January 24, 2007

hen my older son and I travel our names can cause music lovers in many places to do a double-take: Alan Jackson and Michael Jackson. One day soon I think lovers of country music will be saying "I didn't know our fellow could cook".
He has an extremely busy month including, this Sunday evening, catering the Screen Actors' Guild Awards. This is one of this morning's stories, forwarded to you by a proud father.

2007/01/23

SAG Awards: Alan Jackson
By JULIETTE ROSSANT

This is Alan Jackson's fourth time around (gaining on Wolfgang's dozen). Previously executive chef and owner of Jackson's in Los Angeles, he now heads his own catering company, Jackson's Somerset Catering, with his wife Heidi Jackson and team. For the past week, more than 40 chefs in his 10,000 square-foot kitchen have been preparing for the SAG Awards.

Here is what Alan & Co. are cooking up:

"SAG AMERICANA"
SAG Awards 2007

Caesar Salad “Box”
Brioche Garlic Crouton, baby romaine spears,
Caesar dressing and parmesan tuille

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
With horseradish cocktail Savarin
And citrus salad

Buttermilk Chicken
Corn soufflé bites, green goddess, fried green tomatoes
And red pepper comfit

Chevre Stuffed Lamb Rib Eye
With Green tomato jam and mint paint

Alan cut away for a few moments to give Super Chef the inside scoop on what it takes to make the cut for Los Angeles' tough awards season:

Super Chef: How did you come up with this menu?
Alan Jackson: The menu is simpler than it has been in the past and more straight forward. The unique challenge is they want pre-plated food that acts like an entrée. It needs to appeal to the carnivore, the vegetarian. In many respects, it is a kind of antipasto entrée. However, the last thing they wanted was for it to look like was an anti-pasta plate. SAG chooses the plate by committee. There are 14 people on the committee. That is a lot of people to please. They wanted four items per plate. That is not something that culinarily works; three things on a plate are better than four since I started cooking. So, we have four mini-entrees on the plate. The theme is simple American food every one knows with a new twist.

Super Chef: How did you get asked to do this event three years ago?
Alan Jackson: We bid for it each year with the menu and tastings for the comittee. We are a boutique company growing for last seven years; I think they were looking for an alternative. They wanted someone hands on - not just a name, but someone willing to show up and do the work.

Super Chef: Super Chef: Los Angeles' biggest caterers, Wolfgang Puck and Joachim Splichal, both have restaurants. How important is owning restaurant for a caterer?
Alan Jackson: This is the biggest town of private homes in the world. There is high tech, Hollywood, and more here. It is unbelievable place to be in this business. It helps to have a restaurant anchor. Our front door is the event. It is a harder sell. We have to look for more creative ways to market ourselves.

Super Chef: Super Chef: Why haven't you opened another restaurant?
Alan Jackson: Margins in the catering business are much better than restaurants. I have not found the right opportunity, but I am looking.

If you have a ticket, let Super Chef know how the dinner was.
And take a peak at Alan and Heidi's website.