Foodie Chap With Chef Joseph Humphrey of The Farmer & The Fox

Having spent over 13 years in the Bay Area, Joseph's culinary approach celebrates the region's local, sustainable and organic farms, ranches and artisans. Inspired by the local culinary heroes, many with whom he has previously worked, Joseph builds on this legacy to create his own signature culinary style. While Joseph's approach points most directly to France, he seeks inspiration from food cultures around the world.

Joseph grew up in Tallahassee, a location rich in Southern traditions where Cajun flavors and the fresh produce of local farmers kindled his fondness for seasonal ingredients and heady spices. He started his culinary career in New Orleans, where he fell in love with the restaurant business – the constant challenges, the energy, and above all, the dedication to the craft of cooking. There he learned contemporary Creole cuisine under one of the nation's top restaurateurs, Dickie Brennan, at the acclaimed Palace Café, a French Quarter restaurant recognized as a "Best New Restaurant" by USA Today.

Joseph's legacy in the Bay Area began as executive chef of Murray Circle restaurant as well as designing banquet service for meetings and groups at Cavallo Point – the Lodge at the Golden Gate. Within a few months of opening Murray Circle, Joseph won industry acclaim. Murray Circle was awarded a Michelin star in fall 2008 – a rare honor for such a new restaurant. It received a Michelin star again in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Other accolades come from the San Francisco Chronicle, calling Joseph "a masterful chef" and named Murray Circle one of the best new restaurants of 2008 as well as one of the Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants in 2009 and 2010. Wine Spectator awarded Murray Circle a Best of Award of Excellence in 2010 and 2009.

In San Francisco, Joseph was corporate chef for Michael Mina. In this role he helped to develop new restaurants and served as chef de cuisine at Mina and George Morrone's Redwood Park in downtown San Francisco. Joseph also worked with Morrone to open Fifth Floor, one of Wine Spectator's "Top 20 Restaurants in the U.S." Fifth Floor offered Joseph the opportunity to create distinct flavors with a modern French-Californian feel. He also worked at One Market under with Morrone and another star chef, Bradley Ogden, at One Market.

Joseph shifted his focus onto Napa Valley and to The Restaurant at Meadowood, which, under his guidance, garnered a two-star rating in the 2008 Michelin Guide. Working in the wine country was the perfect pairing for Joseph's culinary philosophy and style, where he skillfully prepared menus with influences of France, Spain, and the Mediterranean.

Currently, as the Estate Chef for Cairdean Estate, Joseph directs menus for Butterscots Bakery & Deli and The Farmer & The Fox, which opened in June 2014 and has already received a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Award under his direction. Joseph again infuses his local and season style of cooking to prepare menus that serve as an ode to the classic dishes of English and Scottish pubs. For Cairdean's bakery and deli, Butterscots, Joseph has created a variety of artisan breads, sandwiches, salads and decadent pastries and desserts.

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

We met at The Farmer & The Fox for our Foodie Chap chat, an inviting spot with a British gastro pub feel that instantly took me back home. His Brit-inspired menu took me a step further down food memory lane; rabbit wellington, roast lamb, squab tikka masala and a favourite:scotch egg with cress & horseradish (the recipe is below). Chef took food classics from the old country, made them more contemporary and complimented then with the bountiful seasonal offerings of California.

Wine is of course an important part of The Farmer & The Fox story, so over a glass of Cairdean Estate Pinot Noir we talked about Joseph's amazing culinary journey, the many Bay Area spots he has cooked and the places I have enjoyed his flavourful, cuisine. Do yourself a massive favour and make a stop next time you are in wine country.

Cheers!

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

Scotch Egg, Cress & Horseradish
Serves 4

For The Eggs:
6 large eggs, best possible quality
½# good quality pork sausage
2 c. all purpose flour
8 c. panko breadcrumbs

Bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil. Gently lower 4 of the eggs into the water and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the boiling water and place immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the remaining two eggs. Place the flour in another bowl, and the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Once the eggs are cold, carefully remove the shells, being extremely careful to not break the eggs. Once the eggs are clean, carefully coat them in a thin layer of pork sausage, making sure that the egg is completely encased. Place in the refrigerator again to chill for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, carefully coat the eggs in a thin layer of flour, followed by a thin layer of egg wash, followed by a layer of breadcrumbs, followed by another layer of egg wash, and finally another layer of breadcrumbs. Reserve the eggs in the refrigerator until ready to fry. Discard any leftover flour, egg wash, or breadcrumbs.

For The Cress Puree:
3 c. cleaned watercress leaves and thin stems
¼ c olive oil
salt to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and season heavily with salt. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Plunge the watercress into the boiling water and cook for 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove the watercress from the boiling water and immediately plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Once the watercress is cold, remove from the ice water and squeeze out any excess water. Transfer the cooked watercress to a blender and puree until smooth. Once smooth, and with the blender still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt. Reserve cold until ready to serve.

For The Salad:
2 c. cleaned watercress sprigs
4 each radishes, cleaned and thinly sliced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbl olive oil

Place the watercress and the radishes in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, and olive oil. Lightly dress the watercress salad with the lemon juice mixture just before serving.

To Finish:

Fill a large, heavy bottomed pot with enough oil to submerge the eggs in. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Carefully transfer the eggs into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs from the hot oil, and place them on a tray lined with paper towels. Meanwhile, spoon 1 Tbl of the watercress puree into the bottom of a small bowl. Carefully cut the eggs in half lengthwise and place on top of the watercress puree. Top the eggs with some of the watercress and radish salad. Garnish each egg with a little freshly grated horseradish.