Foodie Chap With Executive Chef Peter Degner of Crystal Cruises

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.

_________________________________________________________

Peter Degner never thought of becoming a chef. Originally, he planned to pursue a career in sports, and later study medicine to become a doctor, but he stopped due to injury. Due to a lucky circumstance, he started an apprenticeship in a small five-star hotel near the Dutch border in Ahaus, Germany, at the age of 18 after finishing high school. He obtained his degree as a chef at age 21, and after serving his mandatory social service, continued working in a number of small fine restaurants in Germany.

In June, 1997, Peter accepted the offer to work as Sous Chef for another cruise line. Two years later, Peter began to work for Crystal Cruises as a Junior Sous Chef. After two contracts, he pursued an offer to be part of the inauguration team for another cruise line. In 2001, he moved his family to the island of Trinidad and began working as Executive Sous Chef at the Hilton Hotel in Port of Spain.

2003 marked Peter's return to Crystal Cruises, specifically the launch of Crystal Serenity. Four years later, he was promoted to Chef de Cuisine on Crystal Symphony, but then in 2010, returned to land to open his own restaurant in Valparaiso, Chile. In 2012, Peter sold the restaurant and returned to Crystal Cruises as Executive Chef.

In addition to his regular full day as Executive Chef establishing the daily menus and overseeing a galley staff of over 90 personnel, Peter works very closely with the Hotel Stores Manager to keep the pantry well stocked. The galley provisions for a typical cruise include enough supplies for as many as 1,400 breakfasts, lunches and dinners each day. Each lunch and dinner menu, for example, has four main courses, all different each day. Over a cruise of 14 days, Peter must stock food for about 10,000 dinners and almost as many lunches and breakfasts; including over 150 different main courses, four lavish luncheon buffets, late night gourmet snacks and Viennese dessert buffet. Peter is also responsible for The Sushi Bar, Silk Road and Prego restaurants, the Trident Grill and Ice Cream Bar, Room Service and enough food for Crystal Symphony's 550+ officers, staff and crew.

If you get a chance to tour the Galley, you will see the large state-of-the-art food lockers which keep all this food fresh. Crystal Symphony is equipped with the most advanced "fresh air" systems for the storage of meat, fresh fish, produce and dairy products in high-humidity, constant-temperature rooms. Guests aboard a typical Crystal cruise consume over 50 pounds of caviar, 4,000 pounds of fresh fish, 30,000 eggs, 300 pounds of fresh strawberries and well over four tons of bananas, oranges, mango, papayas and melons.

"Our guests determine the choice of menu items," Peter says. "We must provide our guests with prime rib, the finest steaks and chops, smoked salmon, lobster and only the freshest of fish." Peter is a very busy man. When he has free time, he can be found relaxing in the sun. Judging by the elegant repasts provided to our guests and the rave reviews lavished on his cuisine.

I recently had the joy of enjoying the many culinary offerings from the Chef's menus: a taste of Italy at Prego, a taste of Asia at Silk Road and in the main dining room everything from a casual, but elegant lunch to a formal dinner. Last night's on board black tie banquet served Chef Peter's knockout Maine lobster - (recipe below) where some 500 lobsters were flown out from the East coast of America and picked up at port for our dining pleasure and just in time for our arrival in France.

C'est Bon !!

Chef gave me a one of a kind kitchen tour as we taped our Foodie Chap segment. His team comprises 101 staff from cooks to dishwashers all on board to ensure this floating kitchen rivals anything on land....and it does. One flawless meal after another paired with top drawer wines from around the world ...we even had some Napa wines as we entered French waters (Naughty).

Enjoy my Foodie Chap chat with this brilliant Chef who makes people happy through his stellar cuisine.

See my recent voyage aboard CRYSTAL SYMPHONY with FUGAZI TRAVEL here.

Enjoy!

_________________________________________________________

KCBS Foodie Chap Podcast:

_________________________________________________________

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

Butter Braised Main Lobster

with Sweet Corn Custard, Chanterelles and Tomato Confit

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

For The Lobster Stock:
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 lbs lobster heads
4 tablespoons butter
2 heads garlic
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced fennel Ω cup carrots
1 branch celery
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups tomato scraps
3 quarts chicken stock

For The Corn Custard:
1000g fresh corn juice
1000g heavy cream 4 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
12 eggs

For The Lobster Coral:
1 lb lobster coral

For the Confit Tomatoes:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut in quarters length-wise
4 cloves garlic
white pepper
salt

For The Roasted Corn:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup white corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon tarragon
salt and pepper

For The Shallot Rings:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 shallots

For The Lobster:
1 gal water
3/4 cup sea salt
4lobster tails

For The Lobster Butter Sauce:
1 lb sweet butter
2 tablespoons shallots, diced
1/2 cup dry white vermouth
2 cups lobster stock
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 branches thyme
salt and pepper

To Assemble and Serve:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Chanterelles
micro tarragon sprigs

For The Lobster Stock:
1. Chop lobster heads roughly into 8 pieces and drain thoroughly.
2. In a heavy sauce rondo, heat olive oil until smoking.
3. Add lobster carcasses cut side down and brown for 3 minutes without stirring.
4. Add butter and continue roasting for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, onions, fennel, carrots, and celery to the pan, coloring the vegetables lightly.
6. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, reduce, and add the vermouth, herbs and tomatoes.
7. When liquid has completely reduced, add the stock and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
8. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.
9. Remove pan from heat and let rest 10 minutes.
10. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
11. Return stock to the pan and reduce to 2 quarts.
12. Strain again.
13. Chill and reserve.

For The Corn Custard:
1. In a pot over low heat, heat the corn juice until thick.
2. Combine corn juice with heavy cream and simmer while stirring constantly.
3. When mixture is thick, add butter and season.
4. Incorporate eggs into the corn mixture and strain into a bowl.
5. Pour mixture into greased 2-ounce aluminum portion cups, filling up to the ridge.
6. Place the cups in a water bath, and hold in place with a rack placed on top.
7. Wrap twice with plastic and bake at 300∞F in a dry oven.
8. After 20 minutes, rotate cups and cook an additional 10 minutes.
9. Rotate cups again and cook 10 minutes more.
10. Remove from oven and keep a close watch until custards set.
11. Reserve cups in a warm water bath until serving.

For The Lobster Coral:
1. Bring a pot of water to a simmer.
2. Place the lobster coral in the center of a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a 1-inch diameter log.
3. Poach gently in simmering water for 25 minutes.
4. Remove from water, cool in an ice bath and freeze.
5. Once frozen, grate with a micro blade and dry on a silpat-lined sheetpan for 4 hours until crumbly and dry.
6. Grind in a spice mill to a fine dust and reserve frozen for up to two weeks.

For The Confit Tomatoes:
1. Pre-heat a convection oven to 225∞F with fan at high setting.
2. Line a flat sheet pan with a silpat and brush lightly with oil.
3. Arrange the tomato quarters cut side down on the pan.
4. Slice the garlic cloves thinly and place one slice on each tomato quarter.
5. Season lightly, add thyme, and pour the remaining oil, making sure that each piece is well-oiled.
6. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until cooked, turning the pan every half hour.
7. Remove and discard garlic and thyme.
8. Reserve the tomatoes on a paper-lined warming tray.

For The Roasted Corn:
1. In a pan, heat olive oil and cook kernels until warmed through.
2. Add butter and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add chopped tarragon and reserve chilled until needed.

For The Shallot Rings:
1. Combine sugar and water and simmer until dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and reserve.
3. Slice the shallots into 1/8-inch-thick rings, soak rings for 2 minutes in the syrup then drain well.
4. Preheat a convection oven to 225∞F.
5. Line a flat sheet pan with silpat and arrange rings on top.
6. Cover pan with another silpat and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Turn the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Remove top silpat and finish coloring for 3-5 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and reserve at room temperature.

For The Lobster:
1. In a pot, bring water to a boil and add sea salt.
2. Place lobster tails in a deep container and pour boiling water on top.
3. Let cook for 3 minutes then remove lobster tails from the water and let cool at room temperature.
4. Remove tails from shells and clean, discarding the intestine.
5. Place on a warming tray and reserve.

For The Lobster Butter Sauce:
1. Heat a small amount of butter over medium heat and cook shallots for 10 minutes.
2. Add vermouth and reduce by 1/3.
3. Add lobster stock and reduce by 2/3 and add cream.
4. Add the remaining butter and thyme branches.
5. Season and reserve on a warming tray.

To Assemble and Serve
1. In a pan, saute chanterelles in olive oil.
2. Place in warming tray and reserve.
3. Pour a spoonful of butter sauce over the lobster, cover with a damp cloth, and heat slowly in a warm oven.
4. Gently un-mold the custards into the center of a warm bowl.
5. Remove lobster from oven and place beside the custard along with chanterelles and roasted corn.
6. Spoon butter sauce around the plate.
7. Place Confit tomato and shallot rings on top of the custard.
8. Sprinkle plate with coral, and garnish with a sprig of tarragon.

Copyright: Crystal Cruises

Enjoy!