Susan Spicer

Susan Spicer began her cooking career in New Orleans as an apprentice at the Louis XVI Restaurant in 1979. After travelling and working throughout Europe and California, Spicer opened and ran two restaurants in New Orleans before opening Bayona in the French Quarter in 1990 with partner Regina Keever. Bayona has been featured in numerous publications from Food and Wine, Gourmet, and Food Arts, to Travel & Leisure, Bon Appetit, The New York Times and more.

Spicer contributes her talents to numerous charity events. She has co-chaired the New Orleans chapter of Share Our Strength’s annual “Taste of the Nation” for over 10 years, and has represented New Orleans at the Superbowl hunger-relief fundraiser “Taste of the NFL” for 14 years.

In May 1993 she was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southeast Region and in 1995 was chosen for the Mondavi Culinary Excellence Award. Bayona was featured as one of Restaurants and Institutions 1996 Ivy Award Winners, as well as being named to Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame in 1998. Bayona received “5 Beans,” the highest rating from the New Orleans Times- Picayune. One of the 1989 recipients of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs award, Chef Spicer was inducted in the summer of 2008 into the magazine’s Best New Chef Hall of Fame.

Susan’s first book, Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer’s New Orleans, was released by Knopf in late October 2007. In the spring of 2008 Crescent City Cooking was recognized by the International Association of Culinary Professionals with a nomination for Best American Cookbook, and has been awarded Best New Cookbook by New Orleans Magazine.

SUSAN'S FEATURED RECIPE

Salmon with Choucroute and Gewurztraminer Sauce

(4 portions)

Ingredients:
For the choucroute:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
2 cups sauerkraut (from a jar rather than a can)
¼ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon juniper berry, crushed
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon black pepper
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For the Gewurztraminer sauce:
1 cup Gewurztraminer (can use Riesling or other Alsatian white wine)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (imported honey-cider vinegar, if you can find it)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
4 tablespoons unsalted butter pinch of salt
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For the salmon:
4 6-ounce salmon filets
salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (or clarified butter)
snipped chives for garnish


Directions:

For the choucroute:
In a sauté pan, heat olive oil and add onion and carrot slices, toss and cook over medium heat until just wilted. Stir in sauerkraut, wine, stock and seasonings. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently about 15 minutes. Stir, taste and set aside. If it is a little dry, add a little more stock or water.

For the Gewurztraminer sauce:
In a small pot, combine wine, vinegar and shallots and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently until liquid is reduced to about 2-3 tablespoons. Then gradually add butter, small pieces at a time, over medium heat, constantly whisking until all the butter is incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Sauce should be a shiny, creamy yellow.

For the salmon:
Season salmon pieces with salt & pepper and coat with breadcrumbs mixed with parsley. Heat olive oil in skillet and when almost smoking, add salmon pieces serving side down. Lower heat to medium high, add the butter, lifting salmon pieces to allow a little butter to get under each one. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on second side 3 minutes or so, until salmon is about medium-rare. Cook a little longer if you like it more done, but not long enough to dry it out (please).

To serve:
Divide choucroute among four plates. Top each with a piece of salmon and spoon sauce around and over the fish (do not completely cover the crispy crust with sauce). Sprinkle with chives.