At Marsh’s Edge, St. Simons Island’s premier retirement community, the dining, community amenities and attention to member wellness enhance the active community lifestyle which allows their members to live longer, happier, healthier lives. A key ingredient in that winning recipe for member satisfaction is Executive Chef Matthew Lafountain. Lafountain became well-known on Sea Island and St. Simons Island for his leadership as the Sous Chef at the Georgian Room, Sea Island’s Forbes Five-Star restaurant at The Cloister, and as the Chef de Cuisine at Colt & Alison at The Lodge. Now under his culinary guidance as Executive Chef, Marsh’s Edge provides full-service dining which emphasizes a variety of freshly prepared meals and elegant dining experiences to delight members.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Lafountain was adopted at 6 months old by a family in Warsaw, Indiana. He grew up among corn fields in this northern Indiana town best known as the “Orthopedic Capital of the World” for its abundance of orthopedic manufacturing companies. In fact, Matthew says, “I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. I’m very meticulous and detail oriented.” But those qualities are also important in the kitchen and he acknowledges that using those traits that has helped him get to where he is in his culinary career. Matthew’s love for cooking began at a young age. If he wasn’t out playing sports with friends, he was in the kitchen with his grandmother helping her prepare homemade noodles, pies and biscuits. After high school, he attended college at Purdue University. One day while Matthew was discussing his passion for cooking with a professor, he learned about the Sea Island Apprenticeship Program. That discussion stuck with him and upon completing his degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management, he ventured south to begin his culinary career.
After completing the Apprenticeship Program at Sea Island, Lafountain began his professional career at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia, cooking under Chef Arnaud Berthelier at the hotel’s Mobile Five-Star Dining Room. While honing his cooking style and expanding his techniques, he transitioned to work under Chef Scott Crawford at Heron’s, the signature restaurant of Five Star Umstead Hotel in Cary, North Carolina. Nostalgic for the Georgia coast, Lafountain soon returned to Sea Island to work under Chef Daniel Zeal at the Forbes Five Star Georgian Room. Matthew’s love for fine dining and great food blossomed in the Georgian Room. He soon became the Sous Chef there and held that position for 2 years. In April 2014, he became Chef de Cuisine at Colt and Alison at The Lodge and held that position for a year and a half. He is currently the Executive Chef at Marsh’s Edge, where his talents, cooking style and connection to the community’s members is revered.
Lafountain praises his team at Marsh’s Edge, saying, “I really enjoy the close family environment. It’s very fulfilling to work with passionate people that are achieving one goal: making our members happy. My team also consists of our members. We appreciate their feedback and input, which makes their experience at Marsh’s Edge more memorable. What I really enjoy are the ‘Every Menu Has a Story’ events where we interview a member and create an experience and a menu to highlight their life or life changing experiences.” When asked if he has his own memorable meal, Lafountain replies, “Probably my grandmother’s homemade spaghetti and meatballs. It is really nothing fancy at all, just very nostalgic.”
That simplicity spills over into Matthew’s own cooking. He says, “I am a very straightforward with my ingredients. I do not like to overcomplicate dishes. I tend to simply use kosher salt and freshly ground pepper as my spices, and thyme as my preferred herb. I like to let the flavors of the ingredients really come through, rather than manipulating their flavors.” He also explains, “I don’t really believe in a signature dish, if you can cook, you can make anything taste good together. I do enjoy cooking with fresh seafood, such as our local triple tail or anything with scallops. I’m very into cooking healthy dishes, so I am always being creative with vegetables and lean proteins. My go-to meal is typically grilled or seared salmon belly with grilled asparagus. Here’s a recipe that he shared with us:
Seared Salmon with Cauliflower “Couscous” and Grilled Asparagus
(makes one serving)
Seared Salmon with Cauliflower Coucous and Asparagus
Ingredients:
5 oz. salmon (skin off)
1 c. cauliflower florets
1 tsp. chopped chives
1 Tbsp. diced tomat0
6-7 asparagus spears
1 tsp. vegetable 0il
To taste:
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For Salmon:
Make sure salmon is dry to create a golden-brown sear. Heat medium sauté pan just until it slightly starts to smoke. Add 1 tsp. vegetable oil to coat pan. Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in sauté pan, flesh side down. Adjust heat to medium, as you do not want to burn it, but caramelize the flesh. Once a nice golden brown crust has formed, flip and cook to desired temperature. (Chef Lafountain prefers medium.)
For Cauliflower:
Use a mandolin to shave the cauliflower. If you do not have a mandolin, chop with a knife. Place cauliflower in a food processor and pulse to achieve the “couscous” look. Heat a medium sauté pan and add 1 T. of olive oil. Sauté the cauliflower to simply take the raw out of it. Set aside in a mixing bowl. Add additional olive oil to taste, chives, and tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For Asparagus:
Cut off bottom woody portion of the asparagus. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Place on grill, rolling the asparagus spears so they cook evenly.
This dish can be served family style or individually plated.
With this healthy and delicious dish that is simple yet flavorful, you can get a taste of what Lafountain is serving up in the Marsh’s Edge dining experience.
Marsh's Edge is located on 78 plush acres on St. Simons Island with a charming selection of cottage homes and villas. For more information about membership and amenities offered at Marsh's Edge or to schedule a private tour, visit Marshs-Edge.com.
