Brendan McGill
Claim to Foodie Fame: Chef-Owner of Hitchcock
Quote: I'm always comforted by a great burger, or a roast chicken dinner. Few things bring to mind family and communal eating more than an authentic Paella, or perhaps a family meal from Ezell's.
What is your earliest memory of cooking?
My earliest memories of cooking revolve around being a kid in Alaska, and our annual trip to Chitina, where we fished the Copper River for Chinook and Sockeye salmon. We held a little fish camp to process the 50+ fish we could come back with, and we filleted, smoked, and canned our catch. Throughout the year, it was traditional to pull out a side of fish to thaw for dinner; my dad usually roasted it in the oven and served it with brown rice and soy sauce. In the summertime, he'd take King salmon steaks and grill them over charcoal. My mom had a great garden and I remember eating carrots fresh out of the ground; huge zucchini made its way onto the table and in lots of bread. We even had a great strawberry patch.
What is your idea of comfort food?
I consider a lot of foods to be comfortable. Usually ethnic standards, such as Vietnamese Pho or Japanese Nabemono. I'm always comforted by a great burger, or a roast chicken dinner. Few things bring to mind family and communal eating more than an authentic Paella, or perhaps a family meal from Ezell's.
Who first taught you how to cook?
I did very little cooking growing up, but I moved out at a pretty young age and enjoyed cooking for myself and roommates. I had already been working in restaurants for a few years by that time, so I guess I learned to cook from professional line cooks, while washing dishes and bussing tables. I'd ask questions and snoop around, and picked things up. Ultimately, culinary school gave me the base of knowledge that I needed to go into the industry, then work experience took me the rest of the way.
What is your favorite dish or meal to cook?
One of my very favorite dishes/meals to cook is Paella. I spent some time in Valencia and studied the cuisine. I've seen lesser paellas prepared all over the world, but the abundance of rice, seafood, snails, and game in Catalunya give the original paella a spirit of place that gets lost in South American renditions. For mine, I buy imported Arroz Bomba, the famous rice of La Comunidad Valenciana, Spanish saffron, and imported piquillo peppers. The rest I pull from around here — spot prawns, Hood Canal mussels, Eastern Washington rabbit or chicken. I prepare a short broth from the bones of the chicken/rabbit and some of the shellfish and vegetable trim, then fire up a charcoal grill and cook outside. Once the paella is done and resting, we break out crusty bread, egg-yolk-rich aioli, and some robust southern Spanish wine, like Jumilla or Yecla. Then we feast! It's grand.
If you could invite anyone to your holiday dinner — living, dead, or imaginary — who would it be?
Ultimate Thanksgiving guest list? My whole family, on my side and my wife's, and most especially my recently passed father-in-law, Carl.
Brendan McGill's Quartered and Brined Turkey
I suggest removing the hindquarters from the turkey — cut in between the breast and thigh down the natural seam, then through the hip socket. The bird will be in "thirds": two hindquarters and the breasts attached to the ribs. The bane of cooking a whole bird is keeping the breast moist while cooking the dark meat through. By separating them, the cook can pull and rest the breasts while the hindquarters finish in the oven. You'll be looking for 155° internal temp — the turkey will carryover cook to achieve a rested temp of 165°.
I also recommend a brine, using the "3-2-1" brine (three cups salt, 2 cups sugar to 1 gallon water) ratio, heating your brine with desired aromatics. I'm a fan of thyme, shallot, coriander, allspice, and bay leaf for a holiday bird. Feel free to experiment. Quartered as such, 5-8 hours will give you a very moist and flavorful bird.
Carving is easier with this method also — you can separate the drumstick and thigh, then simply slice the breast meat off the standing rib rack. Enjoy!
