Executive Chef
Jean-Georges
Vongerichten

Though Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world’s most famous chefs, his skills extend far beyond the kitchen. A savvy businessman and formidable restaurateur, Jean-Georges is responsible for the operation and success of a constellation of three- and four-star restaurants in the United States, United Kingdom and Shanghai. Born and raised on the outskirts of Strasbourg in Alsace, France, Jean-Georges' earliest family memories are about food. He trained in a work-study program at the Auberge de l'Ill and as an apprentice to chef Paul Haeberlin, later working with Paul Bocuse and master-chef Louis Outhier at L'Oasis in the south of France. With this impressive three-star Michelin training, Jean-Georges traveled to Asia for positions in the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Meridien Hotel in Singapore and the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong. It was during this time spent working and traveling in Asia where Jean-Georges developed his love for the exotic and aromatic flavors of the East. His signature 'vibrant cuisine' abandons the traditional use of meat stocks, instead featuring intense flavors and satisfying textures resulting from the use of vegetables juices and fruit essences, light broths and herbal vinaigrettes. Jean-Georges’ culinary vision and execution have defined both professional standards for the industry and the way in which Americans eat. Throughout his career, Jean-Georges has published cookbooks reflecting his influential style of cooking, including Simple Cuisine (Wiley, 1990), Cooking at Home with a Four Star Chef (Broadway Books, 1998), for which he won the Best Cookbook Award from the James Beard Foundation in 1999, and Simple to Spectacular (Broadway Books, 2000). In October 2007, he released Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges, featuring beloved recipes from his restaurants Spice Market and Vong. A recipe by Jean-Georges: Black Pepper Shrimp and “Sun-Dried” Pineapple Ingredients Black-Pepper Sauce 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 1⁄2 tablespoons minced ginger 8 scallions, chopped 1 1⁄2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed, squeezed, and chopped 1⁄2 cup sweet soy (kecap manis) 2 1⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 3⁄4 tablespoons sugar 2 1⁄2 tablespoons lime juice 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt Skewers 24 large shrimp, deveined, tails left on 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 cup pea shoots, chopped (watercress can be substituted) 1 cup jícama, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice Instructions Black-Pepper Sauce Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and scallion, and sauté until golden. Add the pepper, and cook until it becomes fragrant, then add the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a blender, and purée until the sauce becomes medium smooth. Skewers Heat one side of the grill to medium. Cook pineapple on the cool part of the grill until it is lightly caramelized. Remove, and assemble the skewers, alternating 2 pieces of shrimp and 3 of pineapple. Place over the coals, and grill until the shrimp start to turn pink. Brush both sides of the skewers liberally with the black-pepper sauce, and return to the grill to finish cooking. Toss the pea shoots and jícama together, and serve with the shrimp skewers. Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ribbons of tuna, avocado, spicy radish and ginger marinade Serves 4 for the kaffir syrup: 60ml lime juice 50g sugar 6 kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped for the tuna: 340g tuna 1 shallot, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 4 tbs olive oil for the ginger marinade: 50g ginger 2 tbs olive oil 120ml champagne vinegar 120ml soy 60ml kaffir syrup to serve: 2 ripe avocados, diced salt juice of a lime 4 tbs olive oil 6 red radish chili oil To make the kaffir syrup, combine everything in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature. Strain. For the tuna, cut perfect spaghetti pieces from the tuna. Gently season with salt, shallot, Thai chili, and olive oil to taste. For the ginger marinade, peel the ginger and roughly chop. Purée in blender with just enough olive oil to spin, until totally smooth to make ginger purée. Mix with remaining ingredients. Mix the avocado with salt, lime juice and olive oil. Slice the radishes 1.5cm thick and keep in cold water, then drain well, season with salt and toss with the chili oil. In the bottom of a small bowl arrange a generous spoonful of the avocado. Top with about 6 slices of the radish and arrange half the fish in a bundle on top. Add more radishes and the remaining fish, then top with radish. Spoon the marinade around and drizzle with the chili oil. more..