The All-American Chef : Bradley Ogden: Sophisticated food from a country boy.

Bradley Ogden was born in the country; he was in his mid-20s before he went to New York City for the first time. And although he’s been seducing some of the world’s most sophisticated eaters for almost 20 years, he took his first trip abroad just four years ago.

That is, in large part, what sets him apart from other famous American chefs. Most of them were city kids who had their first taste of fabulous food in France or Italy. The American food movement was fueled by people such as Alice Waters and Jeremiah Tower, who came home from Europe and tried to reproduce what they had eaten over there. In the process, they learned the importance of the land, for they discovered that you can’t cook good food with bad products. They began to demand better fruit, better fish, better chickens.

But Ogden started out in the place where other chefs ended up. Born into a large family in the small town of Traverse City, Mich., he says that the best meal he ever had was cooked by his father. “We were hunting in the Upper Peninsula. We set up the tent, put out the salt licks and sat down to wait for deer. It was snowing hard, and all we had was onions and potatoes, but my Dad cooked up home fries in a big skillet. They were fantastic. Dad always did consider himself a gourmet chef.”

Ogden’s family didn’t farm, but at 17 he left home to find out what living off the land was like. “I ended up in a place with 440 acres--we even made our own maple syrup,” Ogden says. “We grew organic vegetables, had cherry and apple trees and kept chickens for their eggs.”

At 18, inspired by the cooking legacy of his father, Ogden enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Upstate New York. After a year of learning the basics, Ogden left the institute--he decided he needed more experience. He got it--in spades. By the time he went back four years later he had a wife, a baby, another on the way and the kind of hard-knock training that a chef can get only from a succession of low-status kitchen jobs. During this second phase of his studies, Ogden worked full-time to support his family.

“I think,” he says, “that the classes meant more to me than to everybody else. I had to work so hard to pay for them.”

Upon graduating from the institute, Ogden got a job with restaurateur Joe Baum, who took his newest hire on a whirlwind tour of 30 restaurants in New York City. It was Ogden’s first trip to the city: “He really opened my eyes.”

Ogden went on to become a protege of James Beard and, at 30, head chef at San Francisco’s Campton Place Hotel. Stardom came so quickly that six years later, when he opened his own restaurant in Marin County, the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, there was instantly a three-week wait for reservations.

But Ogden doesn’t act like your average chef/entrepreneur. Squeaky-clean and fresh-faced even at 37, he starts most days greeting his neighbors at the local farmers market. When he shows up for interviews to promote his new cookbook, he brings his 10-year-old son along. Other chefs tease him about his amazing ability to keep clean: “I can work the line for 12 hours,” he says, “and come out spotless.” And after a long day at the stove, the place you’re most likely to find him at is the local high school, playing a midnight game of basketball with his employees.

Still, it would be a mistake to pigeonhole Bradley Ogden as just a simple guy from the country who’s made good. He’s a complicated fellow: One minute he’s the country boy from upstate Michigan telling you about the year he and his six brothers and sisters got nothing but comics for Christmas. The next minute he’s regaling you with stories of spending two years as a vegetarian teaching Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism? In upstate Michigan?

He tells you, with a mixture of anger and pride, how his father got into an all-night card game on the way to the opening of the restaurant and never quite made it. (“I had a limo waiting for him at the airport,” he says with a self-deprecating smile.) And underneath that smiling exterior is a driven man who has enormous plans for the future and says despairingly of his twin brother Bentley, “talking to him is so frustrating--he never does anything with his life.” This is also the guy who never lets you forget that his class at the Culinary Institute voted him Most Likely to Succeed.

Other people might be content with the success of one restaurant and a just-released cookbook; not Bradley Ogden. He’s already planning his second cookbook--and his second restaurant, slated to open in San Francisco in about a year. When he talks about that project, his face lights up. “We’re going to have a huge temperature-controlled wood-burning oven,” he says, “big enough to roast four suckling pigs at one time.” Ogden plans to hang his own hams, make his own bread, his own sausages. “It’s going to be amazing!” he concludes.

The hallmark of Ogden’s food is that it manages to avoid hokey American folksiness, even as it steers clear of European detours. His is unabashedly straightforward American cooking--with a cool sophistication that can be surprising. He might make chili, but his version is made with venison and black beans and served with spicy creme fraiche.

It is the food featured in his just-released cookbook, “Bradley Ogden’s Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,” but with a slight difference. “I really tried to simplify so the average cook could do these recipes easily,” he says. “I tested them all in my kitchen at home. We tested every recipe three or four times, and I made sure that the recipes were easy to assemble and put together. I wanted people to be able to do a lot ahead.”

He also wanted the recipes to be accessible. “I wanted to make sure the ingredients were simple to get everywhere in the country,” he says. “I shopped in the supermarket; if something wasn’t available there, I substituted other ingredients.”

The recipes in the book span a range from deliciously complex prune fritters to the sheer simplicity of pot roast. He makes slow food fast, suggesting, for instance, that you soak old-fashioned rolled oats in milk in the refrigerator overnight so that they cook quickly in the morning. And he takes classics and reinterprets them; in his hands, good old corned beef hash becomes an elegant salmon concoction.

In this book, Ogden has come full circle. He cooked the upscale fare that big-city eaters demanded. He became famous. And then he decided to bring it all back home.

In his own home, however, Ogden does have his critics. Most of America might consider Bradley Ogden a great chef, but his children remain singularly unimpressed. “I once made macaroni and cheese from scratch,” says Ogden. “It was the best I’ve ever tasted. None of my three sons would touch it.” His son Cory makes a face. He shoots his father a slightly apologetic look. “My mom,” Cory says firmly, “is a much better cook.”

“For the book,” says Ogden, grating the potatoes into a bowl of acidulated water, “we tried working with the potatoes every possible way. We even tried grating them with the skins on. This worked the best.” He plunges his hands into the water, grabs the potato shreds, squeezes hard.

SALMON HASH

12 ounces fresh salmon fillet

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups cold water

2 to 3 medium russet potatoes

6 tablespoons clarified butter or duck fat

3/4 cup sweet yellow pepper strips (1x1/8-inch)

3/4 cup sweet red pepper strips (1x1/8-inch)

3/4 cup onion strips (1x1/8-inch)

3/4 cup white part of leeks cut in 1x1/8-inch strips

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh summer savory

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Lemon wedges

Poached eggs

Remove skin from salmon. Trim off dark fat just under skin. Pull out any small bones with pliers. Split fillet down middle. Cut each half into 8 strips, 16 pieces in all. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Combine lemon juice and water in large bowl. Wash and peel potatoes. Shred through large holes of hand grater into water (about 3 cups potatoes).

Heat clarified butter or duck fat in large non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat. Squeeze out excess liquid from potatoes, being sure to remove as much as possible. When butter or fat is almost smoking, add potatoes carefully. Place loosely and evenly around bottom of pan. Do not stir until potatoes have begun to brown well around edges. Stir potatoes carefully.

Lower heat and continue cooking and stirring potatoes until golden brown throughout, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Pour out all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Add sweet peppers, onion and leeks. Lower heat to medium. Saute 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in thyme, savory, tarragon, parsley and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Season to taste with pepper. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Wipe out skillet with paper towel. Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Turn heat to high and add salmon, being careful not to overcrowd pan. Do not allow pieces to touch or they will steam and not sear. Cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn salmon pieces over and add potatoes and other vegetables to skillet. Continue cooking until salmon is just medium rare, another minute or so. Serve on warm plates with lemon wedges. Top hash with poached eggs.

Prunes, a fruit with a much-maligned reputation, have never tasted more delicious than they do in this recipe.

PRUNE FRITTERS

1 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

24 pitted prunes

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg, separated

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Grated zest of 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Oil for deep-frying

Powdered sugar

Lemon and Orange Curd

Combine orange juice and balsamic vinegar in small saucepan. Bring to boil and pour over prunes in heat-proof bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain well.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in mixing bowl.

Beat egg yolk until thick and pale-yellow in medium bowl. Gradually mix in milk, melted butter, lemon and orange zest and vanilla. Add to flour and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Beat egg white in small, clean, dry bowl just until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter.

Add approximately 2 inches oil, enough to cover fritters, in deep fryer. Heat to 375 degrees. Dip each drained prune into batter to coat. Fry, 2 or 3 at time, until golden brown. Remove fritters and drain on paper towels.

Place 4 fritters on each plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Lemon and Orange Curd. Makes 6 servings.

Lemon and Orange Curd

Grated zest of 3 oranges

Grated zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3 egg yolks

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, egg and yolks in small, heavy-bottomed, non-corrosive saucepan. Mix well. Add butter in chunks.

Cook over low heat, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes or until mixture lightly coats back of spoon. Immediately strain into bowl and place in ice bath to cool. Makes 6 servings.

“Do this only when you have good tomatoes,” says Ogden. “We’re getting good tomatoes from late July through November now. And if you have a food mill, use it rather than a food processor. The food processor works fine, but it puts too much air into the soup.”

CHILLED FRESH TOMATO SOUP WITH PEPPER RELISH

2 pounds firm, ripe tomatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks

1/4 cup minced red onion

1/4 cup minced sweet yellow pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Puree tomatoes through fine-meshed food mill to extract juice and pulp and leave skins and seeds behind. (Food processor or blender should not be used for this step as they incorporate too much air into puree.) Cover puree tightly and refrigerate 2 hours.

Just before serving, mince red onion and yellow pepper and chop fresh basil. Toss together in small bowl. Stir balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into tomato puree. Adjust seasonings with more vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve puree in chilled soup bowls and place 1 heaping tablespoon relish in center of each bowl.

“Do you need to peel the nectarines?” Ogden asks, peering at his own recipe. “No? Good.” This is simple and delicious--even if the nectarines you use aren’t perfectly ripe.

NECTARINE-BLUEBERRY CRISP

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

Granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 1/2 pounds firm, ripe nectarines

1 pint blueberries

2 tablespoons flour

Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon and ginger in medium mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Pit nectarines and cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Toss nectarines in bowl with blueberries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and flour. Pour fruit into 9- or 10-inch-square baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.

Bake at 400 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes or until top is browned and juices are bubbling up around edge. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Makes about 6 servings.

Note: Other fruits may be substituted. Use 5 to 6 cups fruit in all. It is best to start with 1/4 cup sugar, taste fruit and sugar mixture, and adjust sugar accordingly. Use more or less flour, depending on texture of fruit. Soft fruits need about 2 tablespoons, firm fruits little less.

“There’s a nice combination of flavors and textures here; the barbecued pork and corn crepes are set off by the cool but spicy avocado salsa. The smokiness of the chipotle chiles adds to the rich spicy flavor of the barbecue sauce,” Ogden says? You might, however, find the sauce a bit on the sweet side.

BARBECUED SHREDDED PORK WITH CORN CREPES AND AVOCADO SALSA

1/4 cup corn flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons minced chives

Barbecue Sauce

4 cups shredded roasted pork

Avocado Salsa

Sift together corn flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and kosher salt in medium bowl. Combine egg, milk and melted butter in separate bowl. Make well in dry ingredients and gradually beat in egg mixture. Stir in chives. Let batter rest 30 minutes before using.

Heat well-seasoned crepe pan over medium heat until almost smoking. Butter lightly and pour in about 2 tablespoons batter, just enough to make thin 5-inch crepe, tilting pan to distribute batter evenly. Heat until golden brown, cooking on 1 side only. Remove crepe from pan and continue with remaining batter, stacking warm crepes on plate.

Heat Barbecue Sauce in medium saucepan and add shredded pork. Stir to coat pork evenly. Simmer gently until meat is heated through. Spoon meat onto crepes and fold or roll around filling. Top with any remaining Barbecue Sauce and serve Avocado Salsa on side. Makes 8 servings.

Barbecue Sauce

3/4 cup bottled chili sauce

1/3 cup molasses

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed hot pepper

1/2 Anaheim chile, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 sweet green pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned)

Combine chili sauce, molasses, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, chicken stock, water, hot pepper sauce, kosher salt, Worcestershire sauce, crushed hot pepper, Anaheim chile, green pepper and chipotle chile in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and pour through fine strainer. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Sauce will keep in refrigerator up to 4 days. Makes 8 servings.

Avocado Salsa

1/2 cup minced white onion (about 1/2 medium), minced

2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste

1 medium tomato

2 medium, ripe avocados

1 or 2 serrano chiles, finely minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Kosher salt

Mix onion and 2 tablespoons lime juice in medium bowl.

Core and cut tomato into 1/4-inch dice. Cut avocados in half, remove seeds and scoop out flesh. Cut flesh into 1/2-inch dice. Add tomato, avocados, minced chiles and cilantro to onion mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding salt, lime juice or minced chiles as needed.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let salsa stand about 1/2 hour before serving. Makes 8 servings.