Guest Chef Demonstration with Matthew Zubrod
The Little Nell's Executive Chef Matthew Zubrod joined Le Cordon Bleu London for a guest chef demonstration which displays what he believes is the future of food: sustainability. As Executive Chef, Matthew’s style of New American Cuisine encompasses a variety of flavours, informed by Alpine and coastal influences from his time working in the Rocky Mountains and by the Pacific Ocean, and he promotes The Little Nell’s farm-to-table cuisine, incorporating regional and seasonal products and a commitment to approachable yet memorable dining experiences.
Matthew and the team at The Little Nell ensure as much as possible is locally and sustainably sourced, which is why little fish appears on the menu as only trout can be found in the region. Norwegian cod is one of the few ingredients shipped in fresh to meet the need of the needs of the exclusive resort’s clientele. Chef Matthew is responsible for overseeing the team of ten sous-chefs day to day across a bistro and main restaurant that are both within the resort grounds.
Demonstrating this emphasis on sustainability, Matthew prepared a dish of heirloom carrots, a cauliflower steak with braised beef, bone marrow potato puree and sprouted barley. Adding depth of both texture and flavour, he prepared some of the ingredients in several ways. For example the carrot is plated both raw, sous-vide and grilled, with the stalks used for garnish, utilising the often discarded elements.
For the cauliflower steak, Chef Matthew simply grills and allows the flavour of the different natural ingredients to speak for themselves, using various vegetables prepared in different ways, utilising the whole vegetable wherever possible, such as stalks of the carrot. He uses the cauliflower as a steak on the menu at The Little Nell to offer a vegetarian option, which is becoming ever-more popular in the United States and beyond.
Answering a variety of different questions from the engaged attendees throughout the demonstration, Matthew also prepared tasters for all to try. When asked on his take on the future of food and what he is working towards, he expanded on his belief that sustainability is the most important aspect. He describes how around the world, he is seeing more and more dishes appearing on menus which utilise often discarded ingredients, such as the cartilage of the fish, or the stems of vegetables.
By reducing waste and maximising the ingredients, sustainability is also increased. By controlling portions and ensuring consistency in the quality of the dishes, Matthew expects every plate to come back empty and ultimately the quality of the food is the most important part in achieving that. Utilising cooking techniques such as cooking sous-vide is great to ensure consistency, as meat and vegetables alike can always be cooked to the correct level.
To see more upcoming events like this please visit our culinary conferences and demonstrations page.
Inspired by Chef Matthew Zubrod? Why not learn techniques and recipes like his in one of our programmes? Visit our programmes and courses page.
