From about 800 A.D. to the 1600s, many Native American families in the Great Lakes region had established fishing villages and gardens of corn, squash and beans.
| Hans Burtscher |
 Chef Hans Burtscher Vice President, Food and Beverage - Executive Chef - Grand Hotel – Mackinac Island, MichiganIt’s a long way from Austria to the middle of the Great Lakes, but Hans Burtscher, Vice President of Food and Beverage and Executive Chef of Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, has spent the past 25 years designing menus and delighting the discriminating palates of the guests of that world-renowned establishment. The hotel’s elegant dining room overlooks northern Lake Huron, home to such species as Lake Whitefish. So it’s no surprise to find this fresh water fish served there in various ways. Chef Hans says, “We’ve always had whitefish on the menu. What has changed over the years is that now it is pin-boned, which we love. We can do so much more with the fish now. Being on this lake, I know I can get whitefish here every day…I mean fresh. That was one of the main reasons why I stay with whitefish.” The fish has proved to be popular with Grand Hotel’s guests. Hans says, “We can serve 700 people and have probably 150 of those order the whitefish. One of my main banquet items is a combination entrée with beef tenderloin and whitefish tail. We do probably 100 banquets a month, and out of those there are probably 80 that choose that combo.” Whitefish is a very delicate tasting, lean fish, and Chef Hans prepares it with great respect for its mild flavor. “I think the simplest preparation is the best preparation for the whitefish. Just add seasonings, a little butter and bake. Or we poach it in a mixture of fish stock, Riesling and lemon juice.” Burtscher also offers crusted fish in the Grand Hotel dining room. “I have a pecan crusted whitefish on the dining room menu. It is a very delicate fish that holds up well.” Grand Hotel visitors may also chose a creamy whitefish soup flavored with saffron, and tasting smoked whitefish dips in canapés. He’s also made a whitefish bisque with smoked trout garnish that got rave reviews at the James Beard House in New York City. Another way he prepares it is by poaching it in a paper bag adding lemon juice, tomatoes and fresh mushrooms in it. He says it makes a great omelet with fresh asparagus. Chef Burtscher really appreciates his immediate access to the fishery. “The nice thing is that we have fisheries that are right here. We love using Michigan products because they’re local and fresh.” |