The Son Also Rises.

Talk about your philosophies that guide decision-making behind the stove.

Everything links to seasonality and experience. I think they fall into two separate categories. One question I am asked, especially when I first took over, was, 'Does your young age set you apart?' That question frustrates me a bit. I didn't come to San Francisco to do something different or stand out. I just wanted to cook something I believe in.

I've learned a lot about seasonality and locality during my time cooking at Gastrologik. I base my food around what's fresh now in the market. What do I want to eat? I like to eat light and fresh food. I want to have balance. My palate is very keen on acidity. Combined, that represents New Nordic cuisine. Knowing from where and whom ingredients come. Purity of ingredients. Serving ingredients in season alongside unseasonal fermented ingredients.

Good segue to my next question. Can you talk about what you look for in potential purveyors and partners?

Transparency with purveyors and quality are key. So are relationships. The first time I hopped on a call with Brent Wolfe of Wolfe Ranch I knew I wanted to work with him because his ethics and beliefs very much align with mine. He farms independently, his hands on his products for 40 years. He controls all aspects of his operation: raising the eggs, running the hatchery, growing the quail, processing, and delivering. Still, he's always trying to better himself. The other day, we spoke for 30-40 minutes. He told me stories about how he got into his business, and was interested in how we are using his quails.

Relationships in food are everything. Going to the farmer's market and having conversations with the farmers, knowing when ingredients are at their best. Some people just want to sell products--while other people want sell their products when they're at the best because they're proud of them. I look for people who show the same care and passion about their products as I do.

Remind us of when you were at Quince?

I was sous chef at Quince in 2019. I was in San Francisco on a one-year visa. I did my year, then I went back to Gastrologik in Sweden.

Do you consider Quince toe-dipping in the Bay Area? What takeaways did the experience leave you with? I assume that's when you began to cultivate relationships with local farmers?

To an extent. It was never my plan to return to San Francisco after that first year. But when I was here, I absolutely loved it. Through Quince, I built a few long-standing relationships. For example, I met Antoine, our caviar and mushroom purveyor and worked with him quite a bit, although not to the extent I do now. I met Nico Pena, the purchaser, now CDC at Octavia. He's become a very good friend and has introduced me to so many farmers. I am forever grateful for what he's done. Relationships are very important. To answer your question, I didn't necessarily cultivate farmer connections through Quince the restaurant, but through the people that I met during my time at Quince and thereafter.

Sustainability is such a general term that gets thrown around haphazardly. How do you view sustainability and can you talk about specific ways you put it to practice?

That's a very true statement. It gets thrown around a lot. I take sustainability very personally.

Sustainability, to me, means knowing where products come from and how they're produced. Everyone always shouts about organic produce. A lot of farms can't afford to be certified or organic, yet they implement important procedures. For example, we work with Girl & Dug Farm. For the past five years, they've only used water from their well. Twenty-three years ago, they spent 1.5 million dollars installing solar panels. They plan to become totally self-sustainable.

We serve lamb that comes from Oregon. Someone might ask why we use lambs raised 440 miles north? I look into how the lambs are raised--completely grassfed and grass-finished, and extremely well cared-for. Never treated with hormones or antibiotics.

Sustainability involves more than food and material resources, and keeping farms alive. Staffing falls under the umbrella of sustainability. Sustainable workplaces that nurture and educate future generations of cooks keep hospitality thriving. Without them, we'll have beautifully-grown broccoli, but no chefs to serve it.

What kinds of opportunities and humane business practices do you have in place for team members to succeed?

Cool food techniques are important. But a good working atmosphere that emphasizes teamwork comes first. I've taken the good from each place I've worked--and bad, especially from those restaurants I absolutely hated--to create my own management style. At the end of the day, if you are treated horrendously and then treat people that way in your own career, you are no better than the people before you.

Teague Moriarty owns Sons & Daughters. He's kind, generous, and supportive. He brought me in as chef de cuisine, then quickly promoted me to executive chef, giving me full control of a restaurant. In a very short time, we built a solid relationship based on trust and belief. Chefs are quick to want to move into higher roles such as sous chef, and there is a lot of jumping the gun. But opportunity should always exist for the right people. We promoted chefs David and Patrick. They've earned it.

We don't work holidays. And after New Year's Eve, we all get nine days off. We pay very well, get good tips, and health and dental care. Again, for a small restaurant, this is unusual. We have a profit-sharing program, dividing 50% of profits equally among the team. Since I've started, the times [COVID and post-COVID] have not been too kind on the restaurant, so there hasn't been a lot of profit to share. But when the restaurant is profitable, everyone receives a bonus.

The workforce has high expectations post-Covid--horizons broadened. Profit-sharing seems like a great carrot to dangle.

Definitely. I remember when I was 17-18 years old, or even 20-25. As a younger chef, had I received an email from a Michelin star chef, I would have freaked out, instantaneously replying. Now, it's very hard to keep a team as people have job options and move around. As well, the new generation thinks differently. As an employer, one has to go the extra mile. In many ways, that is great. But there should be an equal level of loyalty from employer and employee. The "I'm going to work at a restaurant a minimum of a year and learn as much as I can" way of thinking is dying.

And that was your strategy and how you grew into the industry, right?

Exactly. For my Michelin interview I was asked, 'What advice would you give a young chef?' To me, the most important thing is to work with someone you want to work for. Not because the food they cook is cool, but because the person inspires you and cooks food you believe in. You need to believe in it because you will miss your girlfriend's birthday, a wedding, holidays.

For these reasons I see how you gravitated towards Phil Howard, for instance. He certainly has qualities that could make one committed to his kitchen--even on a girlfriend's birthday.

The Square is so legendary. Magical. A true special place. Phil is an incredible person. At the time I worked at The Square, he wasn't cooking in the kitchen every day. But when he was, you knew it and you felt good. His head chef Gary once said, when watching Phil and I cook, "it was like watching two daddy longlegs dancing" because we're both tall and skinny. Watching Phil cook was so motivating. Something as simple as chutney was absolutely delicious. He created a different energy. I read the new edition of 'White Heat' the night before I started at The Square. A quote from Stephen Terry, a Welsh chef, stuck with me. It said something like, "There were so many chefs that couldn't cut it. But I did, and it made me feel special to believe in what I was doing." I read that the night before I started, questioning whether I'd last a month. I stayed at The Square for two years, cooking on all stations. I felt so lucky and privileged to have been a part of that restaurant.

After leaving Gastrologik in Sweden where I had a lot of input and creativity, going back to London to put in 18-19 hour days at The Ledbury under Brett Graham was challenging. But I learned a lot in a short amount of time. He's very inspiring, and I have had a lot of very good conversations with Brett. The Ledbury is one of those restaurants where I left earlier than I wanted to. I had a job at Quince waiting--and a visa.

My biggest mentors, Jacob and Anton from Gastrologik, inspire me by their dedication to learning about produce, suppliers, and farmers. I saw different sides of the operation, working as a junior chef, then going back as sous chef, then head chef. One example that resonates right now: I learned how a secondary ingredient can become the star. At Sons & Daughters, we have a new dish on the menu: venison with a sauce that's vegetarian. Some might find it crazy and unconventional for a main course to have a meatless sauce based on beetroots. But in thinking about my conversations with Jacob, why can't we?

That makes a good segue to speak about your dishes, perhaps focusing on the lamb--I know it's important to you. Can you speak to key techniques and what you want to achieve?

My mum, a very good cook who makes a mean roast dinner, was a single mother with three boys. We weren't eating luxurious food, but accessible food. I wouldn't say that I have extremely fond memories of food from a young age, so I am not the kind of chef to create a story around a dish that I ate as a kid.

I think about waste first: what does not end up on the plate? How can we use everything? This plays into the creative process. The lamb is extremely simple. What's most important about it is its source, the Umpqua Valley. We age, score, and roast the saddles. We save and roast the bones. We make stock using the off-cuts and trim. We make sauce and finish it with rendered lamb fat. The lamb embodies a relationship-knowing and believing in a place, the people, and a product. We present the lamb saddle tableside, earlier in the meal. It's beautiful, golden, and roasted on a big bed of herbs and flowers. We talk about it with care. Then, for the main course, with a perfectly-cooked piece of lamb with small garnish, the table has been set, so to speak.

A rutabaga is an extremely underutilized vegetable. It was an ingredient I grew up eating. My mom used to dice them, boil the hell out of them, and then crush them. Finally, she'd season them with butter and black pepper and roast them. They were absolutely delicious, brought back from the dead by the butter and pepper. In the UK we call rutabagas 'Swede.' They are essential to Swedish cuisine because in the winter that's all they could get in the olden days. The preserves, ferments, roots, beetroots, potatoes, carrots, and onions are all potentially boring vegetables. By creating a dish around the rutabaga, I hope to change the American view and perception. We take these beautiful rutabagas and roll and slice them into noodle-like pieces. We use the off-cuts and lactic-ferment them. We make a sauce with butter and the juiced fermented root, a minute or two before serving. We twist the pieces into a little nest and garnish it with pickled rutabaga and white flowers. We served it with a cream made from smoked, aged pork fat. It has become a favorite course here. But in the supermarket, people walk right past rutabagas. So this kind of discovery is a beautiful thing for me.

You worked in some larger kitchens. Here, you are challenged to work within simpler parameters because of the small space. Talk about that challenge.

Challenge is a great word. When I first arrived at Sons & Daughters, Teague and I had conversations about how things would work. I was adamant not to let our decision-making affect the food because that would affect the guest experience. The food definitely has to be simpler because of the smallness of the space. I would love to do tableside preparations--to go to the next level.

I feel it's my responsibility--not Teague's, the team's, or the guest's--to come up with creative, smart, clever solutions and perspectives to achieve goals for what we can serve without dumbing-down the food. Instead of sacrificing quality, standards, or vision, we think about what can we do in the prep kitchen to make things easier before we come upstairs.

From my perspective, the food feels simple in its approach, but to a diner, the level of care and thought appears complicated. Take the trout and halibut course. It arrives to guests as a beautiful, round piece of fish with cream underneath. However, before the fish even goes into the bowl, we prep it, then cure it, infusing for 24 hours. We slice the fish, lay it on a tray, freeze it, punch it, and gently defrost it so it's perfectly flat and even. We make a mousse, piped beneath. We make a sauce, adding lactic acid to vegetables and roasting them. We make stock and infuse it overnight. We clarify it with egg whites. While it clarifies, it drips onto raw herbs and, as it cools, the flavors infuse. We split the sauce with herb oil made from five different herbs. At the table, the dish appears straightforward. But it's not. Like many other dishes, it incorporates many steps to make service easier.

Can you speak to what it takes to be a successful leader?

To create opportunities in the kitchen. I'm very open in my creative process. I like the team to taste everything. I want them to give me feedback, whether I agree with it or not. Asking questions about taste is good for me and great for them because it starts junior chefs in particular to think and challenge themselves. I want them to think about how a dish will taste overall. It's acidic, but we're serving it with fatty lamb. So then think about the sauce. Is it too high in seasoning? Does the meat need more flavor for the sauce?

You empower your team. But are there limits?

I want the team to feel heard. Everyone has ideas and I think they should feel safe to share them. When I was 19, I remember a moment with my chef. We had bought pickled walnuts and I asked, "How do you pickle a walnut?" Chef replied, "Why don't you worry about learning how to cook a carrot properly and think about those things later?" His response stuck with me my entire career. I felt shut down. Today, I have a great relationship with that same chef. When I won my Michelin award, he called me, proud. But in my kitchen, I don't want anyone to feel like I did at that moment.

I talk about teamwork all the time in meetings and line up. Look, I can't do this all by myself. Everyone said congratulations to me when we got our star. But understand that we all earned it. Nick cooks the scallops, Patrick cooks the beets and lamb. David pours the wine and Jason marks and clears the tables. It's a team effort, not just me.

It's very easy to turn on each other in service. But it doesn't have to be like that. We can have good relationships and support each other. Tell each other what we need, what we can improve, be there to help and educate each other. That kind of teamwork gets overlooked, especially in the type of old school kitchens that I come from. When I took over at Sons & Daughters, I felt like I was doing it all myself, that every day was very hard. Now I empower the team. There is a creativity aspect to teamwork. It's on me and our General Manager, George, to set the example.

On a totally different topic: can you talk about the non-alcoholic pairings? The idea of chef-created pairings is different.

It's important to me from a personal place. I'm sober for nearly 15 months. I don't drink any alcohol whatsoever. A big turning point in my life. When I started, the restaurant served non-alcoholic beverages and sodas available to buy anywhere. I thought about how special the dining experience is, that I wanted everyone included in all aspects of the service, even if you don't drink. As a New Nordic restaurant and looking to how Scandinavia is at the forefront of health movements, it just made sense to put together a non-alcoholic pairing program. It also works from a revenue standpoint, and as a way to bring a higher level of creativity to guests. Of our 10 employees, half of us are sober, which is unheard of in restaurants.

I dined at a Michelin star restaurant earlier this year with a friend who had the wine pairings. It was great for him, but I sat there with one mocktail, very high in sugar, and drank water. One feels a little left out of the experience. I don't want our guests to feel that here. Beverages that originate in the kitchen align with my palate. Maybe not every dish gets paired the same way as a wine, but we look for similar characteristics. For example, if you pair a dish with Riesling, ask why? And is it dry Riesling, dry and acidic, or a little bit sweet? Apply that same logic and qualities when creating the non-alcoholic pairing. Granny Smith juice infused with fresh spruce sounds exciting, delicious, and logically makes sense. Like wine, non-alcoholic pairings become an extension of the menu, building throughout the evening, starting with something light and acidic and then by the main course, moving to rich and deep.

The pairings are a great way to use by-products. For example, we make white asparagus tea from peelings and off-cuts, the same way we make asparagus granita and the tomato course. We keep all of those off-cuts, roast them in a pan to add color, and caramelize with sugar. Cover with raw asparagus juice and water. And as they cool, add lemon thyme, Meyer lemon juice, and Meyer lemon zest. It almost tastes like white asparagus iced tea. We serve it ice cold with spring and summer menus. And it costs literally nothing so we can put more money into other products for the bar such as huckleberries which are very expensive. It's a balance. The pairings circle back to sustainability decisions that change a restaurant. In this case, how does the decision prevent waste?

On another note, San Francisco is experiencing hard times. As a very optimistic person, what's your viewpoint about working in San Francisco at this moment in time?

Thanks for seeing that I am optimistic. I do try to stay positive because thinking positively is powerful.

The city is going through a very hard time, the hospitality industry in particular. I think we should all do what we need to, but I don't think we should devalue what we do or change too much. We're chefs who have trained for years. We are a very small team, just nine of us, four in the front, four in the kitchen, and our dishwasher. The level of food we produce with this small team that we have is kind of crazy. We want to make sure that the future of the restaurant is sustainable without sacrificing quality.

Sons & Daughters being here for so long, open for business in downtown San Francisco, shows how committed the restaurant is to the community. As a part of the community, we need to be positive and support each other. Sons & Daughters has been here for 13 years. There's something to be said to that. Every iteration of the restaurant has become more and more true to what it was meant to be. Teague comes in each Thursday to talk finances and the future of the restaurant. We're here to stay, thinking about what we can do to make the business sustainable, through good and bad times.

Toasted and Sprouted Buckwheat
with Chanterelles and Herbs
FOR THE SPROUTED BUCKWHEAT:
Buckwheat, as needed
Water, as needed
FOR THE MUSHROOM STOCK:
1 kilogram button mushrooms
10 grams kombu
100 grams shallots, peeled, minced
15 grams garlic, peeled, halved
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch summer savory
15 grams dried chanterelle mushrooms
2 liters water
FOR THE MOREL MUSHROOM BUTTER:
25 grams morel mushroom trim
350 grams butter, cut into small cubes,
softened at room temperature
5 grams salt
FOR THE TOASTED BUCKWHEAT MILK:
110 grams buckwheat
250 grams mushroom stock
FOR THE BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE:
Sprouted buckwheat, from above
Butter, as needed
Pinch of salt
Smoked garlic vinegar or distilled white vinegar, as needed
FOR THE CHANTERELLE DUXELLES:
Olive oil, as needed
50 grams chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned, dried
15 grams shallots, peeled, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled, finely grated
Pinch of salt
5 grams smoked garlic vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Toasted buckwheat milk, from above
20 grams morel butter, from above
FOR THE FRESH HERBS:
6 grams chives, finely sliced
25 grams parsley, finely chopped
8 grams sorrel stems, finely sliced
FOR THE GARNISH:
8 white allium flowers
FOR THE SPROUTED BUCKWHEAT: Sprout buckwheat
by gently washing It with water twice a day and
continuously exposing it to UV light at room temperature
to break down starches into sugar. Takes 5-7 days.
FOR THE MUSHROOM STOCK: Wearing gloves, crush
mushrooms with hands into a large pot. Add remaining
ingredients to pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil,
then lower to a simmer for 3 hours. Pass through a finemesh
sieve, pushing out excess liquid. Taste and reduce,
if necessary.
FOR THE MOREL MUSHROOM BUTTER: In a
Thermomix, add morel trim and blend to a powder. In a
bowl, add butter, morel powder, and salt. Using hands,
mix thoroughly until completely incorporated. Roll in
parchment and freeze. Cut into 1- x 1-centimeter dice.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
FOR THE TOASTED BUCKWHEAT MILK: In a pan,
gently toast buckwheat until golden-brown. Let cool.
Without heating, add to blender, puree with mushroom
stock In two separate batches. Pass through a flne-mesh
sieve, pushing out all liquid. Transfer to a pot and bring to
a boil. Stir with a spatula until set. Refrigerate until ready
to serve.
FOR THE BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE: In a small pot,
saute sprouted buckwheat in a small amount of butter.
Add salt and smoked garlic vinegar. Cook until buckwheat
softens, around 90 seconds. Add a spoonful of toasted
buckwheat milk and gently stir until fully incorporated.
Remove from heat and gently fold in morel butter.
FOR THE CHANTERELLE DUXELLES: In a Small amount
of olive oil, saute chanterelles until they start to soften.
Lower heat. Add shallots, garlic, and salt. Saute until
fragrant and softened. Add vinegar and cook until glazed.
Strain off excess liquid and finely chop. Set aside at room
temperature until ready to serve.
FOR THE FRESH HERBS: In a bowl, combine all herbs.
TO SERVE: On bottom of a bowl, add 1 teaspoon
chanterelle duxelles. Cover with 1 tablespoon buckwheat
porridge. Completely cover buckwheat with fresh herbs.
Place allium flowers around outside of bowl.

Tomatoes from The Peach Farm,
Last of the Year White Asparagus
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED WHITE ASPARAGUS:
500 grams white asparagus, juiced, seeds discarded
10 grams salt
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED WHITE ASPARAGUS GRANITA:
250 grams lactic-fermented white asparagus juice, from above
220 grams buttermilk whey
20 grams water
40 grams sugar
FOR THE HERB OIL:
1 1/4 kilograms neutral oil
70 grams lemon basil leaves
10 grams rosemary, picked
25 grams basil leaves
18 grams thyme, picked
10 grams oregano, picked
5 grams dried lemon verbena
4 grams summer savory
20 grams parsley
12 grams dried smoked garlic
FOR THE SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES:
32 tomatoes, blanched, shocked, peeled
2 tablespoons herb oil, from above
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of sugar
FOR THE TOMATO-INFUSED HERB OIL CREAM:
1 egg yolk
Pinch of kosher salt
Lemon juice to taste
1 tablespoon water
250 grams tomato-infused oil, reserved from above
FOR THE DORSETT GOLDEN APPLE SLICES:
300 grams water
3 1/2 grams ascorbic acid
1 Dorsett golden apple
FOR THE GARNISH:
11 lilac alyssum flowers
FOR THE LACTIC-WHITE ASPARAGUS: In a
bowl, mix salt and white asparagus juice until
salt completely dissolves. Seal in a vacuum
bag, and leave at room temperature for 5
days. Refrigerate overnight. Pass through a
fine-mesh sieve.
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED WHITE
ASPARAGUS GRANITA: Make Simple
syrup with sugar and water. Cool. With an
immersion blender, combine simple syrup
with remaining ingredients. Freeze for 24
hours. Scrape with a fork, and add to an
airtight container.
FOR THE HERB OIL: In a pot, bring oil to 140
degrees. Add remaining ingredients, then cool.
Infuse for 72 hours. Pass through a fine-mesh
sieve, discarding herbs and reserving oil.
FOR THE SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES:
Gently season tomatoes with oil, salt, and
sugar. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12 hours
until chewy but still soft. Place directly into
herb oil and infuse for 7 days. Reserve dried
tomatoes and oil separately.
FOR THE TOMATO-INFUSED HERB OIL
CREAM: With an immersion blender, emulsify
egg yolk, salt, water, lemon juice, with tomato
oil until smooth and thickened. Transfer to a
piping bag and tie. Reserve in refrigerator.
FOR THE DORSETT GOLDEN APPLE
SLICES: in a small bowl, gently whisk water
and ascorbic acid. Using a mandoline. Slice
apples to 2 millimeter thickness, avoiding core.
Using a cutter, punch apples to 1-centimeter
diameter and place into ascorbic solution.
TO SERVE: Remove tip from piping bag
and pipe 1 teaspoon tomato-infused herb
cream into center of bowl. Add 8 semi-dried
tomatoes creating a ring around outside
of cream. Gently lay 11 apple slices on top,
overlapping clockwise. Place alyssum flowers
on each tomato. Just before serving, cover
with 1 tablespoon white asparagus granita.

Grilled Maine Lobster with Nasturtium and Summer Flowers
FOR THE PINEAPPLE WEED VINEGAR:
250 grams fresh pineapple weed, washed, dried well
1 kilogram apple cider vinegar
FOR THE BIRD CHERRY SYRUP:
1 kilogram wild bird cherry flowers
1 1/2 kilograms water
1 1/2 kilograms sugar
FOR THE LOBSTER STOCK:
Blended oil
375 grams shiitake mushrooms,
500 grams carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
300 grams shallots, peeled, roughly chopped
45 grams garlic, peeled
45 grams lemon thyme
1 1/2 kilograms lobster heads and shells
3 1/2 kilograms water
22 grams kombu
FOR THE ROASTED LOBSTER OIL:
150 grams lobster shells
300 grams canola oil
FOR THE LOBSTER SAUCE:
175 grams lobster stock, from above
125 grams butter, cut into pieces
15 nasturtium flowers
20 grams pineapple weed vinegar, from above
Salt to taste
FOR THE NASTURTIUM PESTO:
15 grams nasturtium leaves, finely chopped
4 grams roasted lobster oil, from above
Maldon salt to taste
FOR THE LOBSTER CLAWS:
1 kilogram water
100 grams beer
50 grams salt
300 grams sugar
3 grams dill seeds
3 grams caraway seeds
3 grams coriander seeds
15 grams fennel seeds
5 grams pink peppercorns
30 grams lemon thyme, picked
2 lobster claws
FOR THE LOBSTER TAIL:
1 lobster tail
20 grams bird cherry syrup, from above
FOR THE GARNISH:
4 begonia flowers
FOR THE PINEAPPLE weed vinegar: Place pineapple weed
in an airtight container. In a medium size pot, heat vinegar to
147 degrees. Pour vinegar over pineapple weed. Place lid on top
to infuse at room temperature for 1 week. Pass through a finemesh
sieve, discarding pulp. Store in a swing top glass bottle
in refrigerator.
FOR THE BIRD CHERRY SYRUP: Carefully wash and gently
dry bird cherry flowers. Transfer to an airtight container. In a
large pot, bring water and sugar to a boil to create a syrup. Pour
syrup over flowers. Infuse at room temperature overnight, then
store in refrigerator.
FOR THE LOBSTER STOCK: In a large pan over medium heat,
add oil and saute mushrooms, carrots, and shallots, caramelizing
until light golden. Crush garlic and add to pan, sauteing until
lightly colored. Add lemon thyme. In Thermomix in 4 separate
batches, blend lobster heads and shells with water, 30 seconds
each time at full speed. Transfer lobster liquid to a large pot.
Add kombu. Bring to boil, clarifying with vegetables and lobster
heads and shell mixture. When liquid turns completely clear,
pass through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Return to
a pot and reduce by one-third. Season to taste.
FOR THE ROASTED LOBSTER OIL: Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a non-stick pan, fry lobster shells in oil until
golden.
Roast in oven for 8 minutes to cook through. In a Thermomix,
blend shells on Speed 6 at 140 degrees for 10 minutes. Pass
through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth over ice.
FOR THE LOBSTER SAUCE: Bring lobster stock to boil. In Vita
Prep, blend butter and nasturtium flowers. Add stock to butter
and blend on high until smooth. Acidulate with pineapple weed
vinegar and season with salt. Set aside. When ready to serve,
blend with immersion blender until lightly foamy.
FOR THE NASTURTIUM PESTO: In a bowl, blend nasturtium
leaves with roasted lobster oil. Season with salt. Serve at
room temperature.
FOR THE LOBSTER CLAWS: In a large pot, add water, beer,
salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add remaining aromatics and
herbs. Blanch lobster claws for approximately 5-6 minutes.
Refresh in ice water. Remove claw meat, discarding shells, and
carefully pat meat dry with paper towels.
FOR THE LOBSTER TAIL: Temper lobster tail 30 minutes
before cooking. Pierce with a metal skewer to straighten tail.
Prepare a hot grill with coals. Grill lobster tail until it just
starts to
turn color. Brush with bird cherry syrup to build caramelization.
Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest before slicing.
TO SERVE: On a plate, arrange lobster claw and tail. Between
lobster, spoon lobster sauce. Add nasturtium pesto. Garish with
begonia flowers.

Wolfe Ranch Quail
FOR THE QUAIL:
1 quail, legs, winglets,
wishbone removed, cavity cleaned
Canola oil, as needed
FOR THE QUAIL SAUCE:
2 kilograms smoked,
roasted quail carcasses
500 grams shallots, peeled, finely sliced
50 grams garlic, peeled, crushed
15 grams lemon thyme
15 grams summer savory
30 grams cherry vinegar
2 kilograms quail stock
Smoked duck garum to taste
FOR THE LOVAGE OIL:
260 grams lovage, picked
75 grams parsley
800 grams canola oil
80 grams lovage, picked, second addition
FOR THE BEETROOT:
1 extra-large red beetroot, peeled
45 grams cherry vinegar
150 grams beetroot juice
40 grams smoked duck garum
FOR THE QUAIL LEGS:
300 grams kosher salt
15 grams lemon thyme
15 grams thyme
15 grams summer savory
3 kilograms water
Duck fat, as needed
FOR THE BIRD FAT CREAM:
1 organic egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cherry vinegar
Kosher salt to taste
300 grams roasted bird fat
FOR THE ROASTED BIRD FAT:
1 pound duck fat, plus excess quail fat
1 pound quail reserved winglets and necks
15 grams lemon thyme
15 grams thyme
FOR THE LEG PLATE GARNISH:
6 pieces rosemary flowers
6 pieces coastal redwood sprigs
FOR THE QUAIL BREAST PLATE GARNISH:
3 slices lovage stems, cut to 1 1/2 centimeters
3 slices raw teardrop beetroot
3 anise hyssop flowers
5 slices unripe plums
FOR THE QUAIL: Air dry quail in refrigerator with good circulation
for 5 days. Hold at room temperature 1 hour before cooking. In a
smoker, add apple wood chips and smoke quail at 210 degrees for 15
minutes. Remove and rest for 1 hour. In a medium pan, add a small
amount of canola oil. Add quail, and caramelize to an even
golden-brown. Remove breast from carcass, trimming away excess fat
and gristle.
FOR THE QUAIL SAUCE: In a non-stick pan, sear quail carcass to an
even golden-brown. Remove from pan and add shallots and garlic.
Cook until soft and lightly browned. Add all herbs and deglaze pan
with cherry vinegar. To a large pot, add contents of pan and quail.
Gently simmer for 31/2 hours, or until reduced by one-third. Cover
with cling film and infuse for 1 hour. Pass through a fine-mesh
sieve and cool over ice.
FOR THE LOVAGE OIL: In Vita Prep, blend lovage, parsley, and oil
for approximately 10 minutes until it reaches 176 degrees and
starts to split. Cool in an ice bath. With a mortar and pestle,
bruise second addition lovage until it starts to break down. Add to
lovage oil and infuse for 1 hour. Hang overnight to drain through
fine cheesecloth.
FOR THE BEETROOT: Using a Japanese mandoline, slice beetroot to
2-millimeters thick. Cut into 3- x 7-centimeter rectangles. Add
beetroots to a medium plastic bag and vacuum seal on full to
completely remove any air. Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Remove and let cool. Fold beetroot in half. Shingle six slices,
trimming evenly. Set aside on parchment at room temperature. In a
bowl, combine remaining ingredients and blend well. Taste and
adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Place liquid in a vacuum sealing bag. Add beetroot and vacuum on
full. Heat a pot of boiling water and add bag, cooking for 3
minutes. Remove from water and cool.
FOR THE QUAIL LEGS: In a Thermomix, blend salt and herbs until
bruised. In a bowl, mix water with herb mixture until salt
dissolves. Add quail legs and brine for 3 hours. Rinse legs and pat
dry. Bag legs with duck fat and fully seal. Transfer to a pan and
cook at 154 degrees for 2 hours. Debone and press. Over hot grill,
grill legs gently until evenly cooked and golden-brown.
FOR THE ROASTED BIRD FAT: In a medium-size, heavy-bottom pan, melt
duck and quail fat. Add winglets and necks until caramelized.
Remove from heat, add herbs, and cool. Pass through a fine-mesh
sieve and refrigerate.
FOR THE BIRD FAT CREAM: In an immersion blender, mix egg yolk,
water, cherry vinegar, and salt until fully incorporated, and light
and airy. Slowly pour in bird fat until mixture turns thick and
creamy. Transfer to a piping bag and store in a warm place until
ready to serve.
TO SERVE: On a plate, pipe 1 teaspoon of bird fat cream. Using a
small spoon, make a hole in center of cream. Fill with lovage oil.
Decorate with coastal redwood sprigs and rosemary flowers. Place
quail leg next to cream. On a second plate, place shingled beetroot
rectangles. Garnish with thinly sliced unripe plums, lovage stems,
and anise flowers. Slice 1 quail breast in half and arrange on
plate. Split quail sauce with lovage oil and add 2 tablespoons to
center of plate.

Umpqua Valley Lamb with Summer
Squash and Preserved Alliums
FOR THE LAMB SADDLE:
1 Umpqua Valley lamb saddle
FOR THE LAMB SAUCE:
50 grams lamb fat
50 grams canola oil
200 grams shallots, peeled, finely sliced
30 grams garlic, peeled, finely sliced
10 grams rosemary
10 grams thyme
10 grams summer savory
50 milliliters smoked garlic vinegar
100 grams lactic-fermented onion trim
500 grams lamb trim
1 kilogram lamb stock
FOR THE PRESERVED ALLIUMS:
20 grams olive oil
50 grams shallots, peeled, sliced
10 grams thyme
10 grams summer savory
250 grams water
250 grams smoked garlic vinegar or distilled white vinegar
15 grams salt
30 grams sugar
250 grams young garlic
FOR THE ZUCCHINI AND PARSLEY PUREE:
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
300 grams zucchini, peeled, peels reserved, flesh
reserved separately
25 grams parsley
Cold-pressed rape seed oil, as needed
12 grams garlic, peeled, minced
1 gram xanthan gum
FOR THE GARNISH:
Zucchini, thinly sliced, punched to 1-inch discs,
slits cut to centers
5 pieces picked young garlic
5 pieces wild chive flowers
5 pieces wild parsley
FOR THE LAMB SADDLE: Dab lamb saddle well with paper
towels to remove excess moisture. Insert a meat hook through
fat, making sure not to puncture meat. Hang lamb saddle in
refrigerator with good air circulation for 5 days.
FOR THE LAMB SAUCE: In a medium-size, heavy-bottom
pan over medium heat, add lamb fat and canola oil. Saute
shallots and garlic until fragrant and soft. Add aromatics.
Deglaze with vinegar. Add onion trim, lamb trim, and lamb
stock, simmering and reducing until sauce consistency. Strain
through a flne-mesh sieve.
FOR THE PRESERVED ALLIUMS: In a medium size pot, add
oil. Gently saute shallots, thyme, and savory for approximately
5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add water, vinegar, salt, and
sugar and bring to a boil. Add young garlic to a bowl. Pour hot
liquid over cloves through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover with cling
film and cool at room temperature.
FOR THE ZUCCHINI AND PARSLEY PUREE: In a pot of
rapidly boiling water with baking soda, blanch half of zucchini
peels for 3 minutes. Add parsley and blanch 2 minutes more.
Cool in an ice bath. Remove peels and parsley, squeezing out
moisture and set aside. In a pan over low heat, add a generous
amount of rape seed oil and slowly saute garlic. Add zucchini
flesh and season with salt to extract all moisture, cooking
quickly until it begins to soften. In a blender, add process all
ingredients except xanthan gum. Add xanthan and completely
emulsify. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and cool over an ice
bath. Transfer to a piping bag. Before serving, snip tip of bag.
FOR THE DISH: Score lamb fat and temper for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a warm pan, add lamb saddle,
applying a small amount of pressure with spatula to render
fat until lamb begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer to
oven, cooking until core temperature reaches 110 degrees. Let
rest for 45 minutes. Before serving, remove meat from bone.
Carefully remove any sinew, then slice into 1-inch pieces.
TO SERVE: On a plate, pipe 1 teaspoon zucchini and
parsley puree. Using slits, fasten 7 zucchini slices into cone
shapes. Clockwise, completely cover puree with zucchini
cones. Garnish zucchini with 5 pieces of young garlic. Fill in
gaps with chive flowers, preserved alliums, and wild parsley.
On plate carefully place lamb slices. Fill gap between lamb and
zucchini with 2 tablespoons lamb sauce.

Grilled Maine Scallop,
Brown Butter Cream,
Roasted Potato Broth
FOR THE BROWN BUTTER CREAM:
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
Pinch of salt
1/2 Meyer lemon, juiced
300 grams brown butter, warmed
FOR THE ROASTED POTATO BROTH:
1 kilogram potatoes, diced to 1-inch cubes
Blended oil, as needed
Scallop trim, reserved from above
250 grams yellow onions, peeled, sliced
300 grams button mushrooms
1 garlic bulb, peeled
6 grams fennel seeds
6 grams caraway seeds
6 grams dill seeds
6 grams summer savory
10 grams thyme
4 grams black pepper
2 1/2 kilograms water
1 sheet kombu
Salt to taste
45 grams dill vinegar
7% egg whites
FOR THE SCALLOP:
1 large Maine dayboat scallop
Scallop trim, as needed
Clarified butter, as needed
FOR THE DISH:
3 pieces sweet cicely
3 pieces raw, pickled fingerling potato
1 tablespoon scallop butter
FOR THE BROWN BUTTER CREAM:
In a small food mill, blend egg yolks,
water, salt, and lemon juice. Slowly
add brown butter, emulsifying. Blend
until thick, keep warm, and hold in a
piping bag.
FOR THE ROASTED POTATO
BROTH: Preheat oven to 380
degrees. Coat potatoes in oil and
roast In oven until golden. Roast
scallop trim until golden and all liquid
releases. In a pan, caramelize onions.
Crush button mushrooms and Vi
garlic bulb. Add to onions, frying until
golden. Add roasted potatoes, herbs,
and aromatics. Cover with water, add
kombu, and simmer for 3 hours. Pass
through a fine-mesh sieve and cool.
Season with salt and dill vinegar.
Clarify with egg whites.
FOR THE SCALLOP: Temper scallop
at room temperature for 20 minutes
before grilling. Carefully brush top
with a small amount of clarified butter.
Cook over a hot grill until an even
golden layer forms. Flip scallop and
cook 20 seconds. Let rest.
TO SERVE: In a shallow bowl, pipe
brown butter cream. Pool potato
broth. Top with scallop. Brush scallop
with scallop butter. Garnish with
sweet cicely and fingerling potato.

Vanilla Custard with
Tierra Vegetables Rhubarb,
and Pineapple Weed
FOR THE RHUBARB LIQUID:
200 grams sugar
100 grams water
100 grams rhubarb juice
15 grams sweef woodruff
1 vanilla pod, split, scraped
80 grams lemon juice
FOR THE COMPRESSED RHUBARB:
100 grams rhubarb, thinly sliced, trim and
pulp reserved
100 grams rhubarb liquid, from above
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED RHUBARB:
500 grams rhubarb
10 grams salt
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED
RHUBARB JAM:
100 grams lactic-fermented rhubarb
40 grams sugar
10 grams water
15 grams wine
15 rhubarb vinegar
FOR THE RHUBARB JUS:
200 grams reserved rhubarb trim and pulp,
from above
50 grams sugar
1 lime, zest only
10 grams sweet woodruff
FOR THE PINEAPPLE WEED OIL:
85 grams pineappleweed
250 grams blended oil
FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD:
240 grams cream
1 vanilla bean, split, scraped
1/2 lemon, zested
4 eggs, separated
35 grams sugar
1 sheet gelatin, bloomed, squeezed out
FOR THE SAUCE:
100 grams rhubarb jus, from above
20 grams pineapple weed oil, from above
FOR THE GARNISH:
7 purple radish flowers
FOR THE RHUBARB LIQUID: In a pot, bring sugar, water, and
rhubarb juice to a boil. Add sweet woodruff and vanilla pod,
steeping for 30 minutes. Cool, add lemon juice, and clarify
through a linen-lined fine-mesh sieve.
FOR THE COMPRESSED RHUBARB: Slice rhubarb on a
mandoline to about lA-centimeter thick. Cut into 2-centimeter
x 2-centimeter squares. Place In a Cryovac bag and cover with
rhubarb liquid. Compress.
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED RHUBARB: Cut rhubarb
to 1-inch pieces. Combine with salt and compress In Cryovac
bags or place in a jar with a tightly fitted lid. Ferment at room
temperature for about 2 days.
FOR THE LACTIC-FERMENTED RHUBARB JAM: In a pot
over medium heat, add rhubarb. Cook down until juices start
to thicken. Add water, wine, and sugar, and continue to cook
until rhubarb softens and has breaks down. Cool over an ice
bath. Transfer to a food processor to break up slightly, then add
rhubarb vinegar. Store in piping bags.
FOR THE rhubarb JUS: Juice all rhubarb trim. In a metal bowl,
combine rhubarb juice, reserved pulp, sugar, lime zests, and
woodruff. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook over a pot of simmering
water for 1 hour. Strain through a linen lined fine-mesh sieve.
FOR THE PINEAPPLE WEED OIL: In a blender on high, emulsify
pineapple weed with oil until fully incorporated and bright green,
about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl over an ice bath to cool. Clarify
through a linen-lined fine-mesh sieve.
FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD: In a pot, bring cream to a boil.
Remove from heat and steep with vanilla and lemon zest for at
least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whip egg yolks
with sugar. While still warm, temper cream mixture into sugar
and yolks. Strain, then transfer to a pot. Slowly cook to 165-180
degrees. Place on a shallow hotel pan fitted with a water bath
and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. When custard slightly cools,
blend with gelatin, and strain. Set in 30-gram acetate-lined ring
molds and freeze overnight. Unmold and temper before serving.
FOR THE SAUCE: In a bowl, whisk rhubarb jus with pineapple
weed oil. Reserve in a small pot.
TO SERVE: Onto center of plate, pipe 10 grams of rhubarb jam.
Transfer tempered vanilla custard directly on top. Remove some
of the compressed rhubarb from liquid, and carefully shingle 10
pieces of rhubarb around edges of custard. Place 7 purple radish
flower petals around rhubarb. Spoon with 2 tablespoons
rhubarbpineapple
weed jus.

Article Details

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Author:	Newman, Carol M.
Publication:	Art Culinaire
Article Type:	Interview
Geographic Code:	1U9CA
Date:	Mar 22, 2024
Words:	7342
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