Meet the Chef: Alan Kantor, MacCallum House
MacCallum House Restaurant and Grey Whale Bar in Mendocino Village are popular gathering places for locals and tourists. The beauty of the historic inn and the food are two reasons. We want you to meet the man in the kitchen.
Restaurant: MacCallum House Inn & Restaurant / Grey Whale Bar & Cafe
Executive Chef: Alan Kantor
Background: Executive Chef of the MacCallum House Restaurant, Alan Kantor, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He expresses his culinary talents using the North Coast’s rich palette: the fine wines of Mendocino County, as well as those of Napa and Sonoma; huckleberries; wild chanterelle and porcini mushrooms from the forest; greens from local farms; fresh fish and shellfish from the ocean. Some of the country’s finest meats and grains come from the valley regions, and world-class products from San Francisco arrive in the kitchen daily. Kantor has received numerous awards and accolades as a chef and teacher. He takes pride in sending two of his local students/employees to the CIA to follow in his footsteps. He has been recognized in national culinary and travel publications for his innovative ways of providing guests with an experience that not only pleases their palates but broadens their experiences, as with his flight of extra virgin olive oils, purveyors’ map, and a cutting-edge restaurant website.
A Favorite Recipe:
GRILLED CORN AND ROASTED GREEN CHILE COLD CHOWDER WITH SMOKED SALMON
Serves 10
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons melted butter + 2 tablespoons extra butter for sweating vegetables
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
6 ears of corn
2 green chiles, Anaheim or Pasilla, roasted, peeled, seeded, 1/4” dice
1 large yellow onion, 1/2” dice
1 large leek with a little top green, 1/2” dice
3 stalks of celery, 1/2” dice
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 red bell pepper, 1/2” dice
4 large red potatoes, 1/2” dice
1/2 gallon whole milk
1 pound smoked salmon, 1/4” dice
Method:
Mix the melted butter with basil, brush on corn and grill it, turning until lightly charred, approximately 5 minutes. Cut corn off cob over bowl to reserve ‘milk’ to add to chowder.
Sweat onions, leeks and celery in 2 tablespoons butter with 1 teaspoon salt until crispy tender. Add garlic and continue sweating for one minute. Add red bell pepper, potatoes, corn, green chiles and milk and corn ‘milk.’ Simmer very gently (without bubbling) to avoid curdling of milk, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 10-15 minutes from simmer. Chill in ice bath quickly. Can be stored up to 4 days.
Before serving, remove 2 cups, purée in blender or Cuisinart, and mix back in for thickness. Add salmon and serve chilled or reheat gently and stir in salmon. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Chile Note: Pasillas are hotter than Anaheims. If you want to add a little freshly ground pepper if using the milder chile, do so to your taste.
