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All in a Days Work!
It is wedding season and pastry chef Christine Dahl is working at fever pitch producing amazing wedding cakes. Her creations are built from the ground up and feature great flavors, classic design and impeccable execution. What follows below was the culmination of a week of preparation and all delivered in one day! Move over Cake Boss...
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Before microwaves, immersions blenders, vacuum desiccators, smoke enhancers, spherification, cryogenic desserts, sous vide cookers et al, there was a cuisine that was cooked by skilled artisans. In the eara of 1886, it was the grand cuisine codified by Anton Careme and Agustus Ecsoffier. This menu from Potel & Chabot, Paris, reflects that style. It is printed on dark parchment paper and is embellished with a yellow ribbon and an elaborate set of initials. Tasting menus have been the mark of high-end dining of late. The style of this era was more akin to feasting.
On a hunch, I broke out my books Guide Culinaire (Escoffier), Le Repertoire (Saulnier), Larouse Gastronomique and The Epicurean (Ranhofer) and found references to some of the dishes on the menu. In that era, there was a codified system of cooking with universally defined dishes that were know by trained chefs and cooks. If you asked for a sauce Americaine, there was a know recipe. Menus like this were prepared by a brigade of chefs, each with a defined role such as the sauce chef, roast chef, cold pantry chef and a choir of assistants working under them all the way down to the charcoal fetcher.
Veloute Soup
roux bound soup with cream and egg yolks
Croustade Portugese Style
tomato fondue made with butter or oil and flavored with onion, garlic and parsley
Brill with Hollandaise Sauce and Venitian
garnish of fried noodles filled with spinach, braised celery and new potatoes
Saddle of Venison Hunter's Style
sauce of mushrooms, shallots, wine a venison broth
Breast of Chicken Gaul Style
garnished with cock's combs and kidneys, pickled tongue and truffles
Sorbet with Kirsch
Pheasant Bohemian Style
stuffed with foie gras and truffles under the skin
roasted in a casserole with butter
flamed with cognac and finished with game stock
Roasted Quail
Foie Gras Strasbourg Style
Salad
Asparagus Tips with Cream
Peaches Conde
Prepare a border os sweet rice with vanilla, garnish with candied-diced fruits marinated in Kirsch
dress with peaches poached in syrup flavored with peach brandy or Kirsch
Little Baquet
Waffle Cookies
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Summer is here in Santa Barbara and it is unusually hot this week, pushing 90. Time to bring out the light, easy menus. I like grilling and quick sauces that compliment the dish. Remember, the secret to great cooking is buy good ingredients and keep it simple.
Here are a few of my latest menus.
Hearts of Palm and Pressed Watermelon Salad
orange dressing
Grilled Ahi Tuna Aioli
edamame ragout, soy-chili glaze
Gaviota Strawberry Panncotta
Local Shrimp Eggplant Cannelloni
leeks, summer truffles, sauce vierge
Rack of Lamb, Thyme Jus
grilled market vegetables
Chocolate Glazed Gianduja Mousse
fresh raspberries
Duo of Vine Tomatoes and Goat Cheese SB
micro greens, basil pesto
Grilled Local Sea Bass
broccoli mousse, yuzu dressing
Peach Tart Tatin & Vanilla Ice Cream
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In my collection of menus, I have a number of old menus from the late 1800s through the 1930s. Clearly dining in that area was a marathon of courses. This menu is from a dinner held in 1885. At the bottom of the menu a reference is made to Potel & Chabot. An Internet search turns up a catering venue in Paris that is still very active to this day. I would be proud to prepare this menu, with a modern touch.
Here is an approximate translation of the menu.
Chicken Consomme
Holland Salmon Green Sauce
Filet of Beef Paris Style
Pheasant Galantine Regent Style
Ham from York CHilled
Vine Quail Hot-Cold
Chicken From Mans with Truffles
Pate of Foie Gras
Pate of Pithiviers
Russian Salad
Little Chilled Souffles
Desserts
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Small dinner parties are one of our most requested catering services. Menus are always customized to the tastes and budgets of our clients. This was a dairy-free dinner we did at a local institution of higher learning.
The idea was to do a Spanish inspired menu. My original proposal was to start with the classic Gazpacho. However, one person had an aversion to the dish. So, I took the elements of the gazpacho and made a salad instead. I pickled the onions instead of using them raw and used the peppers and tomatoes as a decorative element. We followed with a seafood only paella and a light fruit and sorbet dessert.
Chef Michael Hutchings
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Back in 1999, when the world was worried about a millennial holocaust precipitated by computer glitches, I was busy planning a gala dinner for the members of The Tower Club in Charlotte, NC. I was the executive chef at the time working with the manager Richard Spencer.
Richard's father was a chef aboard the cruise ship SS Constitution. We decided on a theme based on some of the cuisine served aboard the ship. Richard brought in a few old menus from his collection and I used them as an inspiration for the millennial menus.
From Wikipedia: "The SS Constitution was an ocean liner owned by American Export Lines. Commissioned in 1951, she started her long career sailing on the New York-Genoa-Naples-Gibraltar route to Europe. Constitution was a sister ship to the SS Independence.
SS Constitution was featured in several episodes of the situation comedy I Love Lucy starring Lucille Ball andDesi Arnaz, starting with episode 140, "Bon Voyage," aired December 1, 1955. Lucy Ricardo missed the ship and had to be ferried by air by a then-novel helicopter.
American movie actress Grace Kelly sailed aboard SS Constitution from New York to Monaco for her wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956.
SS Constitution was featured in the 1957 film, An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. She was also featured in the beginning and end of an episode of the Naked City TV series titled "No Naked Ladies in Front of Giovanni's House!" aired April 17, 1963. The ship also featured prominently in the Magnum, P.I.television series episode titled "All Thieves on Deck" aired January 30, 1986.
Following service on American Export's "Sunlane" cruise to Europe in the '50s and '60s the two ships sailed for American Hawaii Cruises for many years in the '80s and '90s; as U.S. ships with U.S. crews meeting the criteria of the Passenger Services Act they were able to cruise the Islands without sailing to a foreign port.
SS Constitution was retired in 1995; while under tow to be scrapped the liner sank north of the Hawaiian Islandson November 17, 1997; 700 nautical miles (1,300 km)."
“On the High Seas” Dinner Menu
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Ports of Call Hors D’oeuvres
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CASABLANCA
Chef’s Preparing B’stilla
Roast Pheasant in Pastry with Cinnamon
Chefs Grilling Loin of Lamb
Ethnic Dips with Pita Points and Crudités
Babanusch, Humus, Tzatziki
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LISBON
Chefs Cooking Portuguese Corn Cakes
Peppers, Olives, Salty Ham, Black Beans
Garlic, Sour Cream, Pico De Gallo
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GIBRALTAR
Savory Spanish Tapas Bar
Roasted Elephant Garlic, Saffron Shrimp
Smoked Fish on Garlic Toast, Mussels
Potato and Onion Tartlets
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MONTE CARLO
Chefs Preparing Brie and Bacon Beignets
Fresh Ahi Tartare with Spears of Endive
Chefs Preparing Pissaladière (Niçoise style pizza)
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PASSED DELICACIES
Focaccia with Pesto, Mozzarella and Roasted Peppers
Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Crêpe de Canard Fumé
Jumbo Shrimp with Lemon Caper Sauce
Caviar Tarts
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Captain’s Dinner
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Treasures of the Sea Salad
grilled shrimp and ahi composé
mélange of fried greens, crumbled chêvre, tangy vinaigrette
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Five Star Roasted Tenderloin of Beef
with savory four pepper port sauce
or
Grilled Norwegian Salmon
lemon thyme buerre blanc
Pacific Rim Eggplant
Assorted Baby Squash and Turnips
Roasted Garlic New Potatoes
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Dessert Buffet Featuring:
Croquenbouche
French Sidewalk Crêperie
Assorted Continental Pastries and Tortes
Alaskan Ice “Capps” and Hot Java
Whipped Cream and Spices
Tantalizing Liquers
Espresso Cart
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I have finished reading a newly acquired cook book detailing food service at the American Embassy in Paris. The book reminded my of my initial excitement with the French cuisine classics. Modern presentation of plated food is vastly more sophistacated than earlier times. Here is my spin on the menus served at the Ambassador's Residence in Paris. Hungry?
Chef Michael Hutchings
Smooth Gazpacho and Crab Millefeuille
Duck Breast - Peaches, Spicy Jus and Fingerling Potatoes
Cherry Clafoutis
Tower of Heirloom Tomatoes and California Goat Cheese
salad of micro greens, basil pesto
Baked Pacific Seabass - Herb Vegetable Jus
Feuilleté of Melons, Raspberry Sorbet
Croustade of Wild Mushrooms
Grilled Ahi Tuna, Broccoli Mousse
yuzu-soy-olive dressing
Lemon Crème Brulée
Santa Barbara Spot Prawn Cannelloni
parmesan gratin, sauce vierge
Lamb Loin, Wild Mushrooms, Natural Jus
Poached Peach on Caramel Mousse, Florentine garnish
Cream of Butternut Squash Soup
Free Range Breast of Chicken
apple stuffing, pressed potatoes
Caramelized Apple Tart Tatin
Main Lobster on Celery Remoulade
vanilla potatoes, balsamic dressing
Roasted Quail on Green Lentils
vegetable pearls, cippollini onions, jus
Caramelized Pineapple, French Toast, Vanilla Ice Cream
Seared Scallops on Belgian endive Fondue
watercress coulis
Salmon Fillet Under Zucchini Scales
champagne cream sauce, young vegetables
Warm Chocolate Velvet Cake, Raspberry Coulis
Prawns, Mango, Pink Lady Apple Salad
sherry vinaigrette, petit lettuces
Fillet of Sole, Salmon Mousseline
morels, beurre blanc sauce
Iced Cognac Soufflé
Asparagus Charlotte and Caviar
Roasted Rack of Lamb
market vegetables, light herb jus
Raspberry Macaroon, Fresh Fruits
Bouquet of Spring Vegetables
herb vinaigrette, brioche toast
Grilled Loin of Veal
stuffed zucchini flower, noisette potatoes, jus
Strawberry Pannacotta
hazelnut tuile
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Salanova is a new line of hybrid lettuces. They began showing up at our local market this last year. They offer several great features. The most compelling is that they are fully developed lettuces full of flavor and have great shelf life. We are using them for all our summer salads. Of the varieties, I prefer the red butter variation. The leaves are fairly uniform and blend well with a variety of dressings and salad additions. Try my vegan salad Niçiose below.
The Ultimate Efficiency Lettuce
Salanova is the newest innovation in lettuce for the salad mix market. Its unique core structure allows fully mature compact heads of lettuce to be easily cut into individual uniform leaves once harvested.
• Versatile
More growing options and ways to market Salanova than standard baby leaf.
• Efficient
Higher yield, increased shelf life, and easier to cultivate than baby leaf.
• High Value
Harvesting full-size heads produces fully developed flavor, texture, and color compared to baby leaf.
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Chef Paul Bocuse has been a culinary icon for decades. His restaurant in Lyon, France, has been a temple for food lovers since the 1960s. I first learned of him back in the late 1970s when I was at the beginning of my food career. At the time, I was looking for a way to get to France to study with some of the masters of French cuisine. I was taken to a book signing by André Leon de Leon who had a restaurant in the San Fernando Valley call Mon Grenier (My Attic). André was trying to help me secure a position in France and took me to meet Bocuse. Bocuse was in LA cooking at L'Ermitage restaurant at what was billed Le Diner de Cent. André pleaded my case, in French, to Bocuse. His reply, "Impossible, vraimont impossible." That was that.
My next encounter was in 1978. I was staying in a little village one hour outside of Lyon, France call Loyette. The Antonon's operated a restaurant there called La Terasse. It was a lovely country restaurant located on the Soane river and boasted one start Michelin. The chef-owner Gerard had taken myself, wife Mary and 8 month old kid on while we waited for our visa to go to London. I helped in the kitchen and worked at his country farm to learn and earn our keep.
Part of the weekly ritual was to drive to the markets in Lyon to pick up supplies. On one of those trips, Gerard pointed out a car parked at a bistro. It was the Bocuse market van. Gerard said, let's go in and I'll show you something. Inside Chef Bocuse was seated round at table, at 6:00 AM, with a group of cronies having a beer.
The last time I saw Paul Bocuse was at a dinner celebrating Julia Child. Chef Michel Richard had organized a grand gathering of chefs from around the world to thank Julia Child for her promotion of French Cuisine. The event was called Merci Julia and was held in 1993. There was the inevitable photo op. After a champagne sabering, all the chefs gathered for a group photo. I had a "moment" then as Chef Paul Bocuse, was behind me in the photo, vraimont possible!
Chef Michael Hutchings
Link to Wall Street Journal Article
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I never tire of preparing abalone. Ever since my days as chef grillade at the shuttered Chez Carey restaurant, I have enjoyed preparing abalone. At that time, we cooked large white abalone steaks in one of three ways, muniere (lemon butter), almondine (with almonds) or Doria (with cucumbers). In all cases, they were seasoned, dipped in flour, beaten eggs and quickly sauteed.
Of late, I have been baking the cocktail size abalone much like you would escargot. I prepared a fennel duxelle by cooking finely chopped fennel, shallots and garlic with butter until almost dry. A small amount of the duxelle went into the abalone shell, abalone added and topped with a classic garlic butter. After a quick bake, the abalone is ready to eat. Feel free to email me for a recipe!
Chef Michael
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