Chef Thomas Mayr – Created a Very Memorable Gastronomic Experience for Diners

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There were some concerns raised when the former head chef of Cepage by Les Amis, Chef Gunther Hubrechsen, left in 2007 to start out on his own. However, the new head chef, Chef Thomas Mayr, did more than just assure its diners that the quality will remain the same. Not only did he completely revamp the cuisine at Cepage, but he also infused his own culinary personality into his dishes and created a very memorable gastronomic experience for their diners at the famous restaurant. It was indeed a very good move for Les Amis to entrust their flagship restaurant, Cepage, to Chef Mayr.

Chef Mayr was born in a little town in the northern region of Italy. He received his culinary training from some of the best restaurants in the country, most of which have Michelin stars. After moving up the ranks and proving his worth in the fine-dining restaurants of Italy, he then traveled to Germany where he trained and worked under one of the most famous and celebrated chefs of the country, Chef Hans Haas of Tantris, a two-Michelin star restaurant.

His culinary career also took him to the United States where he worked for big names in the culinary world like Chef Charlie Trotter in his eponymous restaurant in Chicago. He also worked in the kitchen of Danube Restaurant in New York where he worked under its famous chef, Chef David Bouley. He then went back to Italy and become the head chef of the fine-dining restaurant of Parkhotel Laurin, and he was the head of its kitchen for four years.

In 2007, the Les Amis Group invited him to head the kitchen of Cepage in Hong Kong when its former head chef, Chef Hubrechsen, decided to leave Cepage to open his own restaurant. Chef Mayr accepted the offer, which proved to be a very good move for both parties.

He brought with him a deep understanding of his profession as well as a culinary skill influenced by some of the top chefs in the world. This influence has allowed him to create a cuisine that is uniquely his, and his traditional European cuisine with a contemporary twist won over the loyal diners of Cepage. He erased the doubts in the minds of its diners and earned their respect and appreciation for the culinary talent that he has infused in the cuisine of Cepage.

There may have been some doubts as to whether or not Chef Mayr could live up to the standards that the former head chef has set, but he more than showed them that he is more than capable of heading the kitchen of Cepage. Under his leadership, he revamped the restaurant’s menu and gave it his own culinary skill. It seems that he has done a very good job indeed because Cepage has earned a Michelin star as well as a position in the San Pellegrino’s list of top 100 best restaurants in the world this year. Right now, the San Pellegrino Guide has named them as the 96th best restaurant in the world.

Chef Thomas Mayr’s Shrimp with Sweet and Sour Squash and Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Seed Dressing:

1 Egg Yolk
1/2 Shallot, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
1 Garlic Clove, smashed
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Vegetable Stock or canned low-sodium vegetable broth
Fine Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Seed Oil
1 tablespoon Dry Vermouth
1 tablespoon aged Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 cup Sour Cream

Sweet and Sour Squash:

1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
3 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup fresh Orange Juice
1/2 cup Champagne Vinegar
1 3/4 cups grated Winter Squash (about 1 small squash), such as buttercup, kabocha, or butternut
1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger Juice
Fine Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/2 Green Apple, grated
1 to 2 teaspoons Honey

Shrimp:

4 cups Canola Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
1/2 pound (about 12) large Shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails on
Fine Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Directions: Poaching the shrimp in oil, a classic technique, cooks them through without making them rubbery.

1. Prepare the dressing: Place the egg yolk, shallot, sherry vinegar, garlic, sugar, and mustard in a food processor, and pulse to combine. With the motor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil, and then the vegetable stock, until the mixture is smoothly combined and as thick as honey. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer the dressing to a bowl and fold in all the remaining ingredients, whisking in the sour cream last. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To prepare the sweet and sour squash, place the coriander in a large heavy skillet over medium hear. Toast, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a plate to stop the cooking, and wipe out the pan. Sprinkle the sugar in the pan in an even layer. Heat without stirring until it melts and turns into a medium-dark amber caramel (swirl the pan if it colors unevenly), 6 minutes. Pour the orange juice and the Champagne vinegar (stand back-it will spatter), and cook slowly, stirring, until the caramel dissolves.

4. Add the grated squash, ginger juice, toasted coriander seeds, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the grated apple and continue to cook until the apple and squash are just barely tender, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the honey as needed to achieve a sweet-sour effect. Keep warm.

5. Cook the shrimp: Place the oil, garlic, thyme, and rosemary in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Place a thermometer in the oil, add the shrimp, and slowly hear until the oil reaches 150F. Remove the pan from the heat and let the shrimp cook until just the tails begin to curl and the flesh feels firm, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate, and season with salt and pepper.

6. Strain the pumpkin seed dressing through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, and dip the shrimp in the dressing to coat each one. To serve, make a small bed of the sweet and sour squash on each plate and arrange the shrimp on top.

Note: To make ginger juice without a juicer, grate peeled fresh ginger into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl (or use a piece of cheesecloth). Press down on the ginger (or squeeze the cheesecloth) to extract all the juice.

Servings: Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Notes from the kitchen: This dish is Chef Thomas Mayr’s brainstorm when he was working as a sous chef in The Danube, New York. Chef Mayr experimented with many different kinds of winter squash to find something dense and sturdy but still sweet and delicate in flavor. Buttercup was the best, but a combination of red kuri or kabocha and butternut was also great. You can use any one of them, though.

Image Credit: cbsnews.com

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