Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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CLAD IN MUDDY RUBBER BOOTS WITH A BASKET IN HAND FOR GATHERING, Frank McClelland has the hearty, sunburnt appearance of someone who spends his days working in the fields. And he does–but by the afternoon, this farmer is headed for Boston, donning chef's whites with a carload of items destined for the menus at L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre. ¶ To educated foodies, McClelland may be known as a chef first and a farmer second, but the professions are barely distinguishable at his 14-acre homestead, Apple Street Farm in Essex. The contrast seems distinct on paper: a James Beard Award-winning chef who helms one of the best restaurants in the country, L'Espalier, which has earned 12 consecutive AAA Five Dia- mond Awards (the most of any establish- ment in Boston), and oversees the well- respected trio of Sel de la Terre bistros, as well as Au Soleil Bakery and Catering, who likes—no, loves—to get his hands dirty. Armed with zero celebrity chef pretense, his transition into farming was the "perfect soulful approach to planting, growing, har- vesting, and bringing food to the table" be- fore farm-to-table was fashionable. When McClelland was a young chef in the '80s, he was fanatical about where his food came from. He credits a family of passionate cooks for his own life's passion, with hunting poul- try and gathering mushrooms and berries a daily part of preparing meals. So how does McClelland—chef, farmer, restaurateur, caterer, author, husband, and father of five—manage the holidays at home? With "a lot of good people and sup- port," he says, laughing. "And I love to cook for people." Though the holidays coincide with the busiest time of year at work, Mc- Clelland and his wife Heather have a full schedule of festivities with family, friends, and…fowl. About 80 turkeys and eight geese roam the farm getting fattened up to be main menu fare at the restaurants, as well as at the chef's personal table. "I'm trying goose for the first time with the kids instead of our usual rib roast this year. We'll see how that goes!" Christmas Eve at the McClellands' is four to five courses with an emphasis on seafood. An oyster fanatic, McClelland has at least a dozen to himself. But he is careful not to overindulge before the delectable spread ahead. "I protect my palate for the big push," he jokes. And what a feast it is; Christmas is 130 an all-day eating affair interrupted only by the opening of presents and spectacularly finished with a flaming plum pudding. Yet the most special meal of all is brunch, an every-Sunday tradition that has evolved into a more formal—and festive—event around the holidays. This year's holiday brunch menu infuses flavors of winter into classic comforts like quiche and hash. Drawing from the farm bounty, McClel- land uses Apple Street Farm squash and laid-this-morning eggs in his recipes. Pre- paring items in advance makes serving easy, with buffet-style items like the Cham- pagne and Seckel pear cocktail, lobster and winter squash quiche, and citrus salad with smoked salmon and mustard caper vinai- grette ready to keep guests satiated. Most guests work up an appetite while Chef McClelland puts them to work slic- ing and dicing the rest of the meal at the wooden island that serves as a social prep station. Savory potato-duck hash and poached eggs, then flaming Bananas Foster crepes, are served hot around the McClel- lands' cozy table, just a stone's throw from the open kitchen. Much of the holiday dé- cor comes from the farm, says Heather. She and Frank forage whatever they can from their own backyard, bringing in the fresh scents of the season. Whether at home or at his restaurants, what he calls "an attentive dining experi- ence" is what people have come to expect from Chef McClelland for decades: simple, local, and fresh without fuss—just a great meal with great company. It's just like what he remembers most from his childhood— and what he has recreated for us to share this holiday season. Seckel Pear and Juniper Champagne Cocktail Makes 8 2 Seckel pears 1 c. simple syrup 1/2 tsp. vanilla Juice of 1/2 lemon Champagne Poire Williams Juniper Berries Poach pears in simple syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice. Remove pears and reserve poaching liq- uid. Add 1 tsp. of your favorite Poire Williams to a Champagne flute. Add 1 tsp. of poaching liquid to the flute and top with good-quality Cham- pagne. Garnish with a quarter of a poached pear on the rim of the glass and float a crushed juniper berry in the liquid. Citrus Salad with Smoked Salmon Serves 8 salad 4 blood or navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds, juice reserved for vinaigrette 2 grapefruits, peeled and cut into seg- ments, juices reserved for vinaigrette 1 bulb of fennel shaved thinly on a man- doline (save the tops and chop) Leaves from 6 sprigs of mint, chopped Combine first 3 ingredients. Toss 1 oz. of vinaigrette with citrus. Reserve the rest of the vinaigrette with the smoked salmon. 1 1 1 3 vinaigrette Reserved citrus juices (about 1/4 c.) tbsp. lemon juice tbsp. prepared French mustard minced shallot oz. of extra virgin olive oil Mix first 4 ingredients and season with three pinches of salt and ground white or black pep- per. Whisk in EVOO gradually. smoked salmon Side or 3.5 to 4 lbs. of salmon 2 c. kosher salt 1 1 c. sugar c. brown sugar 2 star anise pods