Chef Q&A with Kenneth Juran
at La Coquina in Orlando
As executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress,
Kenneth Juran oversees the resort's four stellar restaurants including
La Coquina, known for exclusive Chef's Table presentations
that can accommodate only 22 diners. Juran came to the Hyatt in
1993 by way of New York's Pierre Hotel, the Hotel Mirabeau
in Monte Carlo and the Chanticleer at the Negresco in Nice.
His international experience combines with the finest Florida seafood
and produce to create a memorable culinary evening. Awards won by
Juran and his team are the Golden Palm from Orlando magazine
and the highly prized Golden Spoon Award from Florida Trend
magazine, whose food critic is Robert Tolf.
CMEplanner: You're known for the intimate chef's table
that you serve four nights a week, ten months of the year. What
special ingredients do Florida fishermen and farmers contribute
to a special dining experience?
Juran: Key limes are a favorite ingredient here. They have unique
flavor and we use the juice in many ways including most of our vinaigrettes.
We get clams from Sebastian Inlet, snapper and grouper from Tampa
Bay, soft shell crabs from the New Smyrna Beach area and we have
farmers who supply our heirloom tomatoes, especially the Brandywine
variety, and our tat-soi. Our Florida hearts of palm with blue cheese
gratin is always a hit.
CMEplanner: What kind of meal should I be prepared for if
I book a Chef's Table?
Juran:
The menu is always different because so much depends on what is
at its peak. We do a seven-course menu, with or without a flight
of wines. A popular starter is quail egg in brioche, topped with
caviar or foie gras. Guests also like the Florida lobster gazpacho,
which we make with red and yellow heirloom tomatoes. For a fish
course we might do fennel pollen-crusted diver scallops on white
truffle tomato vinaigrette. When we can get snapper in a good size,
we like to do them with a potato crust. We also use a lot of American
farm-raised caviar.
CMEplanner: What have been some of your more popular meat
courses?
Juran:
Kobe beef is always popular, especially ribeye or short rib. We
might serve white truffle-filled loin of lamb, roasted rack of lamb
with lavender honey or a game dish such as pheasant breast wrapped
in prosciutto, squab marinated in wild berries or fresh rabbit with
grilled apricots.
CMEplanner: We hear a lot
today about specialty salts. What are your favorites?
Juran:
The best thing about them is that I can impart a lot of flavor yet
use much less. I like Hawaiian red clay salt for a finishing touch
on scallops, smoked sea salt to enhance Kobe beef and Napa Valley
gray salt to complement Florida snapper.
CMEplanner: What sparks your creativity?
Juran:
We get together as a team and experiment with new ingredients,
tastes, textures and presentations. It's exciting to work in a team
environment where there is so much talent and enthusiasm.
CMEplanner: What's hot and what's not these days on the Orlando restaurant
scene?
Juran:
I see Asian fusion losing momentum while Mediterranean food
is increasingly popular here.
* * *
Gnocchi made with fresh,
low-fat ricotta, served with Florida lobster, radicchio and roasted
beet pesto, accompanied by Acacia pinot noir 2000.
La Coquina
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
One Grand Cypress Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32836
(407) 239-3853
http://grandcypress.hyatt.com
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