Red, White, and Blue Hill

Blue Hill, for me, began in my imagination. I was finishing school at CIA, it was summertime, and the Hudson Valley was at the height of it’s splendor. Cool breezes brushed the tall grasses sent ripples off the river which would shimmer brilliantly in the late afternoon sun. I was in love with the place and to think of leaving was a weight on my heart.

I knew that Blue Hill at Stone Barns was near, and that they were farming and serving the best that the region had to offer. I had read the menu at Blue Hill in New York City which included duck served with “carrots cooked in their own juices.” This idea seemed so pure that it was like someone hit me over the head with it. These ideas helped me form an image of Blue Hill in my mind, and I new I had to find out more.

It would not be until mid fall that I would actually see the place. Not until after graduation and returning home to Ohio, mailing resumes and phone call follow ups, a train ride to CIA to stay with Amanda, and an hour drive in her van would I arrive in my chef whites at the door of Blue Hill. I toured the kitchen, the peer of which I have yet to see before or since. Windows looked out over the courtyard. Tables for pastry and garde-manger(1) stretched long before the French island where fish and meat was cooked. White linens lined the pass of a huge oak table. Just walk out back and enter the hundred year old wine cellar built into a hill. Here hung curing pork cheeks, hams, and belly. The herb garden still yielded nasturtium, purple basil, chives, rosemary, dill, fennel. I spent four days there cleaning mushrooms, dicing juanchale, pureeing sauces, and basically doing anything the fish entremet(2) didn’t have time or patience to do himself.

All the while I got to observe methods of preparing meat and fish. They had whole chicken breasts on the bone being sous-vide(3) cooked in large steamer ovens, meat being rested in buere-monte(4), halibut slowly confit in olive oil, cobia fish grilled over hardwood and served with concord grape sauce, pasta sheets marbled with beets, whole lambs expertly butchered by chef de cusine Michael Anthony, and even Dan Barber himself personally basting a pork shoulder to perfection with calm and concentration in the busy kitchen.

Trailing In New York

I was immediately sent to trail at Blue Hill in New York City, and what a difference. The tiny kitchen is only slightly bigger than your average New York apartment, and the pace is FAST. For service, the entremet sets up his station, spreading his extensive mise-en-place to lengths further than he can easily reach. The meat station makes concentrated meat reductions daily and during service loads his steamer oven with pork, chicken, duck, fish, and sears and slices meat, flashing each item in the salamander before it is quickly plated by chefs and food runners. Working in this kitchen will make your head spin.

An Offer From Dan Barber

[pullquote]Dan Barber has offered to cook for you.[/pullquote] Amanda and I ate at Blue Hill NYC twice. The first time was very nice: summer vegetables with pesto served on slate, and the duck served with carrots in their own juices, but it is the second time we remember most of all. After work one day we decided on a whim “Let’s go to Blue Hill.” We arrived at around 6:30 without any real hopes of getting a table, and maybe a seat at the bar. Amanda was greeted by an old friend from Tabla who we both knew from CIA. He was working as a manger at the time. He offered us some sparkling rose and we gladly accepted as we waited near the door for a seat at the bar. We soon were sat and were told that “Dan Barber has offered to cook for you.” OK, there is no way we can say no to that, so let’s go for it.

Good Enough For A President

[pullquote]You will never guess who ate here earlier tonight, Barack and Michelle Obama.[/pullquote] First arrived baby spring vegetables. As we ate them, tops and all, we got chuckles from or neighboring bar-mates who were farmers themselves from upstate. Crispy cured pork “face bacon” was served alongside asparagus skewers rolled in sesame seeds and wonderful asparagus “macaroons” At about this time during the meal, our manager friend leans over and says “you will never guess who ate here earlier tonight, Barack and Michelle Obama, and you guys are having the same tasting!”

As you can imagine, this was quite exciting for us, and we naturally felt very honored to be eating the same food as the presidential “date night”, and the food was indeed very special. The meal concluded with a delicious lamb, and a strawberry dessert with beautiful tiny strawberries and strawberry jelly rolled around sweet whipped cream. And a greeting from Dan Barber, who we thanked very graciously.

After collecting these wonderful experiences through Blue Hill I feel that we have a pretty good understanding of the great food and hospitality they provide, as well as the supporting and advancing local agriculture in the New York area. These experiences have truly increased my original sense of wonder and appreciation that I had at the beginning of this incredible journey.

Glossary:

(1)Garde Manger: cold preparation station

(2)Entremet: vegetable and garnish cook

(3)Sous Vide: process of vacuum sealing food. Often includes cooking of foods in a vacuum sealed bags at low temperatures, either in a water bath, or steamer oven set to a specific temperature. Used to trap juices inside, infuse flavors, and improve consistency of cooking.

(4)Buere Monte: warm emulsified liquid butter: prepared by whisking butter into water or reduction over low heat. Used here to submerge cooked meat during resting, keeping juices inside and giving buttery flavor.