|
|
Chef’s Kitchen
Each month we bring a guest chef into our Chef’s
Kitchen column to give us tips that elevate their cooking (and hopefully
ours). They also provide a recipe that showcases their tips. Our guest
chef this month is Co-owner and Executive Chef
James Drohman of Le Pichet and Cafe Presse. Le Pichet ("pichet" means
"pitcher" and is the ceramic vessel in which traditional neighborhood
restaurants in France serve wine) offers high quality food using the
freshest local ingredients. Many products are made in-house; sausages,
pâtés and other cured meats, smoked salmon, pastries and desserts. Their
wine list features country wines from all parts of France and are
available by the glass, demi-pichet, pichet or bottle. Café Presse
offers the casual, inviting ambiance of a Parisian bar/café. It is meant
to serve as a focal point for its neighborhood: meeting place,
restaurant, coffee shop, bar and international news stand. Coffee and
handmade pastries are offered in the morning, a full menu of classic
Paris café fare all day long and French country wine and a full bar
until 2 a.m. every day. They also offer European football on a big
screen TV over the bar and over 150 domestic and international magazine
and newspaper titles.
Jim began working in kitchens at 15 and during his undergraduate and
graduate studies at the University of Washington. After five years at
Boeing, he decided that cooking was his real passion. He moved to Paris
to attend L'Ecole Superior du Cuisine Jean Ferrandi, passed his
examinations and received his Certificate d'Aptitude Professionnelle.
While in Paris, he worked at several restaurants. On his return, he
worked as the kitchen manager at Marketplace Caterers, then joined the
staff at Campagne where he worked nearly every position, including line
cook, pastry chef and sous chef. In 1997, he was named executive chef of
both Campagne and Cafe Campagne, where he stayed until February of 2000.
In August of 2000, he and his business partner Joanne Herron opened Le
Pichet near Pike Place Market. In June 2007, Jim and Joanne opened their
second collaboration, Cafe Presse in Seattle's south Capitol Hill
neighborhood.
Read our story
Roasting a chicken to perfection
By Chef James Drohman
In my opinion, one of the best things ever is a
crispy, golden roast chicken. The problem with serving roasted chicken
in a restaurant setting is that the traditional methods take about 90
minutes to two hours, which is too long for diners to wait. Other
options, like par-cooking the chicken in advance or splitting it in half
before roasting just don't deliver a bird that is as juicy or
deliciously crispy as roasting the whole bird to order. In the months
before we opened Le Pichet, I roasted dozens of chickens using different
methods in the hope of finding the perfect way to do it in less than one
hour. I finally hit on a method that, although it varies from the
traditional method I learned in France, delivers the tastiest roast
chicken I have ever eaten. Our whole roasted chicken for two has become
the signature dish of both Le Pichet and Café Presse. As an additional
benefit, this recipe is very easy. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I
do.
There are two main tips for roasting a
chicken that are a bit out of the ordinary. First, you should roast at a
high temperature (500°). The high heat seals the bird, giving a crisp
exterior but very juicy interior. Second, sprinkle the skin liberally
with sea salt to help get that crispy skin. The salt removes some of the
moisture from the skin, allowing it to crisp and brown better.
Le
Pichet
1933 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
206-256-1499
www.lepichetseattle.com
Café Presse
1117 12th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
206-709-7674
www.cafepresseseattle.com
Click here to see Chef
James Drohman's recipe
July 2011
|
| Visit
our sponsors soon |
|
|
|
Sound
RIDER!
the Northwest's ultimate
motorcycling resource
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
