22 March 20-26, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ DUCK KEY SALT + ASH BRINGS SEAFOOD TOWERS TO THE KEYS Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford has planted his flag in the Middle Florida Keys with Salt + Ash at Hawks Cay Resort in Duck Key. Ford, who already leads Miami Beach’s Michelin- starred Stubborn Seed (which also recently debuted a Las Vegas outpost) alongside Palm Beach’s the Butcher’s Club, brings serious cu- linary firepower to an island chain better known for fried conch than fine dining. What sets Salt + Ash apart is its genuine farm-to-table approach. Ford’s Farm, the chef’s six-acre passion project in Home- stead’s Redlands area, was established just last year and sits about 90 minutes from Duck Key. In a dining landscape where “locally sourced” claims often fall short, Ford helps grow the goods himself, spending many mornings harvesting ingredients that will ap- pear on plates that evening. This is why when Salt + Ash invited New Times to try the dishes firsthand, we took it upon ourselves to give you an exclusive first taste. The cacio e pepe cheese puffs arrived first — light, airy bites topped with shredded par- mesan and that balance cheese puff comfort with an almost biscuit-like texture, served with bread and butter pickles that served as a nice counterbalance to the richness of the dish. The Key West pink shrimp followed, sliced and wrapped in what appears to be rice crackers, topped with charred shishito pep- pers, and finished with a sambal emulsion and bright lemon. A seafood plateau combines lavender- smoked oysters, Key West shrimp, coconut tuna ceviche, marinated clams, and ghee old bay crackers across two tiers. While seafood towers have become standard luxury restau- rant fare nowadays, this one differentiates it- self through house-made sauces — particularly the bright, herbaceous dilly green sauce that outshines traditional sauces. Ford Farm tomatoes showcase the benefits of true local sourcing — bright, flavorful heir- looms served with stracciatella, Asian pear, za’atar, scattered herbs, and basil oil with grilled bread. The sun gold variety delivers sunshine-sweet notes, while the “Indigenous Everglades” tomatoes — tiny raindrop- shaped morsels that Ford describes as a “fla- vor bomb” —offer freshness that only comes from hyperlocality and minimal travel time. The poached Florida wahoo crudo had a flavor profile that almost reminded us of a Greek salad, with charred cucumber vinai- grette, farm-fresh cucumbers, beans, pickled farm tomatoes, and herbs building layers of flavor atop exceptionally fresh fish. The yuzu buttermilk dressing provides the tangy rich- ness that ties everything together with subtle dill undertones. It was certainly the most un- expected dish of the night. A charred maitake pizza demonstrates the “ash” part of the restaurant’s name with its intensely blistered crust and perfectly charred mushrooms. The bubbled edges maintain structural integrity while offering just the right amount of chew, with garlicky undertones and surprising citrus notes cut- ting through the mushrooms’ earthiness. The butternut squash agnolotti captures that elusive balance between salty and sweet, with orange jam, brown butter, crispy sage, charred maitake, and aged parmesan, show- casing Ford’s sophisticated approach to com- fort food. The olive oil-poached swordfish is served with white bean puree, Sicilian olives, charred peppers, and fennel pollen; while well-executed, it stands as the least memora- ble dish of the night among an otherwise stel- lar lineup. The steak frites deliver koji-marinated pi- canha cooked to textbook medium-rare per- fection. Though modest in size, each bite offers rich, decadent flavor that satisfies any carnivore-fueled cravings. Herb shoestrings and creamy cognac peppercorn sauce com- plete the classic presentation. The whole charred cauliflower arrives marinated in chili oil, with deep carameliza- tion giving way to a tender interior. Tahini ca- shew puree, sesame chili crisp, furikake, and farm-sourced herbs complete what multiple diners declared the best cauliflower they’d ever encountered — a crowd favorite that ele- vates a humble vegetable to star status. Jerk-charred carrots provide a welcome contrast, with pickled farm tomatoes and | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Photo by Olee Fowler The olive oil-poached Atlantic swordfish on a white bean puree with Sicilian olives and charred peppers from Salt + Ash.
