Honey Chili Glaze

If you’ve dined with us in recent weeks, you may have ordered the trout entrée — Wisconsin trout with sweet corn, bacon, green beans, onion and fava bean aioli — which features our house-made, honey chili glaze. The glaze is so simple to make at home and instantly brings life to any white-fleshed fish, like trout, tilapia, halibut or cod. While our recipe only requires four ingredients, you may have to search a bit for the granulated sweet bell pepper. Most specialty food stores/spice shops will carry it, but you could also consider dehydrating your own sweet bell peppers and grinding them finely in a mortar and pestle. If you’re local, dehydrated sweet bell pepper can be found here.

:: INGREDIENTS ::

• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon granulated sweet bell pepper

:: METHOD ::

Combine the honey and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then add the spices. Stir and cook down until thick; then brush onto fish (including skin) if using a sauté pan. If you choose to roast the fish, put the glaze on first.

We love this glaze because it adds some intense, unexpected flavor … and clears your sinuses, too ;) Chili lovers, rejoice.

New Friends

Talk about good company! I just wanted to give you guys a link to some websites and Twitter feeds for now. I’m planning on getting all of these guys really drunk in Aspen, and then I’ll have some real dirt to spill (especially on Gaudet, I’m betting he gets something pierced). For now, I hope you enjoy geeking out over their menus and websites as much as I have. They are all incredibly kind and talented, and I’m honored to be associated with them. – JV

:: DANNY BOWIEN ::

Restaurant: Mission Chinese Food

Whereabouts: New York City, NY

“Famous” Dish: Ma po tofu with pork shoulder and Sichuan pepper

Follow Him: @dannybowien

 :: CHRIS SHEPHERD ::

Restaurant: Underbelly

Whereabouts: Houston, TX

“Famous” Dish: Korean braised goat and dumplings

Follow Him: @cshepherd13

:: ALEX STUPAK ::

Restaurant: Empellón Cocina, Empellón Taqueria

Whereabouts: New York City, NY

“Famous” Dish: Tacos of beer-braised tongue with árbol chile salsa

Follow Him: @alexstupak

:: JAMIE MALONE ::

Restaurant: Sea Change

Whereabouts: Minneapolis, MN

“Famous” Dish: Scallops with chicken “crumble” (fried chicken skin) and carrots three ways: blackened, as a confit and as a foam

Follow Her: @jamiemone

:: MATTHEW GAUDET ::

Restaurant: West Bridge

Whereabouts: Cambridge, MA

“Famous” Dish: “Egg in a jar”: slow-cooked duck eggs, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, potato puree and crispy duck skin

Follow Him: @GaudetMatthew

:: ANDY TICER & MICHAEL HUDMAN ::

Restaurant: Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

Whereabouts: Memphis, TN

“Famous” Dish: Corn tortellini with duck confit and chanterelle mushrooms

Follow Them: @amitaliancooks

:: MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO ::

Restaurant: ink

Whereabouts: Los Angeles, CA

“Famous” Dish: Baby turnips and radishes in a coffee-cardamom “soil”

Follow Him: @MVoltaggio

:: JUSTIN COGLEY ::

Restaurant: Aubergine

Whereabouts: Carmel, CA

“Famous” Dish: Abalone and oyster with pickled sea beans and wild sea lettuce on a braised pig’s tail cake

Follow Him: @JustinCogley

:: JOSE ENRIQUE ::

Restaurant: Jose Enrique

Whereabouts: San Juan, Puerto Rico

“Famous” Dish: Crispy fried yellowtail snapper with mashed batata (sweet potato) and papaya-avocado salsa

Follow Him: @ChefJoseEnrique

Not to mention, it’s been exactly two months since JV was in New York where he met this amazing group of chefs. With video camera in hand, he was able to capture some candid, behind-the-scenes footage at the photo shoot for the July issue of Food & Wine, in which they will all be featured. Take a look, and be sure to pick up the July issue when it hits newsstands!