Simple Ingredients, Exquisite Results
By Katie Honnette • Photo by Aaron Schomburg
 Twenty six year old chef Emily Streeter loves to create beautiful, complex dishes from fresh, simple ingredients. This talented young woman is the head chef at Richard’s Restaurant & Pub in St. Peter, Minnesota.
Emily began working in restaurants when she was 14 years old. “At first I thought it was just a job but then I realized it’s what I really love doing,” Emily says. After graduating from high school, she studied chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota but, “I missed cooking so much.” After one year at the U, Emily enrolled in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, where she was trained in French cuisine.
At the age of 23, Emily opened her own restaurant, Emma’s, on Lyndale Avenue in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. “It was a lot of fun – we made everything from scratch and had a seasonal menu using the freshest ingredients.” Meanwhile, David Olson decided to renovate an old building in St. Peter, Minnesota, and open a restaurant of his own. He sought advice from Matt O’Reilly and Tom Peterson who own The Green Room restaurant in Waconia, Emily’s hometown. “Matt and Tom are friends of mine and they told David he would need a chef and gave him my name,” Emily remembers.
When David got in touch with Emily, they decided she would serve as a consultant for his restaurant. At the time, Emily and her boyfriend Derek were expecting their daughter Layla. “We started talking and thought about how nice it would be to give our daughter a backyard to play in,” Emily says. David offered Emily the head chef position and the family moved to St. Peter. They now live within three blocks of the restaurant, “It’s so convenient,” Emily says.
With exposed brick walls, copper-top bar and its turn-of-the century elegance, Richard’s Restaurant & Pub offers a comfortable, yet exquisite, dining experience. “Our main goal is to use fresh and simple ingredients and turn them into beautiful, complex dishes,” Emily says. “We don’t use a lot of froufrou ingredients.” She also works with local farmers to support the community.
Compared to owning her own restaurant, Emily appreciates the lower stress level working at Richard’s. “It’s different just worrying about the kitchen compared to the whole thing,” Emily explains. “I’m still concerned about all elements, though. The kitchen ties into everything – it ties into the wait staff, the bar and the way they build the restaurant.”
Emily has so many favorite dishes to make, it’s hard for her to chose just one. “I love cooking fish because it takes a little extra touch to cook it well,” she says. “And braised items – I love country-style braised meats.” For Emily, each dish is a labor of love. |
Pan Seared Duck Breast
with Sweet Potato Hash,
Sautéed Baby Spinach and
Mocha Demi Glaze
4 6 to 8 ounce duck breasts, score skin
3 sweet potatoes
2 shallots, sliced
½ pound baby spinach
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup red wine
1 shot espresso
4 cups veal stock
2 ounces dark chocolate
Salt and pepper to taste
• Bake sweet potatoes at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until fork tender, chill, peel and dice into ¼ inch cubes.
• In a saucepan reduce red wine by half over medium heat.
• Add veal stock and espresso to wine reduction and reduce by half, stir in chocolate, and strain.
• Sear duck, skin side down, over medium heat until skin is rendered and crispy.
• Flip duck over and finish in oven until you reach the desired temperature (8 minutes for medium).
• In a sauté pan over medium heat sauté the shallots in the butter, add sweet potatoes and spinach, season with salt and pepper.
• Place the hash on the plate first, followed by the duck breast (slice if you wish) and finish with the mocha demi glaze.
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