‘Frostie, with an ie, not like the snowman. It’s what people have called me since I was little,” says Peter Daniel Frost, chef aboard the 213-foot (65-meter) Codecasa Eternity.
Frostie had just created a four-hour, ninecourse lunch. Each artistically plated dish was a mélange of zesty flavors and textures. The myriad accompanying wines enhanced the experience, chosen as methodically as Frostie’s approach to cooking.
He says the key to culinary success is extreme organization. Trained in classic French cuisine, he insists that every element on the plate has to be perfectly executed. If you want creamy, buttery mashed potatoes, there is a technique,” he says. “If you want a Bordelaise sauce to work, you need to pay attention.”
One of his first jobs was at The Waterside Inn in Bray, U.K., a three-star Michelin restaurant. “I have worked with chefs on the caliber of Gordon Ramsey,” he says, “and I learned a lot of discipline. I love the romance of being a chef, the pain we go through, the hurt, the drive, the passion, the end result, taking a brief moment to appreciate the gift we give…then we go again.”
Thirty-six-year-old Frostie has traveled the world, moving through various jobs at restaurants, in private service and on yachts. Prior to joining Eternity, he was aboard the 197-foot (60-meter) Abeking & Rasmussen Elysian, and before that, he was one of the rotating head chefs for the “Shark Fleet” of five yachts including the 235-foot (71-meter) Alstom Kogo and the 377-foot (115-meter) Lürssen Pelorus.
Instead of novels, Frostie reads cookbooks. His current bedside reading is “The Noma Guide to Fermentation” by René Redzepi, head chef of the Copenhagen-based restaurant.
“I am learning about acid and the preservation of food,” he says. “It might come in handy when at sea for days at a time.”
Having access to the best ingredients is half the battle, he says, singling out Harpke Family Farm in Dania Beach, Florida, and Shoreside Support in Miami as his favorite suppliers.
“Without daily access to fresh markets, having the right stuff in your walk-in and pantry is key,” he says.
Whatever ingredients he has, he reinvents. Undaunted by special dietary requests from the yacht’s charter guests, he has been testing ways to elevate vegan fare.
“I am experimenting with a mushroom dish,” he says. “I take dried mushrooms and have worked out a way to make them taste like liquid when they hit the mouth. Also, I take fresh mushrooms, dehydrate them and make them into mushroom jerky.”
He’s the kind of chef who loves a challenge, ideal for even the most demanding charter clientele.
For charter information: burgessyachts.com
Chef Frostie’s Menu
Starter: carpaccio of Ora King Salmon cured with sea salt, fennel pollen and dill weed, served with pickled cucumber, burnt lemon and caviar
Second course: glazed cornish mackerel, burnt cucumber, dehydrated chestnut, watercress gel, burnt lemon gel, oyster beignet, lovage oil
Main course: handmade sushi including eel, tuna, yellowtail, crab, shrimp, various spices and raw vegetables
Dessert: raspberry tart, raspberry salad with edible flowers, raspberry sorbet and a vanilla-raspberry macaroon
Master Sommelier Virginia Philip
The chef is starting us off with a carpaccio of Ora King salmon alongside pickled cucumber, burnt lemon and caviar. The 2012 Louis Roederer Brut Rosé from Reims, in France’s Champagne region, is a blend of 63 percent pinot noir and 37 percent chardonnay. This medium-bodied Champagne has fruity aromas of wild red strawberry, tart raspberry and cherry that are the perfect complement to the fish. Flavors of citrus and rose petals combine with hints of mineral that will pair beautifully with the burnt lemon and caviar.
The next course is a glazed cornish mackerel, cucumber, dehydrated chestnut, watercress gel, oyster beignet and lovage oil. Try the 2016 Chablis called Sélection Vieilles Vignes by Domaine Savary in Burgundy, France. Domaine Savary grows its chardonnay grapes on Kimmeridgian soil, a fossilized seashell component that adds a distinct mineral character to the wine. This medium-bodied wine has a steely character that is the textbook pairing for mackerel. The wine also has notes of green apple and white pear that will balance the dish’s lemon and watercress components. Hints of oxidation that are reminiscent of toasted hazelnuts complete the finish.
The main course is an assortment of sushi. Pairing wine with raw fish can be tricky, but Chateau Tanunda’s 2015 Triathlon from the Barossa Valley, Australia, will do its part rather nicely. A blend of shiraz, grenache and merlot, this wine is fruity and ripe. The finish is rich and velvety with notes of cedar and spice that will balance the chef’s use of spices.
The dessert of raspberry tart may be served with Cantine Colosi’s 2013 Passito from Sicily, Italy. Made from 100 percent moscato, this wine has aromas of dehydrated flowers and chamomile, among others.
The Wines
Louis Roederer Brut Rosé, Reims, France, 2012, $66
Domaine Savary Sélection Vieilles Vignes Chablis, Burgundy, France, 2016, $32
Chateau Tanunda Triathlon, Barossa Valley, Australia, 2016, $24
Cantine Colsi Passito, Sicily, Italy, 2013, $34
Virginia Philip is one of only just over 200 professionals worldwide to hold the title of Master Sommelier. She owns Virginia Philip Wine Shop & Academy in West Palm Beach.
