Tim Nugent
Executive Pastry Chef,
Scala's Bistro
Tim has both sweet and savory sides when it comes to cooking; his sweet creations have earned consistently high praise. Tim has appeared on Bravo TV Top Chef: Just Desserts, Bay Café, a Bay Area cooking show, and taught local cooking classes. He has a passion for seasonal ingredients grown locally, from which he creates truly memorable desserts.
Go behind the scenes at Scala's Bistro as pastry chef Tim takes you in the kitchen to teach how to make sweet and savory desserts. Tim has been at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel for two years, making his mark with some of the greatest sweets around.
- Q: What kinds of desserts do you create that have savory elements?
- A: Gelatos. I use a lot of herbs ... basil, tarragon, thyme. I also really love to use tarragon and olive oils.
- Q: Which gets the most raves from guests?
- A: Ironically, it was strawberry basil gelato from an ice cream social Kimpton held for the public last year to raise money for Dress for Success {a non-profit that provides professional clothing and professional services to underprivileged women}.
- Q:What do you like about using savory ingredients in desserts?
- A: I think it's something you can use to enlighten and surprise guests, and steer their palates away from sweet. It keeps things interesting, especially when you incorporate things like bacon.
- Q: Is there a certain technique that has worked well when making these types of desserts? An ingredient you can't live without?
- A: Salt. I'm a savory boy at heart, so everything is seasoned. I look at it as if I'm seasoning a piece of meat. It's all about the steeping process, because there's a fine line between ice cream and something that can taste like dish soap. I just made bergamot granite {a coarse fruit ice similar to sorbet}. Mrs. Meyer's, a brand of household cleaning products, has dish soap in that flavor so I had to be careful! Everything ended up delicious, though.
- Q:Any predictions for savory ingredients weâll start seeing in desserts this year and beyond?
- A:We're going to see a lot more South American spices like coriander, fennel pollens, turmeric and saffron. Not to mention other exotic flavors from around the world. And bacon. It's not going away.
More from Pastry Chef Nugent
Lemon Fennel Panna Cotta, Almond Anise Biscotti and Strawberry Basil Gelato
Scala's | 432 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102 | Phone: (415) 395-8555 | www.scalasbistro.com