Wade Shoemake
Wade Shoemake’s interest in cooking started when he was watching his dad, Gary, fry bacon in a black skillet.
“I eat food, breathe food,” he now says. Wade, formerly of Bruce, lives in Tunica and works as a chef at MGM’s Gold Strike. He loves the company he works for saying it is “very diverse.”
He started in the culinary management program there in July, which lasts a year.
Now with Don Wicks, he’s learning from an executive chef the business side, but feels he wants to stay involved in culinary. After July, Shoemake can hold the role of a head chef.
It all began around 10 years ago when he was watching a Food Network show in which John Currence was competing. When Wade saw Currence was from Oxford, he did some research, gave him a call and got a job.
He worked with Currence at Boure in Oxford for the next year. His passion for culinary only grew after his time at Boure.
Previous to his time in Tunica, he spent seven years in Biloxi at the Beau Rivage, beginning his employment at MGM Resorts.
He has mainly been involved in French cuisine, but did work in an Italian restaurant at the Beau Rivage. During this time, he learned from Paola Bugli of Florence, Italy, where they made literally everything from scratch, and he learned to master homemade pasta of every kind.
He loves French cuisine. “If something doesn’t taste good, add butter,” he said. And Italian is just the opposite, which uses olive oil and lean meat.
“I like everything,” he said. Wade’s favorite flavor is pecorino truffle cheese with a truffle honey drizzle. And a favorite flavor combination is chipotle pepper and brown sugar. “It makes a delicious steak rub,” he said.
He likes to cook with the seasons, lots of fruits and vegetables in the summer.
“I pickle anything at home,” he said–radishes, okra, pickles, asparagus. “I just throw it all in there. I like curing meat, making sauces.”
His barbecue grape jelly sauce came from necessity of having no barbecue sauce at home and needing it for chicken.
He saves chicken and duck stock, bacon grease, and chicken skin to make chicharrones. He makes chicken and dumplings, cornbread, and just made homemade chicken soup–whole chicken, stock, celery, carrots, onion.
He likes to grill often, especially stuffed pork loin. He has been practicing in Asian cuisine and made Pat-Thai one night.
“I go to the grocery with no plan,” but for a composed meal, his strategy is to always chooses a protein first, then a starch, vegetable and a sauce.
He spends his spare time reading culinary books and watching YouTube videos and his favorite chefs are Anthony Bourdain and Sean Brock.
“You taste with your eyes first,” he said, so he is always thinking about different things to prepare and different ways to present. “There is an art in plating your food,” he said.
“It’s intimidating when you come into the culinary world, but it is exciting. You can never learn everything about it,” he said.
“I’ve had so much exposure and worked under some really good chefs,” he said.
Wade recently had the opportunity to work a few days at Joel Robuchon’s restaurant in Las Vegas, where he got to eat from their tasting menu.
“It was a once in a lifetime chance.”
Shrimp and Grits
Cook grits in chicken stock. Press down in sheet pan and freeze. Julienne red onion, and red and green bell peppers. Roast frozen corn kernels in oven. Take grits from freezer and cut into triangles. Batter and deep fry them. Saute peppers, onion and garlic until translucent. Add white wine and lemon juice. Reduce down. Add heavy cream and pinch of Parmesan cheese. Fold in corn. Simmer until it will coat the back of a spoon. Saute or blacken shrimp and add to mixture. Pour sauce over grits and serve.
Grape Jelly BBQ Sauce
In a small saucepan, add one part grape jelly with one part (combined) ketchup, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, coarse black pepper, a touch of vanilla extract, salt and a touch of apple cider vinegar. Let simmer.
