AUTHOR: Jon Cianfrani, Producer, The Mind of a Chef
EPISODE: PRESERVE
CHEF: SEAN BROCK

McCrady’s Restaurant, where we filmed many of the kitchen segments from The Mind of a Chef, is a labyrinth of pantries, closets, and hidden nooks … and chef Sean Brock uses all of these spaces to his advantage for the dishes he creates.

We visited him early on for a pre-production meeting, and he took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the restaurant. On the roof is a vibrant herb garden; hams are aging in his dry storage; in his kitchen lab he is experimenting with different misos; and in the basement is a jar of his grandmother’s vinegar. Every available space at McCrady’s is used to either grow, age, or preserve food.

Wandering around any one of Sean Brock’s restaurants, whether it is McCrady’s, Husk, or Husk-Nashville is kind of like playing “Lets make a Deal” … you never know what is behind each door. I thought I was headed to the restroom at Husk when I opened this door at the top of the steps — instead, there were all manner of pickled and preserved vegetables greeting me.

This is the spice wall at McCrady’s. In the hands of a less-capable kitchen, this could lead to some major over-seasoning issues. Luckily, the staff at McCrady’s is top-notch, and knows how to use these judiciously.

This is the lighting set-up, affectionately referred to as the “Ring-O-Lite” by our crew. Two 4-foot, 4-bank Kinos as key lights, and another four 2-foot 4-bank Kinos surrounding the countertop. This set-up provides a nice even light and makes our online editor very happy when he is finishing the color correct.

Directors of Photography Jeremy Leach and Ethan Mills use Canon C300s tricked out with a rig built by our Technology Director, Chris Faulkner. It’s not an easy camera to work with, but it makes beautiful images in the hands of these skilled shooters.

A close-up of a cured ham that looks something like the rolling hills of Appalachia in autumn.

Sean Brock grew up eating what was grown in the field. When the summer ended, his family would can and pickle their harvest and eat it through the winter. He tries to bring some of the flavors of his childhood to the guests of his restaurants with these canned and jarred items.

A beautiful and delicious ham. The picture speaks for itself.

These are the ingredients for a pork belly dish Brock serves at McCrady’s, pulling its inspiration from Sean’s days as a pig farmer. With the understanding that a good diet makes tasty pork, Sean’s reasoning is why not also serve what the pigs eat as part of the dish? Along with the fried pork belly, the ingredients that make up the dish are farro, benne, wild mushrooms, pickled blueberries, and ramps.

Photography by Zero Point Zero, from The Mind of a Chef.