Mullen Recipe:
Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Sauce, Sheeps Milk Cheese and Cucumbers (Albondigas de Cordero)
Having been raised on an organic farm in Northeastern Vermont, Seamus Mullen learned early on the value of working with the land to bring a meal to the table. His grandmother imparted the fundamentals of farming and butchering at home, while he honed his skills cooking in local restaurants during high school summer vacations. A supportive Spanish language teacher recognized his linguistic talents and encouraged Mullen to spend a year abroad. It was while living and studying in Burgos during his senior year in high school that he developed a life-long love affair with the country's language, culture and food. Mullen went on to study Spanish language and literature in college, and spent the last two years abroad at Universidad Autonoma de Extremadura in Caceres, Spain.
Following his passion for food, Mullen moved to California to work with Chef Mike Fennelly at Mecca in San Francisco, where he was exposed to the bounty of West Coast seasonal produce. However, it was not long before he yearned for a faster pace and relocated to New York City. During the next two years, he worked alongside Floyd Cardoz at Tabla and then went on to open Crudo, where he conceptualized and created its Mediterranean-inspired menu.
In 2003, Mullen returned to Spain and worked for six months at Mugaritz, Andoni Luis Aduriz's forward-thinking Michelin two-starred restaurant in the Basque country. He then moved to Barcelona to work in two of the most respected restaurants in the city, Abac and Alkimia. At Abac, he was exposed to the impeccable execution of Xavier Pellicer's Alta Cocina Catalana. At Jordi Vila's boutique Alkimia, Mullen learned the more traditional techniques and execution of Catalonian cuisine.
When Mullen returned to New York, he worked as executive sous chef at New York City's Brasserie 8 ½, alongside executive chef Julian Alonzo. Yearning to recreate the casual bars and cervezerias that Mullen discovered while living in Spain, he left to follow his passion and open Boqueria, an accessible Spanish tapas restaurant, with partner Yann de Rochefort in August 2006. Based on the success of the original Flatiron district location, Mullen and de Rochefort opened Boqueria Soho in fall 2008. Seamlessly integrating local ingredients and house-cured meats with classic Spanish techniques and flavors, Boqueria’s regional Spanish cuisine has been praised by both consumers and critics alike, earning a glowing two-star review from The New York Times.
