Seafood
Appetizers,
a Great Start to a Classic Meal
By Shari
Darling
|
Chef
James Ormsby
Plump Jake Café, San Francisco, CA |
"Our
menu is set up in a classically French style," says Ormsby.
We serve white wines with a few seafood andfish appetizers,
followed by red wines with heavier entre'es.
In essence, the customer is able to go from light to heavy
with regards to their food and wine matches."
—
Chef James Ormsby
Plump Jack
Cafe on Fillmore street in San Francisco is renowned
for their reasonably priced, quality wines that are married to
a variety of mainly meat entrees. But what most people don't know
is that Plump Jack Cafe's chef, the calm but intensely focused
Chef James Ormsby, is an enthusiastic fish and
seafood lover who highlights a few of these wonderful recipes
on his appetizer menu. Take a moment to contemplate the beautiful
pictures of Ahi Tartar cones with fresh horseradish. Iime,capers
and Tobiko Caviar. Read on, there's more.
Ormsby
loves seafood so much in fact that he often goes to the coast
and dives for Sea Urchin. He was silent about his secret diving
spot, but Ormsby is sharing these great recipes for seafood
appetizers ac the Plump Jack Cafe with us,
all of which can be married to a variety of well priced, white
wines on the Plump Jack Wine list.
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Click
on Images for Captions |
"Our
menu is set up in a classically French style" says Ormsby.
We serve white wines with a few seafood and fish appetizers,
followed by red wines with heavier entrees. In essence, the
customer is able to go from light to heavy with regards to their
food and wine matches."
Born
in Oakland, California, Ormsby spent his childhood climbing
apple and pear trees in Pleasant Hill. And, as he says, never
getting enough fruit to eat to satisfy his appetite for food!
At age 14, he entered the culinary industry, beginning as a
dish washer at a local coffee shop. For the next 15 years he
mastered his style and technique by working in a variety of
restaurants, such as Acqua, Red Herring,
and The Flying Saucer and by traveling to study
the food world in London, Hong Kong and Seoul. In 1996 Michael
Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle named Ormsby,
“Rising Star Chef", and in 1999,
the San Francisco Weekly named him “Best
Chef in San Francisco". Ormsby joined the Plump
Jack team in 2000.
When
it comes to creating appetizers and entrees using fish, Ormsby
says there's a few things cooks should keep in mind.
"First
of all," he says, "you should try to buy local fish
in season Secondly, many people have misconceptions about certain
fish like Sardines and Mackerel. Their only experience of these
fish is from out of a can. They don't know how wonderful these
fish can be when fresh. If people could just get over their
bad experiences and mental hurdles, they could really be adventurous
and enjoy these types of fish. These fish are not only good
for us, but they are also inexpensive."
James Offers
Tips on How to Best use Saffron:
“You just need a nice, little lump of fresh saffron threads.
I use just a couple of tablespoons worth. Chop them, put them
in a jar, put water over it, and store it in your refrigerator
(up to a week). Use a tablespoon or two at a time in your recipe
that calls for saffron. Too much makes it bitter."
Tips
on using Citrus:
"Citrus gives you flavor and fragrance, great to build
layers of flavor with. It has acidity and sugar, and health
value, too - especially during the winter time. I love the layers
of flavors you build with citrus as an ingredient."
