Travelers frequently drive through Rhode Island without slowing down.
But Chef Eric Haugen of the Ocean House Hotel in Watch Hill intends to use his farm-to-table cuisine to draw visitors to the smallest U.S. state. As he told resident foodie and traveler David Latt, “I spend 95 percent of my time with a knife in my hand.”
Latt sat down with Chef Haugen for a closer look at Rhode Island fare.
What place in your region inspires you most?
We have a farm a mile down the road that even has a beehive. Going over there with the chefs is inspiring.
We have a farm a mile down the road that even has a beehive. Going over there with the chefs is inspiring.
Our herb garden is only 375 square feet, but we have 35 varieties of herbs with six different kinds of basil and mint and shiso as well as the usual herbs.
Nothing is better than to go down to the herb garden in the summer and pick herbs for the tomato salads.
Tell us about the local markets, where to visit for the best produce, fish and meat.The Market Mobile program has changed restaurant food in Rhode Island. Through their Web site, you can see all the different farms and what they have to sell.
I set my alarm for midnight on Sunday so I get my order in early. You have to get on the site quickly because shoulders of pork and beef sell out fast, so do early season radishes, baby vegetables and greens.
At least 80 percent of what Market Mobile covers is from Rhode Island. The rest comes from Connecticut and Massachusetts. If I don’t know the farm, I’ll order a small amount to try it out.
I like NorthStar Farm‘s wild arugula. Schartner Farms sells tiny products that are salad grade that are earthy and sweet. I especially like their great baby radishes and young Swiss chard the size of a finger nail.
T. Patrick McNiff’s Pat’s Pastured sells Berkshire pigs, poulet rouge (a.k.a. French chickens), and eggs I call “Americana eggs,” that are so large with beautiful bright orange yolks.
Hopkins Farm sells spring lamb.In my latest menu, I’m using heirloom shelling beans from Maine that are beautifully dried. Rhode Island is a Portuguese area, so why not use beans? I use them for soup and a bean salad with escarole.
How would you describe the cuisine at your restaurant? Is it New England-inspired?
It’s a product and produce-driven cuisine. I would call it “contemporary European” or “modern American,” which can be very global.
We’re a hotel restaurant so we try to accommodate everyone. Almost everything we serve comes from within 150 miles.
Occasionally, we might have to use produce that isn’t sourced from nearby farms because the guest expects it. For example, we have tomatoes when it is out of season here. That’s the difference between having a hotel restaurant instead of a free-standing restaurant.
Don’t miss more on the local food scene with Rhode Island Renaissance: Spotlight On Providence’s Locavore Chefs
These days more people are open to ideas and take risks when they order.
People watch the Food Network and they learn the difference between dry and fresh pasta. They watch a whole suckling pig being prepared on the Iron Chef.Social media helps the industry too. People want to try terrines of foie gras and sweetbreads. A lot of people want to be chefs.
Is there good street food in Rhode Island?
Because of zoning laws and insurance costs, there’s not much. There is only really the Chez Pascal hot dog cart and Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile.
When I lived in San Francisco, there was a crepe trailer that was open until three AM on weekends. I’d go after work and get three sweet and savory crepes for $8—it was great.
With street food and food trucks, there’s a feeling that it’s authentic because it’s on the street. That’s not always true.
What do you enjoy about being a chef at Seasons?
I like that the hotel has a farm and is committed to farm-to-table. I’m proud to be part of the community of chefs here.
Find more great local restaurants with Rhode Island Renaissance: Fine Dining In Newport, Block Island & Bristol
I went to school with Derick Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway and Matt Jennings who makes charcuterie for Farmstead and La Laiterie.
As a chef, what influences you?I read for inspiration. If there’s a new cookbook, I’ll buy it. I’m really into the science of cooking.
I’ve read Harold McGee‘s On Food and Cooking several times.
And I follow Ideas In Food by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot.
Most recently, I found Grant Achatz’s Life on the Line awe-inspiring. Achatz’s approach to cooking is so out of the box.
When he was told the only way to survive cancer was to cut out his tongue, he instead found a doctor who thought outside the box, who used radiation and now his cancer is completely gone.
My cooks are the biggest reason I enjoy doing this. It’s a lot to ask of young students to learn to become five-star-level chefs.
One of my young chefs had only worked at burger places and he said he would do anything to learn. Now he’s worked through every station in the kitchen.We have an understanding in the kitchen. We work really hard to push ourselves. At the end of the day, we clean, and we go out. I’m not ashamed to say, I go out with my crew and crack a beer. I’m only 25. Only a couple of years ago I was there.
I want them to be appreciated because being a line cook is hard. I feel like I’ve accomplished my job if I’ve trained other chefs.
It’s your legacy to train other chefs. Just look at the cooks who have come from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse.
By David Latt for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit David on the Web at MenWhoLiketoCook.com.
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Rhode Island Renaissance: Spotlight On Providence’s Locavore Chefs
- Rhode Island Renaissance: The Restaurants Of Providence
- Rhode Island Renaissance: Lobster Rolls, Clams, Oysters & More On Rhode Island Shore
- Rhode Island Renaissance: Fine Dining In Newport, Block Island & Bristol
- Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Providence, Rhode Island
- Culinary Travel section
Chef Haugen shares two easy-to-make recipes: a Portuguese style dried bean soup and a Meyer lemon-vinaigrette.
Shelling Beans SoupServes: 4
Time: overnight soaking + an hour and a half
Time: overnight soaking + an hour and a half
Ingredients:
- 1 lb, heirloom-shelling beans (or another dried bean of choice), soaked overnight
- 4 oz, carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 oz, Spanish onion, peeled and diced
- 2 oz, leeks, white part only, washed and diced
- 4 oz, extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves, garlic, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon, thyme leaves, picked
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Sherry vinegar
1. In a large pot, combine the garlic, carrots, Spanish onion, leeks, and olive oil and sweat the vegetables over low heat until they are soft. Add the beans that were soaked overnight and three times the amount of water to the pot. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add the thyme leaves and cook the beans until they are very soft, about an hour.
2. Puree the mixture in a blender and pass through a fine mesh sieve. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and a few splashes of sherry vinegar to balance the richness of the soup. The soup should not taste acidic, but rather balanced. Serve hot.
Meyer Lemon VinaigretteFor the salad, use the greens of your choice. In Seasons, field greens, thin slices of green apples, and macarona almonds are used together to accent the flavors of the vinaigrette.
Serves: 4
Time: 5 minutes
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup, juice of 2 Meyer lemons, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons, champagne vinegar
- 3 oz, extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Cracked pepper
1. These are the ingredients that we use to dress our greens. We make this vinaigrette to order in the bowl with the greens. We operate this with a proportion of fresh squeezed juice, vinegar, olive oil, and seasoning.
The greens should taste bright but have enough oil to create a pleasurable mouth feel. This process forces the person who is making the salad to taste the dressing, as every lemon is different and the salad will taste more fresh in the end.
