Foodie Chap With Chef Staffan Terje of Perbacco Ristorante

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Staffan Terje, of Perbacco Ristorante and barbacco eno trattoria grew up on his grandfather's farm outside of Stockholm, Sweden, where he discovered his passion for food and eating at an early age. Surrounded by fresh produce and a family that loved to cook, the restaurant industry was an easy decision later in life.

During high school, Staffan discovered that he had a knack for butchering and he learned quickly how to handle a knife. Staffan enrolled at the Hotel and Restaurant School in Stockholm, completing his apprenticeship at the Michelin starred restaurant, Gourmet. In 1982, after working in Stockholm, Staffan was offered a job in Sarasota, Florida.

After two years, Staffan headed west and worked in several restaurants in Orange County, CA, before ending up in Napa Valley in 1986. As the San Francisco Bay Area was the hotbed for California cuisine, Staffan was able to take his classic French training and apply it to the bounty of the west coast.

In 1988, the lure of Italian cuisine called and Staffan joined Piatti Ristorante in Yountville, Napa Valley. Promoted quickly, he was soon responsible for new restaurant openings, menu development and training. Other career highlights include a seven-year stint at San Francisco's famed Scala's Bistro and cooking at The James Beard house in New York City.

The inspiration and passion for the food at Perbacco is driven by the rich history of northwestern Italy. Traditional dishes and recipes from the region are updated with seasonal ingredients, supporting the integrity of the dish and preserving the authenticity of "la cucina Piemontese".

In January 2010 Staffan, along with his business partner, Umberto Gibin, opened barbacco eno trattoria, next door to Perbacco. At barbacco, he maintains the same quality-driven tenants to form the seasonally changing menu. In late 2015, Staffan and Umberto will open their third restaurant in San Francisco that will embody the spirit of a brasserie. Chef Staffan will be leading the kitchen, creating a menu with the same French backbone and also incorporating dishes particularly from Sweden, but also other countries weaved through the menu, all updated to reflect today and the bounty of Northern California.

Chef Staffan will join me on Saturday AUGUST 15th for #Plated at Embarcadero Center in San Francisco for a LIVE cooking demo. Please come.

Meantime, enjoy my Foodie Chap chat below with a "chef's chef", and a guy who likes a beer as much as I do Chef Staffan Terje.

Cheers, Liam!
 

 

Chef Staffan Terje's Seared Squid
with Summer Bean Ragout, Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula and Spicy Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 16-20 ea whole Squid
• 2 cups cooked Shelling Beans (Cannellini, Corona or Navy)
• 2 cups Pole Beans (Wax, Haricots Verts and Romano), blanched in salted water and cut in to 1" pieces
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 ea Spring Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
• ¼ cup Basil Leaves, torn
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil + enough for searing squid, about 2 tbsp
• Zest from one Lemon
• 2 cups Arugula Leaves, washed
• Spicy Lemon Vinaigrette
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 
Directions:

• Clean squid by first removing heads. Set aside. Place the body on the cutting board and scrape from the pointy end towards the opening in the front with the back side of the knife. This will push out entrails. Reach in with index finger and remove the clear cartilage. Discard. Repeat with rest of bodies. Rinse the inside of the tubes under cold, running water. To clean heads and tentacles, pinch the area between the eyes and the tentacles, this will push out the beak from the middle of the tentacles. Cut straight down between tentacles and eyes. Discard the eyes and rinse the tentacles.
• Insert a small, fitting knife into the body tube and place in front of you on the cutting board. With another sharp knife, cut 8-10 slits crosswise on the tube. The knife inserted inside will prevent you from cutting through the squid tube. Repeat with the rest of the tubes. Set aside.
• Smash the clove of garlic with a knife and place in a 2 qt sauce pot with the olive oil over medium heat. Cook until lightly golden brown. Remove garlic and discard. Add spring onion and cook for 1 minute. Add beans with a touch of water or liquid from the beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Add basil and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper.
• Pat squid dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with some olive oil to coat
• Toss arugula and cherry tomatoes with some lemon vinaigrette and set aside.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Sear squid bodies and tentacles in batches, so not to crowd the pan and loose heat. Sear each batch for about 2 minutes. Work quickly. Seared squid on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and some lemon vinaigrette.
• Spoon bean ragout on to the center of each plate. Scatter the arugula and cherry tomato salad over the plate. Divide the squid among the plates and serve.

 
Spicy Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp grated Lemon Zest, set 1 tsp aside for bean purée
• ¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp finely diced Shallot
• 1 Serrano Chili, seeds removed and finely diced
• 2 tbsp chopped Italian Parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

 
Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
 

KCBS radio "Foodie Chap" and KPIX 5 television "Eye On The Bay" host Liam Mayclem introduces us to the culinary stars behind the food and wine loved by so many in the Bay Area.
Follow him on Twitter & Facebook @foodiechap