While some boys imagine careers as astronauts, firefighters or professional athletes, Josh Thomsen already listed “chef” as his chosen profession in his sixth-grade yearbook. That early certainty may seem remarkable, but Thomsen—who credits his father, Jerry, an accomplished amateur cook, as his inspiration—proved to be right.
StarChefs, a respected industry publication, recently honored Thomsen as a “Rising Star Chef.” As executive chef of The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa in Berkeley, California, he was invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City, where he presented a menu that included a Sonoma goat cheese and potato terrine. Thomsen shares that recipe and several others in this issue of Global Traveler.
Sonoma goat cheese and potato terrine with beet salad and balsamic syrup Serves 4
For the terrine:
22 ounces Laura Chenel goat cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup clarified butter
2 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise to 1/16 inch
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese and chives and set aside. Brush or dip the potato slices in clarified butter and arrange them on a nonstick silpat or on parchment-lined baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper, then cover with another silpat or sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, just until the slices are cooked through but still pliable. Allow the potatoes to cool.
Line a terrine mold with plastic wrap. Arrange overlapping potato slices along the mold so they hang over the edges. Spoon in about one cup of the goat cheese mixture as the first layer, then add a layer of cooked potato, followed by more goat cheese. Alternate layers until all the cheese is used. Fold the overhanging potato slices over the top to seal the terrine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours to set.
For the beet salad:
4 baby beets (a mix of purple, golden and striped, if available)
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Micro arugula, for plating
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the beets with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, then wrap each beet in foil to form a small pouch. Roast for about 25 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven, peel, and quarter the beets. Dress them with olive oil, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper and hold until plating.
For the balsamic syrup:
2 cups balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme
In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and thyme. Simmer gently until reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
To plate, unmold the terrine and slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Heat a nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Season the terrine slices with freshly ground black pepper and sear quickly—about 10–15 seconds per side—until golden. Arrange slices on room-temperature plates, place a portion of beet salad beside each slice, and top with micro arugula. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a ribbon of the balsamic syrup.
Roasted Sonoma duck with toasted farro, baby escarole, caramelized red onion and apricot purée Serves 4
For the duck breasts:
2 8-ounce duck breasts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the thyme. When the oil begins to shimmer, reduce the heat, place the breasts skin-side down and cook slowly for about 7 minutes to render fat, pouring off excess as needed. Turn the breasts and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and rest in a warm place before slicing.
For the apricot purée:
1 cup ripe apricots, peeled
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot duck stock or chicken stock
Combine the apricots, a pinch of salt and the hot stock in a blender and purée until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm until plating.
For the escarole farro:
3 heads baby escarole, washed and roughly chopped
1 cup julienned caramelized red onions
1 cup cooked farro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the escarole and cook until wilted and beginning to caramelize. Stir in the caramelized onions, cooked farro, garlic and shallot. Season with salt and pepper and finish with chopped parsley and thyme. Keep warm until ready to serve.
To plate, warm the plates and run a streak of apricot purée across each. Spoon a small mound of the escarole and farro mixture beside the purée to showcase it, then arrange sliced duck breast atop the mixture. Garnish with a few fresh thyme leaves.
Striped bass with quinoa, currants, toasted pine nuts and citrus-infused oil Serves 4
For the quinoa:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon currants
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 carrot, diced and blanched
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup olive oil
Lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine the quinoa and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Toss the cooled quinoa with the diced vegetables, herbs, pine nuts and currants. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil to taste.
For the striped bass:
4 6-ounce striped bass fillets
1/4 cup coarsely ground black peppercorns
2 pinches kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Orange and red bell pepper oil, for garnish
Season the fillets with the crushed peppercorns and a light sprinkle of salt. Heat a griddle or skillet until very hot, add the olive oil, and cook the fish skin-side down first until the skin is crisp and golden, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the second side for another 2 minutes, or until just cooked through.
To serve, mound the quinoa mixture in the center of each warm plate and lay a piece of striped bass across it. Finish with a few drops or a light brush of bell pepper–infused oil for color and aroma.
The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa
41 Tunnel Road
Berkeley, CA 94705