By Patricia Fitzgerald
October 2, 2024
Christopher Lee
VP of Culinary Operations & Restaurant Development
Wynn and Encore Las Vegas
Kitchen Collaborative is a recipe-development initiative formed by Summit F&B and Flavor & The Menu. To fuel flavor innovation, a group of talented chefs partnered with sponsor brands and commodity boards to create recipes that showcase the passion and potential of our industry.
“This industry has given me the opportunity to learn more about global cultures, which is amazing,” says Christopher Lee, VP of Culinary Operations & Restaurant Development at the Wynn and Encore Las Vegas. It has had a profound impact on his mindset, he credits: “I used to think that if I worked for a French chef, then I knew French cuisine. I couldn’t have been more wrong.” Instead, he’s realized the value of learning the culture behind cuisines and reveling in exposure to a range of memorable taste experiences. These experiences stretch from visiting a basement restaurant in someone’s home in Japan to savoring wild Colorado strawberries at a fine-dining establishment in Boulder to plucking wild guava from a tree in the middle of a Hawaiian rainforest.
In his commitment to take the influences of travel, people, websites and social media and use them to learn, grow and stay relevant, Lee sets a personal timeline for change. “Every five years, I must change my style of plating and my composition of flavors,” he explains. The chef’s current cycle has influenced his recipes for Kitchen Collaborative: Mortadella Focaccia with Ricotta Cheese, Pesto and Pistachios; Spicy Barilla® Mezzi Rigatoni; and Spicy Duck Bao with Lee Kum Kee® Chili Crisp Hoisin.
Mortadella Focaccia with Ricotta Cheese, Pesto and Pistachios
Photo: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley “Focaccia sandwiches are hot right now,” says Lee, citing such social media sensations as those posted by All’Antico Vinaio in Florence, Italy. “Their sandos look amazing.” To spotlight La Brea Bakery Focaccia, he opted for the open-faced Mortadella Focaccia with Ricotta Cheese, Pesto and Pistachios. “The texture of focaccia is the perfect driver for an Italian sandwich,” he credits. “The olive oil-enriched dough is amazing. Plus, there’s a contrast in textures—it’s crispy on the outside, while tender in the middle. And that makes it the perfect partner for Italian meats.”
After baking the frozen focaccia and allowing it to cool, he spreads ricotta cheese on the bottom of each bread half and grinds pepper on top. Slices of mortadella are piled high, topped with basil pesto and garnished with pistachios and oil. Lee admits that his choice of mortadella is unconventional. “For most, mortadella is an inferior meat, but for me, it’s the best,” he asserts. Already a huge fan of bologna, the chef sings flavorful praises of mortadella: “Rich, emulsified deli meat studded with fat chunks and pistachios—it’s a homerun. Its nutmeg undertones are also a draw.”
In planning this sandwich, he wanted to showcase the mortadella and found excellent supporting players. “The pesto gives the herby, garlicky, nutty, oily balance that also enhances the focaccia and the meat,” he says. “Finally, the ricotta lends creamy goodness.”
Spicy Barilla® Mezzi Rigatoni
Photo: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley While Lee “makes spicy rig all the time for the family,” it was an episode of Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy” television series that led to this Spicy Barilla® Mezzi Rigatoni. “His episode through Rome was particularly inspiring,” he recounts, captured by the focus on pasta all’Amatriciana.
Lee’s version swaps sweet sausage links for the traditional guanciale. “I didn’t think the public I was creating this dish for would recognize the guanciale,” he explains. “As with most Italian pasta dishes, I take what I have and create. In this case, I was inspired by all’Amatriciana and wanted to make a tomato-based sauce with a pork product. The sausage delivers another layer of flavor and the meat base you always look for in a good sugo.”
The sauce also features onion, garlic, chile flakes, white wine, whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, cream, frozen peas, basil leaves and Parmigiano-Reggiano. “My tomato bases—whether made with peeled plum or cherry tomatoes—are always enhanced with onion and garlic. Peas were a filler I had in the refrigerator, but they could be easily substituted with asparagus, fava beans, artichokes, olives and so on,” he suggests.
“When creating a pasta dish, it’s all about seasonality and the temperature outside,” Lee declares. “I save my hearty dishes for the winter, which are more cream based. I like tomato and olive oil-based pasta dishes when it’s hot outside.” Pasta shape also matters, he says, explaining that he doesn’t serve super-saucy dishes and instead adds pasta into the sauce as it cooks. “The shape needs to trap the sauces, so the pasta will be flavorful and moist.” The short tubes of mezzi rigatoni, with their large diameter and external ridges, fit the bill.
Spicy Duck Bao with Lee Kum Kee® Chili Crisp Hoisin
Photo: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley “The duck bao is my favorite snack,” declares Lee. “All ages love a good duck bao bun.” The chef finds that Asian dishes are reliable sources of quick hits of flavor, ones that don’t need a long time to develop. Presented with Lee Kum Kee® Hoisin Sauce and Lee Kum Kee® Chiu Chow Chili Crisp Oil, Lee decided to combine the two for a double punch of flavor in this Spicy Duck Bao treat.
To build the handheld, Lee starts with duck legs that are seasoned simply with salt and baked low and slow with garlic, allspice, black peppercorns and thyme sprigs. Once removed from the fat and cooled, the meat is pulled from the bone and shredded. Then, upon order, the duck meat is crisped in a skillet of reserved duck fat. The hoisin sauce is spiked with the chile crisp oil and lime juice and spooned onto each inner side of steamed bao buns. Next, he adds a shiso leaf, pickled cucumbers, julienned scallions and the duck. Finally, more spicy hoisin sauce is positioned on the side for dipping.
The sauce is a “spicy-sweet match made in heaven,” he says, cautioning that the chile crisp can quickly ratchet up the heat level. That spice, the sweet and the rich duck together are balanced by the pickled cucumbers. Lee is confident that duck has earned a place in the hearts of American diners—or at least is on its way. “Chinatowns and Asian markets across the country showcase roasted duck in their hot food sections and the smell is very alluring. “It gets me every time,” he says.
Project Management: Summit F&B
Photography: Carlos Garcia // Food Styling: Peg Blackley
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patricia Fitzgerald serves different roles on the Flavor & The Menu team, including writing custom content, Kitchen Collaborative chef spotlights and digital editorial content, as well as acting as a contributing editor for the print magazine. As owner of PFitzCommunications, she specializes in various areas of foodservice and hospitality, while also maintaining clients in other industries and professions. She can be reached at [email protected].
ISSUE
This recipe feature is part of the Kitchen Collaborative recipe-development initiative formed by Summit F&B and Flavor & The Menu with support from a handful of sponsor brands and commodity boards. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive Kitchen Collaborative content in your inbox
