Chef Alan Wilkinson Emerging as a Mentor to Florida Keys Restaurant industry
Executive Chef of Morada Bay and Pierre’s
Islamorada, FL – Crescendo Culinary and Southernmost dry-age meats announced that at only 30 years of age, Pierre’s Executive Chef, Alan Wilkinson, is displaying exceptional talent, character, and leadership that will likely make a significant impact in the Florida Keys culinary paradigm for years to come.
He is literally making a splash in the industry at this year’s annual Florida Hospitality and Lodging (the Food Show) show in Orlando on November 9th. He has paired up with Southeaster Shrimp and Seafood, which run the only remaining Shrimp Boat in the Florida Keys, the Miss Key West. They will discuss the history and economics of the Key West Pink (KWP) Shrimp.
Evolution of a Cuisine:
Chef Alan Wilkinson is initiating an avocation-wide professional status, congenital culture, and an influential presence at Pierre’s. The Florida Keys are known for many things, but rarely are they known for a well-done, Top-Chef flight of steaks. At his post at both Cheeca Lodge and Pierre’s, chef Alan Wilkinson brought his talents to bear, and is revising the culinary perspective of our Florida Keys.
His idea was to do something unseen on the islands for a long time. Where the future will lead the culinary industry will be decided by blooming and decisive chefs like Chef Alan. His initiative has revealed to other Florida Keys restaurants that they too can perfect their own steak programs. You will see the newest one opening soon in Islamorada. Chef Wilkinson’s and his contemporary dry-aging program has vigorously made a statement in this land of pirates, castaways, and real estate entrepreneurs.
Chef Alan Wilkinson’s dry-aging of Prime-grade and Wagyu-grade Beef and seafood was once considered the norm at impeccable restaurants. Nowadays, it is not so. At this moment, Chef Alan is now at the top of his game and advocates his unique dry-aging of meats, duck and seafood. “Dining has now been elevated to another level,” says Chef Alan Wilkinson. Chef Alan plans to encourage dry-aged beef and “Keys Food” as Chef Alan puts it, throughout the Florida
Keys as he promotes the use of commonplace foods highlighted by the uncommon. Meaning, he has made his reputation of pairing commonly known menu selections with uncommon combinations of foods gathered from around the Caribbean and the World.
In collaboration with Chef Wilkinson, culinary teams of enthusiastic and inquisitive culinary workforce continues to evolve and elevate our Keys cuisine. Along the way, Chef Wilkinson has also developed a dry-aged duck that is truly unique. His idea is to age the creations in unique dehydrating refrigerators to remove excess internal moisture to focus and improve the flavors of each food. “It works well with salmon as well,” says Chef Wilkinson. In addition, his next culinary investigation will be to use specific small herd cattle ranchers to produce a steak that can only be cultivated here on Florida Hays, which departs from the criterion practice of cattle feedlots. Using his principled culinary standards, chef Alan has found a more equitable and pragmatic standard for Florida’s naturally raised cattle, that is promising for us as consumers.
Traditional looks onward:
In keeping with the new trademark of classic Chef Alan’s menu, his prior diverse bill of fare are mostly and invariably rooted in the French culinary tradition. In his modern sophistication and polish, he has made classic beef and seafood dishes an enlightenment. On many of his prior menus you will nonetheless find seafood such as; Octopus, assorted finfish, Diver scallops, and a myriad of cheeses from all over the world. They have been accentuated by locally, obtainable Tropically-grown accompaniments, primarily known in South Florida. “It is what chefs do”, says chef Alan. This chef takes the customary and mixes in the extraordinary to make their fused flavors sing.
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