SUSTAINABLE FISH COOKING CLASS AT THE RYLAND INN WITH EXECUTIVE CHEF ANTHONY BUCCO
Executive chef Anthony Bucco of The Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station is not only an extremely talented chef but also an informative teacher and raconteur. We were recently invited to a Sustainable Fish Cooking class and were enthralled to be shown how to fillet and cook fish, listen to the informative commentary from Chef Bucco and of course eat a memorable dinner that he and his chef de cuisine Craig Polignano prepared. This class was held in the stunning glass enclosed, twelve seat chef’s table room, which looks into the main kitchen allowing diners to watch the staff prepare the meals. This room can be reserved for a special chef’s tasting dinner.
Chef Bucco showed us how to break down two different fishes: a flat fish (flounder) and a round fish (black bass) and demonstrated how to use just the tip of the knife to pierce the skin, how to remove the skin and create fillets without waste. With the flounder, he removed the organs which are near the head and when he eviscerated the stomach of the fish he said, “Let’s see what is in here.” Upon opening the stomach our jaws dropped when we saw a whole baby monkfish that had not been digested yet; not an unusual finding according to Bucco.
“Cooking with your senses is also very important” according to Chef Bucco. We heard how the knife hits the bone of the fish, listened to the oil sizzling; smelled the freshness of the fish; touched the tight flesh; saw the red gills and tasted the scallops which we were told should be cooked not to change their texture but to caramelize them.
Here are some pictures from our class and dinner.
Fish organs with undigested monkfish.
Amuse of octopus ceviche.
Salad of haricot vert, yellow wax beans, radishes, pea pods, and greens.
Fluke sushi with white soy, baby radish, fresh and dried strawberries.
Tilefish with potatoes that were smoked in hay, fava beans and clams.
Scallop with corn chowder.
Dessert of lychee and rosewater panna cotta with raspberry sorbet, fresh raspberries, toasted coconut, coconut meringue and shaved celery.
The next cooking class will be held at 7 PM on August 20 and will focus on tomatoes. Call 908-534-4011 for information.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
The Ryland Inn
115 Old Highway 28
Whitehouse Station
908-534-4011
CHRIS ALBRECHT
Chris Albrecht is no longer the executive chef at Eno Terra in Kingston.
PASTRY CHEF JOSEPH GABRIEL
Joseph Gabriel, previously at Oceana in New York City and the Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster is the executive pastry chef at Battello, 502 Washington Blvd, Jersey City (201-798-1798). Read about our dinner at Oceana here.
DEMETRI MALKI
Demetri Malki, former chef/owner of Table 8 and Demetri both in Montclair, is opening De Novo (Latin for from the beginning) in the recently closed 12 West space at 275 Bellevue Avenue, Montclair. Casual European fare will be served including small plates and salads and pasta.
PASTRY CHEF DEBORAH PELLEGRINO
Caesars Entertainment Executive Pastry Chef Deborah Pellegrino has opened Boardwalk Cupcakes on the boardwalk in front of Bally’s in Atlantic City.
EMMA TAYLOR
Emma Taylor is the owner of Milk Sugar Love, an ice cream store and bakeshop, at 19 McWilliams Place, Hamilton Park, Jersey City (201-984-0530). On her web page she states, “I chose my shop’s name because ice cream, in it’s simplest form, is milk, sugar and, as with all truly great food, love.”
CHANGES AT THE DOG & THE CASK AND MEMOIRE
Jason Ramos is no longer the executive chef at the Dog & Cask, Rochelle Park. Jeremiah Echeandia, most recently the executive chef of Memoire in Ridgewood, is now the executive chef of The Dog and Cask, Rochelle Park. Thomas Finnelli, the owner of Memoire in Ridgewood and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, has taken over the roll of executive chef of Memoire.
WINE SPECTATOR AWARDS
New Jersey has been honored in Wine Spectator’s newly released 2014 Restaurant Awards, which highlights the eateries around the globe that offer the best wine selections. This year, 3,748 restaurants have been named award winners, spanning all 50 U.S. states and over 80 other countries and territories.
Some of the 81 NJ restaurants that were winners are: Battello, Jersey City; The Bernards Inn, Bernardsville; Bin 14, Hoboken; Boulevard Five 72, Kenilworth; David Burke Fromagerie, Rumson; Edward’s Steak House, Jersey City; Hunan Taste, Denville; Il Capriccio, Whippany; Light Horse Tavern, Jersey City; The Manor, West Orange; Ninety Acres, Peapack-Gladstone; The Pluckemin Inn, Bedminster; Restaurant Latour, Hamburg; The Ryland Inn, Whitehouse Station; and Undici Taverna Rustica, Rumson.
The full list of award winners is featured in the August 31 issue of Wine Spectator, available on newsstands July 22. All of the restaurants can also be found in WineSpectator.com’s Restaurant Search.
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