CONVERSATION WITH THE CHEF: Local First and Foremost
Originally Published In Manayunk.com Magazine
Sean Coyle lived according to a heightened awareness. But it wasn’t until he plotted his latest restaurant, The Goat’s Beard, that he truly began to grasp his impact.
Buying local was just something I just did without giving a whole lot of thought to it. It was ingrained in me, so there was nothing exceptional or trendy about it.
Growing up, my family owned different kinds of small businesses, from video stores to restaurants, and it was always important to them to foster relationships, especially with those who outwardly shared their pride in the surrounding community. At home, they reciprocated the loyalty. Instead of hitting Acme, they tried to buy the bulk of their groceries from farmers markets and local produce purveyors.
Eventually, I adopted their way as my own, and it influences every aspect of my life, both in the restaurant and away from it, as it did theirs. I buy my coffee on Main Street at family-owned shops because I want to spend my hard-earned money somewhere where sacrifices were made and a dream’s on the line. That’s the circle at its tightest: a neighbor looking out for a neighbor.
When I was planning The Goat’s Beard, another reason entered the equation: health. What our food’s become in the hands of behemoth corporations and the impotent agencies that allow it to occur is criminal. For the longest time, it was its own reward to know the people who fed me, whether it was an apple or dinner. And then I grasped all that that trust entailed. Without the chain of faceless middlemen dividing us, the farmers and the distributors are directly accountable, and with that kind of intimacy among us, it’s impossible for them not to aspire to be better.
The same could be said of our relationship with our diners. And it’s why, in spite of the challenging variables, we’re conscientious in every decision made about the ingredients that we cook with and motivated to be more grounded in Manayunk by the day.
The craftsmanship in our kitchen and behind the bar is one half of the responsibility. We also compost our oil waste and recycle everything we can. The smaller the circle, the more you appreciate your impact on those within it.
I came across a quote by restaurateur Hugh Acheson when I was working on the blueprints for The Goat’s Beard that resonated with me. For the first time, I really got how the various ways I live my life contribute to a greater good. It’s all in the name of the community, because it’s the one thing we share. And like any organism, it thrives with care. “My mantra is: local first, sustainable second, organic third. Local has impact and impact produces change. Change is the process of making the farming sustainable, and once sustainable, the next step is certified-organically grown … I am not a fanatic, just a believer. I believe in the place we live and in finding ways to make it great everyday. I am endlessly enamored of my local sphere, my community.”
Growing up, my family owned different kinds of small businesses, from video stores to restaurants, and it was always important to them to foster relationships, especially with those who outwardly shared their pride in the surrounding community. At home, they reciprocated the loyalty. Instead of hitting Acme, they tried to buy the bulk of their groceries from farmers markets and local produce purveyors.
Eventually, I adopted their way as my own, and it influences every aspect of my life, both in the restaurant and away from it, as it did theirs. I buy my coffee on Main Street at family-owned shops because I want to spend my hard-earned money somewhere where sacrifices were made and a dream’s on the line. That’s the circle at its tightest: a neighbor looking out for a neighbor.
When I was planning The Goat’s Beard, another reason entered the equation: health. What our food’s become in the hands of behemoth corporations and the impotent agencies that allow it to occur is criminal. For the longest time, it was its own reward to know the people who fed me, whether it was an apple or dinner. And then I grasped all that that trust entailed. Without the chain of faceless middlemen dividing us, the farmers and the distributors are directly accountable, and with that kind of intimacy among us, it’s impossible for them not to aspire to be better.
The same could be said of our relationship with our diners. And it’s why, in spite of the challenging variables, we’re conscientious in every decision made about the ingredients that we cook with and motivated to be more grounded in Manayunk by the day.
The craftsmanship in our kitchen and behind the bar is one half of the responsibility. We also compost our oil waste and recycle everything we can. The smaller the circle, the more you appreciate your impact on those within it.
I came across a quote by restaurateur Hugh Acheson when I was working on the blueprints for The Goat’s Beard that resonated with me. For the first time, I really got how the various ways I live my life contribute to a greater good. It’s all in the name of the community, because it’s the one thing we share. And like any organism, it thrives with care. “My mantra is: local first, sustainable second, organic third. Local has impact and impact produces change. Change is the process of making the farming sustainable, and once sustainable, the next step is certified-organically grown … I am not a fanatic, just a believer. I believe in the place we live and in finding ways to make it great everyday. I am endlessly enamored of my local sphere, my community.”
For a taste of how we tailor our menus to Manayunk, I’m including the recipe for one of our staples, on the following page, courtesy of our head chef, Joel Romano.
Sean Coyle owns The Goat's Beard (4201 Main Street; www.thegoatsbeardphilly.com).
Beer-Battered Fish and Chips with Kimchi Remoulade
Makes six servings.
3 pounds fresh fish of choice
(We use fluke.)
Canola oil
6 Idaho potatoes
3 pounds fresh fish of choice
(We use fluke.)
Canola oil
6 Idaho potatoes
BEER BATTER
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 cup corn starch
1 12-ounce bottle Miller High Life
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 cup corn starch
1 12-ounce bottle Miller High Life
KIMCHI REMOULADE
3/4 cup kimchi cabbage, chopped
1 1/4 cups mayo (homemade,
preferably)
1/3 cup shallots, minced
1/2 cup cornichons, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp. ginger, finely minced
1 tbsp. horseradish
1 lemon, for zest and juice
1 orange, for zest
1 lime, for zest
2 tbsps. Sriracha sauce
1 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup capers
2 tsps. whole-grain mustard
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
For the chips:
Peel the potatoes and cut them into strips. Then, blanch them at 260 degrees until they’re partially cooked. Drain and refrigerate.
For the beer batter:
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Next, add the beer, reserving a few splashes in case you need to thin the batter. With a whisk, slowly add and combine the dry ingredients until the batter’s smooth in consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Then, refrigerate.
For the kimchi remoulade:
Prepare an hour in advance of serving. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.
For the fish:
Heat the canola oil to 350 degrees. Dredge the fish in the cold batter and then slowly place it in the oil. Cook until it turns golden brown. At that point, remove it from the oil and drain it on paper towels. Season. Once you’re done with the fish, add the blanched potatoes and cook them until they turn golden brown as well. Then, drain them on paper towels and season. Serve the fish and chips over a heaping pile of the kimchi remoulade.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into strips. Then, blanch them at 260 degrees until they’re partially cooked. Drain and refrigerate.
For the beer batter:
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Next, add the beer, reserving a few splashes in case you need to thin the batter. With a whisk, slowly add and combine the dry ingredients until the batter’s smooth in consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Then, refrigerate.
For the kimchi remoulade:
Prepare an hour in advance of serving. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.
For the fish:
Heat the canola oil to 350 degrees. Dredge the fish in the cold batter and then slowly place it in the oil. Cook until it turns golden brown. At that point, remove it from the oil and drain it on paper towels. Season. Once you’re done with the fish, add the blanched potatoes and cook them until they turn golden brown as well. Then, drain them on paper towels and season. Serve the fish and chips over a heaping pile of the kimchi remoulade.
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