Shawn Olah, Executive Chef, Highlands Falls CC
Shawn Olah, Executive Chef of Highlands Falls Country Club in Highlands, N.C., and C+RC 40 Under 40 honoree, says the idea and presentation for Shrimp in the Garden came from his mentor, Manfred Brauer.
“This dish is not common among chefs when I’ve asked; it doesn’t even come up on Google,” Olah notes. “It included a puréed base to the dish, with all other components standing to create rows, creating the appearance of a small garden. Remembering the traditional nature of this dish, we developed our own modernized balance of plate presentation and edible components.”
The dish, featuring garlic and herb Key West pink shrimp, local corn purée, chorizo popcorn, steamed coconut, buttered snow peas, baby corn, shaved baby radish, and micro-basil, was served as part of a “thank you” dinner for the club’s Board of Directors and their spouses.
“With a complete kitchen renovation and multiple area expansions of our clubhouse beginning in October, it was important to show a sense of appreciation for their efforts, from our clubhouse team,” Olah says. “For this event, there were no menu guidelines, no financial or dietary restrictions. While building the menu, I found myself at a crossroads between courses and needed to come up with something light and balanced, but it also needed to have a unique flavor profile that touched on every part of the five sensory points. As I began going through old notes, test plates, and wine dinner menus looking for inspiration, something jumped out at me from an event I had catered while back in Naples, Fla.”
With a few twists and additions, this dish was born.
Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): What was R&D like? What were the biggest challenges?
Shawn Olah (SO): The challenge behind this dish was to balance the creaminess from the corn purée, sweetness from the steamed coconut, spice from the chorizo popcorn and garlic from the shrimp perfectly. Maintaining the mild, sweet and clean flavor of the Key West shrimp was the key focus, while balancing the other ingredients. Too much garlic could bring out the sense of extra spice in the popcorn, or the sweetness from the corn and coconut together could be the cause of a missed wine pairing. It was imperative to put the right cook on the right item during preparation.
As a chef, one of our greatest leadership tools is understanding the individuality of each team member that works with us. Some may be heavy-handed with ‘a la minute ingredients,’ others may under-season. Knowing when and how to use your staff can lend the same consistency as a standardized recipe if you spend the time to understand them.
C+RC: How would you describe the flavors?
SO: The flavors in this dish blended and complemented each other surprisingly well, even beyond my initial expectations. A creamy, yet earthiness balanced by natural, not artificial sweetness and a hint of spice with fresh shrimp fit perfectly into our six-course preparation.
C+RC: What makes this a successful dish? What about it makes you most proud?
SO: I believe the flavors themselves create the success of a dish, but the teamwork behind it makes it worthwhile.
Obviously, member and guest satisfaction is the primary initiative, but as culinary staff, we don’t always get to see them as they enjoy the food. What we get to see firsthand is the teamwork, development of our team and the enjoyment on their faces as they quickly huddle around to take photos and try the extra plates.
This dish did end up being the favorite of the evening, which is a fun fact for me simply because it was such a diversely flavored dish.
