Chef Sergio Herman – A Big Name in the Culinary World

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Head chef and owner of Oud Sluis, Chef Sergio Herman is making a big name in the culinary world, and his name and restaurant is fast becoming popular not only in Holland but internationally as well. His culinary skill has earned his restaurant three Michelin stars and a spot in the S. Pellegrino’s top 50 World’s Best Restaurant, and this year, they are at the 19th position.

For a Dutch chef, Chef Sergio Herman’s name is Spanish, but this is not surprising though because his family came from a Spanish line. In fact, Spain ruled Holland more than five centuries ago, so there are many Dutch families who have Spanish blood in them, one of them is Chef Herman’s family.

He grew up in Netherlands, and all throughout his childhood, he has been involved in the food preparations in their home, especially since one of their family’s businesses is a little café and a barber shop. It was his grandparents who managed the barber shop/café, and when they retired, it was his father who took over. He converted the café into a simple seafood restaurant, but when he got ill during the early 1990s, he asked his son to come home and take control over their restaurant.

Prior to this event though, Chef Herman has been studying at a restaurant school. He has apprenticed with some of the best haute cuisine restaurants in Europe. He worked with Chef Ferran Adria who is considered as the greatest Catalan chef. Chef Adria’s expertise in molecular cooking served as an inspiration for him, and the works and creations of Chef Blumenthal has also fascinated him that he started to learn more about molecular gastronomy.

Chef Herman began recreating traditional dishes and reinventing them to create a new cuisine. By mixing seasonal herbs and spices and using only the freshest ingredients and produce, he began experimenting with his dishes. He learned how to create new textures, add flavors, and manipulate chemical reactions to produce a theatrical feast for the senses. So when he came home, he was armed with high-end culinary skill and knowledge in molecular gastronomy.

His restaurant was blessed because his hometown was only a short distance away from the North Sea, so this means that he has the advantage of working with fresh seafood such as oysters and mussels. These, together with the fresh local and seasonal produce and ingredients, have allowed him to experiment and perfect his cuisine.

Soon, his restaurant began attracting diners from all over the country, and five years later, his restaurant earned its first Michelin star. The third Michelin star was awarded to his restaurant four years later in 1999, and two years later, he finally received his third Michelin star. Aside from this though, Chef Herman also received numerous awards and praises for his culinary skill, and, in fact, he has been awarded the Chef of the Year award in 2004 and 2009. It has also been a steady climb up the Top 50 World’s Best Restaurant list. In 2008, they were at 42; 2009, at 29; and finally, 2010, at 19.

With Chef Herman’s skill in making a delicious symphony out of simple ingredients, we can expect more from him in the coming years. Whatever dish he will serve us, we can always rest assured that his dishes are mouthwatering and stomach-filling food.

Chef Sergio Herman’s Sea Bass with Poached Oysters, Turnip Mousseline, Sea Beet, and Algae, with a Sauce of Shellfish

Original Source: plusonline.nl

Ingredients:

5 meiknollen (spring turnip)
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
4 flat Zeeland oysters 5 zeros
4 pieces sea bass fillet of 120 grams
clarified butter

For the gravy:

2.5 dl schelpdierenjus (broth of mussels or razor clams)
juice of 1 lime
beet leaves some beach
algae (sea lettuce, wakame or codium)
boragebloemen (borage)
flowers of nasturtium
3 tablespoons gomasio (sesame salt)

Directions:

1. Peel meiknollen (spring turnip) and boil them in a mixture of cream, milk, and broth. Puree and strain the puree through the tubers.

2. Open the oysters, take them out of their shell and heat them gently for 1 minute in butter.

3. Thinly cut the skin of the sea bass, season with salt and pepper, and fry gently in clarified butter, skin-side down.

Gravy: Beat the butter with schelpdierenjus (broth of mussels or razor clams) and refresh it with lime juice.

Presentation: Make a line on the boards of meiknolmousseline and put them to sea bass and oysters. Arrange the flowers, algae, and zeebietjes (sea beet) out and sprinkle them with olive oil and lime juice. Drape the sauce around the plates.

Image Credit: gelderlander.nl

plusonline.nl

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