A native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and a nature-lover by heart, Jonathan Seningen, executive chef of SAX Restaurant, knows a thing or two about fishing. He grew up catching and grilling perch, he says. But more importantly, he knows volumes about tackling seasonal cooking and extracting the finest flavors from the freshest produce. For much of his culinary career, Seningen, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, mainly has been identified with preparing seafood at its best. But don’t let that image fool you into thinking that this young chef can’t compete in classic cuisine.
After gaining his degree, Seningen worked at Atlas for Paul Liebrandt, He then moved on to Terrence Brennan’s Artisinal restaurant, also in New York. “I was there [in New York] for four years,” he said, “and New York was my playground. I could do what I wanted and got to see what was going on in the cooking world there.”
| IF YOU GO |
| SAX Restaurant and Lounge |
| » Where: 734 11th St. NW |
| » Info: 202-737-0101 |
| » Hours: Dinner, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday to Thursday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday |
After a brief stint as a private chef, Seningen spent time in Spain and France to hone his skills; he then returned to the U.S. and to D.C. to work for chef Yannick Cam at his now-closed Le Paradou in Penn Quarter. That job, says Seningen, was a turning point in his career, for he credits Cam with helping to shape his own inner chef. “I stopped trying to recreate from memory,” he said. “I really started to develop the cuisine in me….That was the best training experience I could have had.”
Explaining what his cuisine is, Seningen says, “That is what I’ve started to find, what is unique to me from what I’ve learned. For example, it’s beautiful, the sungold tomatoes that I picked this morning. Simple, beautiful.” Perhaps, then, his source of inspiration comes not only from seasonal goods, but also from what he sees as beautiful, both visually and gastronomically.
For example, he tells about a scallop dish, for which he paired seafood and fruit in what he describes as a singular but delicious flavor combination. Or the tuna dish consisting of grilled tuna, fava beans, oranges, radishes, and peaches topped with a cilantro-saffron sauce. “The color and flavor were there,” he explained. “I started with fresh peaches, and the beautiful red of the tuna, then the greens and radishes.”
In the end, it seems that Seningen sees his particular culinary presentations akin to artwork, creating a food m?lange that appeals to the senses. “When I see a dish,” he said, “it’s what is in season, but also it would work on canvas with colors, flavors. I am painting a beautiful dish…what are the most beautiful things you have seen recently and put them on a dish.”
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
Jack Daniels, Jack Daniels, and bacon.
What has been the greatest influence on your cooking?
The greatest influence on my cooking in general is just that when I first started cooking, it was very different then than now. Now, I am finding a balance in life in general instead of trying to create the new next thing. I am balancing dishes, food, life, and philosophy. I am trying to find happiness in that balance.
Which is your favorite ingredient?
What I have to have… all that changes. There are so many beautiful things — vanilla, vanilla beans, beautiful olive oils, green almonds in season, black cardamom, foie gras, razor clams, live scallops, king crab in season. Really anything as fresh as it can possibly be. I could go to California and try a tomato in season, but that would never be as good as a tomato [just picked] from my garden, or from my grandfather’s garden.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
There are so many in D.C. that I haven’t had a chance to try…. [but now] Bibiana and Palena.
Which chef do you admire most in the world?
Yannick Cam. There are a lot of other chefs out there, but his background and training were with some of the best chefs that ever lived. He had so much food/wine knowledge that I could work all my life but I ‘d never get there. And Michel Richard, I admire him as a person. He extended me time and courtesy.
Recipe
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Serves 4
3 heirloom tomatoes or local farm-fresh tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon walnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of ? lemon
2 bulbs fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, roasted
1 red pepper, roasted
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram leaves
Toss the tomatoes with the walnut oil, salt and pepper; add half the lemon juice, and season again, if necessary.
In a separate bowl, place the fennel and roasted peppers, season with the remaining lemon juice, and season with more salt and pepper. Tear by hand the marjoram leaves and toss together with the other ingredients. Add more seasoning, if necessary. To plate, arrange the tomatoes in small groups or in a bowl and top with the fennel mixture.
Roasted Peppers
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut peppers in half lengthwise, season with salt, and toss with oil. Place them on a baking sheet, and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove peppers, let them cool for a few minutes, and peel away the skin and remove any seeds; dice the peppers.
