Angus McIntosh

American Chef Angus McIntosh has always felt at home in the kitchen, as he grew up with Chef parents. Like Krug, he values transmission, using recipes passed on to him from his father. Chef McIntosh is passionate about regenerative farming; in his kitchen, he uses produce, cheese and beef all grown and prepared on the property. Prior to taking on his current role, Chef McIntosh toured with Cyndi Lauper and Rod Stewart as their Chef.

A talk with Angus McIntosh

Can you tell us about your journey as a chef?

Both my father and mother were Chefs when I was growing up, and they would always have unique ingredients around the house. When I was 11 or 12, my father taught me how to butcher a chicken, which may be why I feel so at ease working with my hands today. Initially, I took this for granted, thinking all teenagers could probably prepare poultry or a skate wing, but when you arrive at a job at age 17 and already have these skills, you realise it is not the case. I feel most comfortable in a kitchen environment – it is where I was brought up and where I feel at home. My father passed down recipes to me, so I see cooking as a way to have one eye on the past, learning from those traditions to invoke memories in the present.

How do you care for the planet from your kitchen?

Regenerative farming is at the heart of everything we do in our kitchen. Currently, we are working on a project with beef where we have 120 wagyu cows on the property. By the time we are done next year, we will have a full-cycle system of sustainability whereby we breed the cow on the farm, prepare it and are able to serve it to our guests without leaving the property. We also have a greenhouse that grows about 220 pounds of produce right next to the restaurant. This allows us to have as low an impact on the environment as possible. An unexpected added benefit of producing all food on the property came to light over the winter when it snowed so heavily that no shipments could get through the blocked roads. Thanks to our farm, we were still able to get access to beef despite our rural location.

Why is the onion special to you?

I recall my father would hug me after getting off work and he would smell of onions. To this day, the scent comes back to me every time I come into the kitchen and put on my apron.

Why do you enjoy cooking with the onion?

Revered American Chef Julia Child once said, “It’s hard to imagine civilization without onions.” This is so true because whenever you cook with onions, they become the base of everything and add another dimension. You can add a shallot to refresh a sauce that would otherwise fall short.

Can you tell us about a memorable champagne pairing you have enjoyed?

Last year, I had an unforgettable dinner in New York where the pairing was as unique as my company was lovely. That evening spent with the current woman in my life began with a glass of Krug Rosé and tater tots. I can still picture her at that moment, forever in my memory. The handmade potato pancakes were served on a wooden board with a sidecar of caviar and a bit of crème fraîche for dipping. It was a surprise to see tater tots paired with Krug, but it was an extremely pleasant one.

Garden onion tart

STARTER

2 servings
timing

2 hours
preparation time

30 minutes
Cooking time

1h30

INGREDIENTS

STEP 1.

450 g brioche

200 g tempered butter

15 g fleur de sel

200 g crème fraîche

8 g bloomed gelatin

100 g crispy fried shallots

10 g shaved chives

STEP 2.

500 g gellan base

20 ml Champagne vinegar

20 g fleur de sel

16 g ultratex, 450 g carrots

20 g butter, 40 ml water

STEP 3.

600 g gellan base

20 ml Champagne vinegar

20 g fleur de sel

5 g sugar, 16 g ultratex

400 g crème fraîche (sub yogurt)

STEP 4.

400 g heavy cream

400 ml milk, 10 egg yolks

900 g vidalia onion, sliced

15 g fleur de sel, 10 g thickener

10 sheets thickener gelatin

RECIPE DEVELOPMENT

STEP 1. BRIOCHE TERRINE LAYER

Combine brioche, butter, and fleur de sel in the robot coupe and mix until homogenous. Heat the crème fraîche in a 1.5 l pot and melt in the gelatin, cool to room temperature. Pass the crème fraîche mix. Add to robot coupe with the brioche. Keep the panade at room temperature for ease of use. Spread 250 g in ¼ sheet tray of panade for foie gras terrine.

STEP 2. FARM CARROT PURÉE

Combine all ingredients except for the carrots in the vita-prep. Puree until completely smooth and add to bowl. Sauté carrots in a small saucepan, add water and glaze down. Add to blender, adjusting seasoning if necessary. Reserve in synthetic piping bag.

STEP 3. CRÈME FRAÎCHE PURÉE

Combine all ingredients except for crème fraîche in the vita-prep. Purée until completely smooth. Pass mix and add to bowl. Combine with crème fraîche, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Reserve in synthetic piping bag. For chiffon add 250 g buttermilk and 8 sheets of gelatin, and charge once in the ISI.

STEP 4. SOUBISE ONION CUSTARD BASE

In a 1.5 l pot, sweat the onions with no colour. When they sweat, add milk and cream. Simmer for 8-10 min until tender. Add salt and bloomed gelatin. Put contents of pot in vita-prep top and spin. Place the egg yolks into the top of the vitaprep as it spins. Mixture will thicken. Do not overheat to avoid curdling the egg yolks.

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS

Lay the brioche layer down first, pour in the custard, let that set.

PAIRING NOTES

From sip to bite, Krug Grande Cuvée 168^ème Édition is a delightful match with the Garden Onion Tart, as both are rich and multi-layered. With freshness and sweetness in perfect balance, Krug Grande Cuvée elevates the tart, bringing out what would otherwise be unrecognisable nuanced flavours.

Krug Grande Cuvée 168^ème Édition

The Most Generous Expression of Champagne

Discover

Angus McIntosh

United States, Wyoming

A talk with Angus McIntosh

Garden onion tart

INGREDIENTS

STEP 1.

STEP 2.

STEP 3.

STEP 4.

RECIPE DEVELOPMENT

STEP 1. BRIOCHE TERRINE LAYER

STEP 2. FARM CARROT PURÉE

STEP 3. CRÈME FRAÎCHE PURÉE

STEP 4. SOUBISE ONION CUSTARD BASE

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS

PAIRING NOTES

Krug Grande Cuvée 168^ème Édition

MEET THE CHEFS

Tristin Farmer

Hiroyuki Kanda

Ciccio Sultano

Heiko Nieder

Bernhard Reiser

Theo Clench

Izumi Kimura

Simon Davies

Prateek Sadhu

Krug Grande Cuvée

Krug Grande Cuvée

Angus McIntosh

United States, Wyoming

A talk with Angus McIntosh

Garden onion tart

Garden onion tart

INGREDIENTS

STEP 1.

STEP 2.

STEP 3.

STEP 4.

RECIPE DEVELOPMENT

STEP 1. BRIOCHE TERRINE LAYER

STEP 2. FARM CARROT PURÉE

STEP 3. CRÈME FRAÎCHE PURÉE

STEP 4. SOUBISE ONION CUSTARD BASE

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS

PAIRING NOTES

Krug Grande Cuvée 168ème Édition

MEET THE CHEFS

Tristin Farmer

Hiroyuki Kanda

Ciccio Sultano

Heiko Nieder

Bernhard Reiser

Theo Clench

Izumi Kimura

Simon Davies

Prateek Sadhu

Are you a Krug Lover? Make it official

Krug Grande Cuvée

Krug Grande Cuvée

Krug Grande Cuvée 168^ème Édition