SALT LAKE CITY CHEF’S TABLE

Sadly, few Salt Lake City restaurants boast women head chefs. While many women have found their places in bakeries and making desserts at restaurants, women as head chefs are few and far between. So you can imagine our excitement when we met Jennifer West at Trio, a bubbly personality yet pretty hard core in the kitchen.

After culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Jennifer moved to Salt Lake for the skiing, as many of us did, then she just couldn’t find a reason to leave. She quickly proved her worth in a restaurant at Alta Ski Resort. It was the perfect match for her to best enjoy the benefits of living in the mountains. At Alta they made everything from scratch, which meant she had to teach the young ski bums in her line how to cook well too.

Today she still gets up to Alta pretty often, though she’s not risking it as much as she once did. She wears her avalanche beacon and stays in bounds these days. Being in charge of two busy city kitchens is enough to make her a bit more straight laced.

At Trio she takes pride in the fresh-made pastas and breads like their focaccia. They’re doing more and more in-house as of late. “We’re trying to make the food scene better around,” she says about her role in the local food awakening. Trio’s owner, Mikel Trapp, supports her wholeheartedly. He owns a few places around town where Jennifer’s skills are put to work.

On Jennifer’s arm you’ll read, “Pressure makes diamonds,” which has proved true in her culinary journey. Though she currently stands out in the Salt Lake chef scene, we are sure that she is grooming the way for more women to come.

MANILA CLAMS

For the braised fennel:

1 fennel bulb (sometimes called anise; 10–12 ounces) with fronds

¾ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ teaspoon salt

Dash of black pepper

¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

⅛ cup water

1 tablespoon oil

8 ounces manila clams, rinsed under cold water

1 teaspoon salt

1 ounce braised fennel

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced shallots

1 ounce cooked bacon

¼ cup white wine

1 ounce roasted red peppers

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

2 slices grilled bread

Lemon slices

To braise fennel: Cut off and discard stalks from fennel bulb, reserving fronds. Chop 1 tablespoon fronds and discard remainder. Cut bulb lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices, leaving core intact.

Heat oil in a skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown fennel slices well, turning over once, 3–4 minutes total.

Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle fennel with salt and pepper, then add broth and water. Cook, covered, until fennel is tender, 10–12 minutes. Sprinkle with fennel fronds.

To prepare manila clams: Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Once hot add the clams and season with salt. Sauté the clams for 1 minute.

Add fennel, garlic, shallots, and bacon and sauté for 1 more minute. Add white wine, roasted red peppers, and butter.

Place lid on pot and cook until clams are all open and butter is melted. Throw away any clams that did not open. Check seasoning.

TRIO

MANILA CLAMS