This Week's Menu — Coming Soon
Section reserved for upcoming recipes & seasonal menusFuture Recipe & Menu Content
This space is held for Chef Robert's rotating weekly menu, seasonal tasting cards, and printable recipe pages. Refresh weekly for the next dish in the series.
Saugatuck, CT and Fairfield County — A Brief History
Long Island Sound · River-port roots · A discerning tableSaugatuck began as a 17th-century river port at the mouth of the Saugatuck River, where Long Island Sound oysters, bluefish, and striped bass set the rhythm of village life. By the late 1800s its riverfront drew sloops carrying produce from inland Fairfield County — pears from Wilton, sweet corn from Easton, dairy from the Norwalk hinterlands. Today the neighborhood threads through Westport's most storied stretch and brushes up against Rowayton, Greens Farms, Darien, and New Canaan. It remains a community of discerning palates: families raised on stone-fruit summers and slow Saturdays at the Westport Farmers' Market, coffee in hand.
The Recipe — Method, Timing & Sensory Cues
A Jura classic, plated for tenPan-roasted chicken supreme with a morel and Vin Jaune reduction is the kind of dish that whispers rather than shouts. The wine — a slow-aged savagnin from the high country east of Beaune — carries an oxidative, almost-fino character that turns butter and cream into something nuttier than they have any right to be. Pair it with leek fondue, sweat low and patient, and you have a quiet, candle-lit dinner that lands with the weight of a much louder meal.
Method
- Wake the morels. Steep dried morels in 2 cups of warm (not hot) water for thirty minutes, weighting them with a saucer so they fully submerge. They should plump from leathery to velvet. Lift out gently — the grit settles fast — and strain the liquor through a coffee filter twice. Reserve every drop. This is half the sauce.
- Dry-brine the supremes. French the wing bone of each chicken supreme, then season skin and flesh evenly with flake sea salt. Rest skin-up on a wire rack, uncovered, in the refrigerator for one hour. The skin should look dry and slightly translucent — that's the surface you'll crisp.
- Build the leek fondue. Slice leeks (white and pale green only) into fine half-moons, rinse twice. Sweat in cold butter with a generous pinch of salt over the lowest possible heat for 25–30 minutes. They should never color. Add cream, a sprig of thyme, and a single grind of white pepper; cook another five minutes until it coats a spoon.
- Sear, baste, finish. Heat a heavy carbon-steel pan over medium until a drop of water dances. Lay supremes skin-side down — they should sing, not scream. Don't move them for six minutes; the skin renders amber and lacquered. Flip, add cold butter, smashed garlic, and thyme; baste continuously for two minutes. Slide the pan into a 400 °F oven and roast to 158 °F internal — about eight minutes more. Rest skin-up on a board, ten minutes minimum.
- The reduction. Pour off the fat, leaving the fond. Sweat minced shallots until translucent. Deglaze with Vin Jaune; scrape up everything golden and reduce by half — you'll see the bubbles tighten and the smell turn almond-like. Add chicken stock and the strained morel liquor; reduce until syrupy. Pour in cream, bring back to a low simmer, then fold in the morels for two minutes.
- Mount and finish. Off heat, swirl in cold cubed butter — one knob at a time — until the sauce gleams. A squeeze of lemon, a fistful of chopped tarragon. Taste. Salt should be present, never loud.
- Plate. Spoon a generous bed of leek fondue, slice each supreme on the bias to show the blush of just-done flesh, and rest atop. Nap with sauce, scatter morels, finish with flake salt and a single tarragon leaf.
Ingredients & Sourcing — Where Chef Robert Shops
A 10-guest provisioning listThe supremes are sourced through Pat LaFrieda Meats via the white-glove counter at Eataly NY — air-chilled birds with the wing bone left long for the French finish. Morels and tarragon come from the spring stalls at the Westport and Fairfield County Farmers' Markets; when foraged morels are short, Chef Robert backs them up with imported dried morels from Saugatuck Provisions. Leeks, shallots, and the supporting alliums are pulled fresh from Stew Leonard's in Norwalk on the morning of service. The Vin Jaune travels in from a small importer the chef trusts; if the vintage is short, fino sherry stands in honorably.
- 10 boneless skin-on chicken supremes, wing bone attached (~8 oz each)
- 60 g dried morels (or 400 g fresh, in season)
- 2 cups (500 ml) Vin Jaune or dry fino sherry
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock, unsalted
- 1¾ cups (400 ml) heavy cream
- 4 large shallots, finely minced
- 8 large leeks, white & pale green only
- 120 g unsalted butter, plus 60 g cold cubed butter for mounting
- 1 small bunch fresh tarragon
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, for finishing
- Maldon flake salt; freshly ground white pepper
A short walk through these vendors is itself part of the menu. If you'd like Chef Robert to handle every step — sourcing, provisioning, prep, service, and the quiet kitchen at the end of the night — the recipe below explains the rest.
Mise en Place — Equipment, Plating, Silver & Garnish
A working layout for ten coversOn the Cutting Board
A 10-inch chef's knife and a flexible boning knife handle the fabrication of the supremes. A sharp paring knife is reserved for the morels — they're delicate, and forcing a dull blade through their hollows tears the cap. A microplane is set aside for the late-stage zest of lemon, and a Y-peeler for the leeks' tougher outer leaf. Two large hotel pans hold the trim and the prepped supremes, separated and labeled.
On the Stove
A 14-inch carbon-steel pan does the searing — it holds heat the way cast iron does, but releases skin more cleanly. A 12-inch sauté pan with sloped sides handles the reduction; the angles encourage the swirl when mounting butter. A wide rondeau, lid on, sweats the leeks. A small saucepan keeps stock warm. Each station holds its own micro-plane of salt and white pepper.
Smallware
Wooden spoons for the leeks (metal pulls the color), a slotted spoon for lifting morels, a fine-mesh chinois lined with damp cheesecloth for the morel liquor, a fish spatula for the supremes (the angle is gentler on the skin), a digital probe thermometer, a tasting spoon parked in warm water, and a cake tester for doneness checks at the bone.
Plating
Service is on warm 11-inch matte ivory plates with a hand-thrown lip — wide enough to frame the fondue without crowding it. A demitasse spoon traces the bed of leeks; the supreme sits at four-o'clock, sliced on the bias to show its blush. Sauce is napped from a small pewter saucière, never poured. Two perfect morels crown the dish; a single tarragon leaf, flake salt, and one drag of olive oil finish it.
Silver & Glass
A weighted dinner fork and a serrated steak knife with a hardwood handle — the supreme is tender, but the morels reward a sharp edge. Fine-stem white-wine glasses are warmed (not chilled) for the Vin Jaune itself, served alongside; the wine wants 55 °F, not refrigerator-cold. A small rinse glass of still water sits at each setting.
Garnish & Final Pass
Picked tarragon leaves are held in a damp paper towel inside a sealed container so they stay sapphire-green until the last moment. Maldon salt and a peppermill rest on a folded service cloth at the pass. Each plate is wiped with a warm cloth before it leaves the kitchen. The runner times the route — pass to seat in under sixty seconds, every time.
What Are the Top Benefits of Hiring a Private Chef in Saugatuck, CT?
Five-star at home · A designated server at your service1. A Five-Star Dining Experience, Tailored Entirely to You
For a Saugatuck homeowner, the difference is felt the moment guests arrive. Chef Robert builds the menu around your kitchen, your guests' allergies, and the wine you'd actually like to drink — then handles sourcing, provisioning, every stage of prep, service, and the spotless kitchen at the end of the night. Unlike a catering company moving twelve events at once, a private chef is in your home, cooking your meal. You stay at the table.
2. A Designated Server Who Lets You Be a Guest at Your Own Party
For dinners of six or more, a designated server, host, or hostess is essential. They greet, pour, plate, clear, and quietly read the room — anticipating the second glass before it's asked for. The benefit is emotional as much as practical: time reclaimed, conversations finished, photographs that show the host laughing instead of clearing. Memory, not logistics, is what you take into the next morning.
Your Kitchen, Quietly Transformed
Imagine the candles lit, the wine poured, the room full — and you, seated. Chef Robert designs healthy weekly meal prep, dinner parties, wedding parties, engagement dinners, holiday events, family gatherings, and corporate entertaining for the homes of Saugatuck and Fairfield County.
Reserve Your Date — Contact Chef Robert TodayFrequently Asked Questions
Voice search · Featured snippet readyWhat does a private chef in Fairfield, CT actually do?
A private chef in Fairfield County designs your menu, sources the ingredients, and cooks the meal in your home kitchen. Chef Robert handles every step — provisioning, prep, dinner service, and a fully cleaned kitchen at the end of the evening — so the household stays at the table. Service ranges from healthy weekly meal prep to multi-course dinner parties for ten or more.
How much does it cost to hire a personal chef in Fairfield County, CT?
Personal chef pricing in Fairfield County is built per event, not per plate. Expect a base chef fee plus the cost of ingredients at retail and an optional designated server. Weekly meal prep is quoted separately and runs lower per meal than dinner-party service. Chef Robert provides a clear written estimate after a brief consultation about your menu, headcount, and date.
What is the difference between a private chef and a caterer?
A private chef cooks one meal, in your kitchen, for your guests, on your schedule. A caterer typically cooks off-site and serves multiple events the same evening from a shared kitchen. The private chef model gives you a custom menu, hands-on attention to allergies, and food plated seconds before it reaches the table — exactly the way fine restaurants serve it.
Can a private chef accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies in Fairfield?
Yes — handling dietary restrictions and allergies is one of the strongest reasons to hire a private chef rather than a caterer. Chef Robert builds menus around gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan, kosher-style, and pescatarian needs, with a separate prep zone for severe allergies. Each guest's restriction is confirmed in writing before the menu is finalized.
How do I hire Private Chef Robert for a dinner party in Saugatuck or Fairfield, CT?
To hire Private Chef Robert for a dinner party in Saugatuck or Fairfield, CT, email Robert@RobertLGorman.com or call 602-370-5255 with your preferred date, headcount, and any dietary notes. Chef Robert will reply with a proposed menu and written estimate. Reservations are confirmed with a deposit and a brief in-home walkthrough of your kitchen.
About Private Chef Robert
Pacific Northwest roots · East Coast tablesChef Robert's career runs from the Puget Sound to the Saugatuck River. His foundation was the Pacific Northwest — Edmonds on the Sound, Seattle's Rusty Pelican, and the lake-and-orchard country of Eastern Washington's Lake Chelan, where salmon, halibut, and Dungeness crab still set the rhythm of the season. He began as a teenager peeling potatoes at Claire's Pantry in North Seattle in the 1970s, later opening the Rainier Grill near Mount Rainier as chef-owner. He served as private chef for the Doswell Foundation in Dallas, taught as Chef Instructor at the Zwilling–Henckels Cooking Studio in Pleasantville, NY, and now hosts occasional dinner events at Wakeman Town Farms in Westport, CT. Reach Chef Robert at Robert@RobertLGorman.com or 602-370-5255.
Styles of Service for Private Chef Events — & Why a Designated Server Matters
Plated · Family · Russian · Stations · TastingPlated (American) Service
The most common style for private dinner parties of six to twelve. Each plate is composed in the kitchen and delivered finished — sauce napped, garnish placed, temperature exact. It gives the chef the most control over presentation and timing, and it keeps your dining room calm and quiet.
Family-Style Service
Large platters travel down the table; guests serve themselves. Warm, generous, and best for holidays, Sunday gatherings, and longer tables of ten or more. Pairs naturally with roasted whole birds, braises, and seasonal vegetable boards.
Russian (Silver) Service
The server presents the food on a platter at the guest's left and plates it tableside with a fork-and-spoon transfer. Reserved for formal anniversary, engagement, or milestone dinners where the choreography itself is part of the gift.
Stations & Tasting Menus
Stations suit cocktail-forward events — a raw bar of Long Island Sound oysters, a carving station, a warm dessert pass. Tasting menus run five to nine small plates, paced by the server, ideal for a milestone evening or a wine-pairing dinner.
Why a Designated Server Is Worth It
A designated server is the bridge between the kitchen and the table. They carry plates from the pass at the right moment, refresh wine without being asked, clear quietly between courses, watch for empty water glasses, and read the room when a story at the head of the table needs another minute before the next course arrives. For dinners of six or more, a server is recommended; for ten or more, two servers (or one server plus a host/hostess) is the standard. The result is the difference between a host who is exhausted by 9 p.m. and a host who is still seated at 11.
Tableware, Linens, Dishware, Silver & Servingware — Per Course, for Ten
A complete count for the chicken supreme menuThe setting is built around the chicken supreme dinner: a four-course progression of amuse-bouche, first course, main, and dessert. Linens are off-white hemstitch; napkins are folded simply and rest under the fork. Plates are matte ivory with a hand-thrown lip; glassware is a fine-stem white, a heavier red, and a tumbler for water. Silver is single pattern throughout — weighted, polished, and counted twice.
By Course — Tableware Per Cover
| Course | Plate / Vessel | Silver | Glass | Linen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amuse-bouche | Demitasse spoon on a 4″ saucer | Demitasse spoon | — | — |
| First Course (Soup or Salad) | 9″ rim bowl or 8″ salad plate | Soup spoon or salad fork | White-wine glass | Hemstitch napkin |
| Main — Chicken Supreme | 11″ matte ivory dinner plate (warmed) | Dinner fork & serrated steak knife | White-wine (Vin Jaune) + water tumbler | — |
| Dessert | 7″ dessert plate | Dessert fork & spoon | Dessert wine flute | — |
| Coffee service follows: 10 demitasse cups, saucers, spoons, plus cream pitcher and sugar service. | ||||
Final Count — Ten Guests
Plates & vessels: 10 amuse saucers; 10 first-course bowls or plates; 10 dinner plates; 10 dessert plates; 10 demitasse cups & saucers; 1 large serving platter; 2 saucières; 2 bread baskets; 2 butter dishes; 1 cream pitcher; 1 sugar service. Silver: 10 demitasse spoons; 10 first-course pieces; 10 dinner forks; 10 steak knives; 10 dessert forks; 10 dessert spoons; 10 coffee spoons; 2 serving spoons; 2 sauce ladles; 2 butter knives. Glass: 10 white-wine; 10 red-wine (held for cellar choice); 10 water tumblers; 10 dessert flutes. Linen: 1 floor-length tablecloth; 10 hemstitch napkins; 4 service cloths; 2 bread cloths. The full count is staged on a sideboard and counted twice — once at set, once before service — by the designated server.