Women's Month Spotlight: Chef Nyesha Arrington

A Flair for Flavor

Nyesha Arrington discovered her love of food in her grandmother’s kitchen. It is in her Southern California home that she found an affinity for creating satisfying meals made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Her family’s multicultural background honed her love of cooking and influenced her professional culinary pursuits. As an impassioned child under her grandmother's tutelage, a young Chef Nyesha Arrington mastered Korean cuisines such as Bulgogi and homemade Kimchi. Since then, her flair for fresh flavor integrations has launched her from home Sous Chef to the go-to Chef for multiple food stars, including Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsey.  

Food is Art 

Arrington was heavily influenced by her artistic family. Her seamstress mother and bassist father raised both Nyesha and her sister in a creative environment. Prior to her full dedication to her current career, Nyesha experimented with photography, sculpting, and watercolor. Eventually, she decided that the canvas she most enjoyed was an empty plate. Her style and approach are that of sustainability, so the chef makes an effort to source and prepare locally grown ingredients.
In 2001, while enrolled at the Art Institute of California’s Culinary School, she garnered a professional boost from Michelin Star restaurateur Chef Josiah Citrin. Due to her extraordinary culinary achievements, she was tasked with helping Citrin open two restaurants in Santa Monica, California, which foreshadowed great things for the young culinary student.  

From Student to Master 

Chef Arrington’s groundbreaking journey has been that of a prodigy turned master. From her days in SoCal in the family kitchen to appearances on Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Chef Hunter, Nyesha has always proven her ability to thrive as a mentee. After some initial apprehension about joining the celebrity chef space, she dived into her first few offers and discovered it to be a natural fit. She has graced the cover of ‘Rachael Ray Every Day’ magazine and currently serves as mentor and judge on Gordon Ramsey's newest show, Next Level Chef, on the Fox Network. Her dedication to excellence has transitioned her from rising star to Master Chef.  Her culinary expertise and artistic background have made her one of America’s brightest chefs and food stars. Try your hand at Chef Arrington's Honey Mustard Black Cod recipe below and don't forget to prepare your kitchen with Lamson's new Vintage 7-Piece Deluxe Cook's Set today!

Women’s History Month

During the month of March Lamson will recognize Women’s History Month by sharing stories of bright and talented women who are exemplary in the culinary industry. We encourage you to celebrate the contributions all women have made over the course of history. 

Honey Mustard Black Cod

Ingredients for Black Cod

• 2 pounds black cod (also known as sablefish)

• 2 cups honey

• 2 cups Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp aged soy sauce

Ingredients for Onion Broth

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 large onions, thinly sliced from stem to root end

• Kosher salt

• 2 ounces dry sherry

• 4 bay leaves

• 1 bundle thyme

• 2 quarts of chicken stock

Ingredients for Celery Root Puree

• 6 cups whole milk, divided

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 3 bulbs of celery root (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into large cubes

Directions for Onion Broth 

1. Coat a large deep pot with olive oil. Add the onions and sprinkle generously with salt. Bring the pan to medium heat.

2. Stir the onions to coat with oil. Cover the pot and sweat for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the onions have gotten very soft and let off a lot of water, remove the lid and let the onions cook slowly to really develop their rich brown color and sweet flavor. There is no shortcut or rush for this, DO NOT TRY! Caramelized onions take a long time, about an hour, accept it and move on.

3. When the onions are very brown and have gotten considerably smaller, add the sherry and cook until the sherry has reduced by half.

4. Add the bay leaves, thyme bundle, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour.

5. TASTE for seasoning; you probably will need to season with salt.

6. If the stock reduces too much add water to keep the liquid level up. When done, the soup should be thick and very full-flavored.

7. Correct seasonings and add salt due to the sweetness of caramelized onions. TASTE!

Directions for Celery Root Puree

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of milk to a simmer. Reduce the milk until it begins to caramelize and turn brown for about 45 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add shallots and garlic and cook over low heat until shallots are translucent about 3 minutes.

3. Add the celery root and russet potato and cook for 3 minutes longer, making careful not to brown.

4. Add remaining 3 cups of milk and simmer until the celery root is tender about 25 minutes.

5. Remove both saucepans from heat.

6. Transfer the celery root and the milk mix to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot, drizzled with good-quality hazelnut oil and chopped toasted hazelnuts. 

Directions for Cod

1. Mix honey, mustard, and soy together in a bowl
2. Add the fish, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from marinade when ready to cook
3. Cook under a salamander or broiler for 6 minutes

To Plate

In a shallow bowl place celery puree in a mound.  Add broth over the top and around the puree. Carefully place the finished cooked fish on top and garnish with julienned scallions.

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