When you walk into JEMMA Hollywood you see the kitchen, a wood-burning stove and a sign that shows just how old their starter dough is for their pizza.
The starter itself is nearing 1,700 days, which is close to five years.
The restaurant is situated in the heart of Hollywood.
Chef Jackson Kalb said he was inspired by eateries like Musso & Frank, to encapsulate that old-school glitz and glam.
“I really wanted to get to the East Side and Hollywood just spoke to me,” he explained to Jessica Holmes.
JEMMA is one of three of Kalb’s establishments he opened in the past year.
“There have been three restaurant babies and one actual baby,” he gushed.
Kalb’s culinary journey began when he was about 11 years old when he watched the Food Network when he was home sick in bed. He touted Sarah Moulton as his mentor.
He was so inspired, that at 12 years old he started his own catering company. From there, fate took over.
“Then I happened to meet someone who knew some chef at some restaurant and that happened to be Josiah Citrin of Mélisse, which got two Michelin stars while I was working there,” he continued. “I started at age 13 professionally and I never looked back.”
Kalb’s success doesn’t end there.
He appeared in Season 19 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” He competed without his sense of taste and smell because he lost it after contracting COVID-19.
He was still able to get pretty far, he made it until the season’s eighth episode.
“I learned to understand my gut, more than I needed to,” he said about the experience.
Growing up, Kalb was surrounded by Italian-American comfort food, which serves as the basis for JEMMA Hollywood.
“It was just something I genuinely truly enjoyed eating as a child and I wanted to get back to that in some way, but perhaps in a more classy way,” he said. “So showing what I have learned through my years of being a chef while paying homage to what I grew up eating.”
The items on the menu include focaccia garlic bread, which comes with the tongue-in-cheek joke of being served with ranch dressing. Kalb said the recipe took months to develop along with the starter listed on the chalkboard in the front of the restaurant.
The dough for the restaurant’s pizza took Kalb about five years to develop with the help of that same starter.
For a light lunch option, Kalb worked with Jessica on cooking an orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe.
Orecchiette, which means little ear in Italian describes the shape of the pasta itself.
“We’re going to make this for you with a little bit of sausage, white wine, our version of a very classic dish,” he continued.
Make the dish yourself at home with the recipe below.
This segment of California Cooking with Jessica Holmes aired on Episode 164.
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Courtesy of Chef Jackson Kalb
Serves 4-6
1 pound orecchiette
1/2 pound pork sausage, casing removed
1/2 pound rapini (broccoli rabe)
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup white wine
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon peperoncino (or chili flakes)
2 tablespoons garlic confit (or 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced)
1/2 cup parmigiana, grated
Optional: parm fonduta
Optional: “oregenata” breadcrumbs
In a pot of heavily salted water, blanch the rapini for 45 seconds, then remove and slice thinly into 1/4” pieces. In the same water, cook orecchiette until al dente.
In a separate pot over high heat, add the pork sausage and break it up into bite-sized pieces. Sear until golden brown and fully cooked.
Add the chicken stock, white wine, peperoncino, garlic confit, and butter. Bring to a boil and reduce by 3/4.
Add the rapini and the orecchiette along with 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss with parm off-heat and serve immediately.
Parm Fonduta
1 cup cream
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 cup parmigiana, grated
Bring cream and chicken stock to a boil. Reduce by half. Transfer to a blender and blend with the cheese until completely smooth.
Oregenata Breadcrumbs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl parsley, chopped
2 tbl scallions, chopped
1 tbl parmigiana, grated
2 tsp oregano, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine all ingredients. Place on a sheet tray and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.
