Cathal Armstrong Recipes

The best chefs from around the world influence the way we cook our food, eat at restaurants, and inspire us to improve our cooking skills, knowledge, and ability. Chef Cathal Armstrong is one of the best-known chefs in the culinary industry, exhibiting great culinary command creativitiy, technique, presentation, and even business. Here is a comprehensive collection of best chef Cathal Armstrong's recipes that made him the great chef he is today.

Bouillabaisse Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• ACTIVE: 1 HR 30 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
• SERVINGS: 4

• HEALTHY
• MAKE-AHEAD

When Cathal Armstrong was growing up in Ireland, his father (a travel agent and avid best chef) made all kinds of Spanish and French dishes, including a great bouillabaisse. Now Armstrong serves his own phenomenal bouillabaisse, packed with shrimp, mussels, clams and monkfish. When he began offering the dish at Restaurant Eve, one of the first customers to order it was his mother, who was visiting from Ireland. She loved it, Armstrong reports, adding wryly, "Why wouldn't she? She's my mother."

Broth

1. 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 8 shallots, coarsely chopped
3. 2 leeks, white and tender green parts, coarsely chopped
4. 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and coarsely chopped
5. 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and coarsely chopped
6. 1 teaspoon tightly packed saffron
7. 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
9. 2 pounds non-oily white fish bones and heads
10. 4 thyme sprigs
11. 4 parsley sprigs
12. 2 bay leaves
13. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Rouille

1. 1 baking potato (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2. 2 large egg yolks
3. 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
4. 1/2 roasted red pepper
5. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon harissa
6. 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7. Salt

Soup

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 leek, white and tender green parts, finely diced
4. 1/2 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5. 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6. 1 large tomato—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
7. 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
8. 16 mussels, debearded
9. 8 large shrimp (1/2 pound), shelled and deveined
10. 1 1/2 pounds snapper or monkfish fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks
11. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12. 3 tablespoons chopped basil
13. 8 thin slices of baguette, brushed with olive oil and toasted
14. Lemon wedges, for serving 

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots, leeks, fennel and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the saffron and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the fish bones and heads, 3 quarts of water, the thyme, parsley and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat for 45 minutes.
2. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Return the broth to the pot and boil over high heat until it is reduced to 6 cups, about 20 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
3. In a small saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the potato until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. With the machine on, add the egg yolks, chopped garlic, red pepper and harissa and process to a puree. With the machine on, add the olive oil and process very briefly until it's just incorporated. Scrape the rouille into a bowl and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate.
4. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, leek and fennel and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the potato and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the clams and cook over moderate heat until they start to open. Add the mussels, shrimp and fish and simmer until all of the seafood is just cooked, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and basil; season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the baguette toasts with some of the rouille. Spoon the bouillabaisse into 4 large, shallow bowls and serve with the toasts and lemon wedges. Pass the remaining rouille at the table.

Make Ahead: The broth can be refrigerated overnight. The rouille can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours. 

Irish Brown Bread Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• ACTIVE: 10 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
• SERVINGS: makes one 8-by-5-inch loaf

• MAKE-AHEAD
• STAFF-FAVORITE
• VEGETARIAN

Even though this bread is dense, hearty and complex-tasting, it requires no yeast and therefore no rising time. Best chef Cathal Armstrong says he likes it best "fresh from the oven and with lots of Kerrygold butter."

 

Ingredients

1. 3 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 cup all-purpose flour
3. 1 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6. 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter an 8-by-5-inch metal loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk both flours with the baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the egg; stir into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Form the dough into a loaf and put it in the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the bread has risen about 1/2 inch above the rim of the pan. Once unmolded, the loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool to warm or room temperature, then slice and serve.

Serve With Irish farmhouse cheeses.

Pan-Fried Salmon with Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
• SERVINGS: 8

• FAST
• HEALTHY

Best chef Cathal Armstrong loves salmon, especially because he grew up eating it on special occasions. He likes to pan-fry the fish fillets, then top them with an intense citrus vinaigrette made from a combination of fresh orange, lemon and lime juices.

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds asparagus, stalks peeled
2. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3. 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
4. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
5. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6. 1 medium shallot, minced
7. 2 tablespoons snipped chives
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10. Eight 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. In a large skillet of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus stalks until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat the asparagus dry and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and toss gently to coat.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the orange, lemon and lime juices and simmer over moderate heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the shallot, chives and the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil until shimmering. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and add 4 to each skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until browned and just cooked, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the salmon to plates and spoon some of the citrus vinaigrette on top. Serve the salmon with the asparagus, passing the extra vinaigrette at the table.

Make Ahead: The vinaigrette and blanched asparagus can be refrigerated separately overnight. Bring both to room temperature before serving.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• ACTIVE: 25 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
• SERVINGS: 8

• BASIC-EASY
• HEALTHY
• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

This dish is outstanding because it can be made with less-than-perfect tomatoes, says best chef Cathal Armstrong.

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup chopped basil
2. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1/4 cup pitted Niçoise olives, chopped
4. 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
5. 8 large plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/3 inch thick
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 275°. In a mini food processor, process the basil, olive oil, olives and rosemary to a paste.
2. Arrange the tomato slices on a large, rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the tapenade over each tomato slice. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the tomatoes are very tender. Serve hot or warm.

Battered Cod with Marie Rose Sauce Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
• SERVINGS: 6

• FAST

At his Eamonn's a Dublin Chipper, Dublin-born best chef Cathal Armstrong (Best New Chef 2006) brings the fish-and-chips tradition to Alexandria, Virginia. Armstrong serves two types of fish, plus fries and a host of sauces, like the one below. 

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2. 2 tablespoons ketchup
3. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4. 1 teaspoon Tabasco
5. 1 3/4 cups water
6. 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
7. Salt
8. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
9. 1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
10. 2 pounds skinless cod fillets, cut into 4-inch pieces

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the ketchup, lemon juice and Tabasco.
2. Pour the water into a large bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer at low speed, beat in the 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the baking soda. Strain the batter into another bowl.
3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 360°. Line a rack with paper towels. Dust 5 pieces of cod with flour, then tap off the excess. Dip the cod in the batter, scraping the pieces lightly against the side of the bowl to remove excess batter, and add to the hot oil. Fry over moderate heat until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to the rack. Repeat with the remaining fish and batter. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once with the sauce.

Lobster and Fennel Salad Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
• SERVINGS: 8

• HEALTHY

When best chef Cathal Armstrong was a child, his family bought all their fish on Fridays from "the ladies on the pier" in Dun Laoghaire. On Saturdays, if they were lucky, the Armstrongs would have lobster for lunch. In this salad, Cathal combines the sweet lobster with fresh fennel. His tip: Soak the sliced fennel in icy lemon water before serving to make the pieces extra-crisp. 

Ingredients

1. Four 1 1/2-pound lobsters
2. 2 cups cold water
3. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4. 1 large fennel bulb—halved, cored and sliced paper-thin on a mandoline
5. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
6. 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper
8. 3 cups packed arugula leaves (3 ounces)
9. 1 medium shallot, very thinly sliced
10. 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobsters and cook until they are bright red, about 7 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the lobster cooking water, then drain the lobsters. Transfer the lobsters to a large rimmed baking sheet and let them cool slightly.
2. Twist the lobster tails from the bodies. With scissors, cut down the length of each tail shell and remove the meat. Cut the tails in half lengthwise and discard the dark intestine. Crack the claws and remove the meat. Cover the lobster and refrigerate.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the cold water with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Add the fennel and refrigerate for about 25 minutes, until the fennel is very crisp.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the tarragon, the reserved lobster cooking liquid and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
5. Drain the fennel and pat dry with paper towels; transfer to a large bowl. Add the arugula, shallot and cilantro leaves and toss well. Add all but 1/4 cup of the dressing to the bowl and toss well.
6. Arrange the salad on plates and top each one with a claw and half a lobster tail. Drizzle the lobster with the remaining dressing and serve at once.

Make Ahead The shelled lobster meat and the tarragon dressing can be refrigerated separately overnight.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Corn Relish Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• ACTIVE: 45 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 5 HRS
• SERVINGS: 4

This one-skillet recipe is based on a dish Cathal Armstrong's father, Gerry, made when Armstrong was growing up in Dublin, with a big difference. "We only got fresh corn for our birthdays. Otherwise it was frozen." 

Ingredients

1. One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2. 2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
3. 12 bay leaves, preferably fresh
4. 4 ears of corn, shucked
5. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1 cup roasted red pepper strips, finely chopped
8. 1 large jalapeño, seeded and minced
9. 2 tablespoons chopped basil
10. 1 tablespoon chopped mint
11. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12. 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
13. 1/2 cup chicken stock
14. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken, garlic and bay leaves and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush the corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cut the kernels from the cobs and transfer to a bowl. Add the roasted peppers, jalapeño, basil, mint and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down over moderately high heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken, add the garlic and bay leaves and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for about 25 minutes, until cooked through.
4. Set the skillet over high heat and cook until the pan juices are nearly evaporated. Transfer the chicken and garlic to a platter; pour off any fat. Add the vinegar and stock to the skillet and cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Serve the chicken with the sauce and relish.

Puff Pastry Apple Pie Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• ACTIVE: 30 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 45 MIN
• SERVINGS: makes one 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie

• MAKE-AHEAD

Best chef Cathal Armstrong tells of how a family friend came over for lunch one day and marveled at the apple pie his mother, Angela, had made. When her husband, Gerry, asserted that it must have been the apples he grew that made the pie taste so good, the friend said, "Angela, you tell him pastry like that doesn't grow on trees." Since puff pastry can be tricky to prepare, this version of Angela's pie uses a high-quality, store-bought puff pastry. 

Ingredients

1. 3 pounds Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
2. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4. Two 14-ounce packages all-butter puff pastry, chilled

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar and the 3 tablespoons of flour.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of puff pastry to a 14-inch square. Ease one pastry square into a 9 1/2-inch deep glass pie plate. Scrape the apples and their juices into the shell. Lay the second layer of puff pastry on top. Press the edges together to seal and trim the overhang to 1 inch. Crimp the edge decoratively and cut a few slits on top for venting. Freeze the pie for 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the apple pie on a baking sheet and transfer it to the oven. Bake the pie for 30 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake for 40 minutes longer, until the top is deep golden brown. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Skillet-Roasted Lamb Loins with Herbs Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

• ACTIVE: 40 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
• SERVINGS: 8

Best chef Cathal Armstrong's family always celebrated the end of Lent with lamb, and preparing the meal became an all-day event that left the adults "snoring on the couch." Best chef Cathal's preparation for lamb nowadays isn't exhausting at all: He rubs the loins with herbs, garlic and shallots, then ties them up, sears them and finishes them in the oven. The result is succulent, delicately flavored meat. 

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 large shallot, minced
4. 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
5. 1 teaspoon minced sage
6. 1 teaspoon minced marjoram
7. 1 teaspoon minced thyme
8. 2 boneless lamb loins with tenderloins attached (about 3 pounds), thin layer of fat and rib apron left on, at room temperature
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with the garlic, shallot and herbs. Lay the loins on a work surface, fat side down, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the herb paste all over the lamb. Roll each loin over the tenderloin and rib apron to make a neat roulade. With butcher's twine, tie the meat at 1-inch intervals. Season the lamb with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 12-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the lamb loins and cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, about 20 minutes total.
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the loins for 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 125°. Transfer the loins to a carving board to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Cut off the strings. Carve the loins into 1-inch-thick slices and serve.

Serve With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes (see recipe above) and boiled baby new potatoes.

Wild or Farm-Raised Christmas Turkey and Stuffing Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

A delicious recipe for Turkey from chef Cathal Armstrong, learned from his dad.

Ingredients

• 6.80 kg (15lb) turkey (purchased from a local farmers' market)
• 1 package of rashers (not smoked)
• aluminum foil
• for the stuffing:
• 500 ml chicken broth
• 230 g diced bacon
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1 large waxy potato (diced)
• 1 diced bread loaf (i use home sourdough bread)
• 4 tblsp parsley (fresh and chopped)
• 2 tblsp rosemary (fresh and chopped)
• 2 tblsp thyme (fresh and chopped)
• 3 tblsp sage (fresh and chopped)
• 5 eggs
• salt and pepper

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Toast the bread in an oven until golden brown. Boil the potato until just tender then run cold water over to cool, strain. Render the bacon in a sauté pan and then sweat the onion in the fat. In a bowl, combine the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stuff the turkey with the stuffing - sew up the opening if needed. Cover this area with foil. Place the turkey on a baking rack set inside a baking sheet, or place turkey on a traditional turkey baking pan with a raised rack. Add approx 950ml/2 pints cold water. This will steam the bird and keep it moist. Cover the breast of the turkey with strips of bacon, followed by a layer of foil to cover this area ONLY.
3. Place into the oven at 150°C/300°F or Gas Mark 2. (see below for timings)
4. One hour from finish cooking time, remove the foil from stuffing section and the breast section along with the bacon. Turn up the temperature to 200°C or 400°F or Gas Mark 6.
5. For the Pan Gravy:
6. Once the bird has been removed from the oven, add a small amount of chicken broth to the pan drippings. With a whisk, get the drippings and the liquid moving around. In a separate bowl make a roux (flour and butter mixed together) then add this to a saucepan followed by the chicken broth with pan drippings. Add chicken stock to adjust for consistency. Bring to a boil until it thickens to a brown gravy. Once the gravy has come to a thick consistency, remove from the heat and strain through a fine strainer. Ready to serve.

 * 15 minutes of oven bake time per pound plus 15 minutes, 150°C 300°F gas mark 2 to begin . Do not use a meat thermometer - and throw that pop up thing away. . Nothing beats fresh chicken broth. . Save the turkey bones to make soup, post-Christmas ** Always open one of your best bottles of wine while preparing the turkey. *** Let the turkey rest for at least 1/2 hour or 45mins before carving

Gratin of Potatoes Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

Cathal Armstrong serves up delicious gratin of potatoes.

Ingredients

• 6 large potatoes (peeled)
• 1 l cream
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt and nutmeg

 Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
2. Prepare a casserole dish, cut the clove of garlic in half and rub the casserole dish all over the inside.
3. Pour in the cream and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Season with salt and nutmeg remembering to account for the potatoes you are about to add.
4. One at a time slice the potatoes thinly (using a mandolin if possible) and shingle them into the cream like dealing a deck of cards.
5. When all of the potatoes are added, transfer to the casserole dish and bake in the oven until the potatoes are cooked all the way through.
6. Use a knife or skewer to be sure they are tender (about 40 minutes).

Cured Atlantic Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

A delious fish dish from chef Cathal Armstrong

Ingredients

• 1 side of wild atlantic salmon (cleaned, skin on, pin bones removed)
• 600 g sea salt
• 200 g sugar
• 113 g dill (roughly chopped)
• 28 g good cognac
• for the sauce:
• 4 tbs mustard; dark highly-seasonsed prepared
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 3 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs champagne vinegar
• 80 ml us canola/rape seed oil
• 3 tbs fresh chopped dill

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap. Mix the sugar and salt together in a bowl. Place the Salmon on the tray and cover with the salt and sugar mixture. Put the chopped dill on top and sprinkle with the Cognac. Wrap the Salmon in the plastic. Place another sheet tray on top and put in the refrigerator with a heavy weight on top for 24 hours.
2. Remove the Salmon from the plastic, rinse thoroughly with cold water, discard the salt/sugar and dill. Pat the Salmon dry with paper towel, slice thinly and serve.
3. To Prepare the Sauce:
4. In a small bowl mix the two mustards sugar and vinegar to a paste. With a wire whisk slowly beat in the oil until it forms a thick mayonnaise-like emulsion. Stir in the chopped dill.

Brussels Sprouts Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

Cathal Armstrong shows us how with the classic Brussel Sprout.

Ingredients

• about 40 fresh local brussels sprouts
• 213 g bacon lardons
• 4 each shallots minced
• 2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
• 4 tblsp chicken stock
• 4 tblsp butter
• salt and black pepper

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Clean and remove dull outer leaves from the sprouts.
2. Cut them in half and blanch them in salted boiling water until just tender (do not over cook them or they have an unsavory gassy quality).
3. Shock them in iced water.
4. When they are cold, strain them and lay them on a paper towel in the refrigerator - this can be done the night before but store them covered overnight.
5. Sauté the bacon until it is golden brown.
6. Add the shallots and the brussels sprouts and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
7. Add the stock and, when it simmers, stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper then add the thyme.
8. Serve.

Broccoli Recipe by Cathal Armstrong

How about some broccoli with your Christmas dinner?

Ingredients

• 3 heads broccoli
• 6 cloves garlic sliced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt

Cathal Armstrong Recipe

1. Heat a large sauté pan over a medium high heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the broccoli until it is tender but still crisp, add the garlic, red pepper flakes and season with salt.
2. Toss the vegetables for a few seconds and serve. (the heat from the broccoli will continue to cook the garlic sufficiently. I am always careful not to over cook vegetables like broccoli or it may have an undesirable after taste).

Best Chefs

World's Best Chefs

Cathal Armstrong Interview

The best chefs from around the world influence the way we cook our food, eat at restaurants, and inspire us to improve our cooking skills, knowledge, and ability. Chef Cathal Armstrong is one of the best-known chefs in the culinary industry, exhibiting great culinary command creativitiy, technique, presentation, and even business. Here best chef Cathal Armstrong's interviews which tell the story of how he became the great chef he is today.

Cathal Armstrong Interview | Best New Chef 2006

What recipe are you most famous for?
Probably the pork belly we serve at Restaurant Eve. It was inspired by what my mother called “boiling bacon”—it was basically pure pork belly that was boiled rather than pan-fried. We brine the belly for seven days and then we braise it until it’s tender and then crisp it up in a pan. The accompaniments change fairly often, but the pork belly is a staple on the menu.

What two dishes really tell us your story as a best chef?
Sweetbreads are certainly one of my most favorite things to cook. It used to be that they were only available from the butcher one day a week, when the animals were slaughtered. Since you couldn’t get them every day, they were often preserved, but I learned to work with them raw. I lightly dust them with flour and pan-fry them almost like fried chicken. When you prepare sweetbreads that way, they have a very elegant flavor, with a crispy exterior and a pillowy, creamy interior that is luscious and rich.
There’s another dish that has been on the menu since we opened, which I call OOO—that refers to onions, oysters and osetra. It’s a puff pastry with creamed cipollini onions, a poached oyster and osetra caviar. It is an open homage to one of the best dishes I have ever tasted in my life, Thomas Keller’s Oysters and Pearls at The French Laundry. But it also speaks to the type of food that I like: It has the richness of the cream, the brine of the oyster and the saltiness of the caviar. There’s a lot of contrast of flavors and textures in there, which to me is very exciting.

What is your favorite cookbook of all time?
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, has to be very high on the list. I think that book is indispensable, not necessarily for the recipes, but for the techniques and the way it communicates the importance of rules and discipline in food. Another inspiring one is Le Repertoire de la Cuisine, which is from the early 20th century, but it’s still very relevant today—it helps you understand the natural affinities in food.

What is one cooking technique that everyone should know?
How to make a good sauce. The art of sauce-making separates good food from great food. It even separates great food from extraordinary food.

What is your secret-weapon ingredient?
Dijon mustard, no doubt about it. In addition to the fact that it improves any sauce you can think of, it is also an important liaison in in a good vinaigrette. We use it to make a really awesome steak sauce that we call liquid gold: a splash of chicken stock, a little butter and chives, and Dijon mustard.

What ingredient will people be talking about in five years?
If I had my way, it would be the Randall Lineback. It’s a species of cattle that we buy at the restaurant, an ancient breed that was brought to America about 400 years ago. The meat is very lean. The gentleman we buy from has recovered the herd to 350 head.

What is your current food obsession?
I enjoy eating sausage all the time, from things like saucisson and liver sausage to breakfast sausage, kielbasa and bratwurst. I love the texture, flavor and versatility of sausage. You take a pork shoulder and depending on what ingredients you add to it you can make interesting things that are so, so different from each other.

What is your favorite food letter of the alphabet?
Probably C. I love ethnic food in general, and I when I was a youngster I learned how to make garam masala. It’s an Indian spice that’s kind of like curry, but better. What helps me remember the ingredients is that everything that goes into it starts with a C: cumin, coriander, cardamom, chiles…

Where and when were you born?
Dublin, Ireland; 1969.

Where did you learn to cook?
New Heights, Gabriel, Vidalia and Bistro Bis, all in Washington, DC.

Why did you become a best chef?
"I was in college in Dublin studying computer programming—BASIC and COBOL, which were archaic computer languages even when I was in school. Some friends opened up a restaurant, Da Vincenzo. I started washing dishes, then I became a waiter, then one of the guys in the kitchen was sick and I filled in."

What is your biggest inspiration?
David Lankford, owner of Davon Crest farm in Trappe, Maryland. "He's so excited about farming. When I'm down, David is like my Santa Claus."

What's the best thing about Old Town Alexandria?
"The people here have adventurous palates. Once we bought 10 pounds of sardines and sold them as a special; in 20 minutes they were gone. I couldn't give them away in downtown DC."

Cathal Armstrong Interview | Best Rising Star Chef December 2007

When did you start cooking? What or who inspired you to become a best chef?
Cathal Armstrong: It was an accidental job. I was washing dishes as a college job, one of the best chefs got sick and they asked me to cover for him. He never came back and I stayed on.

Would you recommend culinary school to aspiring chefs today? Do you only hire the best chefs with culinary school backgrounds?
Cathal Armstrong: Culinary School is a great platform from which to start your career. You will get out of it what you put into it. When it comes to hiring, the most important thing for me is restaurant experience and attitude. I only hire people that I feel I might enjoy working with.

Who are your mentors? What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from them?
Cathal Armstrong: Chef Greggory Hill of David*Gregory, formerly of New Heights, introduced me to the fundamentals and Jeffrey Buben of Bistro Bis and Vidalia taught me how to run a restaurant.

What is your philosophy on food and dining?
Cathal Armstrong: Getting the food from the vine to the plate as quickly as possible, focusing and concentrating their flavors.

Are there any secret ingredients that you especially like? Why?
Cathal Armstrong: I like working with pork fat. It is very versatile, palatable when hot or cold, and it adds moisture and flavor.

What is your most indispensable kitchen tool? Why?
Cathal Armstrong: I love my meat grinder. We do a lot of charcuterie in the restaurant and it ís one of the most fun branches of cooking. Of course I couldn’t live without my best chef’s knife.

What is your favorite question to ask during an interview for a potential new line cook?
Cathal Armstrong: I look at how they present themselves. I want to know that a person is serious about work and dedicated to staying in the kitchen. 

What are your favorite cookbooks?
Cathal Armstrong: Letters to a Young Chef by Daniel Boulud and The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller. I make all my staff read best chef Boulud’s book. I am grateful to best chef Keller for writing down so many of the rules we use in the kitchen every day.

What cities do you like for culinary travel?
Cathal Armstrong: I’ve been to California twice which I liked, and I was in Paris, Rome and Barcelona when I was first married.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years?
Cathal Armstrong: Hopefully at the stove at Restaurant Eve. I’d like to open an artisanal butcher shop and bakery as well.

See more video and audio interviews of Cathal Armstrong:
http://www.restauranteve.com/index.cfm/media/video-audio1/

Cathal Armstrong

Cathal Armstrong
The best chefs from around the world influence the way we cook our food, eat at restaurants, and inspire us to improve our cooking skills, knowledge, and ability. Chef Cathal Armstrong is one of the best-known chefs in the culinary industry, exhibiting great culinary command creativitiy, technique, presentation, and even business. Here is everything there is to know about best chef Cathal Armstrong, including Cathal Armstrong's biography, history, interviews, and recipes that made them the great chef he is today.



Specialty: American regional cuisine

Restaurants

Restaurant Eve

110 South Pitt St. Alexandria, VA, United States

(703) 706-0450 

 

The Majestic

911 King St. Alexandria, VA, United States

(703) 837-9117 

 

Eamonn's a Dublin Chipper

728 King St. Alexandria, VA, United States

(703) 299-8384

 

Cathal Armstrong Biography
Irish chef Cathal Armstrong’s cuisine and philosophy reflect ideas planted in the atypical Dublin household of his childhood, where garlic was used fearlessly and fruits and vegetables were grown in the garden. The family’s travel business launched Cathal Armstrong into a myriad of different countries, cultures and cuisines where he began to develop an appreciation for gastronomy in the differing landscapes of Europe. As the family traveled, Cathal Armstrong was educated in the languages he now speaks fluently: English, French, Spanish, German and Irish. For those not versed in the Dubliner’s native language, the “t” in Cathal is silent. At the age of seven, Cathal Armstrong began his annual student exchange in France with the Boudain family. His food curriculum involved visiting truffle-farms and vineyards, eating peasant-style food and picking fruits and vegetables on the farm. These early culinary experiences inspired Cathal Armstrong’s philosophy. He is committed to sourcing locally, valuing animals and respecting the land, so much so that Cathal Armstrong cites innovative farmer David Lankford of Davon Crest Farms in Maryland as one of his biggest inspirations. Cathal Armstrong is now an active member of The American Farmland Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the nation’s agricultural resources. At the age of 20, Cathal Armstrong opened a fine dining restaurant in the Dublin suburbs with two partners. After a two-year tenure at The Baytree, Cathal Armstrong decided to move to Washington DC where for the next 11 years he moved his way through various top kitchens learning the fundamentals from mentors including Greg Mitchell of New Heights and Jeffrey Buben of Bistro Bis. It was during his time spent at Gabriel under Gregory Hill that Cathal Armstrong met his future wife and business partner Meshelle Armstrong. Together, they dreamed of a place where they could balance a commitment to farmers with their vision of fine dining. The Armstrongs found it in Alexandria, where in April 2004, 13 years after first arriving in DC, they opened Restaurant Eve. The modern American restaurant (with French, Spanish and Irish influences) showcased Cathal Armstrong’s playful personal style and deep-rooted commitment to purveyors. In the summer of 2006, Cathal Armstrong opened Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper and PX, or The PX, a cocktail-driven speakeasy lounge five blocks from Restaurant Eve. Both venues are named for Armstrong’s children, Eve and Eamonn. Cathal Armstrong has since been inducted into the Share Our Strength Leadership Council, a group of culinary notables from around the country who advise this non-profit dedicated to eradicating childhood hunger in the U.S. Cathal Armstrong’s self-described “pork fetish” and the Irish roots at the base of his culinary experience are showcased in decadent but playful dishes like “Bacon, Egg, and Cheese.” The dish makes full use of the versatility of pork fat with a cured and braised pork belly, seared to order, a tender crepe with ham and leeks, and a rich golden cheddar foam.



Cathal Armstrong’s first kitchen job was extremely inauspicious. While studying computer programming at a university in Dublin, he washed dishes at a local pizzeria on the side. But when a cook fell ill, Armstrong stepped into the kitchen to help. He never left. At the age of 19, emboldened by his time at the pie shop, Armstrong tried his hand at opening his own fine-dining French restaurant, The Baytree, outside Dublin. “I did everything that you should not do in the restaurant business,” he says of the learning experience. “After 10 months we decided we’d lost enough money and left the project.” He moved to Washington, DC, in 1990, and worked in pubs and then high-end restaurants throughout the city. In 2004, he broke off to open his own project, Restaurant Eve, in Alexandria, Virginia. Eve was an immediate success and best chef Cathal Armstrong, along with his wife, Meshelle, quickly expanded their holdings to include a fish and chips shop, Eamonn’s, and a speakeasy, PX, in 2006, the same year he was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef. In 2007 the Armstrongs took over operations of an Alexandria institution, The Majestic, and followed that up with the gastropub Virtue in 2011, and the food retail palace Society Fair in 2012. A second location of Eamonn’s opened in August 2012, in nearby Arlington, Virginia.

Born into a family with a passion for food and travel, Cathal Armstrong grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where he spent his days in the family’s fruit and vegetable garden. Through the Armstrong family’s travel business, young Cathal Armstrong was exposed to different cultures and cuisines throughout Europe.
At the age of seven, Cathal Armstrong began an annual summer student exchange with a French family. These summers were spent amidst truffle farms, peasant food, and local vineyards. The best chef developed strong values for fresh ingredients, humane animal care, and concern for the land.
After working in various Irish kitchens, Cathal Armstrong met his wife and business partner, Meshelle. The two moved to Virginia to create Restaurant Eve, where the farmland and atmosphere would be similar to “home.” The goal at Eve is to create straightforward, ingredient-based food.
In 2006, the Armstrongs, with their business partners, opened Eamonn’s: A Dublin Chipper, which is, naturally, a fish-and-chips shop, as well as PX, the hip speakeasy lounge upstairs. Most recently, Cathal and Meshelle restored The Majestic in Old Town Alexandria, featuring Virginia-inspired fare.
Best chef Cathal Armstrong was a James Beard Foundation Best Mid-Atlantic Chef nominee in 2007 and 2008. He was also honored as one of “10 Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine magazine and StarChefs Rising Star in 2006.


Native Dubliner Cathal Armstrong was born into a family with a passion for food. That passion, unusual for families in Dublin at the time, was fueled not only by his family’s fruit and vegetable garden, but also by his father’s appreciation of other cultures and cuisines. Cathal Armstrong’s father owned a travel business and would regularly take his family on holidays to neigboring Europen countries and around the world. Cathal Armstrong was exposed to the markets, seafood and products indiginous to that nation. Ultimately, he would be introduced to the wealth of the food world, develop an appreciation for gastronomy and become educated in the languages he speaks today: English, French, Spanish, and his native Irish.

As a youth, Cathal Armstrong attended Coláiste na Rinne, the well regarded all-Irish boarding school, for one year and Coláiste Eoin (meanscoil lán ghaelige) in Stillorgan, Co Dublin. He was selected to the Dublin minor hurling squad in 1985. He often jokes that had he not become a best chef would he not have tried his hand at professional hurling, the fastest sport in the world.

This Irish best chef still cherishes the memories of working alongside his father in the family garden, bonding time that strengthened not only his family ties, but also his affinity for the land. It was in France, at the age of seven, that Cathal Armstrong began his annual student exchange and his food curriculum for life.  Each summer he lived with the same family, the Boudains’, returning to the truffle farms, peasant food and local vineyards.  These influences instilled in Cathal Armstrong the importance of organic growing and sustainability, before they were buzzwords.

Today he honors that tradition by demanding the highest-quality ingredients from a handpicked network of suppliers revered for their wholesome products. His guiding principal: “Nature is perfect. Extract the flavor. Enhance it. Don’t take away from it.”

Cathal Armstrong is considered by both Ireland and America’s epicurean fraternity, to be one of our finest chefs, a best chef whose ability and creativity is boundless.

This impassioned toque’s significant contributions to the local food movement garnered him accolades that extend beyond his cooking, including The National Restaurant Association “Neighborhood Community Award,” Edible Chesapeake Magazine- “Local Hero Award” and The Washingtonian Magazine’s “Green Giant Award” for those who work to protect and preserve our environment and teach the virtues of green living.

The White House has taken notice of his four star intentions as well and has honored him as a “Champion of Change.”

Under President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative (whitehouse.gov/champions), the White House features a group of Americans who continue to ‘Innovate, Educate, and Build’ throughout their respective communities. In honor of this recognition, the Office of Public Engagement hosted an event at the White House to commend Cathal Armstrong and like minded individuals who promote empowerment and inspiration.

Best chef Cathal Armstrong is a board member of Fresh Farm Markets, which operates eight farmers' markets in the Chesapeake Bay region. His devotion to the ideals of environmentalism, health and conservation has led him to lecture abroad at the request of the US State Department. He was invited by the ambassador to the Bloom festival in Ireland to “recreate” First Lady MIchelle Obama’s Garden and demonstrated to school children and attendees the joys and benefits of “growing your own.”

His own love of horticulture drove him to create an organic, worm composted garden, with a natural rain water irrigation system, behind the restaurant. Fruits from his trees, seasonal vegetables and herbs from his organic garden are harvested and incorporated into mouthwatering dishes that nourish the palate and the soul.

As a father of two young children he has dedicated himself to educating children and families about healthy eating. Unsatisfied by the nutritional quality, in schools best chef Cathal Armstrong founded Chefs as Parents™ (www.chefsasparents.com) a non for profit company that will partner with The Alexandria public school system to improving the school lunch system.

Chef Armstrong is a Best Mid-Atlantic Chef nominee by the James Beard Foundation in 2011, selected as both Food & Wine magazine’s “10 Best New Chefs 2006” and honored in Food & Wine magazine’s “50 Hall of Fame Best New Chefs” and Best Chef Award Winner by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington DC.

Four years after the opening of Restaurant Eve, best chef Cathal Armstrong’s Tasting Room received a four-out of four star rating by Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.

National Magazines have featured best chef Cathal Armstrong’s commitment to culinary excellence and Irish “farm to table” style in prominent stories in Oprah, Food and Wine, Cookie, Parents, Southern Living & Martha Stewart. The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC World News, NY Times, and The Irish Times have taken note of his culinary prowess and his dedication to ending childhood obesity.

Rave reviews continue as best chef Cathal Armstrong stretches out with complex, thoughtful cooking that knits together his Irish upbringing, his French training, and his grasp of the American culinary moment.
Cathal Armstrong can speak four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Irish.