Article Text
Executive Chef Anthony Chittum is turning the Vermilion staff’s family food memories into a Mother’s Day menu at the King Street restaurant.
One appetizer was inspired by the French mother of sous chef Franklin Sivac. It layers domestic prosciutto, Pennsylvania goat cheese, red onion marmalade and a coddled egg over thick, butter-toasted sourdough.
The dish reflects Vermilion’s farm-to-table approach. Its ham comes from a Kentucky farm, while the Goot Essa ash goat cheese is made in Pennsylvania. Bread and Water in Alexandria supplies the sourdough, and the honey comes from Earth and Eats in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The finishing olive oil is produced by a Georgia farm that grows and presses its own olives.
Sivac called his mother in France while the dish was being developed, and she specified that the bread should be buttered. Chittum cooks it in a cast-iron pan for about a minute per side, warming the center while caramelizing the exterior.
He tops the toast with slices of prosciutto and pieces of goat cheese, leaving room for an egg cooked for five minutes in boiling water and then immediately chilled and peeled. The result falls between soft- and hard-boiled, allowing the yolk to spill around the prosciutto when opened. A sprinkle of Maldon sea salt follows.
Small spoonfuls of homemade red onion marmalade add sweet-and-sour richness. Chittum prepares it by cooking finely chopped purple onions with local honey, brown sugar, red wine vinegar and citrus for about 20 minutes.
Purple watercress brings heat and bitterness, while mustard blossoms complete the presentation. The creation is one of four appetizers planned alongside five entrees and two desserts.
Chittum returned to Vermilion about a year and a half ago. He had previously spent five years at the restaurant before leaving for a 12-year tenure at Irongate in Washington, D.C.
Raised on Kent Island, Chittum remembers crabbing and shucking oysters in the backyard, though he said his parents were not culinary experts. His first serious exposure to professional cooking came at 17, when he worked under a talented young chef at a neighborhood restaurant. The experience showed him that cooking could become a career.
He later moved to San Francisco and worked for James Beard Award-winning chef Donald Link, whom Chittum describes as his greatest influence. Living far from his family and friends forced him to support himself in a big city while learning the operational differences between neighborhood dining and high-end restaurants.
For Chittum, running a kitchen now involves far more than preparing meals. A chef must manage employees and control costs while navigating a difficult restaurant economy. He said roughly 30 percent of restaurants could close during the coming year.
He also believes expectations within the profession are changing. Chittum wants to provide good wages and a healthier balance for his staff—and preserve time to attend his 10-year-old son’s baseball games.
His career honors include a Best New Restaurant recognition from Washingtonian for Notti Blanche. During his first stint as Vermilion’s executive chef, he was named Rising Culinary Star of the Year, while the restaurant received three stars from The Washington Post and recognition as Best Upscale Casual Restaurant.
One family favorite also made its way onto the Mother’s Day menu: porterhouse steak. Chittum said his mother-in-law requests it for every occasion.