Richard Blais was the brilliant molecular gastronomist in Top Chef Season 4 Chicago who, in this blogs humble opinion, should have won the day. The Corsair emailed Blais about his new gig at the Stevenswood Spa Resort on Northern California's Mendocino Coast:
The Corsair: How did you come to the Stevenswood Spa Resort and how did you come up with the feature Oysters with cocktail sorbet & salmon berries, a Gin sashimi with carbonated lime and tonic jelly, followed by Fish n Chips with ranch caviar? It sounds like an intellectual mix of acid and base flavors.
Richard Blais: We just take traditional things that we know work an are delicious and re think them texturally. Oyster with cocktail sauce. Oyster with smoked salmon. The berries will add a regional twist and they aslo look like caviar. We have never done that dish. But I know the flavors work.
Gin sashimi is a gin and tonic. Where we use nitrogen to make the gin a solid. We carbonate the lime to mimic the experience of the cocktail.
We think it also is a good transition to or from the oyster and fried fish.
The fish and chips are a nod to one of my favorite comfort foods. Fried fish. I also have a passion for ranch dressing. And the addition of caviar just males it like wearing a pair if old jeans with expensive pearls.
The Corsair: What brought you to that interesting smoker?
Richard Blais: I did not invent the smoker but am on the forefront its use. It's strength is providing dramatic presentation, an a subtleness not easily achieved with traditional long term smoking.
The Corsair: If you could do anything different on Top Chef what would you have done?
Richard Blais: Don't think I would have done anything different. The last challenge was baffling to me. 'cook the best meal of your life' I try to do that everyday! I over thought it, that's all. Best team doesn't always win.
So true. Richard Blais, culinary trailblais-er will be doing what he does best at Stevenswood Spa Resort on February 7th & 8th. Full menu here.
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