Chef Doug McGohan’s path to Corporate Chef has been shaped by a variety of culinary experiences, from line cook to fine-dining chef to corporate R&D. Each step brought a different level of skill to his resume, paving the way for his current position managing Culinary Services at Nestlé Professional. In this role, Doug is involved in all aspects of the company’s culinary business, working with customers and the sales team, providing assistance to marketing, supporting divisional chefs in the field, and representing the company at trade events.
“My first job was as a dishwasher at a Sizzler Steakhouse restaurant when I was 16 years old,” says McGohan. “After a couple of months I was moved up to a line cook and then I was addicted to the rush of energy and excitement that working in a restaurant brings.”
The first true chef McGohan worked with was Chef Richard Blondin at Columbus, Ohio’s Refectory Restaurant. A Lyon, France native, Blondin worked under culinary icons Paul Bocuse and Pierre Orsi. “His approach to cooking was different from anything I had experienced prior,” says McGohan about his mentor. “He taught me to respect not only the food but the profession. It was working under him that really ignited my culinary passion.”
Trends in breakfast
Today, McGohan keeps current on trends by working with his chef team, who is constantly in front of customers. The Breakfast Quesadilla with Adobo Potato Hash, for example, “fits into several overarching themes,” says McGohan. “Global inspirations; client customization of a meal; and the trend toward all-day breakfast.”
He explains that while in some areas of the U.S., breakfast tacos and burritos are quite familiar items, the ‘spicy’ trend—in this case, the adobo—has been advancing. “Fire roasted and smoked chiles, mixing and matching different ingredients in scrambles, hashes and sauces—it allows one platform to serve the taste and dietary preferences of the masses,” McGohan says.
“All day breakfast is very popular with diners, particularly comfort items like eggs and pancakes. Diners are open to letting their favorite breakfast items extend into other day-parts,” he says. “And similar to coffee and snacking, a small breakfast treat works well as a small meal or ‘on the go’ occasion. On the flip side, late night breakfast is also very, very popular.”
Best breakfast
The application of a quesadilla in catering is quite vast: smaller quartered sections equate to smaller portions, hand-helds, and grazing. They are simple to prepare, and “the food cost is effective with high perceived value,” says McGohan. “And it holds well over service.”
Other trends the chef predicts are “better breakfast sandwiches, such as changing the carrier (breads) or type of meat. This can create a premium impression on a diner’s mind.” Using things like ciabatta bread, glazed thick-cut bacon, fontina cheese, or fresh pestos and chimichurris can also elevate items to “signature status.”
Breakfast Quesadilla with Adobo Potato Hash
Yield: 64 servings (16 quartered quesadillas)
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
8 cups chorizo sausage – raw
4 cups onions – small dice
32 eggs – beaten
16 tortillas – flour
8 cups cheese – cheddar, shredded
1 Tbsp Minor’s Red Chile Adobo Flavor Concentrate (gluten free)
½ cup mayonnaise
1½ cups sour cream
2 Tbsp lime juice
Method
1. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, and Red Chile Adobo Flavor Concentrate. Season to taste and reserve.
2. In a preheated sauté pan over medium high heat, add oil. Sautee chorizo until browned. Add onions and sauté until onions are browned.
3. Beat eggs with a whisk and season to taste. Add to sauté pan and reduce heat to medium. Use a spatula to gently scramble the eggs. Cook until just done.
4. Lightly oil a preheated grill. Evenly sprinkle cheese on the tortilla. Add scrambled egg and chorizo mix to the quesadilla. Fold the other half over to cover the eggs. Place quesadilla on the grill and grill until one side is crisp. Flip quesadilla and repeat.
5. Once both sides are crisp, remove from grill and cut the quesadilla into quarters. Drizzle with adobo cream sauce. Serve with adobo potato hash (recipe below) and fruit of your choice.
Adobo Potato Hash
Yield: 4
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups potato – russet, diced
½ cup onion – small dice
½ cup green pepper – small dice
1 tsp Minor’s Red Chile Adobo Flavor Concentrate (gluten free)
1 Tbsp cilantro – chopped
Method
1. Preheat a heavy bottomed sauté pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add diced potatoes (thoroughly dry any excess moisture off the potato before placing them in the oil) and sauté until golden brown on all sides.
2. Once potatoes have been browned, add the onions and peppers. Sauté the peppers and onions with the potatoes until they are lightly caramelized.
3. Whisk together the Red Chile Adobo Flavor Concentrate and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the hash and cilantro to the bowl, and toss with the adobo mixture. Toss until the hash is evenly coated.
