Chef Grant Achatz – The Co-owner and Head Chef of Alinea

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If there is one thing that can be said about this famous chef is that he is one of the chefs who are on the forefront of molecular gastronomy, which is also considered as progressive cuisine. Chef Grant Achatz, the co-owner and head chef of Alinea, has so much to be proud of right now as his restaurant has landed on the 7th spot of the Top 50 World’s Best Restaurants by S. Pellegrino.

Chef Achatz was born in the mid 1970s to a family who owns restaurants in Michigan, so it came as no surprise to his parents when he decided to become a chef. He enrolled in New York’s The Culinary Institute of America, and soon after he graduated, he sought work and found one at The French Laundry where he continued his education from the world-famous Chef Tomas Keller. He spent almost half a decade there and moved up the ranks to become the sous chef.

He left The French Laundry in 2001 to work as the executive chef of Trio in Illinois where his culinary skill boosted the reputation of Trio, earning them their fifth star from the Mobil Travel Guide.

It was in 2005 that he finally decided to open his own restaurant, Alinea, in Chicago. It was a small start. There were no bars in his restaurant nor was there any lobby, and his restaurant was only offering two types of tasting menus, a choice of either a 12-course meal or a 28-course meal. Of course, his reputation followed him that his restaurant soon enjoyed his own followers, and two years later, Mobil Travel Guide confirmed their approval of Chef Achatz’s creations and gave his restaurant five stars. Alinea became one of only 16 restaurants in the United States to have earned such a prestigious award.

Soon after Mobil Travel Guide gave its approval, more awards followed. Gourmet Mazaginie named his restaurant as the best in the country, and 2007 Restaurant Magazine saw him at the 36th spot, 15th in 2008, 10th in 2009, and finally 7th in 2010. These are just some of the prestigious awards that Chef Achatz and Alinea received.

The awards that he received though did not hinder him from developing and perfecting his culinary skill. He travels to other countries to learn from their famous chefs as well as to gain inspiration and share ideas, and he also finds ample time to develop fresh and more innovative dish ideas.

Chef Achatz’s cuisine is very modern and very innovative as is his contemporary cooking technique. He does away with big stoves and prefers small stoves and portable burners. His inspiration to create such very modern dishes is the works of Chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli – the best chef in the globe and the father of molecular gastronomy.

Chef Achatz soaked up all the techniques and styles of molecular gastronomy during his stay with Chef Adria in Spain and took it home with him in the United States. All of Chef Achatz’s efforts paid off as there seems to be no way but up.

Chef Grant Achatz’s Maine Lobster with Wild Mushrooms and Rosemary Vapor

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled white vinegar
4 1 1/2-pound live Maine lobsters

1/2 cup canola oil
3 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 fresh fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 fresh tarragon sprigs
8 cups fresh rosemary leaves stripped from branches (about ten .66-ounce packages)

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups (3 1/4 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as oyster, crimini, chanterelle, and stemmed shiitake), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, halved

Directions:

Bring 8 quarts water and vinegar to boil in 10- to 12-quart pot. Add 2 lobsters headfirst and cook until shells turn bright red and lobsters are just cooked through, about 11 minutes. Using tongs, remove lobsters from water. Repeat with remaining 2 lobsters. Twist claws and tails off lobsters. Crack claws and remove meat. Using kitchen shears or heavy large knife, cut lobster tails lengthwise in half; remove tail meat. Cut meat into large bite-size pieces. Place in medium bowl; cover and refrigerate. Reserve claw and tail shells.

Using kitchen shears, cut away lobster gills. Rinse shells under cold water. Place in large bowl. Pour cold water over and soak 10 minutes. Drain; rinse well.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium heat. Add lobster shells, carrots, and next 4 ingredients. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add 4 quarts water and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain lobster broth into large bowl, pressing on solids. Strain broth again through fine strainer into same pot. Boil over medium-high heat until broth is reduced to 2 cups, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; chill broth and lobster meat separately.)

Bring 1 quart water to boil in tea kettle. Place 2 cups rosemary in each of 4 large bowls; place on table.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, thyme, and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes; discard thyme and garlic. Add lobster and 1/2 cup butter to skillet and heat through, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring lobster broth to simmer in small saucepan. Pour hot lobster broth into blender; add 1 cup butter. Blend until butter is melted and mixture is frothy, about 30 seconds. Divide lobster mixture among 4 shallow bowls. Pour butter sauce and foam over lobster mixture and serve. Pour 1 cup boiling water into each bowl of rosemary to create vapor.

Test-kitchen tip: Use kitchen shears to cut the lobster shells.

Image Credit: sharon-thegoodlife.blogspot.com

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