Meet the Chef: John-Michael Hamlet of John Michael's in North Salem

Had it not been for his Fairfax, Virginia, high school baseball coach, John Michael Hamlet might not be the talented chef that he has become today. "I didn't make the baseball team," Hamlet explained. "So I took a vocational cooking class instead."

That class sparked an interest in young Hamlet, who soon discovered that he had a knack for culinary skills, leading him to pursue classes and competitions provided by Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). C-CAP provides culinary training to public high school students, and is one of the largest culinary scholarship programs in the U.S.

One such competition awarded him "Best Culinary Student of the Year." And in 1994, C-CAP awarded Hamlet with a coveted 2-week stint at the renowned culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu, in London, England.

After attending Le Cordon Bleu, Hamlet knew he wanted to pursue a professional career in cooking, so he attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, graduating in 1996.

Post-graduation, he landed a job at Boston's top-ranked L'Espalier restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental hotel.   Hamlet continued his gastronomic education at this legendary restaurant, but found that he was missing home. So back to Virginia he went.

Hamlet moved up from line-cook, pastry chef, sous chef to finally a chef position in four short years at several restaurants in the Virginia and Maryland area.  Eventually he ended up at The Stone Manor, in Middletown, VA. 

It was during his time overseeing The Stone Manor, at the tender age of 27, where his epicurean star truly began to shine.  Zagat Dining Guide gave him a food rating of 27 out of 30.  He was also listed in Washingtonian Magazine's "Top 100 Restaurants 2002."

In 2003, Plaza Athenee in New York City lured Hamlet to oversee their elegant restaurant, Arabelle.  Although this turned out to be far from Hamlet's favorite appointment, certain personal dreams were fulfilled. 

"That's where I met my wife, Rose," Hamlet said with a big smile. 

Rose's sister, Ann Murphy worked with Hamlet at the hotel.  She set them up on a blind date together. "We went out on one date, and that was it. We fell in love," he explained.  They eloped to Las Vegas a few months later. 

While Rose continued working as an attorney, Hamlet took on the chef position at Peter Pratt's Inn in Yorktown from 2005-2007.  They gave birth to their first son, Gavin, during this time.  They yearned to open up their own restaurant in Northern Westchester.  

In 2007, the Hamlets heard that Purdy's Homestead in North Salem was up for sale.  They moved on it, and were able to open their restaurant, John Michael's, a mere three days after the closing.   Within the first month of its opening, John Michael's was awarded a "Very Good" rating by the New York Times.

Hamlet said they would have never taken on this project had they known the economy would fall apart soon thereafter.  It's a testament to their hard work and Hamlet's talent that their restaurant has survived over two and a half years during the recession.

The food at John Michael's is describe by Hamlet as "New European."  Signature dishes of his include "Foiejitas", a fine-dining play on fajitas.  This DIY plate includes a slap of sautéed fois gras, candied shallots, marinated peppers and several crepes.  Another favorite is Fennel-Crusted Duck, described on the menu as 'the best duck you'll ever have,' because "that's what several diners told me after eating it," Hamlet explained.

Hamlet is an advocate of using organic and local food when possible.  Most of his meats are procured from upstate New York, and he often restricts his seafood to Long Island catches. 

Future plans for Hamlet include creating a vegetable garden in the back of the restaurant, tilled by local farmers who would lease the land. As a result of that effort, he hopes to open a daytime produce market in his restaurant, with ice creams and prepared foods.

Starting June 13, John Michael's will resume their Sunday Summer Barbecue every Sunday at 4 p.m.  The restaurant has a new outdoor patio and fire pit for diners to lounge during good weather.

Foiejitas Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 red pepper

½  cup white balsamic vinegar

½ cup water

4 shallots, thinly sliced length-wise

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

7 ounces fois gras, divided into 1 ¾ ounce pieces

12-16 nutmeg crepes (see recipe below)

Instructions:

Julienne the red pepper.  Place the vinegar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and place the pepper slices into the vinegar mixture.  Allow to marinade at room temperature at least one hour.

Candy the shallots – place the slices and sugar in a sauce pan with water just to cover them.  Bring to a boil and reduce until thick, but do not allow to brown or carmelize.

Heat a saute' pan and pan sear the fois gras.  Serve each piece accompanied by a spoonful of the shallots, a spoonful of the peppers, and 3-4 nutmeg crepes.  Fill, roll, and eat.  Cheers.

Crepe Recipe:

1 Cup Flour, Sifted

1 1/2 Cup Milk

2 Eggs

Salt

Pepper

1/2 a Nutmeg Nut Grated

Whisk together the flour, milk, eggs salt, pepper and nutmeg until smooth.  Allow the batter to rest 30-60 minutes. 

Lightly brush a small skillet with butter, then heat until moderately hot. 

Holding the skillet off the heat, add ¼ cup of the batter and quickly tilt the pan around to allow the batter to coat the bottom. Return the pan to the heat and cook the crepe until just set and slightly golden, about 10-15 seconds. 

Loosen the edge of the crepe and use a spatula to flip it over.  Cook on this side another 20 seconds.  Place crepe aside on plate, keeping it warm by covering with a towel or foil, and finish the other crepes.