| Name : |
Chef Peter Hughes
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| Kitchen : |
Bighorn Revelstoke, British Columbia
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| Chef BIO : |
As the Executive Chef for the top Heliski destination in
North America, Bighorn Revelstoke, Peter Hughes is having the culinary
adventure he always dreamed of. Equipped with its own heli-pad, 15,000 square
feet of pristine ski terrain, a kitchen that includes its own Teppan grill, and
wait for it, a view of the mountains, lakes and meadows from the kitchen, this
is the ultimate gig for our adventurous featured chef.
Throughout his career, Peter Hughes has been seeking a way
to combine his adventurous spirit and love of cooking, and his resume boasts
some truly exciting experiences. When asked how Hughes got his start in the culinary world,
his excitement seeking nature shows: “I was a waiter in a brand new restaurant
straight out of school and quickly realized that I wanted to be ‘out back’ with
the badasses! I could see them having so much fun. It seemed like a total pack
of savages, psychopaths and chaos but the more time I spent in the kitchen I
soon realized there was a beautiful underlying orderliness to the art of
running a busy kitchen."
Hughes got his start working his way up in restaurants
and hotels and quickly found opportunities for excitement. Hughes was a
formerly a chef to the stars, with clients such as David Bowie, James Brown,
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, just to name a few, before crewing on some of
the most luxurious super yachts. But it hasn’t been all glitz and glamour.
Hughes has been putting his culinary skills to the test, cooking in some rather
extreme conditions. Hughes has cooked in Tonga, Arctic Finland, the Desserts of
the Sahara, at sea in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, on a three week white
water rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, to his most recent culinary challenge:
at the top of an active volcano in Kamchatka, while hungry brown bears watched
nearby. Over the past ten years, Hughes has been found running the kitchen in some
of the most outrageous ski chalets on the planet, culminating with his current
position at Bighorn Revelstoke. As a result of his adventurous cooking career,
Hughes has earned the nickname “The Mountain Chef,” and at Culinary Classics
we think it suits Hughes perfectly.
To learn more about Bighorn Revelstoke visit
www.bighornrevelstoke.com
For more information about our featured chef Peter Hughes visit
www.themountainchef.ca
Follow Peter Hughes on Twitter @themountainchef
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| Favorite Chef Coat : |
"My white Raglan Chef Jackets with palette blue cording and white knot
buttons are of exceptional quality, comfort and offer a great ease of movement
and freedom whilst looking smart and professional."
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| Why he loves Culinary Classics : |
"At last I found a company that makes functional, comfortable, professional
chef coats that are truly made to order. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Culinary
Classics to any of my chef friends."
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| Favorite Ingredient : |
"Fresh fish, bacon, fresh herbs, good beef, good butter...Oh wait, you wanted one?!" |
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| Special Recipe : |
Seared Scallop with Cauliflower Puree, Rocket Pesto and Red Wine Reduction (Serves 10)
10 Dry King Scallops (or IQF see below)
With the availability of very high quality hand dived scallops that are Individually
Quick Frozen or IQF, a notoriously difficult item to get hold of in the
mountains, they are market fresh once defrosted and can be served with total
confidence.
The Cauliflower puree is very simple to make. I like to leave cream and butter
out of this puree so it’s a nice healthy starter.
Cauliflower Puree
- 1 Head of Cauliflower all leaves removed
- 400ml White Chicken stock
- 1 Splash of white wine
- Salt & white pepper to taste
- Red wine syrup
- Half a bottle of good powerful red such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 100g Caster sugar
- Rocket Pesto
- 1 Bag of rocket leaves & a handful of washed spinach leaves
- 100ml Virgin Olive Oil not extra Virgin as the pepper will over take too much
- Pinch of salt
Cook the cauliflower florets in the chicken stock, white wine and seasoning when the cauliflower
seems to be overcooked and most of the liquid has reduced down blend until
completely smooth with a stick blender.
If any small lumps remain then pass through a chinois.
Meanwhile reduce the red wine and sugar taking great care not to let it stick. The consistency must be
just right so by dropping single drops into cold water and seeing it forms
small balls will help you judge when to take the syrup off the heat.
Make the rocket pesto by blitzing down all the ingredients
until a bright green fresh pesto is achieved.
Finally in a hot dry pan add a splash of vegetable oil and a knob of butter add the scallops one at a
time depending on the size sear on each side for a minute and a half.
To Assemble
Spoon some of the smooth cauliflower puree into the middle of the plate place one scallop on top and
drizzle the syrup around the edge of the puree then do the same with some
rocket pesto around the edge of the red wine syrup and serve with a smile!
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