Perfecting the basics

Wearing a pinstripe suit and carrying a briefcase, Chris Watson might resemble the epitome of a stockbroker. But this earnest man has found success in quite another way, far from the mean streets of finance — on almost every day of the week, chef de cuisine Watson oversees the kitchens of Robert Wiedmaier’s new Alexandria ventures, The Butcher’s Block, a Market by RW; BRABO by Robert Wiedmaier; and BRABO Tasting Room, adjacent businesses in Old Town.

As a native Virginian born in Petersburg and raised in Fredericksburg, Watson has actually rarely lived in the metro area, having instead taken his culinary degree at The College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk, then packing up his knives to work in kitchens in Texas, California, Hawaii, Spain, Italy and Austria, before eventually returning to D.C. a few years ago.

It seems his love affair with the cookpot began at home, as Watson credits his family with sparking his initial passion for food and for cooking. It started with his grandfather, who taught the young boy how to hunt and fly fish; other family members helped too, teaching him how to prepare garden-fresh and foraged vegetables and fruits.

“Actually, cooking is the only thing I’ve ever done for money, and I started early in life,” he says. “When I first took a dishwashing job, I fell in love with the kitchen.”

With that foundation plus his culinary degree, Watson set off on his migrant life, a way of working and learning that might not suit some chefs. But for Watson, exposure to many cooking styles — and many different chefs — has helped shape his own philosophy. Of course, he concedes, you see the good and the bad.

“The bad things you never want to see again” he says. “I have worked for many chefs who throw plates and scream and yell. I know I don’t want to be like that.”

Bouncing around was important, he says, because he believes an accomplished chef must see how other assemble meals, pointing out, for example, that chicken soup is basically just chicken soup, regardless of the country. How to prepare one that is a stand-out comes from learning how to cook it better than any one else can.

As he points out, cooks really can’t reinvent the basics, so the chef’s trick comes from perfecting those basics, then learning how other professionals plate their meals and design their kitchens.

“I felt as a young cook I needed to travel and to spend time elsewhere,” he says. “I spent one to two years in each place. But when I think I have found the right person, then I stay with that one person who is going someplace.”

At home now at BRABO with Wiedmaier as his main inspiration, Watson has settled into running the two kitchens/two eateries operation, collaborating with his boss on the menus, and executing the dishes to specification. As for his own signature fare, Watson says he can now really prepare almost anything, but probably his most favorite recipe is a very simple raw fish dish such as sashimi.

And “simple” really underscores his cooking philosophy. “It’s very easy to make potatoes taste like potatoes if these are served simply,” he says. And as for his childhood training with his grandfather? Watson says he still hunts and fishes in his favorite spots in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Q&A with Chef Chris Watson

Do you cook at home?

No, but maybe making a sandwich. Last Sunday, I made tacos for my daughter out of a box.

What is your comfort food?

Chili dogs. I used to live down the street from Ben’s Chili Bowl É I love pizza and [go to] Sette and 2 Amys.

What’s in your basic pantry?

Olive oil, salt, pepper and butter. That’s all I need. That’s all you need. You can do without anything else. At home I have pasta, olive oil, salt (several kinds) and a peppermill.

Where do you eat out?

I’ve been trying to stay in Old Town, so it’s Restaurant Eve, the Majestic Hard Times CafŽ for chili dogs and Momo on Queen St. for sushi. My daughter loves Vermilion, Eammons and Jackson 20.

What’s in your fridge?

Lots of wine, like four to five bottles of rose, two white Cotes de Rhone, Diet Dr. Pepper and one Lunchable, one head romaine lettuce, mayonnaise and mustard.

From the Chef’s Kitchen

Braised Pork Shank with Baby Bok Choy, Sweet Potatoes and Ginger-Chili Sauce

Serves Two

Pork Shank and Sauce

2 whole (10- to 12-oz.) pork (fore) shanks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 quart beef stock

1 quart chicken stock

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 head garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 Tbsp chili flakes

1 Tbsp toasted fennel seeds

Butter as needed

Vegetables

2 baby sweet potatoes

Olive oil as needed

3 heads baby bok choy, trimmed

Butter as needed

1 Tbsp diced shallots

1/2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

Pinch minced ginger

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Season the pork shanks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and pan-sear the shanks until golden brown; set aside. Pour the beef and chicken stocks into a large pot and add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, fennel seeds and chili flakes. Submerge the shanks into the stock and cook over low heat for four hours.

To make the sauce, strain the stock and reduce it by three-quarters. Add 2 Tbsp butter; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the sweet potatoes in olive oil, and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. To prepare the vegetables, blanch the bok choy in boiling salted water until tender; submerge in cold water, drain and pat dry. Cool the sweet potatoes; peel and cut in half. Cut the bok choy in half.

Heat about 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and sautŽ the bok choy, sweet potatoes, shallots and garlic. To serve, place the bok choy and potatoes in the middle of the plate. Place a pork shank on top, and pour the sauce over top. Season with salt and pepper.