Monday, September 15 1:00PM—2:10PM

Culinary Trailblazers Business Seminar

Biography

Jonathan Waxman has influenced the American culinary world for the past 30 years, working alongside and training many of the country’s most notable chefs.

Waxman first stepped into the culinary scene in 1970 when he decided to retire from a career as a professional trombonist to enroll in the La Varenne cooking school in Paris where he was trained and inspired by several renowned 3-star chefs. Waxman later returned to California where he began to define his new-found voice in the culinary community.

After working in kitchens of such well-known restaurants as Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Michael’s in Los Angeles, Waxman took his West Coast culinary style east, opening Jams in New York City in 1984. With the likes of Julia Child, James Beard, and Wolfgang Puck frequenting his new restaurant, Waxman established himself among the most prominent names on the American culinary scene. In 2002, Waxman opened the acclaimed Washington Park, which was followed two years later by Barbuto a restaurant serving easy Italian-inspired food in New York’s West Village. In November 2007, he opened an outpost of Barbuto — Barbuto Guadeloupe — on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, where he sources all of his ingredients from local purveyors. This past February, Waxman unveiled Madaleine Mae on New York’s Upper West Side, which offers Southern fare in an urban environment.

Waxman is the author of A Great American Cook (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), which is a culmination of his culinary vision and love for creating bold flavors with simple ingredients. For his contributions to the culinary world, Waxman was named one the most influential Americans by Esquire magazine.

Recipe

Jams Free Range Chicken & French Fries
Chef Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
• 2 4-pound free range chickens
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• 4 pounds organic russet potatoes
• 1 quart peanut oil
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch wild watercress

Method:
To butcher the chickens: cut an incision along the breast bone and slice down on the left hemisphere, cutting through the wing joint. Continue cutting back along the backbone (lifting the breast as you go, include the “oyster”), and then cut under the thigh. Repeat on the other sides. Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and debone the leg and thigh. The result is a half chicken, devoid of any bones except for the wing. Cut the wing down to the base joint. Season the halves with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Peel the potatoes and cut into 3/8-inch x 3-inch rectangles. Soak the fries in ice water for one hour. Heat oil to 300ºF. Remove the fries from water and dry thoroughly. Blanch the potatoes, in batches, in the oil, cooking until cooked through, but not colored. Chill for one hour. Prepare a grill with Mesquite charcoal. When ready, grill the chicken halves, skin-side down, for 15 minutes or so. Turn after 7 minutes to create crossing grill marks. Turn over and cook until chickens are done, for another 8 to 10 minutes. While chickens are grilling, heat oil to 375ºF and cook fries until golden. Season with sea salt.

To Assemble and Serve:
Combine butter and tarragon in a small saucepan over medium heat; season and keep warm. Scatter the watercress on a platter and top with hot chicken halves. Sauce the halves with the tarragon butter, and add the fries on top or on the side. Serve hot!