My Shanghai Chefs

I had an amazing time in Shanghai last week. I had a chance to visit the fantastic local food markets, host a cooking class, chefs’ dinner, champagne reception, and spring dinner party. As with all of my visits to my restaurants abroad, my primary purpose here is to teach my chefs my newest dishes and that has definitely been the highlight of my time here.
Of course, I’ve taught my chefs at Jean Georges Shanghai before, but this session has been particularly exciting. We recently promoted Lam Ming Kin to chef de cuisine and Louis Ye to pastry chef. They lead a team that is comprised of only Chinese chefs, and I’m thrilled to have local talent bringing my cuisine to this vibrant city.

Both Kin and Louis were on the opening team of Jean Georges Shanghai and worked at my eponymous New York restaurant as well. Kin also cooked at Vong in Hong Kong and spent time training in Paris; Louis has been creating pastries at top restaurants in Shanghai for years and trained in Lyon and Switzerland. They’ve contributed to making our Three on the Bund restaurant one of the best in Shanghai—and China—and I know that they’ll continue to do so.

One of my favorite things about being a chef is mentoring the next generation, and being able to do so around the world. Being a great chef is not restricted by geography, and I’m thrilled to staff my Shanghai restaurant with a hometown team. They execute my dishes perfectly, and understand the local ingredients, the city’s restaurant scene, and, of course, the local cuisine.
As they carry on a long and rich culinary tradition in this city, they’re contributing my global flavors to the cosmopolitan mix.

I’ve always loved Shanghainese cuisine, like the traditional soup dumplings and noodles, but I’ve also admired the international influences in this city. By introducing my dishes, such as bacon-wrapped shrimp with avocado and passion fruit-honey mustard, my chefs help shape the culinary landscape of this great city. It’s been a pleasure leading them and I can’t wait to return and work with them again. Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Avocado and Passion Fruit-Honey Mustard
Serves 4

Passion Fruit Syrup:
1 cup frozen passion fruit puree
½ red bird chile
3 Tbsp. hot mustard powder
3 Tbsp. water
½ tsp. salt

Cumin Honey:
½ cup honey
½ tsp. cumin seeds, toasted

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Avocado
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 slices smoked bacon, halved crosswise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. grape seed or other neutral oil
1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 cilantro leaves

To make the syrup: Heat the puree and chile in a small saucepan over medium heat, and reduce until very syrupy. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool to room temperature. Mix together the mustard, water, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. When the passion fruit has cooled, stir it into the mustard mixture until smooth.

To make the honey: Heat honey and cumin in a small saucepan over medium heat, and reduce by half. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool to room temperature.

To make the shrimp: Wrap each shrimp with a strip of bacon, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Press a few thyme leaves into each side. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in one layer, cooking in batches if necessary, and cook, turning once, until bacon is crisp and shrimp are cooked through.
Divide avocado slices among 4 serving plates, and season lightly with salt. Arrange shrimp on top of avocado, then drizzle equal amounts of the passion fruit syrup and the cumin honey around the plate. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve immediately.