Several months ago, Park Hyatt’s upscale Blue Duck Tavern restaurant welcomed a new executive chef to fill the very big space vacated by its long-time head honcho, Brian McBride. The new main man behind the stove is the young, talented Frenchman, Sebastien Archambault.
A native Texan, Archambault, spent a good part of his life in Le Bugue, France, where his restaurant-owning parents returned to from their stay in the United States. Back in their native country, his parents opened several other restaurants — Les Trois Fontainers, La Gannerie, and L’Ov?e du Ciel — which proved to be the training ground for their young son.
“I grew up in a restaurant environment, and me in the kitchen, I had a little corner. I was starting at seven to cut potatoes. By the age of 10 to 12, I was working with my dad doing banquets,” he said.
| If you go |
| Blue Duck Tavern |
| » Where: Park Hyatt Hotel, 1201 24th St. (24th and M streets), Washington, D.C. |
| » Info: 202-419-6755 |
| » Hours: Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. |
Coming from such a food-centric family, it’s no wonder that he attended culinary school in Paris, working for two years under such star-studded chefs as Guy Savoy and Alain Ducasse. After graduation, Archambault worked in Paris for chef Jean-Francois Rouquette — who became one of the young man’s most important mentors — before moving to cook in Mexico, Corsica and Los Angeles.
There, at the suggestion of Rouquette, Archambault landed the executive chef’s job at the RH Restaurant in the Andaz West Hollywood Hotel. While there, the young man met Brian McBride, the then executive chef of Blue Duck Tavern. McBride helped Archambault form the farm-to-table menu at RH, forming a bond between the two — and leading Archambault to become his eventual replacement.
A perfect fit in this new position, Archambault brings with him valuable knowledge about working with seasonal, sustainable ingredients, the mission of the tavern’s kitchen. In his new setting, Archambault is learning what is available locally, and loves the feeling of the Tavern’s kitchen — its ambiance of the wood-burning oven, and the elegant, simple, yet rustic meals, he says. “Here I am discovering so many people are so passionate about food,” he said, “including the farmers with their eggs, goat cheese and vegetables.”
And as he creates his menus, Archambault can draw upon not only local sources but also his childhood memories: his grandmother’s cooking and his dad’s Americanized foods such as fried chicken, homemade barbecue sauce, and pancakes, plus more traditional French dishes. “The menu will have more simply done vegetable dishes,” he said. “And the specials on the menu will take what the farmer has that day. … I will add more specials for variety’s sake.”
Will that include the pairing of chicken and lobster with spring onions he mused about? Foodies will certainly hope so.
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
Chocolate or cheese. My favorite is a tomato-and-mozzarella caprese salad with good olive oil, fresh basil, sea salt and pepper. And a nice piece of bread. It is very simple and I love it. I could eat it two to three times a day.
Which is your favorite ingredient?
I am very simple. If I want to cook, I need butter; it is so good. When you want to add taste, texture, add butter. Duck fat, too, which is more rustic. And a good chicken stock, vegetable and mushrooms. Every dish should have a little story. Put flavor on the plate and reinforce primary flavors.
What’s in your fridge?
Butter, of course, and cheese. Vegetables; I am a vegetable lover. More wine than beer. Nuts such as walnuts and almonds. Cajun spices.
What is your signature dish?
Baked eggs and mushroom with a little piece of foie gras. It was a great success in Los Angeles.
What has been the greatest influence on your cooking life?
My dad and Jean-Francois Rouquette, who was my mentor. Also you meet people and different teams, and they are an influence too.
Recipe
Where Sebastien Archambault grew up in southwestern France, his parents owned a restaurant and his dad used to always cook egg “cocotte,” using a little bit of cream and different ingredients. Archambault used to help out in the kitchen and make poached eggs when he was only 10 years old, explaining why he now loves to make poached eggs!
Poached Egg with Field Mushroom Ragout and Foie Gras
Serves 1
Mushroom ragout:
1 pound shitake mushrooms,
1 pound oyster mushrooms
1 cup olive oil
4 ounces fresh thyme, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup heavy cream
Poached egg
3 ounces mushroom ragout
1 thin slice foie gras terrine
1 fresh egg
1 slice country-top white bread
1 tsp. butter
3 slices shaved black truffle
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the ragout, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dice the mushrooms. Mix the mushrooms with the oil, thyme and garlic, and arrange on a sheet pan. Roast for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool. Chop the mushroom, add the cream, and cook 10 minutes more. Cool, and store in the refrigerator.
To prepare the poached egg, warm the mushroom ragout in a small skillet. Crack the egg on top of the ragout, set into a double boiler, cover and cook until the egg is medium done. Cut the foie gras into a half moon and place next to the egg. Toast the bread, spread it with the butter, and cut the bread into four strips. Take the small skillet out of the double boiler, and plate it. Place the toast next to the skillet, season with the pepper and truffles. Serve.
