Chef Biography

Gordon Hamersley discovered early in his career that for him food was a way of life.  “I realized that food and cooking were a passion that was all consuming, not only for me, but for many others, too,” he affirms.  He started cooking as a student at Boston University in the early 1970s and began his culinary career at various French restaurants in the Boston area.  In 1979, he escaped New England winters and moved to Los Angeles, where he trained at the famed Ma Maison restaurant under Wolfgang Puck.  It was there that Gordon discovered the real potential of food and began to seriously hone his skills as a chef.  In 1982, he and his wife Fiona moved to Nice, France.  Cooking by day and dining in restaurants by night, they absorbed the nuances of French cuisine, and Gordon found his inspiration and discovered his culinary “voice”.

 

In 1987 Gordon and Fiona opened the original Hamersley’s Bistro in a tiny storefront in Boston’s up-and-coming South End.  “We wanted our restaurant to be more like the informal, relaxed bistros in France that we felt ourselves drawn to again and again,” says Gordon.  The restaurant’s homey, French-inspired bistro food was an immediate success.  In 1993, they moved their restaurant into a larger space a few blocks down Tremont Street into an historic building alongside the Boston Center for the Arts.  Hamersley’s Bistro quickly became one of Boston’s favorites.  Gordon has kept his cooking unique yet simple, and his food always reflects the freshest seasonal New England ingredients.

 

In early December 1993, the Great Chefs team caught up with Chef Gordon just before he moved into his current facility.  Gordon prepared a roasted garlic flan appetizer for our Great Chefs of the East series, and a braised lamb shank entrée for our Great Chefs – Great Cities series.  Later, in the late ‘90s, Chef Gordon met up with our Great Chefs crew again for a Weber Grills Grill Out special, where he prepared a grilled quail and created an iron skillet clambake.

 

Gordon is a respected cooking teacher and mentor to many aspiring chefs.  He teaches classes in Boston and in many other cities around the country.  Students find his ability to relate food history to modern cooking techniques both informative and fun.  Gordon served on the Board of Advisors of the New England Culinary Institute from 1997 to 2002 and he currently is part of several environmental groups that help protect New England’s vast natural resources.  Gordon also works closely with Share Our Strength whose mission is to end childhood hunger in 2015.

Recipes

Roasted Garlic Flan (Roasted-Garlic Custards with Mushrooms and Green Onions)

Serving: 4 Print Roasted Garlic Flan (Roasted-Garlic Custards with Mushrooms and Green Onions) By Great Chefs March 27, 2014 Savory custards flavored with nutty roasted garlic are topped with an unusual sauce of sliced garlic, mushrooms, green onions, and pasta. This is a stunning appetizer, and can become the star of a meal if the […]

Iron Skillet Clambake

Serving: 2 Print Iron Skillet Clambake By Great Chefs March 27, 2014 A traditional clambake, without a beach — gather the seafood in an iron skillet and cook over direct heat on the grill. The corn steams inside its husks, with the grill flavor seeping in. Littleneck clams are used in New England; in other […]

Spicy Grilled Quail with Leeks

Serving: 4 Print Spicy Grilled Quail with Leeks By Great Chefs March 27, 2014 Marinated grilled quail, spiced with Asian spices, are served atop greens dressed with a lighter version of the marinade. Star anise and Chinese five-spice powder may be found in many large groceries, or in Asian or specialty markets. Ingredients Marinade Gingerroot […]

Braised Lamb Shanks with Carrots, leeks, and Coriander Sauce

Serving: 4 Print Braised Lamb Shanks with Carrots, leeks, and Coriander Sauce By Great Chefs March 27, 2014 Lamb shanks are given a Moroccan treatment in this dish, with a sauce that combines coriander, marjoram, and blood orange slices, and uses couscous as a thickener. Ingredients Leeks – 4 Lamb shanks – 4 Salt and […]

Restaurant Information

Phone : 617-423-2700

Address : 553 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

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