Old Town chef: High-energy cooking

With his crinkly dark hair, slender build and cheerful smile, Dennis Marron looks like the prototype of the mischievous Irish prankster. He’s Irish, all right, but Marron is a native New Jerseyan, raised on the Jersey shore. And he’s got plenty to smile about: Marron was recently named to his second chef’s job, making him executive chef of both The Grille at the Morrison House and of Old Town’s Jackson 20 restaurants.

Because the two locations are near each other, it’s easy to imagine Marron running back and forth along King Street, from one kitchen to the other. But this high-energy guy, who competed in last fall’s Marine Corps Marathon, takes this double duty in stride. Indeed, he gets to play around with several culinary passions: classic cooking with an unexpected twist — think Caesar salad with grilled romaine lettuce and large brioche cubes infused with garlicky dressing at The Grille — and, at Jackson 20, comfort food with chophouse and Southern influences. That would be fried chicken, ribs and shrimp fritters at their crunchiest.

“I have food dreams,” he says, “and I wake up at 6 a.m. with ideas,” which must account for such devices as brioche croutons.

What has it taken for Marron to get to this hectic point? For one, obviously many hours in the kitchen. “I hated school,” he said, “so I was mostly in and out of kitchens because I needed money for a new surfboard.” Employed as a dishwasher then, Marron vowed he would never work in a kitchen again.

But Marron had started cooking by the time he was 6 years old, and hung out in the kitchen at home.

“I liked to cook things,” he says, “but none of it was edible. My mother cooked old-world dishes like beef tongue and liver, and she always went to farmers’ markets in the summer. We had farms and orchards nearby, and I loved the aroma of warmed fruits there.”

The lure of the cookpot overcame his dislike of dishwashing, and Marron moved on as fry cook at a local fish-fry house. While in college, he worked with several chefs who had graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and the young Marron made his career choice by enrolling in the CIA.

“I loved it,” he says. “I did an externship in Hawaii for 6 months, and that kicked me towards working with fusion cooking.”

Upon his return to the mainland, Marron skipped around from state to state and kitchen to kitchen, working as chef, bartender and even front-of-the-house manager. In the course of his culinary wanderings, he picked up knowledge about New Orleans, Southwestern, and Asian foods, and even polished his sushi making skills. When he eventually made his way to D.C. four years ago, Marron worked first with Jeffrey Buben at Bistro Bis before heading across the river to Alexandria.

Now as he looks back throughout the course of his career, Marron credits his mother and his family for his enduring passion for cooking.

“She let me touch, taste, and smell,” he says. As for the finishing gloss, that goes to all the chefs with whom he has worked and whom he has met. And to Jeffrey Buben, a hat tip for teaching him how to manage a kitchen.

Q&A with Chef Dennis Marron

Do you cook at home?

I do, and it’s very simple and usually on the grill. É I have a fire pit and a wood-burning grill for steak, chicken, mussels, all over hickory wood. My goal is to do all on the grill. I don’t like to be inside.

What is your comfort food?

Chocolate. It’s ingrained in my head. I love expensive chocolate, but I could eat a whole bag of peanut M&Ms.

What is your luckiest moment?

Getting the approval from so many chefs. So many people have taken chances on me. And I’ve had the chance to work with really nice people.

Where’s your favorite restaurant?

Depends on why I’m looking for. Two Amy’s, or a bar with charcuterie, Ben’s Chili Bowl, CityZen, and VOLT.

Which is your favorite cuisine?

I think that is so hard to answer. Everything depends on the mood, but good Thai, Mexican, sushi, and Indian. But if Ihad to eat only one thing for the rest of my life, it would be barbecue.

From the Chef’s Kitchen

Banana Puddin’

Serves 6 to 8.

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups low-fat or whole milk

3 large egg yolks

3 Tbsp butter at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

vanilla wafer cookies

3 to 4 bananas, ripe but firm

Sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping

Banana slices for garnish

Mint sprigs, optional

In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt; stir to blend. Slowly stir in the milk until smooth. Pour into the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks; gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the slightly thickened hot milk mixture. Return egg mixture to the double boiler, stir in the vanilla and butter, and continue whisking and cooking until well thickened. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.

In tall dessert glasses or a 2-quart serving dish, make a layer of vanilla wafers then sliced bananas. Spoon some of the pudding over the banana layer then layer more vanilla wafers and banana slices, topping with more pudding. Serve with whipped cream or whipped topping. If using short dessert dishes, use only one layer each of the wafers, banana slices, and pudding, and then top with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish each serving with a few slices of banana and a mint sprig if desired.