Top Chef victor-turned acclaimed restauranteur, chef Kwame Onwuachi, is taking it up a notch as summer slowly comes to a close.
With his Lincoln Square restaurant, Tatiana, continuing to be the talk of New York City dining scene since its opening, Onwuachi is set host a block party with Guinness in Brooklyn later this month.
During the bash, Onwuachi will bring New York City-inspired dishes along with ice cold pints of the Irish stout.
Ahead of the party, Blavity spoke to Onwuachi about summer barbecue staples (and how Guinness can enhance them), his time on Top Chef and more.
“Guinness is so versatile,” the 34-year-old told Blavity in a recent interview. “It has so much flavor and richness— it works really well [when] paired with dairy, in desserts, in long braises. It works really well in sauces. In my eyes, there’s not enough ways to integrate it.”
Owuachi also recommended fans of the stout try “using it as a brine” or using it to make a sauce. “Sauce is boss, so creating any dark, rich, deep sauce, it only adds to its complexity,” he said.
When it comes to barbecues, Owuachi likes to stick to the basics, and describes himself as a “creature of habit” when it comes to a cookout. “My go-to barbecue spread is usually hot dogs, hamburgers, maybe some ribs and some grilled chicken and steak,” he explained.
But sticking to a more traditional barbecue spread doesn’t mean you can’t spice up your recipes.
“Think about infusing Guinness into your traditional [barbecue] favorites,” Owuachi said. “If you’re making ribs, make barbecue sauce with it. If you’re making hotdogs, poach them in the Guinness and then throw them on the grill. They’ll have this like really nice brown hue to them.”
Burger lovers, consider sautéing your “caramelized onions with a little bit of Guinness,” or making a Guinness butter for your steak or fish. But don’t go off script too much.
“I would say don’t don’t go too crazy,” the author advised. “Anytime someone goes too crazy at a cookout. they end up ruining the cookout. Focus on the classics, but just enhance them in ways that fit you.”
Partnering with Guinness has offered Owuachi the opportunity to get creative with his cooking— something he learned while appearing on Top Chef Season 13.
“The biggest lesson I learned from the show was to make your food exciting. That’s the only way you continue to win in the competition, and I’ve adapted that into my career. When I’m coming up with dishes, I’m thinking about texture, thinking about acidity, thinking about temperature, or how well is this thing cooked, and then what’s that one thing that’s going to make me stand out from the rest? I think that’s why it’s so easy and great to do these events with Guinness because I get to flex that that muscle a little bit,” he explained.
That innovation is likely to show up on the menu of Owuachi’s new restaurant in D.C.’s Salamander hotel, Dogon.
“It’s Afro-Caribbean cuisine,” he shared. “It’s telling the story of how D.C. came to be from Benjamin Banneker, who was a descendant of the Mali tribe, who used West African science to map out the borders of D.C. So it’s telling an Afro Caribbean story with all that culture’s influence on the area.”
Owuachi and Guinness’ Lovely Day in Brooklyn block party will be held on Aug. 24.
