In this interview, Kyle Connaughton discusses growing his own olive trees, making his own olive oil, the importance of quality, exploring the different flavor profiles of olive oils, and finding the right olive oil for the dish.
Kyle Connaughton is a chef, culinary educator, and cookbook author. He and Katina Connaughton, his wife, opened SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, in Healdsburg, CA, in December 2016. The restaurant received a perfect four stars from The San Francisco Chronicle in March 2017 and a James Beard Foundation Restaurant Design Award in May 2017. It was awarded two stars in the 2018 Michelin Red Guide, one of only a few restaurants to earn the rating in its first year. The restaurant then received three stars just a year later in the 2019 Michelin Red Guide. SingleThread is also a member of Relais & Chateaux, an international organization of the world’s top restaurants and hotels. In 2018, SingleThread received the Miele “One to Watch” award from World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Kyle's culinary background includes working for Michel Bras in Hokkaido, Japan and as head chef of research and development at The Fat Duck in Bray, England. Kyle worked with Heston Blumenthal and the Fat Duck team to complete the IACP award-winning The Big Fat Duck Cookbook. He also contributed to Nathan Myrhvold’s Modernist Cuisine series. Kyle is professor emeritus at The Culinary Institute of America, and has developed the curriculum for the college's bachelor’s of culinary science program. In 2015, Kyle co-published Donabe - Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking and co-founded the culinary research and development firm, Pilot R&D.
This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service, thanks to the generous support of the International Olive Council.
Learn more about olive oil at https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/olive-oil-and-the-plant-forward-kitchen