MATHEW M. BRANSON Biography
My passion for food began at the age of 14 when I worked for University of Wyoming Catering. It was there where I recognized that I have a passion for bringing joy and happiness to others. I realized that it is through food that people can experience joy and happiness. With my passion that continues to grow, I have realized that I will be a student to the culinary world my whole life, learning new cuisines, equipment, food, and keeping up to date with new trends, styles, and the generation’s needs. I obtained a degree in Occupational Science of Culinary Arts from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Las Vegas Nevada, where I graduated with honors. Upon receiving my degree, I returned to Wyoming to begin my career at the Hilton Garden Inn & University of Wyoming Conference Center, where I accomplished the title of Sous Chef. My duties and responsibilities as Sous Chef for the Hilton Garden Inn & UW Conference Center included but were not limited to, overseeing all the catering events for the UW Conference Center and managing the hotel’s restaurant, The Garden Grille. After five years with Hilton, I decided it was time to move forward to a position where I could accomplish more, and learn more. I accepted a job as a Sous Chef at the University of Wyoming’s Dining Department. Within five years of service I gained the title, Executive Chef. Being with the university as a benefited staff for ten years now, and I intend to continue excelling in my abilities as a Chef and Manager. My hope is to one day achieve the title of Director. With my passion and drive for this profession I will endeavor to uphold and respect the culinary world.
- Chef Mathew
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SEARED BRANZINO ON A BULGUR STACK
PAIRED WITH SEAFOOD
CROQUETTE AND CRISPY SHRIMP SERVED OVER A CARROT WINE SAUCE
Bulgar Stack
BULGUR
bulgar water salt
heavy cream chives
KALE FILLING
purple kale
red bell pepper
red beets
yellow onion salt
black pepper, ground
PROCEDURE FOR BULGUR
1 cup
1.5 cups
1 tablespoon
2 oz
.01 oz fine chopped
12 oz chiffonade
1.5 oz small diced
1.5 oz brunoise
1 oz small diced
to taste
to taste
1. Add water to sauce pot and whisk in salt then add bulgur stir occasionally and cover with lid and cook until done.
2. Add chopped chives and heavy cream and set aside for plating.
PROCEDURE FOR KALE FILLING
3. Heat oil in sauté pan, add onion and sauté until translucent.
4. Add purple kale and sauté for one minute.
5. To the mix add red beets and red bell pepper, season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove from heat and set aside for plating.
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5
6
Carrot White Wine Sauce and Seared
Branzino with Crispy Beets and Fish Skin
FISH STOCK
fish bones
mirepoix water
CARROT WINE SAUCE
olive oil
carrot
yellow onion
fresh garlic
white wine
fish stock
salt
heavy cream
sugar
SLURRY
rice flour
cold water
2 each fish bone with head
8 oz onion, 4 oz carrots, 4 oz celery rough chop
2 quarts
1 teaspoon
1 cup rough chop
1 oz small dice
1 clove minced
2 cups
8-9 oz
to taste
2 oz
2 teaspoons
3 oz
5 oz
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PROCEDURE
1. Filet Branzino and remove skin, set aside.
2. Start fish stock with bones, mirepoix and water. Let the stock simmer.
3. For sauce, in a pan heat oil then add carrots, onion, and garlic.
4. Sauté until carrots are tender. Add wine and reduce.
5. Once reduced add to the blender with fish stock, and blend until it is smooth. Strain though a chinois.
6. Place strained sauce back into sauce pan, add sugar and heavy cream bring to temperature.
7. Add a rice flour slurry to thicken and set aside for plating.
CRISPY BRANZINO SKIN
branzino skin salt
CRISPY RED BEETS
red beets
rice flour
salt
oil for frying
PROCEDURE
1 oz. fine julianne
to taste
2 oz fine julianne
3 oz to taste
2 quarts
1. For frying heat oil to 350F.
2. Add fish skin and fry until crisp. Season to taste and set aside for plating.
3. Mix Rice flour and Salt. Coat red beets with mixture. Sieve excess rice flour. Fry in hot oil until crisp.
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SEARED BRANZINO
olive oil
branzino fish
rice flour
salt pepper
PROCEDURE
1 oz
4- 2 oz portions
2 oz
1 teaspoon .5 teaspoon
1. Heat sauté pan with oil.
2. Mix salt, pepper and rice flour together.
3. Coat fish with flour mixture and place in hot sauté pan.
4. Cook and set aside until plating.
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10
Seafood Croquette on a bed of Broccolini
BULGUR
bulgar
water
salt
lemon juice
FILLING
shrimp
branzino
lemon fresh
lemon juice
fresh chives
salt
pepper
heavy cream
RICE FLOUR FOR COATING
rice flour
salt
oil for frying
1 cup
1.5 cups
1 tablespoon
.5 lemon squeezed
2 oz minced
2 oz minced
.5 oz lemon zest
1 tablespoon
.01 oz fine chopped to taste to taste
.5 oz
3 oz to taste
2 quarts
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PROCEDURE FOR BULGUR
1. Add water to sauce pot and whisk in salt. Then add bulgur stir occasionally and cover with lid. Cook until done.
OUTER CRUST
1. Blend cooked bulgur and add lemon juice
2. Set aside for assembly.
FILLING
1. Place shrimp and fish into blender and pulse.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add Lemon juice, chives, lemon zest, and heavy cream.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook mixture and set aside for stuffing inside the bulgur croquette.
ASSEMBLY
1. Place 1.5 oz. of the ground bulger on plastic wrap.
2. Flatten bulger and place .5 oz. of cooked mixture on top. Fold bulger to create a croquette.
3. Repeat 3 more times.
4. Coat croquette with seasoned rice flour and set aside until time to fry.
5. Heat oil to 350F. Fry seafood croquettes for one minute and set aside for plating.
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SAUTÉED BROCCOLINI
broccolini
olive oil salt pepper fish stock
PROCEDURE
14 oz 1 tablespoon to taste to taste 1 oz
1. Cut broccoli into florets.
2. Heat pan with oil and add broccolini.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Set aside for plating.
13
Crispy Shrimp Wrapped in Rice Noodles
rice noodle
water for cooking water for holding shrimp tail on lemon pepper
rice flour oil for frying
PROCEDURE
1.5 oz
2 cups
1 cup 12 1 oz
3 oz
2 quarts
Heat oil to 350 F.
Heat 2 cups water, add rice noodle, and cook until soft.
Drain the cooked noodles and place in 1 cup cold water.
Mix lemon pepper and rice flour together.
Slice shrimp half way to the tail.
Add raw shrimp to mixture.
Take noodles and wrap it around the seasoned shrimp.
Fry until crisp.
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Plate up Assembly
1. Place 3oz. of Carrot wine sauce in the middle of plate creating a circle.
2. Using a round mold place two spoons of bulger and spread in mold then follow that with 4 spoons of kale mix, then two more spoons of bulger.
3. Remove mold creating the bulger stack.
4. Lay the Seared Branzino on top of the bulger stack.
5. Top the fish with the crispy fish skin and beets.
6. Place sautéed broccolini on the left side of the stack. Cut the Seafood croquette in half and place it on top of the broccolini.
7. On the right side of the bulgur stack place three fried shrimp.
8. Garnish with fresh chives.
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