A major factor in Chicago’s ascendancy to the top echelon of American restaurant cities is the opportunity it gives talented young chefs to direct a kitchen here instead of having to leave town to spread their wings.
A good example is Matthew Koury, a 34-year-old native of Toledo, Ohio, who is executive chef at Rivers, 30 S. Wacker Drive, across from the Civic Opera House. After graduation from the Culinary Institute of America and a stint in San Francisco, he came to Chicago. He cooked in such varied environments as Gordon, Spiaggia, Marche, Rivers and Entre Nous. When Rivers approached him two years ago to return as top cook, he jumped at the opportunity.
While the restaurant often caters to diners at lunch and before opera performances, when speedy service is as important as food quality, Koury still manages to serve what he calls “focused” food with a “global” range of flavors. Sources of inspiration include the Mediterranean, Latin America and, from Asia, Thailand and Japan. His offerings range from entree salads and pastas to pan-roasted and wood-grilled fish and meat.
“Our customers’ tastes vary,” Koury says. “At lunch, we get quite a few young people who want more spice and less fat and dairy. But many of our pre-opera people are 50 and up with traditional tastes.” So variety is the key. At any given time, the kitchen might be preparing a meatloaf sandwich with gravy and mashed potatoes for the bar, braised veal breast or risotto for the dining room, and cashew chicken salad to go.
“In whatever we serve, I try to achieve textural contrast and a balance of flavor,” Koury says. Here are two examples of his creativity.
SPICY SEAFOOD STEW WITH COUSCOUS AND ROASTED VEGETABLES
Six servings
For the broth:
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, Spanish preferred
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 dried ancho chili, cleaned and soaked until soft
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) tomato puree
2 1/2 cups fish broth or chicken broth or 1 1/4 cups clam juice combined with 1 1/4 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
For the roasted vegetables:
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces
1 rib celery, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup instant couscous, cooked by package directions
For the garnish:
4 slices country-style bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
For the seafood:
18 mussels or clams, rinsed well
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless fillets, such as salmon, grouper, halibut or cod, cut into 1-inch chunks
12 ounces bay scallops
18 medium shrimp, shelled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare the broth. In a heavy pot, cook the onion, garlic and celery in the olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add the chilies and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and fish broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree broth in a blender or with an immersible blender. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. (Clam juice is very salty.) Add cilantro and parsley and set aside.
2. Roast the vegetables. In a roasting pan, toss the cut carrot, celery, bell pepper and zucchini in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften and brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous. (Recipe may be done in advance to this point.)
3. Make the garnish. Combine the olive oil and garlic, brush mixture on one side of the bread slices and toast until bread is crisp around the edges. Cut each slice into triangles and pass at the table.
4. Assemble the stew. In a small pan with a lid, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add the mussels or clams, cover the pan and simmer until shells open, 3 to 5 minutes. In a heavy pot, heat olive oil. Add the fish fillets, scallops and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and stir for 2 minutes. Add the broth and vegetables, bring broth to a simmer and cook until fillets are firm, about 5 minutes. If stew seems too thick, add water. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Portion couscous and mussels into 6 bowls. Ladle stew over couscous and serve.
CHARRED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH FIG-BALSAMIC GLAZE AND VEGETABLES
Six servings
For the glaze:
6 ounces dried figs (8 or 9), stems removed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 vanilla bean, split, with seeds scraped out
Salt and pepper
2 pork tenderloins, about 3 pounds total, patted dry with paper towels
For the vegetables:
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, unsalted preferred
1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed and each sprout cut in half top to root
1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herb such as tarragon, sage or parsley
1. Heat an oven broiler or outdoor grill. Prepare the glaze. Place the figs, vinegar, vanilla bean seeds and 3/4 cup water into a blender or food processor and blend until semi-smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve 1 cup for garnish. Brush remaining glaze on the pork.
2. In a wide, shallow pan over medium heat, melt butter, add squash and sprouts and saute, turning occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add red onions, season with salt and pepper and saute 7 to 10 more minutes, or until vegetables are al dente and caramelized. Add a little water and cover the pan if the vegetables brown too quickly. Season with salt and pepper, stir in herb and keep warm.
3. Char the pork under the broiler or on the grill until firm and cooked to medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before carving on the bias into 1/2-inch slices. (Meat will continue to cook.)
4. To serve, reheat glaze, mound vegetables in the center of 6 plates and top with pork slices. Drizzle heated glaze on the plate around the vegetables. Serve at once.
