The Father of Haute-Alaskan Cuisine

Some people are born into their career. Take Joshua Slaughter: With that name, could he have become anything but a butcher or a chef? Embracing his moniker, Slaughter has carved out a profession as one of America’s most innovative chefs, having made a name for himself at Bouchon Bakery and wd~50. But to sample Slaughter’s forward-thinking, locally rooted cookery — Alaskan salmon funnel cake with apricot chutney; pork raised by a neighbor, partnered with candied fennel — you’ll either have to catch him at NYC’s James Beard House or book a flight to the Great White North. From late spring to early fall, he’s hunkered down near the glacier-strewn Wrangell–St. Elias National Park in McCarthy, Alaska, a minuscule city where the population can be counted in the dozens. Despite the town’s small size, Slaughter crafts outsize tasting menus at the McCarthy Lodge, giving tourists a taste of Alaskan cuisine — elk and all. Want to read my full interview? Head over to Food Republic. Eat it up!