Harry Christensen of Harry's Continental Kitchens.
Harry Christensen—who pioneered Harry’s Continental Kitchens (525 Saint Judes Dr., Longboat Key. 383-0777; harryskitchen.com) with his wife, Lynn, in the late 1970s—is adept at combining culinary skill with business acumen. He has been in the industry since age 15, and worked his way through country clubs, cafeterias and hotels. Today, the Harry’s venture on Longboat Key includes a restaurant, catering business, deli and convenience store.
Q: What makes you want to get up in the morning and do the work you do?
A: The passion I have for all of my responsibilities in our food service business. I enjoy every aspect, from the production of food and beverages to the sales, service, marketing, financing and team building.
Q: What is the biggest challenge and the greatest reward of working in your industry?
A: The biggest challenge is staying in tune with the cutting edge demand for products and preparation. The greatest reward is hearing the customers say, “That was the best meal we ever had.”
Q: What is your favorite meal to make for yourself or your family, and why?
A: I think that would be breakfast for me. It’s nice to gather around, relax and talk before a hectic day.
Q: What are three of your signature dishes?
A: Our German apple pancakes, our grouper pescatore and our key lime pie, which are all classics that have been on the menu for 36 years. When patrons have these dishes, they always want to come back and have them again. Our German pancakes, in particular, are made with lingonberries. We use a homemade batter, cook the pancakes in a special pan and finish them in the oven.
Q: What is something people would not typically know about you?
A: That we run four different businesses out of our kitchen. We have a restaurant (with breakfast, lunch and dinner), a deli, a catering business and a corner store, and I’m involved in all of these. On a personal level, I don’t think people know that I like to garden and grow all of my own herbs for cooking.
HARRY’S KEY LIME PIE
Ingredients:
1 baked 10-inch deep pie shell
10 eggs, separated
2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
1 cup key lime juice
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ teaspoon sugar
Method:
Mix the egg yolks and condensed milk together and add the lime juice last. For the meringue, use the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they are stiff, and add the sugar slowly until it forms a stiff peak. Pour the filling into the pie shell and let it sit while making the meringue, and then pipe the meringue on top. Bake the pie at 325 degrees until it is golden brown (about 35 minutes).
