Chefs Kitchen: Executive Chef Gabe Cabrera, Gabriel Cabrera, Salty's Seafood Grills, Salty's at Redondo Beach, Palisade restaurant, Redondo Beach, Washington, Seattle, Gerry Kingen, Kathryn Kingen, salmon with pico de gallo, fresh salmon, Sea Tac Marriott

Chef's Kitchen

Each month we bring a guest chef into our Chef's Kitchen column to give us a tip that elevates their cooking (and hopefully ours). They also provide a recipe that showcases their tip. Our guest chef this month is Executive Chef Gabe Cabrera of Salty's at Redondo. Salty's is locally owned by Gerry and Kathy Kingen. There are three locations--Alki in West Seattle, Redondo and Portland on the Columbia River.

Gabriel Cabrera is the Executive Chef for Salty's at Redondo. Gabe came to Salty's with 26 years' experience as an executive chef in the food industry and holds an Associate degree from South Seattle Community College in Hospitality and Food Management. Before arriving at Salty's, he held an executive sous chef position at Palisade restaurant in Seattle under Executive Chef John Howie. It was there that Cabrera perfected his plank cooking and designed many original recipes. Cabrera was also an executive chef at C.I. Shenanigans and the Marriott Hotel at Sea Tac. He worked through all the ranks at the Marriott Hotel and then opened his own restaurant called Hungry Herbert. Chef Cabrera hails from Mexico City where he belongs to a large family of restaurateurs. He married his first and only sweetheart, whom he met as an exchange student while staying in her home in Redondo Beach. Known as “Chef Gabe," Cabrera has a following for his Market Sheet Specials at Redondo Beach. He does many fundraising events and has appeared on radio and TV demonstrating his dishes. His recipes are included in many of the KCTS viewer and chef cookbook series.

It's in the details, by Executive Chef Gabe Cabrera

It's often the smallest of details that can make the biggest of differences in your dish. In any dish, it's key to use the freshest ingredients. With my salmon and pico de gallo, once you've got fresh salmon, these two tips really bring out the look and flavor of the ingredients.

For the vinaigrette, make it a day ahead of time, refrigerate and bring to room temperature when ready to use. This way, the flavors meld together. It makes for a tastier dish.
When working with radishes as we do in this pico de gallo, it's best to dice them and leave them in water overnight, then rinse them a few times. This gets rid of the red color so that it doesn't stain all the other ingredients. You want each ingredient to stand out so the entire presentation is colorful and beautiful and not pink!

Salty's at Redondo
28201 Redondo Beach Drive S.
Des Moines, WA 98198
253-946-0636

www.saltys.com

See website for restaurant hours

Click here to see Gabe's recipe

January 2008

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