CHEF DAVID KAMEN

C.C.E., C.H.E.

Associate Professor of Culinary Arts

The Culinary Institute of America

Chef David Kamen teaches industry professionals through the Continuing Education Department at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Since joining the CIA faculty in 1999, Chef Kamen has taught Culinary Skill Development, Meat and Seafood Identification and Fabrication, and Breakfast Cookery in the college’s degree programs.

A 1988 CIA graduate, Chef Kamen was chef/instructor at the New York Restaurant School prior to returning to his alma mater. He also served as culinary department chairman at the New York Food and Hotel

Management School.  Chef Kamen’s professional kitchen experience includes positions at several New York City establishments, including banquet chef for the catering company Robins Wolfe Eventures, executive chef at the Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel, sous chef at the Novotel Hotel, and day chef at Poccino's in the Empire Hotel. Chef Kamen is also the chef/owner of Patience Desserts, a company that creates elaborate wedding and occasion cakes, caters events, and provides desserts to restaurants and gourmet shops.

While a student at the CIA, he completed his externship field study as tournant and pastry cook at Manhattan’s famed Plaza Hotel. A Certified Culinary Educator (C.C.E.) and Certified Hospitality Educator (C.H.E.), David Kamen is a member of the International Chefs Association and the American Culinary Federation. In addition to his CIA degree, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Empire State College.

Chef Kamen was awarded silver medals at the 1997 International Geneva Society Salon of Culinary Arts and the 1996 Société Culinaire Philanthropique Salon of Culinary Arts in New York City. He earned bronze medals at the 1997 Chefs’ Championships in New York and the 1998 Feesers Culinary Competition in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In 1999, he was awarded the gold medal at the Chefs’ Championships in New York.

Chef David Kamen’s Eggs Benedict

Serves 8
16 slices Canadian bacon
16 Poached Eggs (page xxx)
8 English Muffins (page xxx), split, toasted, and buttered
2 cups Hollandaise Sauce (page xxx), warm

Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the Canadian bacon, working in batches, and sauté on both sides until heated through, about 1-2 minutes on each side.

If eggs have been poached in advance reheat them in simmering water until warmed through. Blot on toweling and shape if necessary. Top each English muffin half with a Canadian bacon slice and a poached egg. Spoon 2 tablespoons of warm hollandaise over each egg. Serve immediately.

English Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup water, warmed to 110°F
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornmeal, or as needed
Oil or solid vegetable shortening, as needed

Place the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a mixer and stir to completely dissolve. Let the yeast proof until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix ingredients together on low speed using the dough hook until all ingredients are blended, about 2 minutes.Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Fold the dough gently over on itself in three or four places and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into rounds and place on sheet pans that have been heavily dusted with cornmeal. Turn each muffin over to coat both sides with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with oil or shortening. Cook the English muffins until lightly brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the muffins over and cook until golden brown, another 5 minutes. Split the English muffins by pulling them apart with a table fork. Toast them just before serving. Serve very hot.

Poached Eggs

Makes 8 servings
3 quarts water, or as needed
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
16 large eggs

Combine the water, salt, and vinegar in a deep pan and bring to a bare simmer. Break each egg into a clean cup, reserving any with broken yolks for another use.Carefully slide each egg into the poaching water. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the whites are set and opaque.

Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, blot them on absorbent toweling, and trim the edges if desired. The eggs are ready to serve now, or they may be properly chilled and held for later service.

Serve the hot eggs at once on heated plates.

Hollandaise Sauce

Makes 2 cups
1/2 teaspoon cracked peppercorns
2 ounces white wine or cider vinegar
2 ounces water, or as needed
4 large egg yolks, fresh or pasteurized
1 1/2 cups melted or clarified butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice, or as needed
2 teaspoons salt, or as needed
Pinch ground white pepper
Pinch cayenne (optional)

Combine the peppercorns and vinegar in a small pan and reduce over medium heat until nearly dry, about 5 minutes. Add the water to the vinegar reduction. Strain this liquid into a stainless steel bowl.

Add the egg yolks to the vinegar reduction and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly; cooking the mixture until the yolks triple in volume and fall in ribbons from the whisk. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and set it on a clean kitchen towel to keep the bowl from slipping.

Gradually ladle the warm butter into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. As the butter is blended into the yolks, the sauce will thicken. If it becomes too thick and the butter is not blending in easily, add a little water or lemon juice to thin the egg mixture enough to whisk in the remaining butter. Season the hollandaise with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne if desired.

The sauce is ready to serve at this point, or it may be finished as desired. The sauce should be held warm over a hot water bath or it can be held sealed in a vacuum bottle.

Chef David Kamen’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 12 biscuits
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 cups bread flour
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup cold butter, diced
Egg wash of 1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Sausage Gravy (recipe follows), optional

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper.Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small bowl and blend until evenly mixed. Set aside.

Sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the dough until it looks like a coarse meal. You should still be able to see small pieces of butter.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until barely combined. The dough will look coarse and shaggy at this point.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and press into a ball and knead once or twice. Press or roll out to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Cut out the biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Gather scraps together, re-roll, and cut additional biscuits. Place the biscuits on the prepared pan about 1 inch apart and lightly brush the tops with egg wash. Refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes.

Bake the biscuits until they have risen and the tops are golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Serve very hot, directly from the oven.

Sausage Gravy

Makes 2 cups
8 ounces Breakfast Sausage (page xxx)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk, plus as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and breaking up the sausage as it cooks golden brown and thoroughly cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage from the pan to a colander set in a bowl and let it drain.

Add the vegetable oil and the flour to the same pan used to cook the sausage. Stir to blend and cook over medium heat, stirring well to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is a pale golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the milk, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste the gravy and add salt and pepper to taste. If the gravy is too thick, thin it a little additional milk; use only enough to get a pourable consistency.

Return the cooked sausage to the gravy. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.