Thomas is stepping up his charcuterie game in Grand Cayman.
Chef Thomas Tennant has been busy on-island (not just making sausages!), and we have two great events coming up that showcase his flair for farm to table, Grand Cayman-style! For all of our ongoing events, please visit our regularly updated EVENTS page on the blog and look for summer brand intern Victoria Calleja’s great flyers in print at our restaurants (and digitally below!) Cannot wait for September and our beer dinner to launch Michael’s Genuine Home Brew in Cayman. And then October is all about our executive pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith and the release of her first cookbook, Baking Out Loud. Phew! Stay tuned!!!
The third episode of our new show, Genuine Cayman, airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. (rather than 7:00 p.m.) on Cayman 27. In “Brasserie Catch,” Michael heads out fishing with chef Niven Patel of the Brasserie Grand Cayman, one of the first fine dining restaurants on-island to make a conscious effort to source locally — even planting its own garden right behind the dining room. South Florida chef Dean Max took over the operation in 2006, and back in Janurary of 2010 when we visited during Cayman Cookout, it was our first taste of what a restaurant like Michael’s Genuine could be on-island long before we opened our doors for the first time later that summer. Much of the groundwork laid by Dean and his paved the way for us to make connections with local farmers that now form the backbone of our menus in Grand Cayman.
We wanted to get to know how Niven was embracing his own new arrival on island from Miami earlier this year, recently taking over the kitchen, so what better way than to go fishing out on one of the restaurant’s boats (yes, they have two that exclusively catch for the Brassiere!) From the looks of it, the chefs had more than mere fishing line in their hands, like a refreshing coconut water drink care of beverage director Kyle Kennedy, made with sugarcane straight from their garden. Way to go fish, gentlemen!
Preview the fishing trip in the You Tube video above, and stay tuned for the full episode on-air including the preparation of Niven’s “Brasserie Catch” Snapper with Local Beans, Pickled Green Mango and Seasoning Pepper Vinaigrette, that you can make yourself at home with the recipe below.
Beginning tomorrow, we’re on-air, on-island! Genuine Cayman with Chef Michael Schwartz is Michael’s all-new TV Series airing exclusively on local station Cayman 27 sharing the stories of the islands’ farmers and enjoying their ingredients in the kitchen.
The six episode season premieres tomorrow, Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m., with the Slow Food Episode and explores the origin of island ingredients, the people behind them, and how they can come to life in the kitchen in fresh, simple, and pure recipes. Look for Eggs, Lionfish, Pizza, Pork, and Snapper in the weeks to come. Check your local listings for the program schedule.
The series is produced and directed by co-creator Emma Gladstone, of Switched On Productions, and was developed exclusively for Cayman 27 with the support of Cayman Islands Department of Tourism and Camana Bay.
Tomorrow's "Slow Food" episode features guest chef Sara Mair of Ortanique at Camana Bay, at February's Slow Food Day tasting at The Farmers Market at The Grounds in Lower Valley.
“I think as viewers, our diners will get a kick out of going out into the field with me in Genuine Cayman,” Michael explains. “It’s a great complement to what Thomas and the staff can share with people inside the restaurant. I’m thrilled with how clearly and vividly we are bringing to life the process we go through day in and day out at the restaurant to put together seasonal menus that respect both the ingredients and small producers!”
If you aren’t living in Cayman or visiting the island, do not fear! We’ll make behind-the-scenes photos and clips, as well as recipes and interviews with guest chefs from the episodes, available here on the blog so you can follow along each week. Just search the Genuine Cayman category. Here’s a sneak peak at the show to get things rolling!
