Chef Matthew Niessner schooled us in the kitchen

Image by Amanda Click / TheDigitel

I had the opportunity to be a guest at King Street Kitchen Company's cooking demonstration on Wednesday evening featuring Hall's Chophouse chef Matthew Niessner, and let me tell you, it was seafood heaven.

Chef Matthew was first up in a ten week series that features different local chefs as they demonstrate their specialty in a fun, interactive and informative way. Beginning the night by taking general questions from the audience, we learned the correct way to sear tuna and some tidbits about the proper kitchen ware to make magic happen. The real fun was soon to follow.

In about an hour's time, Chef Matthew had created one of the freshest, simplest, and most doable seafood dinner that I'd come across in in ages. The first course consisted of fresh broiled jumbo lump crab meat crab cakes with a dash of red peppers and bread crumbs. Using just a dash of bread crumbs, low-fat mayonnaise and truffle oil, the Chef Matthew kept the focus on the succulent crab meat and not on the fillers. The crab cakes were placed over a green apple and jicama salad that was drizzled with white balsamic vinegar and local honey. To tie the dish together was a perfectly made beurre blanc sauce that was out of this world.

Next was the fresh salmon dish pan cooked with just a dash of salt and pepper, then covered in Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic seasoning. The fish was cooked to perfection then covered in a sauce of low-fat yogurt with diced cucumbers, dil, lemon, and tomatoes. The clean and cool flavors of the sauces made the bold garlic and cayenne peppers in the rub really pop.

For dessert was a cool, frozen drink that included Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur, but tasted just like a coffee milkshake.

King Street Kitchen Company's gorgeous showroom provided the optimal space for this type of event. There was not a bad seat in the house, and the 15 plus guests were treated to a very special night. Take a look at the full list of upcoming cooking demonstrations and be sure you make it to at least one.

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