Executive Chef John Shaw of The Boathouse restaurant part of the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, in Kennebunkport, Maine takes time out from the kitchen to speak with Luxury Experience about the restaurant’s culinary focus and graciously shares two of his tempting recipes for Lobster Spring Rolls with Citrus Dipping Sauce, and Tuna Poke Bowl until you can personally visit the restaurant and taste his creations.
The Boathouse
The Boathouse restaurant located inside The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel in the beautiful New England seashore town of Kennebunkport, Maine opened in May 2018 and is already making a huge splash with its enticing menu and chic décor. Executive Chef John Shaw is the talent in the kitchen who brings a well-developed palate and an impressive culinary background to the restaurant.
We had dinner at the restaurant on Sunday, October 21, 2018, and met with the personable and talented Executive Chef John Shaw. A Kennebunkport, Maine native and graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont he honed his craft the old-fashioned way by working his way up in restaurants while he was still in high school beginning as a dishwasher at the age of 14. By the following year he had worked his way up to prep cook, then worked the salad station, as a line cook, at the oven, as a sauté cook, and by the time that he graduated he was offered a position as Chef de Cuisine. After 2 years, he decided to go to culinary school to learn more about his profession. In addition to graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, he also went to Austria for a 3-month culinary exchange program where he received a diploma in Austrian Pastry and Specialties Cuisine from Tourismusschulen Bad Gleichenburgwhich provided him with a solid savory and pastry experience background. From there he worked in top Kennebunkport restaurants at The Tides Beach Club, The Kennebunkport Inn, One Dock, Windows on the Water, at the Four Points Restaurant in Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado, and at Ye Olde England Inne in Stowe, Vermont before helming The Boathouse restaurant team in April 2018, as the Executive Chef.
Chef John Shaw
Chef John Shaw is a hands-on chef who said that the best advice he ever received from another chef was to take care of your bartenders and dishwashers, to lead by example, and when needed he will help scrub the pots and pans to keep everything moving. His favorite culinary season is Autumn as he loves braising as it provides depth to your recipes, especially short ribs which are on the menu, along with squashes, and soups. His favorite ingredient is lobster and all Asian ingredients including tamarind. All chefs have one tool that they cannot be without and for Chef John Shaw it is a special pair of tongs that he will seek out before starting his day, and it fits his hand like a favorite glove.
Three of his favorite items on The Boathouse menu are the Seared Shrimp and Scallops, the Beef Rendang redolent with cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and pickled eggplant,and the Lobster Raviolo presented as open-face house made saffron pasta with 6 ounces of hard-shell lobster meat, cubed squash, in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. He traveled extensively in the Philippines and his menu reflects Asian culinary influences.
His advice to those wishing to enter the culinary career is to receive hands-on training before you go to culinary school, do stages or other training to help prepare you as well as ensure this career is what you want.
When not working at The Boathouse or developing new recipes, he is an avid pool player (billiards) and plays in a 1-night per week pool league. Married in 2017, he likes to go to the grocery with his wife to "discover" ingredients for dinner and likes working in the yard which is therapeutic to be outside.
Executive Chef John Shaw of The Boathouse Restaurant, Kennebunkport, Maine
Recipes
Lobster Spring Rolls with Citrus Dipping Sauce
Tuna Poke Bowl
Lobster Spring Rolls with Citrus Dipping Sauce
Serves 8
Lobster Spring Rolls Ingredients:
|
8 |
|
Rice Paper Spring Roll Wrappers |
|
1 |
|
Mango, peeled, cut into match sticks |
|
1 |
|
Avocado, cut into wedges |
|
1 |
|
Cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into matchsticks |
|
2 |
Cups |
Napa Cabbage, sliced |
|
0.24 |
Cup |
Mint Leaves |
|
0.25 |
Cup |
Cilantro |
|
5-6 |
Ounces |
Fresh Picked Lobster Meat |
Method: Prepare all ingredients (Mise en place) for the spring rolls and line them on a clean work surface.
Fill a large shallow bowl with warm water. To fill the spring rolls, dip a wrapper into the water for 5-10 seconds. The rice paper should be slightly firm. The paper will continue to soak up water and soften as you assemble your ingredients.
Place the dampened wrapper onto a clean, large cutting board. Starting at 1/3 of the wrapper closest to you, lay down your ingredients, beginning with the cabbage. Layer on all remaining ingredients. To roll the spring rolls, start with the edge of the wrapper closest to you. Gently pull the edge of the wrapper up off the cutting board and up and over the filling. Use your fingers to hold the ingredients in place, tucking them into the rice paper. Next, fold in both sides to enclose the filling. Continue to roll the rice paper forward, keeping the ingredients tight inside until your spring roll is completely wrapped.
Citrus Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
|
1 |
Tablespoon |
Tamari Soy Sauce |
|
1 |
|
Orange juiced |
|
1 |
|
Lemon juiced |
|
1 |
|
Lime juiced |
|
1 |
Tablespoon |
Dijon Mustard |
|
0.25 |
Cup |
Fresh Mint |
|
0.25 |
Cup |
Canola Oil |
|
|
|
Salt and Pepper, to taste |
Method: In a medium non-reactive sauce pan, combine the soy sauce, lemon, lime and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn down the heat and cook until reduced by half, 10-12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Transfer the mixture to a blender, add mustard, and blend. Add mint, blend and add oil slowly to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tuna Poke Bowl
Serves 4 to6
Tuna Poke Bowl Ingredients:
|
1 |
Pound |
Fresh Tuna cut into one-half inch dice |
|
0.25 |
Cup |
Scallion, minced |
|
1 |
Tablespoon |
Cilantro |
|
1 |
Teaspoon |
Ginger Root, grated |
|
3 |
Tablespoons |
Tamari Soy Sauce |
|
1 |
Teaspoon |
Sesame Oil |
|
|
|
Juice of Half of a Lime |
Method: Whisk together all ingredients except for the tuna. When ready to serve combine dressing with tuna and squeeze half the lime.
Presentation:Serve with lettuce cups, with seaweed salad, avocados, or crispy wontons.
The Boathouse Restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily and is open Monday through Thursday from 12:00 pm until 9:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm, and on Sunday from 11:00 am until 9:00pm. The restaurant also celebrates Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 3:00pm until 6:00 pm. The restaurant has a special New Year’s Eve (December 31)celebration: Champagne & Caviar Party! Check their website for additional information.
The restaurant is closed Thanksgiving Day (the third Thursday in November), Christmas Eve (December 24), and Christmas Day (December25).
Read about our dining experience at The Boathouse in the Restaurants section.
For more information or to make reservations, please visit their website: www.boathouseme.com.
The Boathouse
21 Ocean Avenue
Kennebunkport, Maine 04046
Telephone: +1-207-967-8225
Website: www.boathouseme.com
Read more about our experiences in Kennebunkport, Maine in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Adventures , and Destinations sections.
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