The Chef at The Drake
The venerable Drake hotel has a new Executive Chef for the first time in over a quarter of a century with the arrival of Bernard Fiemeyer who replaces veteran Executive Chef Leo Waldmeier who retired this past May after 26 years of service to The Drake. Fiemeyer joins The Drake from the Hilton Arc De Triomphe in Paris where he served as the hotel’s first Executive Chef since January 2004. In his new capacity, Fiemeyer will have culinary responsibility for all Drake food and beverage outlets including the Cape Cod Room, The Coq d’or, The Drake Brothers, The Club International and the Palm Court in addition to The Drake’s banqueting operation.
Before returning to his native France to assume the Hilton Arc De Triomphe position, Fiemeyer spent 7 years in Asia where he served as Executive Chef of the Hilton Bangkok at Lert Park and previously as Senior Sous Chef of the Tokyo Bay Hilton where he led a team of more than 60 chefs. Earlier postings included a three year tenure as Sous Chef of the culinary establishments at the famous Harrods Department Store in London, England and as Chef De Cuisine of the Hotel Royal Concorde in Metz, France. Fiemeyer began his career by performing culinary tasks of ascending importance at some of the foremost hotels in the Swiss cities of Montreux, Crans Montana and Lausanne.
Fiemeyer is a graduate of the College Louis Armand in Moulins les Metz, France. In addition to French he is fluent in both English and Japanese.
Chef's Recipes:
Lobster & Chipotle Sweet Potato Bisque
Ingredients for 4 Persons:
1.5 pints - Chicken Stock
1.5 floz - Orange Juice
1.5 floz - White Wine
8 oz - Sweet Potato
2 oz - Red Pepper
2 oz - Green Pepper
3 floz - Whipping cream
1 Glove - Garlic
1 ea - Chipotle chili in can
1 tbl - Honey
2 oz - Carrot
.5 tsp - Cumin Ground
.5 tsp - Coriander ground
1 floz - Fish sauce (Nuoc Man)
1 ea 1 lb lobster cooked
To taste Salt and Black Pepper
Method:
Peeled and wash all vegetable.
Cut into 1 inch dice the sweet potato, red pepper, green pepper and carrot.
With the olive oil, sweat the vegetable without color.
Then add the white wine, orange juice and the chicken stock.
Bring to a boil then add the honey, cumin, coriander, chipotle chili, garlic, the fish sauce and the cream, cook slowly for 40 minutes.
Blend the soup and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Take the lobster meat out of the shell and cut into 12 slices.
In each hot soup bowl place 3 slices of lobster meat and pour the hot soup.
Bookbinder Red Snapper Soup
Preparation Part 1
½ oz. Clarified Butter
½ oz. Carrots, chopped
½ oz. Celery, chopped
1 oz. Small Clove Fresh Garlic, crushed
½ Bay Leaf
8 Crushed White Peppercorns
1 pinch Thyme, Sage and Oregano
1-1/2 oz. Vegetable Stock
2 qts. Vegetable Stock
2 drops caramel coloring
Salt to taste
• Sauté Carrots, Celery and Onions in Butter
• Add seasoning and Tomato Paste-sauté
• Add Vegetable Stock and simmer for 20 minutes
• Put in the coloring carefully
• Salt to taste
• Strain
Preparation Part 2:
½ oz. Clarified Butter
6 oz. Onions, diced
1-1/2 oz. Celery, diced
10 oz. Red Snapper, diced
2 oz. California Sherry
• Sauté diced Onions and Celery until tender in Butter
• Add Red Snapper and Sherry
• Add Vegetables to the soup
Serve Bookbinder Red Snapper Soup with a small flask of Sherry on the side.
