Simplicity’s the Secret
In Hildebrand’s Kitchen
By Sara Nelson

Simplicity is the culinary secret of Bob Hildebrand, a finance guy-turned-chef who now runs the kitchen at the Three Stallion Inn and co-owns the Randolph Depot.

"The more I cook, the more I want to take things out of dishes. I like strong flavors that are clear and focused, not confused," he explained.

Hildebrand has had success with this concept in the two minimalist cookbooks he wrote with his sister, "500 Three-Ingredient Recipes" and "500 Five-Ingredient Desserts," which got raves from disbelieving food critics.

His cooking for the high-class Three Stallion Inn is a little more involved: a typical special might be something like the lobster cake with curry coconut sauce, quince chutney, and blanched root vegetable salad with vinaigrette he recently served.

Many of the dishes in Hildebrand’s repertoire are inspired by exotic cuisines. While Hildebrand says he loves to try new ethnic styles, he keeps it simple by staying away from "fusion" cooking, where flavors from different cultures are combined into one dish.

"I think you should decide on one direction and stick with it. I like my food to have a point of view."

Hildebrand is also big on seasonality, using ingredients that are at their peak and readily available.

He pointed out that seasonality applies to cooking techniques as well as ingredients.

"This time of year, food is heartier, so I do a lot of stews and braises. I might be using the same piece of meat in November as in July, but I’ll do something completely different with it."

The fall menu at the Inn exemplifies these principles with dishes like the sautéed boneless duck breast with Prosecco glaze and roasted grapes on an egg-noodle poppy seed cake. Other dishes feature wintry preparations of pork tenderloin and lamb shank.

Hildebrand said his preference for simplicity is also a result of cooking to please the local palate.

"I like to experiment, but I can’t get too crazy, too out there. You won’t see a lot of foams or liquid nitrogen on the menu."

On days when he’s not cooking for other people, Hildebrand gets to cook for his family, a task to which he brings both creativity and thriftiness.

"I go to the supermarket and see what’s on sale," he said.

For example, he might throw together some pasta with garlic, spinach, broccoli and shrimp. Another fall favorite is pork roast with applesauce and potatoes that Hildebrand parboils and then adds into the pan with the roast.

"They get brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It works best if you use some duck fat."

Asked to provide a favorite holiday recipe, Hildebrand offered up a traditional Christmas pudding, called Snow Pudding with Custard Sauce. True to form, it’s a simple dessert, although it has a few more than five ingredients.

Snow Pudding with Custard Sauce

"This is a light way to end a big holiday meal and has long been a family tradition of ours. The name conjures up the season. Of course, it is only one of about 8 or nine dessert choices my family would typically have around the Christmas table. You may choose to use pasteurized egg yolks and whites, available these days in any supermarket." —Bob Hildebrand

For the Pudding:

3/4 cup Sugar

1 envelope Unflavored Gelatin

¼ tsp Salt

1 ¼ cups Cold Water

1 tsp Grated lemon Peel

¼ cup Lemon Juice (about 1 Lemon)

2 Egg Whites

In a saucepan combine the sugar, gelatin and salt. Add ½ cup of water and stir over low heat until dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining cold water, lemon peel and lemon juice. Chill until partially set. Put the gelatin mixture into the mixing bowl of your mixer and add the egg whites. Beat on high until the mixture fluffs and holds shape. Chill in a bowl, or in a mold. Serve from the bowl, or unmold onto a serving plate.

For the Custard Sauce:

4 Egg Yolks

Dash Salt

¼ cup Sugar

2 cups Milk, scalded and slightly cooled

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Beat the egg yolks with the salt and sugar until light. Whisk in the scalded milk and return the mixture to the sauce pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and place the pan immediately in a bowl of ice water. Stir in the vanilla. Chill with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Serve chilled.

Pour the custard sauce over the pudding and enjoy.