Michael Gulotta is the chef de cuisine of August, the flagship restaurant of New Orleans chef John Besh. Fresh from culinary school, Gulotta began at August as the grill station chef. After taking six months away from the restaurant to study and work in northern Italy, Michael returned to the tutelage of chef Besh and, soon after, was sent to work in Germany’s southern Black Forest at the famed Romantik Hotel Spielweg under chef Karl Joseph Fuchs.
Fourteen months later, Hurricane Katrina hit, and Gulotta returned to New Orleans to run food to St. Bernard in the mornings and work the line at August at night. In 2007, Gulotta was made chef de cuisine of August, creating contemporary French cuisine with a focus on southern Louisiana ingredients and style.
The Dish: Roasted Fennel and Prosciutto Crostini with Cranberry-Citrus Marmalade
Fresh cranberries and oranges make a bright, festive garnish for this crowd-pleasing starter. Roast the fennel, cook the marmalade and bake the crostini earlier in the day, then compose the toasts before guests arrive. With a slice of American country ham and a sweet-tart kick from the marmalade, Gulotta’s crostini are a simple but sophisticated nosh for the start of the holiday gathering.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
I celebrate Thanksgiving surrounded by my family. We all get together and cook traditional Thanksgiving dishes with a Louisiana touch. My mom makes most of the food. My favorite is my grandmother’s oyster dressing, and I always make the gravy.
What is your number one tip for someone cooking Thanksgiving dinner?
Brine your turkey, and use Louisiana cane syrup on your sweet potatoes.
What’s your favorite pick for Thanksgiving wine and why?
Growing up in New Orleans, we put one red and one white on the table and didn’t worry much further about it.
What is the inspiration behind the recipe you created for Williams-Sonoma?
My mom is always busy in the kitchen all day on Thanksgiving. This is my way of quickly giving everyone (including her!) a snack to hold us over.
Brine or no brine? And why?
I do a salt-and-sugar brine, which brings out a little more of that caramelized flavor when you roast it, and allows the salt to penetrate deeper into the meat.
What’s your favorite way to use Thanksgiving leftovers?
Turkey and oyster gumbo made from the bones of the turkey and the leftover oysters from the dressing. Two days later, we make turkey sandwiches with cranberry mayo (mix the cranberry sauce with mayo — delicious!).
What was your most memorable Thanksgiving dish and who made it?
We keep traditions strong in my family, so not much changes from year to year. My all-time favorite though has to be my grandmother’s oyster dressing.What was your favorite Thanksgiving dish when you were a kid and what is itnow? Definitely the mac and cheese.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?
Chef Kelly Fields’ sweet potato pot de creme with brown butter caramel. That to me, is just awesome.
What does Mom or Grandma still make better than you?
My grandmother’s oyster dressing and my mom’s sweet potatoes.
What do you cook at home that you would never think of cooking at the restaurant?
Almost anything I would cook at home, I would cook at the restaurants. Maybe not the same way–I definitely don’t have a whole line of cooks at home!
What’s your favorite kitchen tool?
A good spoon. You can use it for everything.
What do you think is going to be the next big trend in dining?
Is it alright that I don’t really believe in trends? I think there’s always a place for every kind of dining.
When it comes to food, what is your guilty pleasure?
Warm cookies right out of the oven with ice cream on top.
What’s the one dish you’re always trying to improve?
All of them, all of the time.