Rising Star chef Joey Elenterio, Chez TJ
Janny Hu
Published 03:19 p.m., Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Chicken Wing Coq Au Vin (Joey Elenterio, Chez TJ) as seen in San Francisco on March 7, 2011. Food styled by Lynne Char Bennett. Photo: Craig Lee, Special To The Chronicle / SF
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Joey Elenterio is like the little brother you can't shake. On his first day at Spago in Palo Alto, his job was to make 40 pounds of mashed potatoes. But it didn't take long before he was pestering line cooks and sous chefs for more work.
"I was always getting yelled at," Elenterio recalls with a smile. "I'd be at someone else's station, looking over their shoulder, touching stuff, wanting to cook something."
It's that curiosity and drive that's helped Elenterio, now the executive chef at the Michelin-starred Chez TJ in Mountain View, rocket up the kitchen totem pole.
Born and raised in the South Bay, Elenterio attended the California Culinary Academy straight out of high school. He'd wake up at 5 a.m. to drive from San Jose to San Francisco, attend class all day, then work a full shift at Spago before returning home past midnight.
In three years, he went from stage to saucier to banquet chef before the Wolfgang Puck restaurant closed in 2007. Then came a short-lived position as sous chef at Tanglewood on Santana Row in San Jose - short-lived because he was promoted to executive chef two weeks after his arrival.
"I was young, I was the yeller, I had the keys to the Ferrari and I didn't know what I was doing," he says of his fast and furious initiation.
A calmer and more confident Elenterio now leads the kitchen at Chez TJ, where he started as a sous chef in 2009 and took over as executive chef a year ago. The yelling has given way to "the look," which is especially pragmatic in a five-person kitchen where everyone ends the night by sweeping floors and taking out the garbage.
As Elenterio has matured, so has his cooking. He likens his style to creating grown-up versions of classic comfort foods, such as his accompanying recipe for coq au vin made with chicken wings.
One of his favorite dishes on Chez TJ's menu, in fact, is a cream of leek soup that's a riff on the classic potato leek. To Elenterio, the ability to wow someone with a humble bowl of soup is one of the hallmarks of a good chef.
"I didn't grow up on avant-garde dining," he says. "I grew up on mac and cheese, shepherd's pie and pork chop and potatoes, so that kind of food is very near and dear to me."
Adapted from Chez TJ chef Joseph Elenterio. Making the partially boned chicken wings in this recipe may look daunting, but it's approachable if done in steps. One option for the wine for the sauce is a boxed Pinot Noir, which is exactly 4 bottles. This makes a lot of sauce; you can reboil it, then freeze leftovers to use with pasta or for another braised dish after thinning.
Prepare half the vegetables: Cut half the celery ribs into 1-inch pieces. Peel one onion, then cut into about 1-inch pieces and separate the layers. Scrub 4 carrots, halve lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces. The amounts of each vegetable should be similar. Cut half of the mushrooms into quarters. Separate cloves of 1 head garlic and lightly smash.
Cut half the bacon into 2-inch pieces.
Combine chicken, cut vegetables, separated garlic cloves and bacon pieces in the container (the vegetables should help keep chicken pieces from touching). Add enough red wine - about 3 quarts - to cover all.
Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours; redistribute the chicken at least so it marinates evenly marinated.
1 day ahead: After 24 hours, take out the chicken and arrange it on a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels; pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Strain and reserve the wine but discard the vegetables (if desired, use vegetables to make a light, winey stock). Pour a light coating of oil into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet; set over medium-high heat, add the chicken and brown on both sides, working in batches as needed. Move browned pieces to a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven, preferably enameled cast iron.
Move oven rack to the middle or bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325°.
Prepare the remaining vegetables the same way as earler; set aside. Pour about 1 cup of the reserved wine into the skillet, bring to a boil and cook, stirring, to scrape up the browned pieces on the bottom. Add the vegetables, stir to coat; reduce heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are tender, adding water or oil as needed. Add the rest of the reserved wine and remaining new wine. Increase the heat, bring to a boil and reduce the wine by half.
Meanwhile, dissolve the 2 containers of the chicken glace concentrate in 2 quarts hot water to make brown chicken stock. Add to the skillet, along with the beef or veal stock and thyme (if there is too much, pour excess into the Dutch oven). Bring skillet mixture to a boil and pour all - including the vegetables - over the browned chicken wings. Cover tightly, place in the oven and bake 2-3 hours, or until the bones easily rotate.
Uncover, cool until you can handle the wings, and then transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. If desired, remove bone from the drumettes while they are still quite warm. However, wait until the mid wings cool a bit more - if they are too hot, they will shred; if too cold, they will hard to de-bone. Rotate each bone and slide out of the wings. Cool completely, then place flat, using parchment between layers. Finish recipe or refrigerate if making ahead.
Meanwhile, strain and discard vegetables from the braising liquid (you might want to save the delicious, buttery-soft garlic cloves for your bread). Reduce liquid to desired intensity and consistency, skimming as needed; there will be about 2 1/2 cups sauce depending on how long it has reduced. Cool and refrigerate.
To finish: Bring wings to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine pearl onions, vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a very small non-aluminum pot; the liquid (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water, if more is needed) should amply cover the onions. Bring to a boil and cook about 45 seconds, just to loosen skins. Remove onions, trim root ends, peel and set aside. This can be done ahead.
Peel and cut carrots into desired bite-size shapes. Cook carrots in salted boiling water until al dente; set aside. This can also be done ahead.
Remove any solid fat from the sauce. Rewarm the sauce and adjust to taste with salt and lemon juice. Keep warm.
Working in batches if necessary, melt butter (or half butter, half olive oil) in a skillet over high to medium-high heat. Re-sear chicken. Wipe skillet between batches if the fat darkens too much.
In a separate skillet, reheat onions and carrots with some butter and a little sugar or honey over medium heat until nicely glazed; season to taste.
Assemble chicken wings with vegetables, drizzle sauce over the wings and garnish with the fines herbs.
Note: More Than Gourmet's Glace de Poulet Gold is one brand of shelf-stable, concentrated roasted chicken stock. (It comes in small, round, 1 1/2-ounce containers, generally in the soup aisle or near the butcher counter.
Due to the variable amounts of sauce used and marinade absorbed by the other ingredients, there is no analysis.
Wine pairing: A Grenache-based blend - especially from Spain's Priorat wine region - is the choice of Chez TJ sommelier Jessamine McLellan. She says it is medium-bodied with nice fruit flavors, but generally made in a more rustic style, which holds up to the dish but doesn't overpower it. Also on her list are most Rhone-based reds from E. Guigal or M. Chapoutier, which are readily available.
"I was always getting yelled at," Elenterio recalls with a smile. "I'd be at someone else's station, looking over their shoulder, touching stuff, wanting to cook something."
It's that curiosity and drive that's helped Elenterio, now the executive chef at the Michelin-starred Chez TJ in Mountain View, rocket up the kitchen totem pole.
Born and raised in the South Bay, Elenterio attended the California Culinary Academy straight out of high school. He'd wake up at 5 a.m. to drive from San Jose to San Francisco, attend class all day, then work a full shift at Spago before returning home past midnight.
In three years, he went from stage to saucier to banquet chef before the Wolfgang Puck restaurant closed in 2007. Then came a short-lived position as sous chef at Tanglewood on Santana Row in San Jose - short-lived because he was promoted to executive chef two weeks after his arrival.
"I was young, I was the yeller, I had the keys to the Ferrari and I didn't know what I was doing," he says of his fast and furious initiation.
A calmer and more confident Elenterio now leads the kitchen at Chez TJ, where he started as a sous chef in 2009 and took over as executive chef a year ago. The yelling has given way to "the look," which is especially pragmatic in a five-person kitchen where everyone ends the night by sweeping floors and taking out the garbage.
As Elenterio has matured, so has his cooking. He likens his style to creating grown-up versions of classic comfort foods, such as his accompanying recipe for coq au vin made with chicken wings.
One of his favorite dishes on Chez TJ's menu, in fact, is a cream of leek soup that's a riff on the classic potato leek. To Elenterio, the ability to wow someone with a humble bowl of soup is one of the hallmarks of a good chef.
"I didn't grow up on avant-garde dining," he says. "I grew up on mac and cheese, shepherd's pie and pork chop and potatoes, so that kind of food is very near and dear to me."
Age: 26
Restaurant: Chez TJ, Mountain View
Cooking style: Contemporary French
Recipe: Chicken Wing Coq au Vin
Quote: "It's fun to try and weave that classic Americana into contemporary French."
Restaurant: Chez TJ, Mountain View
Cooking style: Contemporary French
Recipe: Chicken Wing Coq au Vin
Quote: "It's fun to try and weave that classic Americana into contemporary French."
Chicken Wing Coq Au Vin
Makes 4-6 small portionsAdapted from Chez TJ chef Joseph Elenterio. Making the partially boned chicken wings in this recipe may look daunting, but it's approachable if done in steps. One option for the wine for the sauce is a boxed Pinot Noir, which is exactly 4 bottles. This makes a lot of sauce; you can reboil it, then freeze leftovers to use with pasta or for another braised dish after thinning.
- 2 dozen chicken wings
- 6 to 8 ribs celery
- 2 large yellow onions
- 8 large carrots
- 12 ounces cremini or other mushrooms, wiped clean
- 2 whole heads garlic, loose skins removed
- 4 ounces thick-cut smoked bacon
- 4 750-ml bottles (or 1 box) dry red wine, preferably Pinot Noir
- -- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- -- Olive oil, for searing
- 2 1 1/2-ounce containers concentrated chicken glace (see Note)
- 2 cups low-sodium beef or veal stock
- 1/2 bunch thyme
- To finish:
- 24 pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons Banyuls vinegar or Champagne vinegar + about 1 1/4 teaspoons honey
- 3 to 4 medium carrots
- -- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, or 4 tablespoons butter + 4 tablespoons olive oil
- -- Sugar or honey, as needed
- -- Mixture of tender herbs to garnish (optional)
Prepare half the vegetables: Cut half the celery ribs into 1-inch pieces. Peel one onion, then cut into about 1-inch pieces and separate the layers. Scrub 4 carrots, halve lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces. The amounts of each vegetable should be similar. Cut half of the mushrooms into quarters. Separate cloves of 1 head garlic and lightly smash.
Cut half the bacon into 2-inch pieces.
Combine chicken, cut vegetables, separated garlic cloves and bacon pieces in the container (the vegetables should help keep chicken pieces from touching). Add enough red wine - about 3 quarts - to cover all.
Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours; redistribute the chicken at least so it marinates evenly marinated.
1 day ahead: After 24 hours, take out the chicken and arrange it on a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels; pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Strain and reserve the wine but discard the vegetables (if desired, use vegetables to make a light, winey stock). Pour a light coating of oil into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet; set over medium-high heat, add the chicken and brown on both sides, working in batches as needed. Move browned pieces to a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven, preferably enameled cast iron.
Move oven rack to the middle or bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325°.
Prepare the remaining vegetables the same way as earler; set aside. Pour about 1 cup of the reserved wine into the skillet, bring to a boil and cook, stirring, to scrape up the browned pieces on the bottom. Add the vegetables, stir to coat; reduce heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are tender, adding water or oil as needed. Add the rest of the reserved wine and remaining new wine. Increase the heat, bring to a boil and reduce the wine by half.
Meanwhile, dissolve the 2 containers of the chicken glace concentrate in 2 quarts hot water to make brown chicken stock. Add to the skillet, along with the beef or veal stock and thyme (if there is too much, pour excess into the Dutch oven). Bring skillet mixture to a boil and pour all - including the vegetables - over the browned chicken wings. Cover tightly, place in the oven and bake 2-3 hours, or until the bones easily rotate.
Uncover, cool until you can handle the wings, and then transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. If desired, remove bone from the drumettes while they are still quite warm. However, wait until the mid wings cool a bit more - if they are too hot, they will shred; if too cold, they will hard to de-bone. Rotate each bone and slide out of the wings. Cool completely, then place flat, using parchment between layers. Finish recipe or refrigerate if making ahead.
Meanwhile, strain and discard vegetables from the braising liquid (you might want to save the delicious, buttery-soft garlic cloves for your bread). Reduce liquid to desired intensity and consistency, skimming as needed; there will be about 2 1/2 cups sauce depending on how long it has reduced. Cool and refrigerate.
To finish: Bring wings to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine pearl onions, vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a very small non-aluminum pot; the liquid (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water, if more is needed) should amply cover the onions. Bring to a boil and cook about 45 seconds, just to loosen skins. Remove onions, trim root ends, peel and set aside. This can be done ahead.
Peel and cut carrots into desired bite-size shapes. Cook carrots in salted boiling water until al dente; set aside. This can also be done ahead.
Remove any solid fat from the sauce. Rewarm the sauce and adjust to taste with salt and lemon juice. Keep warm.
Working in batches if necessary, melt butter (or half butter, half olive oil) in a skillet over high to medium-high heat. Re-sear chicken. Wipe skillet between batches if the fat darkens too much.
In a separate skillet, reheat onions and carrots with some butter and a little sugar or honey over medium heat until nicely glazed; season to taste.
Assemble chicken wings with vegetables, drizzle sauce over the wings and garnish with the fines herbs.
Note: More Than Gourmet's Glace de Poulet Gold is one brand of shelf-stable, concentrated roasted chicken stock. (It comes in small, round, 1 1/2-ounce containers, generally in the soup aisle or near the butcher counter.
Due to the variable amounts of sauce used and marinade absorbed by the other ingredients, there is no analysis.
Wine pairing: A Grenache-based blend - especially from Spain's Priorat wine region - is the choice of Chez TJ sommelier Jessamine McLellan. She says it is medium-bodied with nice fruit flavors, but generally made in a more rustic style, which holds up to the dish but doesn't overpower it. Also on her list are most Rhone-based reds from E. Guigal or M. Chapoutier, which are readily available.
Janny Hu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Twitter: @janny_hu. janny_hu@sfchronicle.com
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