Live Cooking Demo | Georg Paulussen | Talks at Google | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Chef Georg showcases fresh and flavorful dishes, including an heirloom tomato salad and gravlax, in a cooking demonstration at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.

Key Insights

• ℹ️ The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa emphasizes using fresh and locally sourced ingredients in their cuisine.
• 🧫 Heirloom tomatoes offer unique flavors and are a great addition to dishes.
• 🧑‍🍳 Gravlax is a Scandinavian pickled salmon dish that produces a cooked-like texture and a delightful flavor.
• 🐢 The Hollandaise sauce can be made with various flavors, and its preparation requires slow addition of butter to avoid breaking.
• 🐟 Proper cooking techniques for fish and meat can help achieve the desired level of doneness.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What is special about the heirloom tomatoes used in the salad?

The heirloom tomatoes have a 5,000-year seed history and offer a unique and flavorful taste. Despite their less appealing appearance in comparison to supermarket tomatoes, they are actually very tasty.

Q: What is the process of making gravlax?

Gravlax is made by marinating salmon in a mixture of salt, sugar, juniper berries, dill, black pepper, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce for 24 hours. The marinade removes the natural juices from the salmon, giving it a cooked-like texture and a flavor profile similar to ceviche.

Q: How is the Hollandaise sauce made?

The Hollandaise sauce is made by whipping egg yolk with white wine, lemon juice, thyme, oregano, mustard, and clarified butter. It is important to slowly add the butter to prevent the sauce from breaking.

Q: What is the technique for determining the doneness of fish and meat?

For fish, you can touch it from the side and if the flakes start to separate, it is cooked. For meat, you can use the hand test, where a relaxed hand indicates rare and a clenched fist indicates well-done.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Chef Georg prepares an heirloom tomato salad using tomatoes grown in the Inn's own herb garden, highlighting their unique flavors.

• He explains the process of making gravlax, a pickled salmon dish that transforms the fish into a delicious and visually appealing appetizer.

• The chef demonstrates how to make a Hollandaise sauce and sear halibut, which he pairs with roasted potatoes and beets for a flavorful and healthy main course.