My very last special at the restaurant....

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ironchef

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Like I've mentioned in a few other threads, I'm going to be starting at a new restaurant in about a week. Tonight was my last night at the restaurant where I've been working at for the past year and a half. Eventually my goal is to hopefully open up my own place, a small (maybe 30-40 seat) restaurant focusing on seasonal, modern and contemporary food, with some molecular gastronomy thrown in. Ideally I'd like to do just different tasting menus. But that's several years down the road at least.

I wanted to bring in some halibut or Chilean sea bass but we couldn't get it for today, so I settled on salmon. LOL I guess it's fitting since I've made so many **** specials with salmon. I used the same dish that I did last week with the horseradish and panko crust, and the whole grain mustard beurre blanc. I did something different with the vegetables. I rendered down some applewood smoked lardons, then sauteed diced onion, minced garlic, fresh corn, and diced shiitake mushrooms. I then added some butter, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne, then panned it out and chilled it. To order, it was heated and some finely diced baby bok choy was added in until just wilted. Since it was my last special, it wouldn't be complete without a foam, so I made one with a late harvest riesling. The sweetness of the foam went really well with the acidity from the horseradish and the whole grain mustard. The dish I made last week was good, but I wanted to add more sweetness to it somehow. At the next restaurant I'm going to be working at, I don't think we're going to really be able to run specials, so this might be the last one that you'll be seeing from me for awhile. So bon appetit until the next time:

Pan Roasted Horseradish Crusted King Salmon
Applewood Smoked Lardons, Sweet Corn, Shiitake Mushrooms, Baby Bok Choy, Potato Puree, Whole Grain Mustard Beurre Blanc, Sweet Rielsing Emulsion



 
Oh yummy. That sauce looks so good!

Good luck in your new venture. I hope you get a mini vacation in between now and next week and do what you enjoy - outside the kitchen.
Thanks for all your pics. I enjoy each one of them.
 
Thanks for posting this IC but seriously, I can't wait that long until you post more pictures! Life will not be the same!!!!

Good luck on your new venture - tell them that "specials" are everything!!!!!!!!!!
 
Looks beautiful and I know it tastes wonderful..Best of luck to you..Your pictures will be missed..Their beauty was breathtaking. Thank you
cj
 
sounds like a wonderful combo of flavors, IC. I love beurre blanc... it's such a versatile vehicle for flavor. :chef:

Did you use fresh horseradish with the panko?
 
Ironchef, good luck and congratulations on having the courage to step out on your own. We all should have that kind of confidence. Not easy and I am truly hoping will be great success ten times over. Working for someone else gave you the experience you needed. Now you will be in charge. Most people go to restaurants to eat and preparing them is something they like to avoid. So here you are, at their service and will have lot of success with your decision.

Keep in touch and let us know how things are going. Would be interesting to hear from someone in control.
 
At the next restaurant I'm going to be working at, I don't think we're going to really be able to run specials, so this might be the last one that you'll be seeing from me for awhile. So bon appetit until the next time:

Don't you cook at home? :LOL:

Good luck with the new job.
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goodness, do I want to take care of kids after a long day at school with 3 and 4 year olds......... you hit the nail on the head, ChefJune, I wouldn't want to cook either........:) but I know that's what a lot of parents do out there........they have to......things are very different now..........I look at my 5 yr. old granddaughter and she is in the same situation.........I really do feel for all you moms and dads that have to work all day and then juggle cooking, homework, baths, and bedtime stories.......and then then the hamster wheel starts all over again the next morning.....are weekends relaxing.......I doubt it............hang in there if you can.....
 
Don't you cook at home? :LOL:

Good luck with the new job.
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I cook dinner at home once a week when I'm off. And I'll sometimes cook myself breakfast. LOL but I don't consider those specials.

The new restaurant that I'll be working at serves only different types of degustation menus (3, 4, 6, and 11 courses) so that's the reason why there probably won't be nightly specials. The menu changes I think four times a year so that will keep things interesting. I'm going in as a Chef de Tournant which basically means that I'm the floater. I have to learn all the stations and all the prep for pretty much every dish. When I staged there, the prep was pretty labor intensive so in that sense, I don't think that I'd have time to prep for any specials anyway. For the next few years I plan to jump around and work at several restaurants, then eventually take a sous position somewhere.

Here's the menu if anyone wants to check it out: Chef Mavro
 
Well good luck buddy. Learning all the positions is tough (from my experience), and thats at mediocre resteraunts. Im sure youre in for an eye opening experience.

Like the others, I am going to miss the daily specials. Youre going to have to start taking pictures of your breakfast just to give us something nice to look at !

I also plan to get a digital camera and start posting my masterpieces, but Im not IC!
 
Well good luck buddy. Learning all the positions is tough (from my experience), and thats at mediocre resteraunts. Im sure youre in for an eye opening experience.

Yeah, it's tough because many times, the people working in that station don't prep you up so you come in and your station is empty. Hopefully that won't be the case at Chef Mavro. At the restaurant that I was just at, I was the Chef de Partie but I still did the same thing in that I worked and learned all the stations. 90% of the time I ran the dinner proteins but if someone was sick or if we were short, I would have to run apps or help out on banquets. I always have a prep system though. I go sauces, proteins, then garnishes or extras. Sauces are the biggest pain in the *** and you can't do most of them on the fly, and if you do, they might not turn out. But butchering a salmon or julienning cucumber is fine.
 
Where is your restaurant going to be located? do you have building? Boy, hope you have support to start this. Wish you the best.
 
ironchef, that looks great!!

my best to you with your venture to a new job.

(i hear ya on that prep cook deal: your could be Master Chef & probably still prepping. i went from cashier to prep cook in a day at my school's restaurant, & when i was a floater at another place, i was sent to prep, same as at a french bistro i worked at & when i catered, cook again.)
 
BEST valley girl voice - OMG, like, their food, like, has stuff growing on it too!!!!!!!

:mrgreen: It should be an easy fit!! :LOL:
 
I was the Chef de Partie

Hey, it's always a partie...erm, I mean, party when you're here;)

Seriously - late harvest foam?! That would make me swim out to hawaii.

I know you'll do well - you always do. Even if you can't photograph your on-the-job work, please do tell us of wonderful things you've dreamed up on your free time. When kitchenelf and I met last month, we both thought that going to a restaurant, where you were the chef, would be an amazing experience! (I also said I'd never cook for you...too intimidating!)
 
degustation menus (3, 4, 6, and 11 courses)

I'm hoping we get to see a few pictures of those. :)
The best of luck to you in your new job. I have always enjoyed your posts and pictures of the specials. I've picked up some great tips. The salmon looks awesome. Thanks, and good luck, IC! Hope you keep posting when you can.
 
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