Flavors Unknown

Episode 6: Ehren Ryan

“Basically I've taken bits and pieces of kitchens that I've worked for and I've created my own kind of process. I think that's the only way you can do it. Each kitchen is different. You're never going to replicate exactly the same kitchen anywhere. I've hopefully created a kitchen and a restaurant that are both consistent and produce high quality food within an atmosphere that people like to work in.”

What we covered In this episode

Restaurant “Common Lot” in Millburn, NJ and its contemporary global cuisine style.
Chef Ryan's food experience while traveling in Asia, especially Thailand.
What compelled him to become a chef.
His time in Europe building his culinary expertise with chefs like Ashley Palmer-Watts and Pierre Ganière.
Who have been his most influential mentors.
What is his creative process.
The large collection of cookbooks that chef Ryan leverage for inspiration.
Common Lot's tasting menu (“Kitchen Pass Menu”) rotating every six weeks.
A deep dive of the twelve hiour braised lamb shoulder “san choy boy” style.
“Sous-vide” is the one piece of equipment in the kitchen that chef Ryan cannot live without.
The importance of the hiring process in making the team united and communicate properly.
Discover that micro-cilentro is his irreplaceable ingredient.
Finger lime is his unique and unknown ingredient.
Rapid-fire questions

Create a Salmon Tartare with a twist

I always found salmon tartare to be you know if you get a good quality salmon, a simple tartare is stunning. We would dress it with Ponzu sauce, grated ginger over the top, fresh chillies and then serve it with some lettuce leaf you know like a baby lettuce and put it down the middle and eat it like that you know sprinkled with sesame seeds and micro coriander. I just love like that kind of sashimi kind of raw salmon.
For the homemade Ponzu sauce: take any citrus, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar of some description, some Bonito (which is like dried fish) and then you just basically incorporate that with a little bit of water and just make a little dressing with it. You can reduce and make sure the sugar is basically dissolve. It's a very simple dressing.

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Ehren Ryan – We don't tend to limit ourselves to French cuisine or anything in particular, we like to take influences from the entire globe.

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You have to be disciplined to get consistency. You also have to be creative. It's a fine balance between all three. – Ehren Ryan

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Ehren Ryan – I want my team to be involved in the hiring process because we basically spend more time with the people in the restaurant than we do with our families.

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