Eight years between Napa and San Francisco kitchens and four in Orange County taught Alabama native Tripp Mauldin a few things. “It’s really growing and working with sustainable, organic, local ingredients, and letting those ingredients shine in the dishes,” says Tripp, who now uses Southern, regional ingredients from local producers and farms in his kitchen at Satterfield’s. “I like to create menus based on the bounties from the area, creating menus based on what’s in season, menus based on the best available produce around.”
Since Tripp started this summer, the fine dining establishment is now highlighting even more farm-to-table ingredients, which suits Executive Pastry Chef and Owner Becky Satterfield’s vision for her Cahaba Heights restaurant perfectly. Since opening in 2005, they have been “focused on fresh food from the farm to our tables.” “We continue to have this focus on what we serve the public and have grown even more conscious of the purest form of food and non-GMO groceries,” Becky says.
Tripp found his passion early. Originally from Montgomery, he grew up with a family who cooked all the time. “We always had a garden and were growing [vegetables] and cooking from the garden,” he says. From there he went to the University of Alabama and then on to Johnson and Wales University’s College of
Culinary Arts.
After moving to California, he worked with notable California chefs like James Beard Award Winner Michael Mina as well as Sylvain Portay. In Napa, he served as chef at Angèle Restaurant before returning to his native Alabama to serve as executive chef at the Montgomery Country Club. Becky recognizes what Tripp brings to the table: “We are fortunate to have someone in the kitchen with broad experience that in turn brings a broader experience to our guests as Birmingham has grown over the years, as we are hosting more national companies and international events. His experience will in turn serve those groups better.”
Satterfield’s, which provides a variety of seating options for its guests, including an elegant main dining area, a full-service bar with its own menu served from 4 p.m. daily, a chef’s counter and an outside patio, provides an intimate dining experience with a friendly feel, both for its diners and its kitchen team. “Our open kitchen lends a lot to that as our kitchen and guests interact, and while the tenets of formal service are important to us, we feel that warm and friendly service is equally important to our guests,” says Becky. Tripp also believes that the restaurant’s “phenomenal service” appeals to guests.
This fall, the restaurant has several special events on the calendar, including a wine tasting and wine dinner, and at any meal the menu reflects the change in seasons. “As the weather cools, you’ll see heartier, heavier dishes, more braises. Your squashes, your mushrooms will be coming around, and a lot of your fall produce, sweet potatoes, things that are more hearty, cold weather dishes,” says Tripp, who gathers inspiration for his cooking from reading, markets and more. “Anything I can get my hands on to grow in knowledge and food, [I do]. I’m a very driven, focused person. I look for people in my kitchen to have that passion as well to grow and to learn and try new things. I think I’m lucky because my passion is cooking. I actually do my passion for a living, which is the best part of
my career.”
Becky, who has a new restaurant in Cahaba Heights, a Latin American concept called El ZunZún, opening in early 2018, agrees. “We are looking forward to every day as we love what we do,” she says.
Satterfield’s is located at 3161 Cahaba Heights Road and is open Monday-Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 5:30 to 10 p.m., and the bar opens at 4 p.m. Make reservations at 205-969-9690 or at satterfieldsrestaurant.com.
Get to Know Chef Mauldin
Hometown: Montgomery
Thoughts on Birmingham So Far: I think it’s a growing food scene…I’m excited to be a part of it. I think it’s become a great food city.
Favorite Dish at Satterfield’s: Fried Green Tomatoes with Blue Crab Salad, Sieved Egg and Tabasco Dressing.
Favorite Dish at Home: On my off days, I enjoy going to the farmer’s market, and creating dishes at home based on what’s best in season and creating dishes for family and friends.
While You Cook: Old rock, classic rock, music I grew up with.
On Your Fall Menu: Mushrooms, apples, beets, winter squash, pears, persimmons, sweet potatoes and heartier dishes like short ribs, osso buco, and venison.
Meet Chef dePâtisserie Garrigus
Her Start: Age 15 through dual enrollment with Jefferson State’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute.
Past Experience: Baking assistant for Diane Olexa at Olexa’s in Mountain Brook; Assistant pastry chef at Bottega, Highlands and Chez Fonfon; Executive pastry chef at The Club.
Why I Love It: “I like the hospitality aspect of it, watching someone try one of my desserts that puts a smile on their face. Being able to find different flavor combinations, different styles of plating…I have the opportunity to be artistic.”
Favorite Fall Flavors: Pumpkin, bourbon, pecan.
On the Satterfield’s Kitchen: “Satterfield’s [kitchen team] is small, and everyone kind of works together, like a family. We all take care of each other, and we have space to be creative. I think [Chef Tripp Mauldin] looks at his food as an art piece for sure, which is always very refreshing. And he is really into farmer’s markets…he delivers with precise execution.”
Roasted Duck with Sweet Potato Purée, Beets and Cranberry-Red Wine Sauce
Tripp Mauldin, Executive Chef, Satterfield’s Restaurant
Serves 2
For the Duck
- 1 whole duck
- 3 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Beets
- 6 baby red beets
- 6 baby yellow beets
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Cranberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 orange, zested
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse the duck and pat dry. Remove the neck and giblets. Remove the excess fat from the cavity and the tail area. Prick the duck skin all over with the tip of a knife, making sure not to penetrate the meat. Season the duck with the salt and pepper inside and out. Place the duck on a roasting rack breast side up and place on the bottom rack in the oven. Roast the duck until the temperature of the duck reaches 155°F at the thickest part of the leg, about 1 ½ hours. Once the duck has reached 155°F, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
While the duck is roasting, wash the beets and place them in an oven-proof container deep enough to submerge the beets in water. Add enough water to cover the beets, and then add the vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven with the duck, on the top rack, until a knife easily pierces into the beets, about 1 hour. Once the beets are tender, remove them from the oven. Remove the beets from the cooking liquid and peel away the skin of the beets. Set aside and keep warm.
After the beets go into the oven, wash the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes on a small oven proof tray. Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven on the top rack with the beets. Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool. Once cooled, peel away the skin, and place the flesh in a blender or food processor. Add the cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, remove and keep the sweet potato purée warm.
For the cranberry sauce, add all the ingredients to a pot. Heat the sauce over a medium heat, and reduce by half, or until the sauce is thick and syrupy. Set aside and keep warm.
Once the duck has rested, carve the legs and breast from the roasted duck. To plate, use a large spoon to spread the sweet potato purée across the plate. Add one breast and one leg quarter to the plate, and arrange the beets and cranberry sauce around the duck and sweet potatoes.
