5 minute read
The Tasteful Titan
BROOKE WILLIAMSON
By April Neale
Few can match Chef Brooke Williamson’s trajectory on Food Network. She’s part of Bobby Flay’s Triple Threat troika of titans, which includes Michael Voltaggio and FLAVOR chef Tiffany Derry (Spring 2023), and Food Network giant Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions. Williamson is a deft culinary technician and master under pressure, which shine equally when she creates stunning meals with odd ingredients or carefully curates delicious dinners at her California restaurant, Playa Provisions.
Early on, Williamson’s parents recognized her interest and talent for food, which they nurtured. “I loved to experiment and came from a very creative, hippie, artsy family in Los Angeles. I had a lot of fun going to the farmer’s market or supermarket with my mom—plus, we had a garden in the backyard that I took a lot of inspiration from. But I enjoyed spending the time in the kitchen, experimenting,” she explained.
Williamson said that in Los Angeles, where she grew up, she had a lot of friends with parents in the film industry, which meant that a lot of them wanted to be actors. But she didn’t want to be anywhere near the camera. ”At that time, young girls didn’t say they wanted to be chefs; the only female chefs we had to look up to on TV were Julia Child and Sara Moulton, who inspired me tremendously. It was a foreign concept for an 11-year-old girl to say, I want to be a chef,” Williamson said.
After one year of college, which she completed to appease her family and because they expected her to, she knew it wasn’t the right fit. “They were supportive when I said I was done with school and knew what I wanted to do,” Williamson explained.
Eventually, she decided that television might not be so bad, although she ignored producers’ calls for years. “I have terrible stage fright and no interest in being on TV; I found it terrifying. I spent a couple of years saying ‘no’ to Top Chef, but in the fourth year of being asked, I said yes and decided it would be a great thing for my personal growth and development—I ran out of excuses and jumped in head first. I started Top Chef on season 10. I came in second and did it again for season 14,” Williamson said. Aided by her steely nerves and grace under pressure, she won.
Later, Williamson met Bobby Flay on an episode of Alex Guarnachelli’s Supermarket Stakeout. She remembers that the two got along well, grabbed dinner, and became friends. Then, he asked her to be a judge for Barbecue Brawl, which shot two seasons back to back in Austin, Texas.
“He asked me what my ideal show situation would be. I knew I was good at competition, but I wanted food to be the focus. Having [the show] feel late-night and moody would be cool. Bobby came to me a couple of months later with a great idea. I was all in for the moment I heard about it,” Williamson said.
Alongside her Triple Threat peers, Williamson works to keep Flay’s suitcase of money in the house and away from the well-vetted challengers who face her, Derry, and Voltaggio in a tiered competition that plays on strategy. Williamson explained that everyone has their own approach, which keeps things exciting.
“Some chefs pick us based on the ingredients—because I’m the California girl who always cooks with avocados and tofu. It’s a mind game and a culinary game with a hidden strategy, she said. It is about teamwork, which Williamson said became quickly apparent to her and her Triple Threat costars. “Every point counts.”
Now, Williamson owns multiple Los Angeles-area restaurants and the world is her oyster—of which she has many fabulous recipes to rock those bivalves with flair. And, like the oyster, Williamson is still the star of the show.
LOBSTER ROLL
Brooke Williamson’s Recipe
LOBSTER SAUCE
1 quart mayonnaise
2 tsp. Old bay seasoning
1 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl; sauce flavor develops more if made ahead of time
LOBSTER ROLL MIX
2 lb. Lobster meat, cooked (claw, knuckle, tail)
1 cup celery, minced
2 lemon, zest and juice
1 Tbls. kosher salt
1.5 cup lobster sauce (recipe above)
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl
PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS
1 cup yellow mustard seeds
1.5 cup sherry vinegar
1 cup honey
2 cups water
1 Tbls. kosher salt
Instructions: Bring mustard seeds to a boil and immediately turn to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes and set aside
ASSEMBLY:
Use a brioche bun that is cut in the middle. Butter it and toast it on both sides. Open it and mound the lobster mix in. Garnish with pickled mustard seeds, micro celery, and crushed Maui onion chips. If micro celery is not available use celery leaves. Plain or onion flavored chips will also work.
