Expert Interview: Neil Ferguson
Behind the Chef
What were your favorite foods growing up?
My mother's roast Sunday lunch
What is your least favorite food?
I had pickled blubber in Singapore...not nice!
What is your beverage of choice?
Viognier
What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
Faultless courses at Manresa in Los Gatos, CA cooked by Chef David Kinch.
What do you eat when you are home?
Try to get my fruit and vegetable intake. Otherwise, the same as everyone else: pasta, pizza, Chinese, etc.
What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Prepare as much as you can in advance so you can enjoy the eating as much as the cooking.
Where and when did your career in food begin?
I went to culinary college in Hampshire, UK from 16 to 19, then stepped into the industry in London in 1991.
When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
At age 13 after a stay at a hotel in Scotland, where I was impressed by the food.
If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
Something involved with nature...maybe working on the Galapagos Islands.
Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
Almost all chefs I've worked for have influenced me in one way or another.
What influences your cooking style?
Everything from travel, my peers, food, books, magazines, market visits
Which foreign country inspires your style most?
France
What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
A microplane, cake tester, and vita-prep
What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Violet mustard
When you are not eating at your own restaurant…you are eating at?
Prune on 1st and 1st
What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Pickling, which is great, and food seems simpler, less complex or fussy, largely due to better products, which deserve to be showcased.
What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
When I was in France, I cooked for the three star chefs at the launch of the Champerard guide...pressure!
What was your worst restaurant disaster?
I once conducted a service with no electricity, so no light or extraction, by candlelight...the entire kitchen's eyes were streaming from fumes.
What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
To have pride in what they do
< PREVIOUS EXPERT NEXT EXPERT >
Share This >
User Comments
Some guys prefer to listen to the voice ringtones at the ringtones web sites, but we like to read through such kind of useful release like that.
You have to be definitely a good master like the workers from the ringtone or sony ericsson ringtones web sites, to compose your hot issue. Not every single guy could do it.
Login to comment
Expert Profile
Neil Ferguson
Born and raised in Hampshire, Southern England, Ferguson converted to the chef's craft at age 12. Following three years at Highbury College of Technology for professional cookery, he graduated to a commis position at Le Gavroche in London. Next, a stint at the Claridges Hotel brought his natural talents up to speed and set into motion an educational journey through some of London's finest kitchens. Under Richard Neat at Pied à Terre, he learned the flair of modern French style; under Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire he learned the deep, resonant flavors of classic Gascon cooking; at The Square with Phillip Howard it was modern eclectic amidst the chaotic pace of daily changing menus; and during two and a half years at Aubergine as Sous Chef for Gordon Ramsay, intense focus and attention to every detail were the invaluable lessons. He spent a year in Burgundy at Marc Meneau‘s L’Esperance and next, a year at L'Arpege in Paris with Alain Passard. He was then offered a Sous Chef position with Gordon Ramsay at his new eponymous restaurant in Chelsea. A four-year run as Head Chef at the Connaught Hotel followed. The year 2005 brought Ferguson to the United States to open Gordon Ramsay at The London NYC as Chef de Cuisine. Not afraid to forefront fats or deep flavors, Ferguson excels at subtle yin-yangs that tap the sharpness of acids or the intensity of sweets. Flavors are potent, yet self-effacing, always elegantly refined and intelligently applied. Formerly a chef at Allen and Delancey, Ferguson is currently cooking at Soho House in New York.
Other Experts
Lucas Billheimer
Chef, Parlor Steakhouse
Brian Bistrong
Chef/Owner, Braeburn
Jim Botsacos
Chef/Owner, Molyvos and Abboccato
It is the good enough idea. Was it assertable to receive the ringtones ringers or ringtones at this site?
posted Jan 19 2010 10:57 PM by Jeniffersz24