Chef's Kitchen

Each month, a guest chef gives us a tip that elevates their cooking or simplifies things in the kitchen; something a home cook might not know. They also provide a recipe that uses the tip, so you can practice at home. Our guest chef this month is Executive Chef/Co-owner Dan Mallahan of Driftwood on Alki in West Seattle. Driftwood, owned by Chef Dan and his wife/business partner Jackie) aims to showcase Washington's bountiful connection from mountain to sound, with a focus on regional community partnerships (farmers in Deschutes, Green, and Snohomish River valleys, Vashon and the San Juan islands).

Chef Dan was born and raised in Everett at the headwaters of Wood Creek, a small tributary surrounded by mature forest, meandering into the valley below and flowing into the Snohomish River. Growing up, he spent countless hours with his brothers exploring the forest and stream corridor, picking wild mushrooms and berries, learning about native plants and animals, and discovering a passion for nature and its important relationship to food. In 2008, after studying Business Management at Western Washington University, Dan moved to San Francisco to pursue cooking professionally. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy he began working at the new FIVE Restaurant, a local market driven concept in Berkeley, California. In 2011, he began working for James Beard Award winning Chef Nancy Oakes at the Michelin-starred Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco, quickly rising through the ranks to a management spot. During the summer of 2016, Dan got the opportunity to work with world renowned Chef Cristina Bowerman in Rome, Italy. He was able to spend time with the teams from both of Cristina's restaurants, Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria and her modern Italian space, Romeo Chef and Baker. In 2017, he moved back to Seattle to open RIDER, a seafood focused woodfired restaurant in the heart of downtown. Chef Dan has prided himself in working with the very best products and people of the PNW. Always with a focus on what's nearby, what's in season, and what's growing in the wild.

Having and using the right tools, by Executive Chef Dan Mallahan

There are many tools that I find invaluable in the kitchen. However there is one that is universally used in all professional kitchens, across all styles of cuisine and all levels of dining from casual to Michelin star. That tool is the "Cake Tester." Typically a blue tab top, 7 inch, thin stainless steel poker made by the company Ateco. If you look carefully you will see these cake testers in every pocket, of every chef, in every kitchen.

You might think to yourself, why? Is everyone making cakes? In some instances yes, yes they are. However, more often than not, they are using it for all sorts of testing. Having a thin stainless probe also allows you to discreetly test the doneness of vegetables, meats, fish, and other products through a combination of resistance and heat. An experienced cook can tell what temperature a piece of meat is simply from heat transfer onto that small stainless probe. They can tell if a piece of fish is thoroughly cooked through the tension felt when entering horizontally against the grain of the protein. The phrase "fork tender" is replaced with "cake tested" when checking a braised short rib or a roasted parsnip.

The main reason is the size. It is easier and less intrusive to use a very thin piece of stainless then a large gauge thermometer probe or even more impactful full tine fork to see if something is properly cooked. Especially in professional kitchens when you can't afford to lose any product to the fork, and you don't want a huge hole in someone's steak or fish as it leaves the kitchen and enters the dining room.

It definitely takes practice, but add the small .85 cent, blue top, Ateco cake tester to your repertoire of kitchen tools. It is 100% the item I reach for the most in the professional kitchen. Ironically the best place to start to practice and understand its universal uses, is in fact cake. Currently being served at Driftwood. Tested for doneness, with my trusty cake tester.

Spiced Apple Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 cups Hi Gluten All-Purpose Flour (Shepherd's Grain or Carin Springs Sequoia)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp fresh  cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups medium diced raw apples + 1/2 cup for topping
• 1/2 cup applesauce (or apple butter)

For the streusel:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter

 Procedure

1. Fold apple sauce and dice apples together until evenly mixed and all apples are coated. Set aside.
2. In a standing mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until blended. Then add the milk and mix again until blended.
   
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in the spices and mix well. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture slowly until fully incorporated and homogenous. Fold in apple mix.
   
4. Spread batter evenly into a 13x9in baking pan.
5. To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. cut in butter with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the cake mixture in the pan. Top with ½ cup reserved diced apples.
   
6. Bake at 375 degrees in a still oven for 35-40 minutes, until the cake tester comes out warm to the touch with a slight crumb but not doughy.
7. Let cool to room temperature before cutting. Enjoy with salted cream, toasted pecans, or cider poached apples!

February 2023

Driftwood on Alki 206-420-7381

www.driftwoodseattle.com