Foodie Chap With Chef Chris Jones of Gaspar Brasserie
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Chef Chris Jones joins the team at Gaspar with a love of cooking stemming back to childhood. At an early age, Jones began helping in the family kitchen and making recipes from children's cookbooks and continued to experiment as a teenager. During college, Jones realized that he enjoyed his job in a restaurant kitchen more than the courses he was taking. Jones took a leap of faith and decided to work his way up in the kitchens of Washington DC. After gaining invaluable hands-on experience, Jones decided to fill in the gaps of his knowledge by enrolling in California Culinary Academy and then went back to work in DC. He has been inspired by many chefs along the way, including Jeffrey Buben and Robert Weidmaier who helped him hone the French technique that he has utilized throughout his career.
Eventually Jones made his way to Chicago and it was in the windy city that he first met celebrated Sonoma restaurateur, Sondra Bernstein. The two discovered that they shared similar ideologies about food and seasonality and Jones subsequently moved back to the West Coast to work at the girl & the fig and Estate in Sonoma, CA. Most recently the Executive Chef at Brix in Yountville, CA, Jones is excited to lead the kitchen at Gaspar. When he's not busy in his own kitchen, you can find him at home experimenting with new recipes or out on the town working his way through the Bay Area's many restaurants.
Chef Chris will join legendary Chef Hubert Keller for food and fun on Bastille Day - July 14th. They will partner on a Chef tasting menu, fitting for the popular holiday celebrating all things french. Chef Hubert will turn DJ later in the evening. YES - Hubert can spin like the best of them. The dinner party is at Gaspar Brasserie on Sutter Street, San Francisco followed by an after party nearby at CLUB HAWTHORN.
Enjoy our tasty talk and hope to see you with Chefs Chris & Hubert at the BASTILLE PARTY.
Liam!
Oeufs à la Bénédictine
Serves 8
Truffle Custard
- 144 g (5.1 oz.) whole eggs
- 500 g (1 lb. 1.6 oz.) half and half
- 4.5 g (0.2 oz.) kosher salt
- 15 g (0.5 oz.) truffle oil
- 8 each 4-6 ounce ramekin, jar or glass
Place half and half in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Transfer to a blender and blend on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time while blending, followed by the salt and truffle oil. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Pour 60 g (2 oz.) into each ramekin or jar. Place ramekins into a baking pan with a kitchen towel underneath. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil and pour into the baking pan until the water reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake covered at 250 °F for about 30 minutes or just until custard has set. Remove from oven and cool room temperature. Before serving, place directly in a water bath heated to 130°F to reheat for about two minutes.
Brandade Cream
- 10 g (0.4 oz.) garlic cloves, peeled
- 5 g (0.2 oz.) thyme sprigs
- 25 g (0.9 oz.) shallot, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 g (0.07 oz.) black peppercorns
- 400 g (14.1 oz.) heavy cream
Place cream, garlic, thyme, shallot, and peppercorns in a small saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a simmer Remove from heat and cover. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Cod
- 500g (1 lb. 1.6 oz.) skin off cod fillet
- 100g (3.5 oz.) kosher salt
- 1000g (2 lb. 3.3 oz.) whole milk
Place cod fillet in a shallow container and pack in salt, covering on all sides. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 5 hours. Remove cod and rinse under cold water. Pat the fillet dry with paper towels. Place the milk and cod in a medium saucepan, bring to a slow simmer for 5 minutes or until cod is fully cooked. Strain the cod and discard the milk.
Potatoes
- 250 g (8.8 oz.) Yukon gold potato
Place the unpeeled potatoes in a pre-heated 200 °F for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Press the cooked potatoes through a tamis and reserve.
Brandade
- 50 g (1.8 oz.) unsalted butter
- 350 g (12.3 oz.) cod, cooked and flaked into pieces
- 250 g (8.8 oz.) Yukon gold potato cooked and pressed through tamis
- 200 g (7.1 oz.) brandade cream, warmed
Place the cod and butter in a food processor and process for 30 seconds or until combined. Add the warmed cream and process for 2 minutes. Add the potato and process another minute. Remove and transfer to a piping bag.
Sauce à la Crème
- 100 g (3.5 oz.) sauce béchamel
- 10 g (0.4 oz.) lemon juice
- 25 g (0.9 oz.) crème fraîche
- 1g (0.07 oz.) kosher salt
In a small saucepan combine the béchamel, lemon juice, crème fraîche and salt. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
To Assemble and Serve
- black truffles, grated using microplane grater
- sauce crème
Warm the truffle custard. Pipe an equal amount of warmed brandade (2 oz.) over the custard. Spoon the sauce crème over the top to cover. Place a pinch of black truffles, chive and sieved egg yolk in the center.
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KCBS radio "Foodie Chap" and KPIX 5 television "Eye On The Bay" host Liam Mayclem introduces us to the culinary stars behind the food and wine loved by so many in the Bay Area.
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