GETTING YOUR FIXE Progressive Southern fare inspired by small family kitchens STORY BY ADDY MCDANIEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAYDEN SPEARS
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CHEF JAMES ROBERT OF FIXE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
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GRILLED SHRIMP RECIPE PAGE 80
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FIXE BARREL-AGED MANHATTAN Garnished with candied Tenderbelly bacon and luxardo cherry.
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rom the moment you walk through the doors at Fixe in Austin, Texas you are instantly submerged in Southern hospitality. With dim lighting, dining room–style seating, and an open kitchen, Fixe seeks to treat you to a dining experience in the spirit of a Sunday supper. It’s no coincidence that Executive Chef James Robert and Keith House, Director of Operations and Co-owner, both hail from Southern roots. Chef Robert, born and raised in south Louisiana, spent his childhood in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother. His love affair with food started with his family, and that bond shaped his way of cooking, with his biggest inspiration coming from his mother. “The way that she cooks and what that means to her is present in me always.” He also found it remarkable she cooked the way that she did, working out of a kitchen that was just 100 square feet, in a 20-year-old home. “There was not a lot of counter space and a tiny little oven,” he said. “We would wake up and there would be homemade biscuits and grits and eggs. In my family, food is everything,” he continued. “Every single meal feels like an event.”
While a student at LSU and the New England Culinary Institute, Robert was a frequent visitor to Austin and never forgot its amazing scene, culture, and character. “Austin has so much to offer. What I love most about Austin is that no matter what your interest and pursuits are, there is something here for you.” Chef Robert began researching Austin and getting a feel for what was going on in the food scene. He moved to Austin a couple of months later and has called it home ever since. Once in Austin, Robert settled at a stand-alone restaurant in the Arboretum called Brio Vista. “I looked around and saw myself surrounded by great restaurateurs and great professionals of my trade,” he remembers. “Fortunately for me, they saw a young guy with a lot of ambition and a real want and desire to move forward in a great company.” When Brio Vista closed to renovate and reopen as the second Eddie V’s, Robert became chef. It was at Eddie V’s where James Robert and Keith House had their first encounter. And after working together for upwards of 13 years, Robert explains that they both were looking for something new. They knew the pitfalls of opening a restaurant,
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because they had opened a lot of restaurants before, just never on their own. House asked Robert if he would want to join him on his next adventure, and they took the plunge. Robert says, “There is no one on earth in the restaurant industry that I respect more than that guy,” Robert says. “He’s the best I’ve ever met at what he does, so for me it was completely a no-brainer.” House says that Robert was chosen as executive chef about 12 years before he knew he was chosen. “There are so many talented and creative people in our industry,” he recalled, “but very few can bring all the creative and passionate qualities while simultaneously building a thriving business. There was only one name on my list of partners.” On Christmas Eve 2014, James Robert and Keith House launched Fixe in downtown Austin. “Before we knew the food,” House remembered, “we knew how we wanted to feel inside this restaurant and how we wanted our guests to feel: at home. We wanted the ambience to be warm and inviting, and food and service that would warm your soul. That was what Sunday supper was like for us growing up. Those memories around the table with people we loved are probably what most folks long for when they move away from the South.” As for as the name of the restaurant, Robert and House attribute
learn pretty quickly that it’s what you become known for.” Here's a tip: Order Fixe Biscuits to go a little before you leave. Cook up some bacon and eggs the next morning for the perfect Fixe bacon and egg biscuit. Robert and House describe the menu as “Progressive Southern,” and it is just that. Each dish has traditional roots, but is executed in modern ways. Chef Robert points out that, “it’s thinking about different techniques and certainly the aesthetics. We can’t deny our Southern roots and wouldn’t want to. It’s as ingrained in me as it could be.” He continues, “A lot of times what you get with Southern cooking or Cajun-style cuisine is very heavy fare. I wanted to cook with a lighter touch and maybe breathe a little bit of life into very recognizable Southern foods.” One dish that speaks to that style is the “Blackened” Red Snapper. “It’s pretty recognizable,” Robert says, “pretty familiar. You see that in print on the menu and you have a pretty straightforward picture of what that will be, but when we put that in front of you it is something completely different.” For the snapper, Chef Robert whips an egg white into meringue and folds in some fermented black garlic and squid ink. He then dehydrates the meringue and creates a squid ink powder. Once
“We can’t deny our Southern roots and wouldn’t want to. It’s as ingrained in me as it could be.” that to former boss and mentor, Larry Foles. “He wanted the food to be addictive.” House said. “He wanted to create food, flavors, and a menu that people had to come to Eddie V’s to get.” Drawing on that idea, they wanted to create an experience that you couldn’t get anywhere else, “so that you get your Fixe.” Staying true to his Cajun roots, Chef Robert added an “e” to the end. Crowd favorites on the menu include Fixe Biscuits and Fried Chicken. “At Fixe we are basically building a concept around biscuits,” Robert said. “Being a Southern restaurant we knew that we would be judged by our biscuits, but it has become something even bigger than we would have hoped.” Each biscuit is served fresh and piping with steam. The biscuits are accompanied by whipped Steen’s butter, honey, ‘nduja, and a seasonal preserve. Chef Robert says butter is optional because “the biscuits are so rich and so buttery” in their purest form. “We joke with guests that it’s frowned upon to come to Fixe without having had a biscuit,” says Chef Robert. Some locals say that Fixe Biscuits are the best in Austin. Trust us—the biscuits are good, really good. But no need to worry. Robert says that the biscuits are here to stay. “We found out pretty quickly that the biscuit wasn’t going anywhere,” he said with a grin. “You
the snapper is sautéed, he lightly dusts the top with the powder, and the outcome is an actual “blackened” snapper. Other menu items include Crispy Catfish, Smoked Trout Dip, and Grits with Texas Quail. And for dessert, Red Beans and Rice. You’ll have to trust us on that one. As new and exciting as the menu is at Fixe, dining there is an experience. The restaurant is sectioned off into rooms that strive to create the feel of a Southern home. There are multiple private dining rooms, patio seating, high-back club chairs, and a chef’s table adjacent to the spot where Chef Robert applies his final touches to each dish. The walls are lined with vintage China plates and antique mirrors. Included in one of the private dining rooms are humorous portraits of Robert’s and House’s dogs dressed as humans. “You can see the rich history throughout the space,” House says, “and even better, you can see our guests’ nostalgic reactions when the see it for the first time.” Every piece of furniture and art was collected at various estate sales, which creates an eclectic mix of dining areas. And the reception desk was originally a 150-year-old workbench, a storied entrance to a dining experience that is no dine-and-dash. It is, instead, an invitation to sit, wander around, enjoy the visual palette, eat well, and stay a while.
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FIXE DEVILED EGGS INGREDIENTS 16 eggs, jumbo (yields 2 cups of egg yolks, hard-boiled) ¾ cup of mayonnaise cup yellow mustard, French’s brand cup Dijon mustard, Maille brand ¾ teaspoon Espelette pepper teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon paprika, plus extra for dusting Salt as needed 7 ounces sugar 4 ounces water
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Remove eggs from refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature. Boil eggs in water for 7 minutes, then plunge into ice bath. Once chilled completely, peel eggs carefully. Slice small layer off rounded end of each egg to create base. 2. At an angle, slice off top of each egg from narrow end. Carefully scoop out yolk, being careful not to damage white. When all yolks are
gathered, transfer to mixing bowl with whip attachment. Start on low speed to break down yolks. Add all other ingredients and whip until smooth and fluffy. Adjust salt to desired taste. 3. Transfer egg yolk mousse to fine-mesh seize and pass through. Transfer egg yolk mousse to a piping bag. Pipe mousse back into egg white cup. Finish with a dusting of paprika.
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LOBSTER & CRAWFISH POT PIE Serves 1 INGREDIENTS 2 ounces fresh lobster meat, cooked 2 ounces crawfish tailmeat, cooked 2 ounces miso-béchamel (below) 2 tablespoons vegetable mix (below) 1 pie dough round (below) MISO-BÉCHAMEL: 2 cups milk 1/4 yellow onion, julienned 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons prepared miso Salt and pepper 1. In small saucepot, warm milk. In second small saucepot, melt butter with onions. 2. When butter is melted, add flour, and mix to combine. 3. When milk simmers, add butter/flour roux. Simmer until thick and smooth, whisking any lumps. 4. Season, strain through fine-meshed sieve, and chill.
5. When cool, fold in prepared miso. VEGETABLE MIX: 2 tablespoons butter 4 red pearl onions, peeled, halved 1/2 carrot, peeled, split lengthways, cut to ¼ inch half moons 1 rib celery, cut to ¼ inch half moons 6 cremini mushrooms, quartered 1/2 ear corn, cut from cob 2 sprigs thyme 1 teaspoon crushed red chili Salt and pepper, to taste 1. In sauté pan, melt butter, then add all vegetables and thyme. Cook until al dente. 2. Season with chili, salt, and pepper. 3. Discard thyme stems. PIE DOUGH (yeids 10 pies): 4 cups flour 1 pound butter, unsalted, cubed, cold 1 tablespoon salt 1 cup ice water
1. In mixer on low speed, mix together flour, salt, and butter for 3 minutes. 2. Add water and mix until dough is just brought together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface, and roll to ¼ inch thickness. 3. Using pie dish as guide, cut rounds from rolled dough. Chill. ASSEMBLY: 1. To assemble pie, fold together lobster, crawfish, vegetables, and misobéchamel sauce and spoon mixture into pie dish. 2. Top pie filling with chilled dough round. Using a fork, press around around edge of crust to create fluted edges and seal pie dough. 3. Cut an x into center of pie dough for steam to escape. Hold pie in refrigerator until ready to bake. 4. Brush top of pie with melted butter, bake at 350 degrees until pie dough is a beautiful golden brown and filling is bubbly and hot.
GRILLED SHRIMP Serves 1 INGREDIENTS 4 extra-jumbo gulf white shrimp 1 tablespoon sunflower seed pesto (below) 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot), diced ¼ inch 1 tablespoon smoked ham, diced ¼ inch ½ cup white beans, cooked 12 pieces baby arugula 2 ounces ham-horseradish broth (below) SUNFLOWER SEED PESTO 1 bunch parsley 1 tablespoon roasted garlic 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, toasted ½ cup EVOO
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1. Combine parsley, garlic, and sunflower seeds in food processor, blend. 2. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, scrape sides of bowl. 3. Blend until almost smooth. 4. Season to taste with salt. HAM-HORSERADISH BROTH 1 onion, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped ½ carrot, chopped 2 tablespoons oil 1 pound ham shank bones (or smoked ham hocks) 1 quart quality chicken stock 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish INSTRUCTIONS 1. In small mixing bowl, combine
shrimp and pesto. Toss together until well-dressed. Carefully place shrimp on hot grill, cook on each side until lightly charred and just cooked. 2. While grilling shrimp, melt butter in small sauté pan. Add vegetable mirepoix. Cook vegetables until al dente, then add ham. Cook until ham is warm, then add white beans. Cook until white beans are warm, then add half of the arugula leaves. Toss together in pan until arugula is just wilted. 3. Collect 2 ounces ham broth from large batch, warm, then add horseradish. To plate, spoon white beans into center of serving bowl. Arrange shrimp on top, garnish with remaining arugula leaves. Leave broth on side, pour at tableside.
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