Charming and charmingly enthusiastic about his kitchen craft, Terence Feury, executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown’s Fahrenheit, attributes his interest in and passion for cooking to his parents and to a gift from his sister, a Betty Crocker children’s cookbook. “I always enjoyed that,” he says.
Of course, various other influences hooked him into a cooking career, even his early stint as a dishwasher at an Italian specialty store while he was in high school in New Jersey.
“I was always around a lot of food,” he says, “especially coming from an Irish-American household.” After high school, Feury graduated from the Academy of Culinary Arts in New Jersey and then worked in various New Jersey establishments before making his move to New York city and a job at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s kitchens, where he got his first taste of truly haute cuisine cooking. “That was quite a leap from a strip mall in New Jersey. Plus the kitchen was the size of a city block.”
He departed for other Manhattan kitchens and then a position in the prestigious Le Bernardin. His later move to the Ritz-Carlton’s The Grill in Philadelphia earned him a place on Food and Wine magazine’s top 50 restaurants list.
As Feury’s resume continues to grow, he continues to sharpen and refine his cooking philosophy. To sum it up, Feury says, “I think I am drawn to seafood and within that framework, I work for simple, straightforward and recognizable flavors. Like working with black sea bass; its flavor is very subtle, and you need to work very carefully to complement it.”
Glancing around the elegant setting of his restaurant, it’s easy to agree that Feury has come a long way from strip malls and a Betty Crocker cookbook.
Fahrenheit
» Venue: Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, 3100 South St. NW
» Info: 202-912-4110; www.ritzcarlton.com
In Feury’s own words
What is your favorite dish? Probably stuffed pigs’ trotters at La Tante Claire restaurant in London. He boned out the front trotter and stuffed it with sweetbreads and morels. Then mashed potatoes for everyday eating. And black sea bass because it is such a tender, delicate and succulent fish.
Who cooks at home? When I’m home, I cook. I love making pizza with my son. He’s a little too young to cut with a knife. I grill and smoke on a plain Weber grill.
Which influences helped shape your skills? I think working at Le Bernardin with Eric Ripert. He has very high standards, and keeps his food very simple, never trendy. But his food is always evolving.
Which ingredients are essential for your cooking? Salt, pepper, a variety of olive oils because of the different flavor profiles, butter and herbs. The more you use, the better. I love chervil, chives, tarragon and thyme.
What’s in your fridge right now? Half an uncooked pizza with sauce and cheese on it. Cold cuts, lots of yogurt, greens such as kale and broccoli. Three dozen eggs. Milk, half-and-half and cheese.
How do you characterize your cooking? My dishes [at the restaurant] are very straightforward. I keep to three or four items on a plate with no extraneous garnishes on the plate. The menu is seasonal, and I change it regularly. I do whatever I feel is appropriate. I like being spontaneous and not tied to any particular thing.
Garganelli Pasta With Roasted Plum Tomatoes
18 fresh plum tomatoes
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
4 fillets anchovies
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. each fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley
1 cup dry white wine
1 to 2 lbs. dry garganelli pasta
Shaved parmesan or locatelli cheese
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Core and halve tomatoes. Toss them in bowl with enough olive oil to coat, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes cut-side down on a rack fitted on a tray. Place them in 275–degree oven and cook until skins start to blister. Remove and discard skins and return tomatoes to oven, cooking until they are firm but not browned, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, heat the 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté onion. When softened, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the anchovies and red pepper flakes, cook for 1 minute, and stir in the tomato paste. Cook out for several minutes, and add wine. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add roasted tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes.
Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, and toss with sauce and cheese.
