Young chef incorporates wisdom of mentors into his own kitchen
The Chicago suburbs are a long way from the glitz of Las Vegas. Yet that's where twenty-something Andrew Jennrich found himself a few years ago.
Jennrich, a 2003 graduate of the culinary program at the Illinois Institute of Art, worked along side five-star chef Daniel Boulud at his eponymous brasserie in the uber chic Wynn Hotel on the Strip.
Yet that wasn't even this young talent's first brush with culinary greatness; he trained with chef Grant Achatz at Trio in Evanston as Achatz's star was rising at a meteoric rate.
Family responsibilities lured him back to the Midwest and after a stint at Cress Creek Country Club in Naperville (where he earned a silver medal in the Illinois Country Club Association's Iron Chef Challenge) he has settled in at D.O.C. Wine Bar in Lombard. He lives in Oak Park with his wife, Shari.
Growing up, what was your favorite meal? Every Sunday my family would go over to my grandmother's house and we would have fried chicken and country gravy. It is still one of my favorite things to make to this day.
What got you interested in cooking? My grandmother had a big impact on me learning how to cook. She made everything from scratch. She showed me how to make everything from an omelet to fresh gravy when I was really young.
What was your first restaurant job? I worked at a Spanish restaurant called EL Toro during college while I got my BA (at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis.). My dad still asks me to make him the Spanish-style braised pork we used to make at the restaurant.
You've worked with some highly acclaimed chefs. What lessons did you take away from Grant Achatz and Daniel Boulud? The biggest thing I took away from spending some time with chef Grant was the dedication and work ethic you need to bring into the kitchen everyday to strive for the best. I really learned what kind of focus one needs to have in the kitchen no matter what type of cuisine or restaurant you are in - hard work and dedication are things not limited only to 4 star kitchens.
Daniel taught me about pushing myself toward perfection under pressure. Chef had no time for anything less than absolutely perfect food, no matter what! His unwillingness to compromise is something that has definitely had an enormous impact one me.
What brought you back to the suburbs? There was actually a family matter that needed my attention back here in Chicago and my family is a top priority. It really came down to choosing to continue my career with Daniel or attending to the needs of my family at home and I chose my family.
Could you share a memorable moment in your career? I remember at Daniel Boulud Brasserie we had one of the princes of Saudi Arabia come to dine and his security people came in several days before his meal to oversee his security needs, etc. I remember that when we were serving his party dinner some of his security people were tasting the food we had plated for him. I didn't know why until I mentioned something to a fellow chef who said they were tasting all the food to see if it was poisoned. A rather crazy experience!
What was the most memorable meal you've eaten? It's a tie between taking my mom to eat at Trio for Christmas dinner and taking my wife, Shari, out for her birthday at NoMI at the Park Hyatt in Chicago.
What is your culinary philosophy? Never stop learning and always ask questions.
What is your favorite ingredient to work with? I couldn't say just one, but there are a few: fennel, celery root, parsnips and vinegars.
If you weren't a chef what would you be doing? I would probably have continued to pursue my undergraduate studies in the field of journalism.
What do you do in your free time? My wife and I are always going out to eat, everywhere from Blackbird (in Chicago) to Johnny's Beef (multiple locations). I love to eat, try new foods and new experiences. And if I can, I like to get to a Cubs game.
Do you have a go-to comfort food? Macaroni and cheese. After a long day at work, it's something that I can have ready to eat in under 10 minutes.
What was the last meal you prepared at home? I made fresh pasta with a pesto cream sauce and roasted chicken. Farmers markets and Whole Foods are your best friends when you cook at home.
Any words of wisdom for home cooks? In anything you're doing, never forget about salt and pepper! Seasoning correctly with salt and pepper is so key to the success of any dish.
What is your mission for the menu at D.O.C? To bring casual, comfort food to the western suburbs and expose people to ingredients and items that they might not otherwise get a chance to experience in the suburbs. That's why the menu has a lot of tapas-style dishes, a very European type of dining and sharing several small plates together, sampling a little bit of everything. Our butcher plate with an array of artisanal meats and cheeses is probably the best example.
Tell us about the dish: Basil-Cherry Chicken Salad. I was thinking about seasonal, comfort dishes when we were drafting new menu items last year. Chicken salad is one of the most familiar comfort foods for people at home and I wanted to take a really familiar, traditional item and put a nice twist on it.
I incorporated some ingredients that would compliment the traditional ingredients found in chicken salad. Things like Spanish piquillo peppers, dried cherries and fresh basil might not seem like they would all work together in this dish, but everything in the salad really comes together.
Try this at home or at D.O.C. Wine Bar, 326 Yorktown Center, Lombard. (630) 627-6666.
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<div class="infoBox"> <h1>Recipes</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> </div> <div class="recipeLink"> <ul class="moreLinks"> <li><a href="/story/?id=309857" class="mediaItem">Basil-Cherry Chicken Salad</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>