 Why did you become a chef?
I used to watch a lot of cooking shows, such as the Discovery Channel’s program Great Chefs, so that influenced me. I also had some disappointing meals at high-priced restaurants where the food wasn’t that good. I felt that I could do better, so I decided to get into the business. I try to make sure people have an excellent meal that’s well worth what they paid.
Where did you train?
The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Where do you feel you learned your craft?
At a restaurant in East Hampton, New York, called the East Hampton Steamed Laundry. The executive chef there, Andrew Engle, taught me a lot. I’ve also learned a great deal during my time here.
Who or what inspires you?
Doing a good job inspires me. When you have one of those days where everything is prepped on time, the food goes out just how you want it, and customers are appreciative, that’s motivating. It gives you a good feeling at the end of the day to know you’ve served 160 people and done it well. Results like that inspire me for the next day. I wake up at 7:30 with sunshine streaming through the window and I’m eager to get back to work.
What was your worst disaster or most embarrassing moment?
One Friday night, we were getting ready for a big crowd—lots of reservations, plus a function. It was 4:15 and we opened at five. We were smoking duck breasts on the grill and the kitchen was getting smoky. We decided to open one of the baffles to let some of the smoke out. To do so, you have to kind of shake the stove hood to get the baffle loose. In doing so, a light cover fell out and landed smack in the fryer where it exploded! Unfortunately, the fryer was filled with 70 pounds of potatoes that we needed for that night—and we opened in 45 minutes! In a flash, I had four people peeling potatoes at like 90 miles an hour, while another cook chopped, and a second cook cleaned out the fryer and prepped it. We had to cut the potatoes really small for them to be cooked in time, but we made it.
Where do you like to eat?
For the past two years, I’ve pretty much worked nonstop so I really haven’t had a chance to go out. I also lived rather far from here, so I didn’t feel like driving back on my days off just to go to dinner. But I recently moved to Portsmouth, so now I’m looking forward to exploring.
N’Awlins BBQ Shrimp
Serves 4–6
BBQ Spice blend:
1 tablespoon each of
Dried oregano, ground
Dried basil, ground
Dried rosemary, ground
Chili powder
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Paprika
Kosher salt
Black pepper, fresh ground
1 loaf of unsliced crusty bread, sourdough preferred
1⁄4 cup olive oil, for brushing bread
2 12-ounce bottles of beer of your choice
2 pounds jumbo shrimp (16–20 per pound size), peeled and deveined
1 stick of cold, unsalted butter
1. Combine spice blend ingredients in small bowl. Mix thoroughly. (If you can’t find ground herbs, grind whole leaf dried herbs in spice grinder to yield one tablespoon.) Extra spice blend can be saved for other uses like spicy grilled chicken or to add to a marinade.
2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Slice bread approximately 1-inch thick. Brush both sides with olive oil. Grill bread until slightly charred, toasted, and warmed through. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, pour the beer into a 2-quart saucepan. Add shrimp and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When shrimp start to turn pink, add 2 to 3 tablespoons BBQ spice blend. Add more or less according to your taste.
4. Turn heat to low. Add cold butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, slowly swirling pan or stirring with a spoon. When all the butter is incorporated, you should have a spicy, creamy, emulsified butter sauce.
5. Ladle shrimp and sauce into individual bowls. Serve with the warm, grilled bread.
Crystal Ward Kent is Contributing Editor to Taste magazine and has written for Taste since its inception. She is a frequent contributor to numerous regional magazines, including Yankee, Accent, and New Hampshire Home.
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