Raised in a small fishing town outside of Boston, Urbana’s new executive chef John Critchley has developed a passion for the ocean and its wealth of food. Though he may excel in catching and cooking seafood, his real and enduring love extends to every facet of the culinary world. “I started in the kitchen when I was 14,” he said. “I worked as a dishwasher in a family friend’s restaurant, and it was very appealing. There was a real sense of family.” By the time he graduated from high school, he had advanced to the restaurant’s line cook.
With such an early introduction to the field it is no surprise that Critchley attended the Culinary Institute of America. Critchley admits that, at first, his family was dubious about his career choice. “But once they saw the campuses of the Culinary Institute and the New England Culinary Institute, they had a better outlook on the career,” he explained.
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| Urbana |
| » Where: 2121 P St. NW |
| » Info: 202-956-6650 |
| » Hours: Breakfast, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday to Friday; lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday; dinner, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; brunch, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday |
After graduation, Critchley headed to Williamsburg, where he worked as a line cook for Ford’s Colony Dining Room. But his next move to the nearby Marcel Desaulniers’ Trellis Restaurant helped him hone his skills. There he executed bread and pastry production: “My goal was to be well rounded,” he said.
“Understanding pastry making gives skills for savory cooking. You learn to pay attention to the details and to be more exact in the methods of preparation in terms of steps and execution.” He added that several of his chef friends who never worked in the pastry field now wish that they had done a little pastry work throughout their career; pastry training is not something savory chefs focus on generally.
When Critchley returned to the Boston area to work with chef Ken Oringer, he once again found his niche with seafood preparation: he was sous chef at the Uni Sashimi Bar. “That was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was something new and unique, to be able to showcase fish at its best. I think they are much more appealing than land animals and poultry.”
As he explains it, preparing seafood requires using it at its freshest and paying close attention to cooking it. “Meats can develop flavors on their own,” he said. “But cooking seafood showcases the flavor that’s already there.”
Does that mean that Critchley ignores the full range of ingredients at hand? By no means. Though he possesses a talent for seafood, his other signature dishes include such temptations as a saddle of lamb rubbed with dried herbs, lavender and cinnamon for a very floral Moroccan flavor.
What is your comfort food?
Pizzas, Japanese food such as sushi and sashimi, and grilled vegetables. And slow-cooked pork shank.
What has been the greatest influence on your cooking?
Ken Oringer. I worked with him for five years opening restaurants and traveling around the world two times. I also read lots of book like Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking,” which I have read five times. I love reading the philosophy of how and why food gets [cooked].
What’s in your fridge?
Baby food and milk. Lots of vegetables, but not many meats except for ground meat for chili. It’s pretty basic.
What is your favorite ingredient?
A lot of spices and varieties of dried seeds and fresh herbs.
Which is your favorite cuisine?
Whatever is local, and that depends on where you are. I still am very fond of raw fish.
Recipe
Shellfish Stew with Coconut and Lime
Serves 4
For the sauce:
1 cup dry white wine
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp kosher salt
4 limes, juiced
1 (13 1/2-ounce) coconut milk
? cup heavy cream
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add white wine, shallots, garlic, and salt and cook until reduced. When almost dry, add the lime juice and reduce by half. Add the coconut milk and heavy cream, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until reduced by half. Adjust seasonings with salt and reserve for the shellfish.
For the stew:
8 littleneck clams, scrubbed and free of sand
Water as needed
2 Tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature
16 mussels, cleaned
? pound calamari tubes and tentacles (cut tubes in ?-inch rings)
8 jumbo fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off if you prefer
? cup sliced scallions, sliced (or spring onion, garlic, ramps, etc.)
Pinch chili threads (found in most Asian markets)
In a clean saucepan, place the clams with 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon butter, and cook, covered, over medium heat until clams just open, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add mussels and cook another 2 minutes until opened. Remove the shellfish from pan and add the sauce; reduce heat to medium-low. Add calamari and shrimp and cook for 4 minutes (cooking the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side). Add the shellfish back to the pan and the last tablespoon of butter. Warm thoroughly without boiling (boiling will make your calamari as tender as a rubber band). Arrange in a large bowl and garnish with the scallions and chili threads.
