Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Simple Food, Simply Delicious

Chef Bruce Scott of The Famous Fish Co. shares the way food ought to be.

It's fish. Simply fish. It's not overloaded with spices, encrusted with too much doughy breading or available at a take-out window. That would go against Chef Bruce Scott's taste and feel for the way food ought to be done. And it's absolutely delicious!

Born and raised in South Africa, Bruce Scott has been a chef for nearly twenty years. Scott's family owned a restaurant when he was young. He would skip school to get cooking lessons from an Indian chef in their kitchen. Said Scott, "He had no pretences, but could produce incredible meals."

The freshest fish arrived at the Scott home via his uncle, a deep sea fishing captain. Scott said,"My Norwegian grandparents taught me the simple way to cook fish. No training or teacher has improved on those simple lessons. I used to watch my granny gut, scale and fillet fish on the back step of the porch in a flash; whip it into a skillet; and dish up fish that had been swimming three hours earlier. What an experience!"

This experience is what Scott brings to his Peachtree City restaurant, The Famous Fish Co. In a noisy, but comfortable trattoria, Chef Bruce Scott and his staff bring fresh fish to the table for lunch and dinner. This time last year, The Famous Fish Co. opened its doors at The Avenue in Peachtree City.

They've just broken ground for another metro Atlanta location, this time in Norcross. The first location of The Famous Fish Co. started in Scott's native South Africa in 1995. His business partner, Brett Whitehouse, runs their operations in the United Kingdom, which began in 1997. They have several locations in the UK. "My ambition would be to grow Famous Fish to six stoes in the Atlanta area," shares Scott.

Said Scott,"I opened my first restaurant at the tender age of 23, without any financial assistance from my fmaly. The rest is history, as they say!" He continued, "Cooking and food is a hobby and a profession for me, as well as a passion. I count myself as one of those lucky people who works for money and pleasure at the same time."

"I am especially proud of my South African food heritage. It has a hugely diverse amount of cultural influence, ranging from Malay, Indian, Dutch, Portugese, English, African and French Huguenots," said Scott. That influence is also seen on the menu and tasted in what's served at The Famous Fish Co.

Across three continents, Famous Fish Pans make a big splash. Pick a number. Pan 1 consists of a whole grilled lobster, three jumbo prawns, mussels and rice, served sizzling with butter and light seasonings in a skillet for $39.95. Pan 3 has two jumbo grilled prawns sharing skillet space with calamari, chicken liver, mussels and the essential risotto to soak up the flavor, for $17.95. These and three others make up the pan selections.

But we can't neglect "linefish." That's the Famous Fish word for catch of the day. It comes in pans. It comes in specials. And it comes fresh.

"I like simple food cooked properly. I would rather eat a fresh tomato and cheese sandwich with good quality ingredients, properly seasoned, than a four-course meal of poorly executed rubbish," asserts Scott.

"People think quantity is important in a recipe. The more ingredients in the recipe the better it will taste. Wrong. The two most under-utilized ingredients are salt and pepper--used properly they can transform almost any food," said Scott.

He added, "Try fresh strawberries with a touch of pepper before you add sugar. They taste better. Use a few choice ingredients with an herb or two and you'll be amazed at the tastes that emerge. Taste the food, not the spicing!"

Other advice from Chef Scott? "Use fresh food. Organic is good. And cook at home without resorting to bottles, boxs, and sachets. It is so easy to produce quality meals. Take your time to enjoy the food and savor the moment. Enjoy food as one of the simple pleasures of life."

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