BYLINES BY SCOTT
JOIN SCOTT FELDMAN’S ANNUAL END-OF-SUMMER FEAST
Scott Feldman enjoys his annual end-of-summer feast with a few notable culinary names out East.
“While the Hamptons is famous for its real estate, amazing beaches, and the lives of the rich and famous, it’s the vibrant local favors that really spice up this area, perhaps because so much of New York’s notable culinary talent make the East End their home away from home.
“Yes, this is where Billy Joel, Ralph Lauren, and Donna Karan, to name a few, reside, but maybe the real noteworthy people out East are the relatively ordinary ones. Being a local doesn’t necessarily mean being born and bred in the Hamptons; I defne a local as someone who lives here, not around here. I have been coming out since I was a kid, and, frankly, I know the terrain—the best bars and restaurants, and, I like to think, also the best people.
“To experience the true breadth of the Hamptons, I spent time with Kerry Heffernan, a chef and fsherman who calls Sag Harbor home. Well known for his career as a chef in New York City, Heffernan is also a local angler and conservationist. Our day started with clamming in Sag Harbor (Heffernan wouldn’t let me print the secret spot), picking herbs from his garden, and conversing about the local bounty and that aforementioned favor.
“Joining us was our good friend, NYC publicist Phil Baltz, who began his career out East. Baltz is one of my best friends and probably the only other person I know who really fell in love with the East End later in life. Now a publicist for some of the best toques in the business, he spends his time in his kitchen, using his garden as a starting point for great food and memories.
Like kids fishing off a pier, we cast lines into the water off Governors Island. Heffernan made it clear that we could eat what we caught, but in this game, size really does matter. With that, I phoned in an order to The Seafood Shop (Wainscott Village Shopping Center, 356 Montauk Hwy., Wainscott, 537-0633) just in case my hook came up empty (better safe than hungry). Heffernan guaranteed a catch and also warned that all the snapper we’d see was off-limits. He believes snapper is overfished, and, frankly, he knows that the East End has, well, many other fsh to fry, or grill, or broil… We caught three huge bluefsh, and Heffernan was already on top of a recipe for dinner.
“With supper onboard, we headed back to Sammy’s Beach, with a layover at Plum Island to see some other locals who knew there were seals just a mile out of East Hampton. Upon arriving at “The Shack” (our house), we headed out to East Hampton to the farmers market and Nick & Toni’s, where we walked through the garden there. Co-owner Mark Smith and chef Joe Realmuto are two great friends and part of the Hamptons’ allure. After harvesting some goodies from the garden, we poked our heads into some of the local booths at the market for some Mecox cheese and Wölffer Estate rosé.
“Back at The Shack, we uncorked the wine and started cooking. First our host created two appetizers: local porgy crudo with shiso, and bluefish collar with soy and sage. Then Heffernan hit the grill with a whole bluefish seasoned with assorted aromatic herbs he had picked from his garden earlier in the day.
“I contributed my famous “Shack” pizza with the fresh clams we caught, plus olive oil, lemon, sea salt, and Peppadew peppers. One of our guests, a chef, scolded that the edges of the pizza needed to be more charred, but later she gave me props for the dough (don’t tell Bobby Flay I stole his recipe). Said chef, Anne Burrell, supplied a simple summer salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, vinegar, mozzarella, and more herbs from Heffernan’s garden.
“Finally, it was time to partake in the perfect meal to end an epic day with friends and guest stars, including chef Marc Murphy. And while Burrell isn’t technically a local, she has claimed the East End as her new summer home.
“The meal typified the Hamptons experience: local ingredients, prepared simply, with a dash of good conversation and shared love for all the East End has to offer. Another summer is coming to a close, but the rich bounty of the East End and the real locals endure all year long.”
Read the Article at Hamptons-Magazine.com HERE.
