Jul 13, 2011 Posted in Chef Notes, Entrées, Restaurant Reviews

The Kitchen

 

Published in Chef Notes, Jackson Hole News & Guide, June 15, 2011
Shared by Chef/Owner Jarrett Schwartz
The Kitchen

 

Red Yam & Turnip Hash with Red Curry

1          small yam

1         large purple turnip

½           sweet onion

1          red bell pepper

1          pasilla pepper

1 t         fresh thyme leaf

1         clove garlic minced

Cut all vegetables same size dice, saute over medium heat until tender, add garlic, saute, add thyme, deglaze with white wine.  Add red curry, heat and serve

 

Red curry

2 T          chopped ginger and garlic

Small handful each basil, cilantro, mint

24 oz coconut milk

2 oz          lime juice

2 oz          fish sauce

2 T          sugar

Saute ginger and garlic, deglaze with white wine, add the rest of ingredients, bring to boil, simmer for 3 minutes, strain. Add salt to taste.

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There is fabulous, fabulous news on the restaurant front. The Kitchen is the short answer. A more rounded explanation is this: the culinary talents of Jarrett Schwartz and his Blu Kitchen has been folded under the entrepreneurial wing of Gavin Fine and the Fine Dining Group.

When I visited with Schwartz a few days ago he shared his thoughts. “Before I opened Blu, I was very excited about having a nice little place of my own,” Schwartz stated. “I thought I wanted to be in charge of everything.”

Having been a restaurant owner on more than one occasion myself, I completely understand. There are too many tiny little decisions to make that take up too much time. It’s great to have a team. It’s less stressful to follow your strengths and let others play to theirs.

Schwartz has always strived for excellence as a chef, from his twelve year stint at Chez Betty in Park City learning French technique to the skills he learned from mentors in Latin and Japanese cuisines. He loves the minimalism of sushi and the blending of all influences into Modern American. He came to our valley as the opening sushi chef at Nikai, then opened Mizu Sushi at the Pines creating some phenomenal artistry.

Both the look and the food at The Kitchen reflect a more accessible, more relaxed environment. The food is straightforward and beautiful, artful and edible. The wine list is greatly expanded as are the beer choices. There is now a bartender to mix some specialty cocktails. It will be fun to sit on the deck on those precious summer nights and explore the choices. (more…)

Jul 13, 2011 Posted in Chef Notes, Restaurant Reviews

Amangani

Published in Chef Notes, Jackson Hole News & Guide, June 1, 2011
Shared by Chef Rick Sordahl
Amangani Resort

 

Cabernet Braised Bison Short Ribs

Serves 10

10 lb         bison short ribs

4 oz         smoked Applewood Sunday bacon

12 oz         Spanish onion, medium dice

1          leek, medium dice

4 oz          celery, medium dice

3         garlic cloves

3 oz         tomato paste

1½ oz flour

2 qt         veal stock

2 c         chicken broth

3 c         cabernet wine

1 T         black peppercorns

1         bay leaf

2         juniper berries

1         sprig fresh thyme

Heat a large skillet, season bison ribs and sear on both sides until dark golden brown, remove and place on pan to cool. Add bacon to skillet, render until crispy, add onion, leek and garlic and saute until translucent. Add tomato paste and dust with flour and cook, do not brown. Deglaze pan with wine and reduce by half. Add stock and aromatics, bring to boil and simmer while stirring constantly, add bison shanks back to pot and cook 30 minutes until tender. Remove bison ribs from braising liquid, strain and season to taste.

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A conversation with Rick Sordahl is inspiring. His curiosity, intelligence and dedication all shine through. For me there is as much nourishment in his words as in the impeccable cuisine he conjures in the kitchen at the Amangani.

It seems that much of Sordahl’s youth is reflected in his vision today. He grew up in Seattle of one hundred percent Norwegian stock. He speaks with reverence of his grandmothers’ family dinners. He recalls the fun of watching Graham Kerr’s and Julia Child’s cooking shows on television with his mom.

He loved the adventures he shared with his dad who was a volunteer fireman and later fire marshall. Cooking was what his dad did while hanging out at the firehouse. Together they ventured to the sea coast or Hood’s Canal where they caught fish, dug clams and oysters and feasted at the beach on the ultimate freshness of their catch.

Nightly family dinners of fresh, real foods and conversation were an important ritual that combined learning social graces and the pleasure of company shared. As Sordahl’s mom was born in Montana, the family often shared vacations and fly fishing trips in the Rocky Mountains. His acquaintance with Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks came early on these family trips and during teen years on excursions with his buddies.

Sordahl chose to follow his culinary path in a chef’s training at the local Renton Community College. After school he began his career at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. The seasonal and climactic differences allowed workers to migrate to appropriate venues. In the summer of 1981, that led the chef to Jackson Lake Lodge for the summer. He decided to stay through the winter and worked in Teton Village at the Sojourner. As he shared with me, “I didn’t ski. I worked all the time.” (more…)