Kim Lambrechts was born in Korea and raised in Belgium by a French-speaking family. His culinary career spans continents and acclaimed kitchens, reflecting a lifetime of travel, refinement and awards.
Currently the executive chef and director of food and beverage at Forty 1° North in Newport, R.I., Lambrechts began his professional journey in Belgium with positions at Manoir de St. Aubert in Mont St. Aubert and the Michelin-starred Les Quatre Saisons in Brussels. He later moved to the United States, working at the Washington Vista Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In Abu Dhabi, as executive sous chef at the five-star Hilton Abu Dhabi, he earned a gold medal and three silver medals at the Salon Culinaire in Dubai. That same year he received an award of excellence from Master Chef of Belgium Pierre Fonteyne.
After returning to the United States, Lambrechts held roles at the Boston Harbor Hotel and Boston’s Bay Tower Room, then joined the opening team of the five-star Hilton Mauritius Resort. Back in Massachusetts, he served as executive chef at Sidney’s Grille in the Hotel @ MIT, and later joined Destination Hotels & Resorts as director of food and beverage at Nine Zero in Boston and at the Garden of the Gods Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He spent a year in the Maldives as director of food and beverage at the five-star Four Seasons Resort Maldives, then returned to the U.S. to help open Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont, where he contributed to establishing the lodge’s farm-to-table dining program. Earlier this year he joined Forty 1° North in Newport, where he continues to bring international flavors and culinary technique to diners and hotel guests.
Atlantic salmon with corn and mushroom ragout Serves 4
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 ear corn on the cob
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
¼ cup diced leek
¼ cup diced celery
1 bunch basil, leaves only
½ cup plus 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups spinach, washed and stems removed
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roast the corn for 10 minutes, then cut the kernels from the cob.
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add celery, shallot and leek with salt and pepper and cook about 4 minutes until softened.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread mushroom caps on a sheet pan and roast about 5 minutes, stirring once. Remove and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
Combine the roasted corn, sautéed vegetables and mushroom caps to form the ragout. Keep warm.
Blanch basil leaves in boiling water for 15 seconds, then shock in ice water. Drain and blend the basil with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, then strain through a fine filter and set aside.
In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes per side until just done.
In a skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and briefly cook garlic. Add spinach and toss until it just begins to wilt.
Presentation: Spoon the ragout onto each of four plates. Place a salmon fillet atop the ragout, add a portion of the sautéed garlic spinach, and finish with a drizzle or small dollops of basil oil.
Maine Jonah crab cake with fennel salad and citrus vinaigrette Serves 1
For the crab cake:
3 ounces crabmeat, drained
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon red pepper, very finely diced
1 teaspoon celery, very finely diced
1 teaspoon red onion, very finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh breadcrumbs, for coating
Combine crabmeat, chives, red pepper, celery, red onion, lemon juice, Dijon and seasoning. Mix gently, press into a 2½-ounce mold, and coat lightly with fresh breadcrumbs. Heat a small amount of oil in a sauté pan and sear the crab cake until golden on both sides.
For the fennel salad with citrus vinaigrette:
Equal parts orange, grapefruit and lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
½ fennel bulb, sliced very thin
½ cup baby arugula
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 orange segments
Combine equal parts orange, grapefruit and lemon juice in a small saucepan and reduce by half over medium heat. Let the reduction cool, then whisk in extra virgin olive oil to form a vinaigrette. Season to taste.
Toss the thinly sliced fennel and arugula with the citrus vinaigrette and adjust seasoning.
Presentation: Arrange orange segments in a spiral on the plate, place the fennel salad in the center and top with the warm crab cake.
Lavender crème brûlée with citrus salad Serves 5
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
4 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
Combine cream and dried lavender in a saucepan and simmer gently over low heat for about 12 minutes to infuse. Whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale, then slowly combine with the warm cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve to remove lavender pieces.
Pour the custard into ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and add hot water to create a bain-marie. Bake in an oven preheated to 275°F for about 40 minutes, until just set. Cool, then chill thoroughly. Before serving, sprinkle each custard with brown sugar and caramelize the tops with a torch until crisp.
Presentation: Place each ramekin on a plate and garnish with orange and grapefruit segments.
Forty 1° North
351 Thames St.
Newport, RI 02840
tel 401 846 8018