Chef's Corner

  • Chef Guillermo Tellez
  • Square 1682
  • Hotel Palomar Philadelphia

  • Bio: In the opening scene of My Best Friend’s Wedding, two chefs toil in the kitchen of a restaurant about to be reviewed by Julianne Taylor (played by Julia Roberts): one is the renowned Charlie Trotter; the other is Guillermo Tellez, once Trotter’s chef de cuisine, now starring as Executive Chef at Square 1682 in Philadelphia.

    Masterful in the kitchen, Chef Tellez comes to Square 1682 with an impeccable 20-year restaurant résumé – from the Trotter empire in Chicago and Los Cabos, Mexico, to Philadelphia’s own celebrated Starr Restaurant Organization, where he was director of menu development for the brand and executive chef at Striped Bass.

    At Square 1682, drawing on his wide-ranging culinary ventures, Tellez introduces a New American menu that thoughtfully jets from Asia to Mexico, then to India, and circles back home. Each dish is hand-crafted using sustainable and organic ingredients, from local seasonal produce to free-range meats and ocean-friendly seafood.

    A native of Ciudad Hidalgo in central Mexico, Tellez is the first-ever winner of the James Beard Foundation’s Felipe Rojas-Lombardi Award of Achievement for Hispanic Chefs. Today he resides in Downingtown, Pa. with his wife Leslie Swager and their two daughters, Paloma and Montysé.

Featured Recipe:

    Brandade – Baked Bacalao Cake

  • Ingredients:
    • 8 ounces dried salt cod (see notes)
    • 1 onion (8 ounces), peeled and chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
    • About 3 tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
    • 1 pound thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
    • 1 whole egg
    • 1/2 cup whipping cream
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
    • Salt
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons drained capers
    • About 2 tablespoons minced parsley

  • Featured Product:

    Chef Tellez can’t live without his... Masanobu Seki-Japan Knives.

    Please call (888-546-4268) or email Customer Service for more information on Masanobu Seki-Japan Knives.

    Traditional Japanese craftsmanship meets modern technology. "They're the top of the line for precision cutting, with a secure grip," says Tellez.

  • Preparation:

    Rinse salt cod well under cool running water. Place in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart jar and cover with water; cover jar airtight and chill 1 to 2 days, draining and replacing water at least six times. Drain fish. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan, cover salt cod with water; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until fish flakes easily, 5 to 15 minutes. Drain; when cool enough to handle, remove and discard any bones and skin.

    Meanwhile, in a 10-inch frying pan (or 5- to 6-quart pan) over high heat, frequently stir onion and thyme in 2 tablespoons butter until onion is browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Scrape into a bowl.

    Add broth and potatoes to pan; bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until potatoes mash easily when pressed, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes.

    In a food processor (at least 1 quart) or bowl, combine fish, egg, onion mixture, potatoes, cream, mustard, and pepper. Whirl or beat with a mixer until potatoes are mashed; pass through a tami and season to taste with salt and pepper.

    In a buttered shallow 1-quart casserole (or four buttered 1-cup ramekins, or a ring mold) spread cod mixture. Level (equally in ramekins) with a spatula, then swirl the top with the tip of the spatula.

    Break about 1 tablespoon of butter into tiny pieces and dot cod mixture evenly, lodging pieces in the crevices.

    Bake in a 400° oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with Indian tomato chutney. Finish with a great quality olive oil – I prefer Nuñez del Prado cold pressed Spanish olive oil.