Bill Telepan - chef's recipes

Art Culinaire, Summer, 2002

Bill Telepan, Judson Grill, New York, NY.

bill Telepan is a chef who had no "back door" connection upon entering the business of cooking. Still, with lots of hard work and initiative, he trained with the best in the world. He was the last American to work in the legendary kitchen of the late Alain Chapel who, along with other mentors, taught him to appreciate and use seasonal produce in his creations, an idea that was rare ten years ago.

Having worked with chefs like Alfred Portale of the Gotham Bar and Grill and the late Gilbert Le Coze of Le Bernardin, Bill Telepan has been around the block and again. With an impressive background in the kitchen, Telepan has been "doin' good" in one of New York's toughest restaurant areas of West 52nd Street for the last four years.

This predominantly corporate area of Manhattan has some fierce restaurant competition: Le Bernardin, Palio, and great steak houses galore sit side by side. With a majority of clients on extravagant expense accounts, there are very high expectations to meet. While attracting and keeping business is now tougher than before, JUdson Grill is still busy. Bill Telepan is doing something right to keep the diners coming back for more.

Strangely enough, Telepan is a simple, honest cook at heart. He translates these qualities into his food through his use of fresh and seasonal products, which he incorporates into his dishes only when nature decides it is time. Not particularly keen on Asian vegetables, Telepan focuses more on local farm-grown products. He even searches for rare seeds, passing them on to local farmers he works with so they can grow unique produce for use in his kitchen. Telepan finds joy in each season's harvest and implements fresh ingredients into the menu accordingly.

Bill Telepan is one of those respected chefs that has been a constant presence in the business. By balancing his kitchen, Telepan manages to keep a loyal and dedicated staff. "Managing [a kitchen] in general is really hard; we're not really taught that as chefs," he explains. To achieve this balance, he strives to assess and focus on each individual's strengths. He works hard to teach and train his proteges according to the same philosophies he acquired from his mentors in order to pass down his legacy to a new generation of cooks.

Sardines with Chorizo and Cayenne Oil (Serves 4)

directions

To prepare the sardines: Place 1/4 cup of kosher salt on a plastic wrap lined sheet pan. Lay the sardines on top and cover with the remaining salt. Allow this mixture to cure for three hours. Remove the sardines from the salt, lightly rinse with water, and pat dry. combine the remaining ingredients, and pour over the sardines to marinade. Refrigerate for four hours.

For the chorizo: In a saute pan, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil. Render the chorizo until it becomes golden brown.

Add the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and saute until translucent. Add the red pepper and saute until tender. Add the cayenne pepper and the remaining oil. Warm the oil and remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Strain the oil and add chopped parsley and cilantro before serving.

Domaine de Triennes Rose

Provence, France 2000

To serve: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the sardines from the marinade. Place them on a sheet pan and bake for about 7-10 minutes. Place two fillets on each plate. Spoon some chorizo oil over the sardines. Garnish with parsley sprigs and cayenne peppers.

Vin Gris

ingredients


For the sardines:
10 sardines, filleted and cleaned
3/4 cup kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorn
4 sprigs of chopped parsley
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

For the chorizo:
2 chorizo sausages, peeled and cut into a medium dice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cleaned, and cut
into strips
1 cayenne pepper, sliced thick
3 sprigs parsley, minced
3 sprigs cilantro, minced

For the garnish:
Cayenne pepper

Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Oil (Serves 4)

directions

For the short ribs: Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to accommodate the ribs. Season and brown the ribs on all sides. Remove the ribs and acid the vegetables to the pan. Saute the vegetables until well caramelized. Add two cups of stock and bring to a boil. Add the ribs and simmer, adding more stock if necessary to cover the ribs. Cover the ribs with a circle of parchment paper and braise in the oven. After one hour, turn the ribs over and continue to cook until tender for 1 1/2 hours more.

Remove the ribs from the stock. Strain the stock and simmer. Skim the fat to yield 2 cups of liquid, adding more stock if necessary. Add the pickle juices to the liquid. Season and pour over the ribs, keeping warm.

For the beets: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place each variety of beets in separate roasting pans with one tablespoon of' oil, two tablespoons of water, salt and pepper. Cover the beets with aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the beets from the oven and cool. Peel the beets. Slice the Chioggia beets very thinly. Dice the red beets and puree until smooth, adding beef stock minimally as necessary. Set aside, keeping warm.