Don’t know Jason Brumm, the executive chef of the recently opened Manhattan transplant, P.J. Clarke’s? If you still have not dined there, you can get a glimpse of this young chef by Googling him. As always, YouTube captures many images, including Brumm shown cooking at his former Nashville restaurant, Radius10. He prepares an elaborate entree of pan-seared halibut with pesto gnocchi and an olive oil vinaigrette, radiating confidence in his every movement as he cooks, talks and garnishes at the same time. Now wrestling with D.C.’s hungry crowds, Brumm tells of his past. He grew up in Colorado and faced some difficult career choices after high school: Enter a vocational program, enlist in the Navy, or go to culinary school. He got the necessary culinary cred by working in a kitchen at a Marriott hotel, where the chef wanted to train him as a breakfast cook. After that, he decided to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America.
Brumm had a unique passage into the food world through travel. “I was fortunate,” he says, explaining that as a youngster he traveled all over Europe with his family during the late ’80s and early ’90s. “I always had a good palate,” he says. “The first lobster I ate was when I was only 5 years old.” Extensive travel did shape Brumm, for to this day he will eat any style or type of cooking. “I am very curious about food,” he says. “All cuisines appeal to me.”
Yet, Brumm says, Western Europe has formed his classical approach to cooking, especially working in the kitchens of France and Italy. “I lived in France and in Italy for one year,” he says. “I worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants,” unlike many of his young contemporaries who in the early ’90s stopped making the pilgrimage to Europe to undergo rigorous kitchen training in the States.
| IF YOU GO |
| P.J. Clarke’s |
| » Where: 1600 K St. NW |
| » Info: 202-463-6610 |
| » Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
Back in the U.S., Brumm traveled and cooked everywhere from New York to Florida to Tennessee. Now that he has relocated to the nation’s capital, he is finding many challenges and rewards. Among these would be indulging patrons with his signature Low Country cooking. “My specialty,” he says, “is Southern coastal cuisine. People there just like to eat. They like good food. All they want is a great lunch. I would travel all around [eating], and that was my culinary experience.”
Without overcomplicating his cooking, Brumm turns out such big hits as his Low Country shrimp and grits. “That’s my signature dish,” he says, adding that people travel far to sample it. Fortunately for locals, he offers a version on the restaurant’s menu. That means good food for a great lunch … or dinner.
Q&A
What’s your comfort food?
Grits and sweet potatoes, but at home I don’t do much cooking.
Which chef do you admire most in the world?
As far as influence, it would have to be Charlie Palmer. Now I like any chef who is not turning duck into caviar. I like chefs being able to do farm-to-table cooking.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
I like Chinatown Express in Chinatown. Then Blue Duck Tavern for its high-end cooking: It’s very rich and so perfectly prepared. An amazing experience.
What’s in your fridge?
Leftover rotisserie chicken that will be turned into soup. Flank steak, root vegetables, sugar-free Jello pudding. Some wings, and then whatever my son likes.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
From a culinary standpoint, St. Lucia and Sardinia; I lived there for one month — an amazing experience.
Recipe
Jason Brumm’s Low Country Shrimp and Scallops, Creamy Grits with Chanterelle and Roasted Corn Ragout and Asparagus
Jason Brumm notes that the glace de poulet is available at gourmet markets and amazon.com.
Serves 6
Creamy Grits
1 quart cream
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 scant cup quick-cooking grits
1 cube chicken bouillon or 1 tablespoon non-MSG chicken base
Melt the cream and butter together in a saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the grits into the boiling mixture while stirring with a whisk. Continue to stir for 1 minute until thick, Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring regularly. When the grits are tender, add the chicken bouillon cube, stir until it is fully incorporated, and remove from heat. Let the grits cool down for 20 minutes so they are firmer before serving.
Meanwhile, make the sauce while the grits cook; see recipe below.
Asparagus and Chanterelle-Corn Ragout
5 Tbsps butter
2 cups wild mushrooms, preferably chanterelles
1 cup cooked fresh corn, removed from the cob
2 Tbsps minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic, minced
? cup white wine
? cup glace de poulet or chicken stock
2 lemons, juiced
? pint cherry tomatoes, halved
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Place 4 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add the corn and mushrooms, and saute for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add the shallots and garlic, and saute for 30 seconds; add the white wine. Continue cooking, and reduce by half, about 2 or 3 minutes.
Add the glace de poulet, and stir for 1 minute, or until it is melted. Let the mixture cook about 2 minutes, remove from the heat, and add the lemon juice, halved tomatoes, basil, thyme, remaining tablespoon butter, scallions and asparagus, allowing the heat of the sauce to cook the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Shrimp and Scallops:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
18 shrimp (size 16 – 20, or 16 to 20 shrimp per pound)
18 scallops (size 10 – 20, or 10 to 20 scallops per pound), preferably Maine divers scallops or bay scallops
Salt and pepper to taste
Divide the vegetable oil between 2 saute pans that have been heated over high heat for 1 minute. Season the shrimp and scallops with salt and pepper, and add to the pans when the oil starts to smoke. Saute the scallops for 3 minutes, around 1 minute and a half on each side. When the flesh is opaque, remove from the pan; if you prefer, remove from heat when the flesh is slightly translucent. Saute the shrimp for 1 minute on each side, or until pink and firm.
To serve, place a scoop of grits on the center of each plate, and arrange 3 scallops in a triangle around the grits, with 3 shrimp on top. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce over the grits and serve.
