The Blog of Chef Timothy May

Cooking Tip # 4

When I was an apprentice my chef always insisted that I season everything that you serve. My chef smoked a package of cigarettes a day and drank a dozen beers before 5:00 p.m. everyday. Back in the day MSG was not a bad thing and he used it for everything from seasoning soup of the day in the cafe to seasoning bearnaise sauce for chateaubriand in banquets for a dinner for 2500 people.

As time went by, I developed my own tastes from working with different chefs who had their own tastes and styles. It became very clear that seasoning a soup only needs a good stock, fresh herbs, sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorn are all you need.

With any type of cookery, from fish to meat or even making a simple vinaigrette all you need is fresh herbs and a little salt & pepper. Obviously when you get into ethnic cooking the spices will come into play but keeping it simple is the way to go.

Reflecting back to my apprenticeship days, phrases like seasoning a dish by playing your piano or salt & pepper should not be on the table in the dinning room still to this day reinforce the importance of proper seasoning. I do not know how many times I go out for something to eat and there is no flavor in the food. It may be fresh but has no taste. It is such a disappointment.

Cooking tip #4 is this. Always season what you are cooking before you cook it. If you are grilling steaks or sauteing vegetables, season your food. You can always add a bit more seasoning but you can not take it away. I will add some fresh chopped thyme to my chicken breast or halibut fillet or fresh rosemary for my braised lamb shank. Less is more.

Tim May
Executive Chef
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

Seafood Sustainablility

Over the past 10 years I have been very fortunate to cook with the freshest seafood from the pacific northwest. You can take for granted the availability that is at your doorstep. Within a half hour I have fresh dungeness crab for the evening's dinner service.

In January 2009 to March 2009 there is going to be a closure for dungeness crab. This is the first time that Tofino has seen a 3 month closure. At that time of year the crabs outer shell are soft which is not the best for eating.
The demand of dungeness crabs around the pacific northwest does not seem to be slowing down. The question that needs to be asked is "why are they closing the crab fishery down in Tofino?" "Are the crabs being over fished?" Since the sea otter has been under protection the population has increased so drastically that there is speculation that there are approximately 3-5 thousand lbs.of crabs being consumed by the sea otter daily.

As a professional chef, that depends on fresh seafood as my bread and butter, It is important to recognize the importance of sustainability. There are several governing bodies and associations that have information. www.seachoice.org is a guide that will give you alert code catagories. Red=Avoid. Do not purchase these fish right now. They come from sources that have a combination of problems. From habitat damage, poor management, low populations, can be harmed by fishing or be listed by governments as endangered. Yellow=Some Concerns. Seafood that should consumed infrequently or when a green choice is available. There are consevation concerns with the current populations or practices in this fishery. Green=Best Choice. This species is currently fished\harvested sustainably and represents a best choice. Enjoy while supporting responsible fishing and coastal livelyhhds. Dungeness crabs are in the best choice catagory.

Tim May
Executive Chef
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut Fillet

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut Fillet
Spinach & Belgian Endive Salad, Red Pepper Coulis

Ingredients:
4- 5 oz halibut fillets
4 slices prosciutto, thin
3 bunches spinach, washed
6 leaves belgian endive, julienne
6 cloves garlic, sliced
4 soup plates
3 shallots, sliced thin
1/2 liter fish stock
fresh basil, chopped & sprigs
sea salt, fine & coarse to taste
cracked black peppercorn, to taste
2 red peppers, diced

Method:
Halibut Fillet:
Season the halibut fillet with cracked black peppercorn & a pinch of sea salt .Wrap the prosciutto around the halibut. In a hot pan over medium heat, sear one side of the halibut until golden brown. Turn the halibut over and cook in the oven for approx. 3-4 minutes. At 375*F. Set aside and keep warm.

Red Pepper Coulis:
Over medium heat in warm pan sauté shallots, 2 cloves of garlic until transparent, add the red pepper and continue to sweat. Add the fish stock. (Vegetable stock is a good substitute). Bring to simmer and season to taste. Once the red pepper is soft strain. Keep both the red pepper & stock separate. Puree the red pepper (make sure to use some of the stock to thin the coulis) Add fresh basil. Keep warm. Allow 25 minutes to finish the coulis.

Salad:
Wash spinach and dry access water. Mix spinach & belgian endive in a bowl. Divide into 4 portions. Spinach greens on the soup plate first followed by the halibut on top of the spinach. Drizzle red pepper coulis over top. Garnish with basil sprigs. Serves four.

Timothy May-Executive Chef
Modern Natural Cuisine

Cooking Tip #3

I always get asked the same question over & over again. " When I get home, how do I cook the salmon that I caught?"

There is a misconception surrounding how long you should cook fish. If I am using the BBQ or cooking the fish in a oven the amount of time is always the same. Depending on the thickness of the fillet that your cooking will determine the length of time that you leave each side of fish on the heat for.

BBQ- Preheat the BBQ so the tempurature is approximately 400*f. I like the clean simple flavors of Sea Salt, Cracked Black Peppercorn and fresh chopped thyme. I will rub a little oil on the fish so it will not stick on the grill when I am cooking the fish. You can use olive oil  or canola oil depending on your preference. A mixture of canola & olive oil is a good idea. The taste of burnt olive oil will linger for a while.

Once the fish is seasoned & oiled I always place the side I am serving face down on the grill. I will leave the fish face down until the sides of the fillet change colour. I will then flip the fillet over which I call skin side down. Again the side of the fillet will start to change colour. This process will take all of 3-4 minutes.

Oven- Preheat the oven to approximately 400*f. Season your fish exactly like if you were to cook it on the BBQ. Heat up a saute pan with oil and allow the pan to become hot. (your saute pan should be able to be put in the oven. plastic handles will melt in the oven) Place the fish skin side up in the pan and sear until the fillet is golden brown or the sides are changing colour. Flip the fillet skin side down and place the fish in the oven for approximately 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

I always strive to cook my fish medium rare because the fish will be moist and dry.

Check back for my next post and I'll show you one of my favorite sauce recipes for Salmon.

Tim May
Executive Chef
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

Cooking Tip #2

Vancouver Island, British Columbia has developed into an amazing melting pot of small organic farms that produce some of the best organic greens, herbs, fruits, cheeses & meats that you can buy. When dealing with fresh organic produce you need to remember that if the product is stored properly it can last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Buying produce that is not organic only has a third of shelf life that organic products have.

Washing the produce before putting in a storage container also helps with longevity.

Storing organic greens in air tight containers with damp paper towel on the top & bottom of the container will ensure the freshness and the crispness of the greens, I use commercial Cambro containers with a snap lid which you can buy at any restaurant supply store, even if you are not in the restaurant business.

 

Grilled Clayoquot Sound Oyster Chowder Recipe

Grilled Clayoquot Sound Oyster Chowder,
Cumin Thyme Broth

Ingredients:

4 large oysters, grilled
600ml white fish stock (you can sub vegetable stock)
250ml whipping cream,
1 medium onion , diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 med. potato, diced
1 lemon, halved for juice
1 bunch fresh thyme
olive oil
1\2 tbsp toasted cumin,ground
sea salt, to taste
cracked black peppercorn, to taste
warmed soup plates

Method:

Grill oysters over high flame on the BBQ. Allow the shells to open and remove from heat. Let cool and remove the oysters from the shell.

Saute onions & celery with olive oil and the toasted cumin until they are transparent and add fish stock. Bring stock to a simmer.

In a seperate pot bring the whipping cream to a simmer and add the whipping cream to the chowder base.

Add the diced potato to the chowder base and simmer until the potato is soft.

Season with salt, pepper,lemon add the oysters to the chowderbase. Allow the oysters to warm through the middle and add the fresh thyme.

Serve the chowder in warm soup plates.

Serves four.

Chef Timothy May
Modern Natural Cuisine

Cooking Tip #1

There has always been a misconception about how you handle pasta once you have cooked it el Dante. When ever I order pasta in a restaurant I always know how it has been cooled down.

After the pasta is cooked I always spread my pasta on a baking sheet and add some olive oil to the pasta and let the noodles cool. Mix the pasta from time to time, it will enable the all the noodles to be comepletley coated with olive oil. Which will then prevent the pasta from sticking together. When the noodles are hot they will absorb what ever you put on them. Olive oil has much more flavor than water. Water will absorb much faster into the noodle.

When I reheat my pasta I always use a little bit of vegetable stock (or chicken, beef, veal) depending on what type of pasta I am creating.

Opening 2008

I am very excited about this season. The opening of my kitchen brings along beautiful produce such as Nanoose Organics and Organic Chicken from the Cowichan Valley.

A congratulations is in order for Ryan Orr. Ryan who has been my Sous Chef for the past 4 years is going to be a father this coming September. Ryan has decided that this summer he is staying close to home and has found a new job in Victoria,BC.

John, Liam & Tyler are the returnies for this year and will be taking on a bigger roll in the kitchen. I have a few new additions in the kitchen this year and I am excited about the new energy & buzz that will be created with our new team members.

The service staff has changed with one exception. Teresa is returning to take care of our wine program. We lucked out with a great service team in the front of the house. John (who has a 80’s Robert Downey Jr.) hair cut and Giselle (which is the better half of the team) come from Toronto.

It is a good thing that I spent another $20000.00 on kitchen equipment so I can keep up with all the specail requests.

My First Blog!

This is a trial blog posting. More to come, trust me.