrasted by a riotous, juicy jumble of orange and grapefruit segments.
