Advertisement
The 32-year-old executive chef at Signatures Restaurant creates one-of-kind entrees using unique ingredients and improvisation.
 |
Doug Dahlgren, executive chef, flips flaming tequila lime shrimp Thursday at Signatures Restaurant in Winona. Dahlgren has been working professionally as a chef for more than five years and says he doesn’t like to follow recipes, he just knows what he likes and puts it together. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
A sharp knife, creativity and confidence is needed for this job, Dahlgren said.
Cooking is an art form, and people always need to eat, and that’s something that will never go away. You alter people’s perceptions and change how people like things based on how you match ingredients.
There’s a whole circle of flavors to have a dish taste well-balanced; otherwise, things can be too salty or bitter or sweet.
Anyone that works in the kitchen knows we get our hands on the best stuff … We have the best cheeses and the best meats because we talk to the sources.
We work a lot with seasonal produce. We like to pick the products from local farms, and we have a garden out back with 120 to 130 tomato plants … We grow all our herbs and mountain strawberries year-round. We get all our plants from local farmers — Whitewater Gardens — and we’re involved with their (community-supported agriculture) program.
For meat steaks, you have to know what everything feels like. We do (temperatures) by feel. That’s a skill inherited. Different meats have different feels — a medium-rare pork has a different feel than a medium-rare filet mignon.
You need a respect for the field… This is something that’s been around. (French Master Chef Escoiffier) created the brigade system in the kitchen so it’s not some chaotic mess.
We do the brigade. Whoever’s on the grill is the lead guy, and he’s expediting and yelling down at the sauté guy how long on the vegetables. A (line cook) does desserts and salads. It’s always constant communication.
I’m in charge of the whole restaurant, including the in-front-of-the-house managers as well as coming up with recipes and cooking.
You have to be confident, not like in-your-face, but if you want things done, you have to be straight-forward.
We have prep sheets, and at the end of the night, we mark down what we run out of. At the beginning of the day, we re-stock.
Running out of food, like eggs on Easter, that for me is a huge fear.
You need to have knife skills … A knife is our best friend. It’s your sacred ground.
There are the daily burns and cuts. (One cook) just had to get four stitches.
You have to have a passion and love for what you do; otherwise, you get burned out.
I’m usually in at 11 a.m. and work to 9 p.m., the closing shift … On Easter, I’ll probably do 13 hours to get the hams and lambs in the oven.
I went to the International Art Institute in Minneapolis and earned a two-year associate’s degree. It’s either that or being in it since you’re 16 and starting off as a dishwasher.
They told us at school to expect $23,000 to $27,000 to start.
This was the first thing I wanted to do. I remember when I was a little kid I used to make microwave omelets with tang and toast.
You definitely need to know how to deal with people. There’s definitely drama in a restaurant.
We’re a bunch of pirates … We’re always snapping each other with towels or throwing broccoli at each other to break the monotony. We’re always playing pranks on each other, like squid ink in food or putting vinegar in soda.
This story is part of a weekly series called “On the Job,” where area residents talk about their careers. Contact reporter Amber Dulek at 507-453-3513 or amber.dulek@lee.net.
