Summer signals a feeding freezing fueled by seasonal produce – a bountiful harvest Clarendale Clayton’s director of culinary experience, Chef Adam Shaw, embraces as seen through his cornucopia of elevated plate creations he serves at the luxury high-rise for independent food-savvy senior residents.
“I look forward each year to the summer garden, especially the tomatoes and peaches – two of my favorites used in dishes we serve at our three in-house dining concepts, in addition to our patio option,” Shaw said.
Shaw is a classically trained chef whose culinary resume includes tenure at the Ritz Carlton, River City, and he was the opening chef at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. This allowed him to hone his skills and expand his repertoire utilizing innovative techniques, such as molecular cooking, which has become popular with creative chefs and relies on chemistry to create unexpected dishes that push the boundaries of traditional food. An excellent example is Shaw’s Lemon Caviar, used to garnish his traditional Shrimp Cocktail – great fun for both the chef and diners.
No matter how a recipe is prepared, whether old school or 21st-century molecular, the foundation of great cuisine begins with the ingredients, and seasonal or preserved, local or shipped, Shaw seeks out the very best, highest quality.
“The quality of the ingredient is half the battle,” Shaw said when asked what the secret is to creating great food. “A great chef can take a lower quality ingredient and make it great using flavoring techniques, like marinades, brines and sauces.
“When you have better quality of meats, seafood and vegetables, you don’t have to try to hide or enhance it because it will already have great taste,” he added. “A great example is mushrooms. Little button mushrooms are cheaper than morels or chantarelles, which naturally have greater flavor. You don’t have to hide them with herbs and butter because they already have their own flavor. Button mushrooms simply don’t have the same level of flavor or texture. That’s the difference.”
Freshness is another issue. Ingredients, especially those that are pricey, can’t deliver quality if they aren’t fresh. Case in point: fish. “I can make a frozen fish taste good, but I can make a fresh fish taste great,” Shaw said.
One of his favorite fresh seasonal plates he is offering Clarendale‘s residents is his vanilla roasted peach salad, an extraordinary dish that takes the best local peaches and combines them with simple, easily obtainable ingredients. This is an example of homestyle and gourmet fusion, which fulfills Clarendale Clayton’s culinary mission of elevated culinary experiences.
One of my favorite culinary experiences is a picnic. It’s like Christmas. Well … it’s the same exciting rush to open a picnic basket to see what’s inside. Picnics are one of Shaw’s favorites, too, that he enjoys sharing with friends, offering custom picnic baskets to Clarendale’s residents to share with their friends off site.
I wondered what was in Shaw’s picnic basket. In his, you’ll find high-quality charcuterie, cheeses, fresh fruit, fancy crackers, breads, homemade jams and compotes. When choosing picnic items, he recommends selecting those you know and like.
“There are lower-end products, and higher-end products,” he said. “Choose the best you can afford and remember to think ‘flavor, freshness and quality.'”
One of his favorite summer foods to enjoy in or out of the picnic basket, is chilled shrimp – a great addition to most any summer menu that’s perfect as the show-stopping item at a patio party. It’s a dish that makes your guests say “wow.”
“It’s all about the wow factor,” Shaw said. “That’s what I work for – the wow.”
There are two ways to experience Shaw’s Clarendale’s culinary “wow.” You can be asked to the table as a guest or cook one of his recipes, which he has generously shared with Gazelle readers.
The following recipes have been adjusted and or modified for use by home cooks.
CLARENDALE SHRIMP COCKTAIL WITH LEMON CAVIAR
Servings: 4
1 pound (16-20 count per pound) peeled and deveined cooked shrimp
4 cups shredded leaf lettuce
1/4 cup Lemon Caviar
1/4 cup Louie or Thousand Island Sauce
1/4 cup cocktail sauce
Chill four salad plates or one large serving platter. Arrange lettuce in middle of plates, arrange shrimp over top. Sprinkle or spoon lemon caviar over shrimp. Serve with Louie, Thousand Island or cocktail sauce on the side.
LEMON CAVIAR
2 cups olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Agar-Agar powder (plant-based gelatin)
Chill oil for 30 minutes in freezer. Bring lemon juice to a boil, add Agar-Agar, and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat. Fill a syringe with lemon mixture. Slowly drip lemon mixture over the oil, which will form balls and drop to the bottom of the bowl. Using a straining spoon, strain caviar balls from the oil. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Stores well for a few days.
VANILLA ROASTED PEACH SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE SALAD
Field greens, washed, dried and plated
Vanilla roasted peaches
Candied or roasted pecans
Feta or blue cheese crumbles
Champagne vinaigrette
Plate greens, top with a few peaches, sprinkle with pecans and cheese, and drizzle with vinaigrette
PEACHES
8 fresh peaches, pitted, peeled and cut in half or wedges
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups apricot puree (can substitute apricot nectar)
1 cup peach schnapps
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
Combine all ingredients and heat to dissolve sugar. Place peaches in large bowl and cover with liquid and steep for an hour. Place peaches in a roasting pan. Cover 2/3 high with steeping liquid. Slow roast at 275 degrees, basting every 20 minutes for 2 1/2 hours or until liquid has turned amber and has reached a syrup consistency. Remove and store in refrigerator until used.
VINAIGRETTE
1 cup Champagne vinegar
1 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons garlic
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of Worcestershire
4 cups olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender or processor and mix until smooth. With blender running, slowly add oil until blended into dressing. Store unused peaches and vinaigrette in refrigerator.
SAFFRON BLUEBERRY JAM
2 cups blueberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup sugar
2 ounces apple pectin
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon saffron
Place blueberries in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan and crush with a potato masher to release juices. Heat on high with sugar, stirring constantly until sugar caramelizes. Add in pectin, zest and saffron. Reduce heat and cook until it reaches desired thickness. Remove from heat, pour into a serving jar and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Excellent to include with charcuterie and cheese trays. Makes about a pint of jam.
