The past few weeks have been a wild ride for Ellie Parker. The executive chef of Main St. Provisions received a James Beard Award nomination for “Emerging Chef” on January 21 — one day before the world learned she was the latest winner of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox. Has she had time to settle down and let all the attention sink in?
“I feel like the chaos is just beginning,” she counters. As part of her TV triumph, Parker earned a spot helming the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Connecticut's Foxwoods casino — with a projected start date in May or June.
"One of the biggest things I took away from ‘Hell's Kitchen,’ just learning under Gordon Ramsay, was don't overcomplicate food. Sometimes less is more. Let your ingredients shine."
— Executive Chef Ellie Parker, Main St. Provisions
So, with some time left on the clock here in Vegas, what are the dishes that best define the chef’s run at Main St. Provisions?
😋 5 Must-Try Dishes at Main St. Provisions
Tomahawk Pork Chop
Parker says the Tomahawk pork chop is her favorite dish to both prepare and eat. The chef lays a 16-ounce Kurobuta pork chop on the broiler for some grill marks and char before adding a molasses and dark rum glaze. “It’s sticky, it’s sweet, it’s got that rum-like tang to it, ” she says, noting how good pork can taste when it isn’t dry. The meat is served with sauteed green beans and grilled golden apples.
Cajun BBQ shrimp
The Cajun BBQ shrimp was added to the menu at the request of Main St. Provisions owner Kim Owens and turned into a huge hit. “ I honestly think there would be a riot if I took that off the menu today,” Parker says. “So many people love it.” The shrimp sits in a spicy marinade for two days before it’s pan seared with white wine, lemon juice, and butter.
Oven-Roasted Chicken
The latest recipe for the oven-roasted chicken, served with a fried polenta cake and braised kale, was influenced by Parker’s time filming “Hell’s Kitchen.”
“ I got some inspiration while I was on the show,” she says. “Because we worked a lot with kale and polenta.”
Seared Hokkaido Scallops
Her time on “Hell’s Kitchen” is also felt in the seared Japanese Hokkaido scallops — the only kind Parker will use — served with celery root puree and bacon jam.
“Gordon Ramsay is kind of known for yelling about scallops,” Parker says. “So I took a little more time, love, and care in the scallop dish after filming. I just had a new sense of appreciation for the protein itself.”
The Secret to Perfect Scallops
"Hot pan. Cold oil. I know it sounds weird, but it's something I learned in culinary school and it's something Gordon Ramsay reiterated when he was teaching us. Get that pan on the heat dry. Heat it up. Once you see the slightest bit of smoke coming up, add your oil, and then add in your scallops. You’ll get the most perfect sear on your scallops ever."
— Executive Chef Ellie Parker, Main St. Provisions
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ramsay is also famous for his sticky toffee pudding, but the version on the dessert menu at Main St. Provisions actually wasn’t influenced by Parker’s time on “Hell’s Kitchen.” It was on the dessert menu at least a year before shooting began. While the pudding itself is sweetened with dates, Parker mixes raw sugar cane into the pilloncillo caramel sauce instead of traditional white or brown sugar. “It has a different mouth feel, a different sweetness to it,” she says.
- City Cast Las Vegas talks about Ellie Parker and other chefs with James Beard Award nominations in Las Vegas. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
