a day in the life as a private chef
from the moment i launched this website i’ve been putting off this blog. not because i thought the reader would be bored or not intrigued by my career, but because the hype this has become in today’s world. or should i say on tiktok. but here goes nothing!
coffee first
on this day in particular, i was cooking for a new client. it was a trial to be specific. for those not aware of what a trial is, it simply means a test run to see if the client will hire you. so after two espresso shots and a train ride into the city, my day began.
a career as a private chef requires planning for anything. for instance, with this client, they asked for a specific type of fish for dinner. however, after two food stores and a local butcher, i had zero luck finding dover sole. like i mentioned earlier this client was new … so already not off to a good start. moments like this is where food knowledge and experience is extremely important, especially since there’s a time crunch because the client requested dinner at a certain time. now since dover sole is a white fish, i went with my personal favorite (and hopefully their second), cod. luckily i was still able to use the same sauce i had planned with the cod since they’re similar fish.
for those of you not from the new york area, food shopping in manhattan is like black friday shopping, but everyday. so if you don’t go into the store with knowledge of what you need, good luck fighting for those lemons!
as a private chef, i’m not always working in the same environment. so typically, i prepare for the worst. fortunately this clients kitchen was top tier to say the least! i was however advised to buy little things you expect each home to come with. spices, sugar, flour etc. with any client the first thing i’ll ask is what time they’d like to sit down for dinner. by knowing the time for dinner i can then plan accordingly for the work day. i find making a breakdown of the day to be the key to success. from what time i start prepping the first course to the time the first course is served. i also find touring a new clients kitchen before food shopping to be a major help. i hate food waste so making sure there’s no doubles of ingredients is always great. it also helps to know what tools are in the house and if the kitchens gas or electric. yes that matters when cooking!
what’s for dinner
this client requested a three course meal. most of my clients in the past typically allow me to pick the menu based upon their interest and dietary restrictions if there are any. however this client requested a specific menu. which consisted of,
cacio e pepe (to start)
grilled dover sole (entree)
roasted vegetable
apple crumble (dessert)
let’s cook
i first began by prepping what i wasn’t the most confident in, but also what i knew would take the longest to cook- the apple crumble they requested for dessert. for those of you who don’t know me, i don’t consider myself the worlds best baker. so when this client requested a dessert i obviously couldn’t say no. luckily it was on the easier side! a typical apple crumble is made in a cake pan (deep dish pyrex). however , another obstacle came into play. zero cake pans and only a muffin tray. so it was time to get creative! in the end the clients actually loved the plating of the crumble and mentioned how it was out of the ordinary and appreciated the uniqness. little did they know it’s the only choice i had!
next i began prepping what i knew would take the longest for the main course- the vegetables. this client requested a roasted vegetable. honestly, the side dishes are typically my favorite to cook! you can really get creative and pair what goes best with the main protein. in this case, cod. so i found some beautiful rainbow carrots and broccoli rabe and tossed those into a pot with vegetable broth, fresh garlic and onions. the easiest part of the menu was definitely the cacio e pepe. it’s really just a fancy name for plain pasta with cheese and butter. the key to perfection when cooking this dish is the cheese to pasta water ratio. making sure the pasta is creamy but the noodles aren’t over cooked.
finally it was time to portion the fresh cod and begin searing each piece. when cooking with this type of fish, you always want to use a fish spatula. cod tends to fall apart when cooking if not handled correctly. you’ll thank me later! once golden brown on both sides i made the sauce in the same pan and began to plate the main course.
once it was time to pack up my knife kit and say goodnight to the clients, i decided to treat myself to a bowl of pasta and glass of red at a local spot. now … if you’re wondering where the recipes are to these delicious dishes, hold tight! they’re in our next blog! let us know if you want to hear more about our day to day being a private chef. never know who we might cook for next!
