IN THE KITCHEN WITH

In the Kitchen with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Michael Britton

The resort’s executive chef tackles seasonal workers and on-mountain logistics with determination. by Allison Arthur photos by Brian Ralph

WHETHER it is training and replacing new, seasonal workers every six months or that time an electrical outage had the staff stuck at the top of the gondola for an unplanned evening, Michael Britton has lived through it all over the 10 years he has worked at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The 34-year-old chef loves the fast pace and the camaraderie of leading a large kitchen team, and seems at home doing it. Britton first started cooking out of necessity; both his parents worked full-time, and he often had to fend for himself at home. He became good at simple things, such as breakfast food (which he still likes to eat for dinner), and got comfortable grilling before he finished high school.

A summer job at Eatons’ Ranch near Sheridan, Wyoming, sealed his fate. He was placed on the kitchen staff and fell in love with the you-against-the-world drive to solve problems and send out great dishes at the same time.

After a stint in cooking school and a job fair in Jackson Hole, the Kansas City native landed at the resort and worked his way up to his current position as executive chef two years ago.

PISTE’S PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CABBAGE PANCAKE, TOGARASHI MAYONNAISE, FRESNO PEPPER AND RADISH

For the pancake:

1/3 cup flour 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon pepper 4 tablespoons dashi stock 1 egg 1/4 napa cabbage, julienne Butter

> Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, pepper, dashi and egg. Once you have a thick batter, add the cabbage. Set aside. In another sauté pan, using a ring mold, add butter, then pancake batter. Once it is golden brown, flip to finish.50 DISHINGJH.COM

For the togarashi mayonnaise:

3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon togarashi 1 1/2 cups blend oil

> Add egg yolks and togarashi to blender. Turn on the blender, then slowly drizzle in oil until you have the consistency of mayonnaise. Set aside.

For the scallops:

10 scallops Olive oil Butter 1 thyme sprig Salt and pepper, to taste

> In a hot sauté pan, add olive oil. Once oil is nice and hot, cook scallops until they have a nice golden-brown sear. Flip scallops, then add butter and thyme. Baste scallops using a spoon until they are done.

For the pickled Fresno peppers:

2 sprigs thyme 1 cup rice wine vinegar 1 piece nori 1/4 cup sugar 2 Fresno peppers Salt and pepper, to taste

> Add all ingredients into a sauce pot except for the peppers. Bring pickling liquid to a boil. While the pickling liquid is heating, remove seeds from peppers and slice into thin rings. Add the rings to a bowl. Once peppers are cut and pickling liquid reaches a boil, pour it over the peppers and let sit until cool. Set aside.

For garnishes and plating:

Honey and fish sauce, equal parts mixed together Furikake Bonito flakes Chives, cut very small Radish, thinly sliced

> Place cabbage pancake in the middle of your plate. Drizzle togarashi mayonnaise over the top of the pancake and onto the plate.

Place 2 scallops per serving onto the top of the pancake. Add a teaspoon of the honey and fish sauce mixture onto the top of each scallop.

Sprinkle furikake, bonito flakes and chives on and around the top of the scallops. Finish with some thinly sliced radish and pickled Fresno peppers.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING AT A SKI RESORT?

Despite the obvious, like the logistics of getting the food up a mountain, the seasonality as it pertains to staffing is a constant uphill battle. Once you get a whole new staff up to speed and things are running smoothly, the season is over, and it is time to start from scratch again.

WHAT DOES BEING AN EXECUTIVE CHEF AT A RESORT LOOK LIKE ON A DAILY BASIS?

My main focus is making sure each location has the tools it needs to function and complete tasks. I try to make sure cooks and chefs underneath me have what they need and that I am sharing knowledge. When things are busy, it is an all-hands-on-deck kind of job. You have to be ready to help whoever is shortstaffed that day. I have been thrown into every position on the mountain.

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED TO PRODUCE A GREAT PRODUCT?

I am pretty stubborn, and I hate failure. You can never get to perfection, but I always try to and am not willing to let myself fail. I push myself to not let that happen.

AS FAR AS WORKING ON THE LINE AND DESIGNING MENUS, HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT?

I like to collaborate with each chef at each location. [There are three on-mountain restaurant locations, in addition to a few at the base]. Piste, the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, is my main focus, where I spend most of my time and serve the food I want to cook the most.

WHICH IS FOCUSED ON …?

I wouldn’t call it fusion food, but I like to incorporate a lot of influences from my travels into the menu. During the off-seasons, I travel a lot. I have done trips to Europe—including Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—and Japan and other Asian countries. I love discovering new food and get a lot of influence from the regions I go to.

WHAT SPOTS ARE ON YOUR FUTURE BUCKET LIST?

There are so many places I can’t narrow it down. Morocco and North Africa have a lot of interesting foods and flavors. I am dying to go back to Japan. I am fascinated by their food and the culture of perfecting one essential task. There are so many places in Europe that I haven’t been to. There are endless possibilities there.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE FOOD MEMORIES FROM PAST TRAVELS?

Fäviken Magasinet [now closed] in Sweden. There were about 27 courses that played out in a variety of settings, including time in the sauna where moose jerky was served.

WHERE DO YOU RECOMMEND IN YOUR HOMETOWN OF KANSAS CITY?

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, but it has to be the original location in the gas station.

AND FOR DINING AT JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT?

In Piste, I wouldn’t miss the Reuben. It is one of only a couple things that has been on the menu every year. I am a sucker for the deviled eggs at the Spur [Restaurant & Bar]. And a sloshie from Bodega.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY OFF?

I don’t get that many days off, so I try to fit in skiing when I can around work. I like to post up at a bar with cocktails and have some apps where I have friends working. Local, Snake River Grill, OYG [Old Yellowstone Garage], and Spur. One of the things that has been cool for me being here for 10 years is seeing where all the guys are now. Everyone [in the industry] kind of knows each other. It is fun to see all the people I met 10 years ago succeeding.

DO YOU COOK AT HOME?

I have nothing in my fridge at home except a couple of basics.

WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR FAVORITE QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU EAT IN A PINCH THAT MIGHT BE EMBARRASSING TO ADMIT?

A grilled peanut butter sandwich with barbecue sauce [which has to be from the aforementioned Joe’s]. I have it a couple times a month, and I am usually so hungry by that point that I don’t waste time.

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE?

Right now, I am still learning a lot in my current position. I am not in a rush to move on, but maybe moving into a food and beverage director role and closer to my family.