Coastal Cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings

Roux Brothers Silk Menus

Among my collection of menus are two that are printed onto silk. They are menus celebrating the tenth anniversary of The Waterside Inn, Bray on Thames, England and the fifteenth anniversary of Le Gavroche, London, England.

The menus were presented to me as a gift by famed chef Albert Roux when we opened our joint venture restaurant, Michael's Waterside, in 1984.

The Waterside Inn has been a Three Starred Michel Restaurant since 1985. From the Waterside Inn web page:  "The Waterside Inn has a global clientele and international staff. No matter how far you travel to visit us you are always assured a warm welcome in relaxed riverside surroundings with Michelin-starred cuisine to equal anywhere in the world.

The Roux Family

The name is a culinary legend. Michel with his older brother Albert opened the original Le Gavroche Restaurant in Lower Sloane Street, London in 1967. The address was imprinted immediately onto the gourmets and gourmands across the country quickly followed by the opening of The Waterside Inn in September 1972.

Michel has personally been awarded an honorary OBE, and is the proud holder of France’s premier order, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. All of this has earned him his reputation as a “living legend” among chefs around the world.

Today the sons run the flagships. Albert’s son, Michel Roux Jnr at Le Gavroche and Michel’s son Alain is Chef Patron of The Waterside Inn.  

History

Bray village has a long and well documented history with notable inhabitants such as the Vicar of Bray, King Charles II, Nell Gwynn and Thomas Hughes (author of Tom Brown’s School Days). The present Waterside Inn used to be known as The George and has variously been a pub and also a tea room.

Since opening its doors in September 1972 the Waterside Inn gained its first Michelin star in 1974 when the guide first came out. In 1977 the second star, and then in 1985 the ultimate 3 stars which have been retained to date."

 

Warm Lobster with a Leek Sabayon

Lattice of Salmon and Brill with Ginger

Champagne Sorbet

Breast of Duckling with Figs from Provence

Lemon Tart and Black Currant "Délice"

Coffee and Petit Fours

 

Le Gavroche is an iconic restaurant, now some 40 plus years old. It set the standard for superb dining in the U.K. from the day it opened in 1967. The original location at 61-63 Lower Sloan Street was a rather small restaurant, seating no more than 50 guests. The wine cellar was under the banquettes in the dining room. The kitchen was like working in a ships galley and was very cramped  with sixteen in the brigade working in less than 500 square feet of space. In spite of that, Le Gavroche had accumulated two Michel Stars by the time I went to work there in 1981. Visit the web page for a fascinating tour of one of the great restaurants of the world.

 

Foie Gras Cooked Ballotine Style

Lobster Mousse with Champagne

Thinly Sliced Braised Beef and Vegetables

Shortbreads with Raspberries

Coffee and Petit Fours

Croquembouche by Christine Dahl pastries

Croquembouche

One of the classic French special occasion desserts is the Croquembouche. The Chef's Companion describes the dessert as "bite-size cream puffs piled high into a pyramid and cemented together with sugar glaze or caramel." This seems a rather pedestrian description for the pastry. The one pictured above was for a wedding and had several hundred cream puffs filled with pastry cream.

The construction involves placing hot caramel coated cream puffs into special cylindrical molds designed for this purpose. When the caramel has cooled , the pastry pyramid is un-molded and decorated accordingly. Often times, spin sugar is added for effect. The spun sugar does not work, though, in humid conditions. The tip for serving this dessert is to use a pair of kitchen shears to cut off portions. Personally, I like to have cream puffs on the side that are more easily served and use the pyramid to finish serving.

Chef Christine Dahl, Christine Dahl Pastries, prepared this example for a large wedding in Montecito, CA. It served about 200 guests.

 

Chef Michael Hutchings

Michael's Catering

Santa Barbara, CA

 

 

Baring Your Dover Sole

Dover sole is one of the best fish ever to grace a plate. If you look in the French classic Le Guide Culinaire by chef Agustus Escoffier there are no less than 67 preparations listed. No matter how your sole is cooked (steamed, broiled, sauteed, deep fried) it needs to be boned to enjoy the dish.

In the old school of table-side service, it was the task of the server to bone the Dover sole. An expert would complete the task in under 30 seconds.

The best cooking method to enjoy the delicate flavor of the sole is a la Meuniere. The fish is seasoned with salt and pepper, dredged in flour and sauteed in whole butter until it is golden brown. The sauce is simply butter cooked until slightly browned with the addition of fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley.

I watched one of the most compelling displays of this simple method at a restaurant in Crissier, Switzerland call Girardet. The sole was prepared as usual and sauteed. While cooking great care was taken to baste the fish, skim the butter of impurities and add more butter during the cooking process. To finish, lemons were freshly squeezed, parsley freshly chopped and added to the "hazelnut" butter. The sole was sauced with the steaming mixture and rushed out to the dining room with a vapor trail of steam following the waiter.

If all this seems like too much work, go to Sly's in Carpinteria and Chef James and brigade will do it all for you.

 

Chef Michael Hutchings

Michael's Catering

Santa Barbara, CA

Freshly Sauteed Sole

Fork and Spoon Used to Bone Sole

Fillets Lifted Off Bone

Side Boned Removed

Main Bones Lifted Out

Sole Reformed for Presentation

Buffet Dinner in Montecito

Italian cuisine is my favored style after French. We recently prepared an Italian inspired buffet for a client that had recently been to Florence, Italy, for an art museum tour. The home is an elegant example of a George Washington Smith designed home from the 1920s. It has an air of an elegant, European estate. Food presentations are always enhanced by the right "staging."

The guests enjoyed the dinner, especially the Tiramisu that the hostess helped pastry chef Christine Dahl prepare at her commercial kitchen. It was a show stopping presentation with homemade ladyfingers.

Chef Michael Hutchings

Michael's Catering

Buffet

Local Abalone with Lemon
Tartine al Burri di Gamberetti
(shrimp on toast)
Bigné al Funghi - Mushroom Puffs
Insalata Caprese - by Hostess
Carciofi con Spinachi
(baby artichokes with spinach and goat cheese)
Insalata di Avocado
(chef's version with sweet lettuces and lemon dressing)
Salmone con Salsa di Olive
Salmon Fillet Baked with olives and potatoes
Pollo ai Funghi
Chicken braised with mushroom
Parmesan Polenta
Grilled Asparagus
Desserts
Torta di Nocciole - Hazelnut Cake
Tiramisu - By Hostess
Italian Breads with Olive Oil
Olive Bread, Foccacio, Ciabatta

 

Avocado Terrine

Caprese Salad
Pollo ai Funghi
Chicken braised with mushroom
Torta di Nocciole - Hazelnut Cake

Tiramisu - By Hostess and Christine Dahl Pastries

Henna Cake Theme

Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Chocolate "Henna" Designs

Christine Dahl, Christine Dahl Pastries, makes  fabulous wedding cakes. Christine has recently added a new design line that features classic Henna designs done with chocolate. These would be terrific for a themed special event. Call Christine for details 805 569-5889

 

World Famous Chefs' Cook Book

It should be no surprise to anyone who knows me that I collect cookbooks. I must have 1600 title in my library. Used book stores can sometimes turn up treasures from the past. Last week I found this book from 1939 that celebrated famous chefs of that era. The chefs are generally unknown today in culinary circles. Not to say that there are not famous chefs from that era that are not known. Ferdinand Point is one in particular that comes to mind.

This group of culinary stars sauced their viande at the luxury hotels, trains and ocean liners of that prewar era. For the most part all the hotels are extant with some name changes but the ocean liners and trains have long been scuttled.

The recipes span the repertoire of banal, everyday food to some of the glories of Continental Cuisine. Here are a couple of examples. There are five recipes for Lobster Newburg and one for meatloaf. This is a great read about an area when hotel, shipboard and train dining was subsidized by the entities as a means of attracting and pampering patrons. There are interesting historical notes and well as some of the most unctuous madison Avenue drivel touting the various venues. I am looking forward to finding some ancient treasures of "rare old recipes."

Chef Michael Hutchings

Review from Amazon

By Rolltide (Columbia, Tn)
This review is from: World Famous Chefs' Cook Book: Rare Old Recipes Arranged for the Homemaker (Hardcover)
"Accessible, practical and haute all at the same time. What they did when they compiled these recipes in 1939 was take them from the kitchens of numerous 5 star hotels(At that time) and even a steam ship from around the USA and Europe. The dishes are a combination of European fare with a French base but also include house wife favorites like frankfurther casserole and most all the southern necessities but sometimes dishes can be as simple and common as a hamburger. The hotel kitchen selected at the very beginning, the Grand in stockholm to the Dallas, Chicago and Switzerland. New england dishes sit not far from Amish or southern fare or a german liver sausage stuffing. The variety is spectacular and since it is recipes you want from a book like this you get 500 pages of them with an average of 5-6 recipes per page!

The dishes here are hearty old country type without the guilt of fat or cholesterol but can be easily adapted to a lower fat version. My favorite dish is probably spare ribs with sauerkraut and meat dumplings. A can't miss cookbook that may no longer be in print but is a must have for any real cook!"

S.S. Normandie

  PR Page on S.S. Normandie

 

Post Concert Reception for CAMA

CAMA is Santa Barbara's oldest arts organization, presenting classical music concerts by the world's finest orchestras and solists. We were delighted to cater a post concert reception for Joshua Bell's violin concert. We prepared a buffet that featured an array of French style petit fours and selected cheeses. The Founder's Room at the Granada Theater was the elegant setting for the evening's event.

“Joshua Bell is the greatest American violinist active today.” (Boston Herald) He has captured the public’s attention like no other classical violinist of his time. Bell has recorded more than 35 CDs since his first recording at age 18, receiving awards including a Grammy. He has collaborated with numerous artists and on film scores including the Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Red Violin. “Few prodigies make it into musical maturity, but Bell has evolved from a technical whiz to a true artist and intellectual whose music feeds both your brain and your heart.” (Newsweek)

 

CAMA Reception at the Granada

 

Chef Michael Hutchings

Michael's Catering

Buffet at the Granada

 

 

Mushrooms Anonymous

There must be a Mushrooms Anonymous for those of us addicted to hunting and gathering wild mushrooms. It has to be some type of mania or psychosis to keep going out risking poison oak outbreaks, falls, wild animals and the occasional irate cannabis farmer.

I took my daughter Beverly on this latest foray. She was visiting from San Diego and I thought it might be entertaining. We went to a spot that I harvested with my wife Christine about two weeks ago. It is the most unlikely location near the side of a country road. Last time we managed a few pounds of well hidden mushroom.

   

 Late Season Mushroom Foray

 

The spot proved to be a good provider as we found about 2 pounds of well concealed mushrooms. They are pretty mature at this point but still fresh with a crisp texture. I think this may be the last of the season for me as the poison oak is in full foliage and has lush, resin rich leaves.I am highly susceptible to the affect of poison oak and am a little jaded about the cost-benefit of finding chanterelles at the risk of a major outbreak.

 

 

Poison Oak

We did get enough chanterelles for a dinner I am cooking tonight for a friend's birthday celebration. Dinner is at the Carr Winery in Santa Barbara. The Carr Winery produce terrific wines and have a tasting room in the city of Santa Barbara. I am featuring some of the classic menu items from my shuttered restaurant, Michael's Waterside. The abalone in particular has been a signature dish since 1981. It features farmed abalone from The Cultured Abalone farm in Goleta, California.  Sly's Restaurant in Carpinteria will be featuring a similar menu for the next six weeks. I will pop in occasionally to visit with the diners. Be sure and visit Sly's to enjoy some of these classics.

Prime NY Steak and Chanterelles

Prime NY Steak

Steak and mushrooms are meant for each other. It is a marriage of the earthy-aromatic mushroom and the rich, corn fed beef. It is an American classic. A large porterhouse smothered in mushrooms was one of Mark Twain's favorite meals. His wry whit painted a vivid picture of this classic pairing.

"A mighty porterhouse steak an inch and a half thick, hot and sputtering from the griddle; dusted with fragrant pepper; enriched with little melting bits of butter of the most impeachable freshness and genuineness; the precious juices of the meat trickling out and joining the gravy, archipelagoed with mushrooms; a township or two of tender, yellowish fat gracing an out-lying district of this ample county of beefsteak; the long white bone which divides the sirloin from the tenderloin still in its place." Mark Twain

Prime NY steak is an excellent second choice, especially when paired with our local chanterelle mushrooms. The mushrooms were gathered two days ago in a "secret location" near downtown Santa Barbara. It is an unlikely spot that has yielded some 20 plus pounds of these tasty gems. We jokingly call it our grocery store.

The recipe that follows would also work with pork chops, other tender beef cuts like tenderloin and breast of chicken. When chanterelles are out of season, other wild mushrooms such as porcini, oyster and morel are all great substitutes.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

Golden Chanterelles in Santa Barbara's Oaken Forests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chanterelles - the Codicil

Details of Chanterelle Underside

The 2010-11 mushroom season has been a phenomenal year and it is still not over. I was out yesterday to an area I thought was well picked over and found about two pounds of mature but still very decent chanterelles. What happens is that they eventually push up the dirt and duff as they open to disperse the spores. What was visible of the mushrooms was just a hint of color and finding them is like a gestaltic act of recognition. Our local chanterelle mushroom (cantharellus californicus) here in Santa Barbara County is the largest chanterelle in the world. The texture can be meaty  like a porcini mushroom. Young mushrooms have a crisp texture even when cooked.

These gems are destined for mushroom soup and a sauté of mushrooms with a prime NY steak. Always err on the side of caution when harvesting wild foods. There are mushrooms that are toxic. With that upbeat note, happy hunting.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

Hidden Forest Gems

Catch of the Day