Chef de Cuisine Dustin Tuthill is the inspired talent in the kitchen of Wildflowers, the AAA-rated four diamond fine-dining restaurant at The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. He graciously shares a delicious taste of the restaurant with his recipes for Dover Sole and Lobster Risotto.
We had the opportunity to meet with Chef Dustin Tuthill after having dinner at the restaurant in October 2014 and experiencing his creative and inspired menu that incorporates elements of molecular gastronomy and modern techniques.
Chef Dustin Tuthill
Each chef has an interesting story of how he or she decided upon a culinary career, and Chef Dustin Tuthill’s story is an interesting one. Cooking wasn’t always his main passion in high school, yet after graduation when he did not know what he wanted to do, he decided to go to school for culinary arts. His hopes for a culinary career were quickly dashed when his professor told him he was not any good at cooking. With that, he decided to leave the program for awhile and went to work in delis, where the daily pressure of having to deliver results to the customers inspired him to do well.
This new confidence from working helped him decide to return to culinary school, and this time he did very well, and this boosted his confidence to succeed. While in college he worked in pizzerias, and also worked in the student run restaurants at school.
After experiencing his impressive menu and speaking with him about food, he is clearly passionate about what he does, has the talent, and is exactly where he should be in the restaurant world. He has built his career at Turning Stone where for the past 11 years, many of them working at Wildflowers between stints at the resort’s other restaurants, beginning with an externship, then moving up the culinary ladder working as a line cook, cook, sous chef, and now as chef de cuisine.
Chef Dustin Tuthill in the Kitchen
His favorite season is the fall as he loves the flavors and products, squash, root vegetables, and braised meats. He also likes to experiment with modern cooking, molecular gastronomy, and using a sous vide machine and described how he had cooked an egg for 45-minutes so that when you cracked it open, the two whites had coagulated. Chef Dustin Tuthill is excited about molecular cuisine and creating "caviars," gels, and froths using agar, carrageen, and developing new flavors and textures to delight Wildflowers’ guests.
Married with two young boys, he likes to read cookbooks to keep up with the modern food scene, and also likes to hunt, fish, and forage for plants. Recently he went foraging on the resort’s golf course and found mustard garlic which he made into a jam and used it at the restaurant. His favorite ingredients are fennel, anise, tarragon, fennel seeds, and star anise, and he has an herb garden at his home.
His advice to those considering a culinary career is not giving up! You will cook a lot of food, and mess up a lot of food, so don’t be daunted when you make mistakes, keep pushing through, and read a lot to keep learning.
The attractive and stylish 65-seat Wildflowers restaurant at The Lodge at Turning Stone has all of the ingredients for memorable dining: a talented chef in the kitchen, attentive professional service, and a gracious ambience perfect for celebrating special occasions, a romantic evening on the town, or simply because you love good food. The menu has a rich diversity that will appeal to the more adventurous eater as well as to the traditional diner, with more classic offerings.
Chef Dustin Tuthill tempts the palate into making a reservation to dine at Wildflowers with his recipes for Dover Sole and Lobster Risotto.
Menu from Chef Dustin Tuthill of Wildflowers
Dover Sole
Lobster Risotto
Dover Sole
Ingredients
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1
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Dover Sole
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|
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2
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Ounces (59 ml)
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Oil, for frying
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4
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Ounces (113 gr)
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Unsalted Butter, diced, for the sauce
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8
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Ounces (227 gr)
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Wondra Flour
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1
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Ounce (28 gr)
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Capers
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1
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Lemon
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Salt and Pepper, to taste
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Method: Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season prepared fish with salt and pepper. Dredge in Wondra flour and pat to remove excess flour. Place fish in frying pan when oil is shimmering, and brown one side of the fish. Flip the fish over and add the diced butter.
When the butter begins to froth use a spoon to pour the frothed butter over the fish, which will help to brown the fish. Place the entire pan in the oven set t 350° F ( C). Every 5 minutes into the cooking process, pull the pan out and spoon more butter over the fish. The sole will be done cooking when the flesh begins to pull away from the bone at the thickest part of the fish.
Remove the fish from the pan and fillet out to remove the pin bones and cut off the tail. Put the reserved butter in the pan back on the stove over low heat and add capers and lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve fish immediately with the butter caper sauce and fresh chopped parsley on top of the Dover Sole.
Lobster Risotto
Ingredients
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5
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Ounces (148 ml)
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Oil
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4
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Ounces (113 gr)
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Arborio Rice
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2
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Tablespoons
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Shallot, chopped
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1
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Bay Leaf
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Hot Vegetable Stock, as needed
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6
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Ounces (170 gr)
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Risotto, par cooked
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1
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Ounce (28 gr)
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Fennel, caramelized, and chopped
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3
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Ounces (85 gr)
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Parmesan Cheese, grated
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1
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Ounce (28 gr)
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Pine Nuts, toasted
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2
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Ounces (57 gr)
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Butter, diced
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3
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Ounces (85 gr)
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Lobster Meat, cooked
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Lobster stock, as needed
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Salt and Pepper, to taste
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Method: Heat oil in a large heavy bottom sauce pan. Add shallot and sweat for 5 minutes. Add rice and lightly toast. Begin adding the stock slowly and let it absorb into the rice. Once the stock is absorbed add more, repeat this process until the rice is cooked about 75%. Spread par cooked rice on a sheet pan and allow to cool.
To finish, add par cooked rice to a pan with caramelized fennel. Add about 3 ounces (89 ml) of the lobster stock and finish cooking rice. At the end when the rice is perfectly cooked, add the grated parmesan, lobster meat, butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary, and add more stock if necessary to make sure risotto spreads and is not stiff. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.
Debra and Chef Dustin
"Wildflowers follows the Oneida custom of eating the seasons offering the best Central New York has to offer in unique combinations, textures and even sources."
Wildflowers serves breakfast daily from 6:00 am until 11:00 am, and serves dinner Monday through Thursday from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm, and on Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm. The restaurant does not serve dinner on Sunday.
Read about our dining experience at Wildflowers in the Restaurants section.
Wildflowers Restaurant
Read more about our experience staying at The Lodge in the Hotels and Resorts, about our dining experience at TS Steakhouse in the Restaurants section, about our experience at Skana Spa in the Spas section, and about our golf experience at Shenendoah Golf Club at Turning Stone in the Adventures section.
Wildflowers
at The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort Casino
5218 Patrick Road
Verona, New York 13478
United States
Telephone: +1-800-771-7711
Website: www.TurningStone.com
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© November 2014. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.
