Chef Biography
John Neal was born just outside Pensacola, in Milton, Florida. Following school, he moved to New York City where he became the official cook for a group of his friends. At age 25, in 1981, trying to figure out what he wanted to do with himself, he decided cooking was the most fun, so he entered the New York Technical College’s culinary curriculum.
He went on to work at restaurants in New York, then overseas at L’Hotel Rip-Alta in Plaisance-du-Gens, France and Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy before moving to New Orleans and becoming the executive chef at the Bistro at Maison de Ville in 1990.
In 1992 he bought the Peristyle Restaurant and six months later, the Great Chefs television crew showed up to tape him for Discovery Channel’s television series, the Louisiana New Garde (episodes # 5, 13 & 20). Chef John Neal passed away shortly thereafter.
Recipes
Loin of Lamb with Provencal Tian
Serving: 4 Print Loin of Lamb with Provencal Tian By Great Chefs November 11, 2015 Tian is both the name of a utensil and the name of a finished dish. A tian is an earthenware gratin dish from Provence used for baking layered foods such as potatoes or eggplant and tomatoes. In this recipe the […]
Potato Cake with Creamed Leeks and Escargots
Serving: 4 Print Potato Cake with Creamed Leeks and Escargots By Great Chefs November 10, 2015 The most convenient way to purchase snails is canned. Snailophobes should follow Chef John Neal’s suggestion to substitute bits of cooked meat or poultry for the snails; the more adventurous can try the original recipe. Ingredients Tomato Sauce Olive […]
Summer Fruit Soup
Serving: 4 Print Summer Fruit Soup By Great Chefs November 10, 2015 Chef John Neal’s dessert is a cross between English summer pudding, a molded dessert of bread and fresh berries, and Scandinavian fruit soup, cooked fruit puree served hot or cold. Neal’s recipe has the bread of summer pudding and the simplicity of fruit […]