Chef Profile: Michael Devaney
Michael Devaney, executive chef at The Bull Cantina & Grill
The Chef: Michael Devaney at the The Bull Cantina & Grill, Mobile, Alabama.
The Toolbox: I used to have a knife roll in culinary school. Now mostly hotel pans.
The Tools: “Wusthof are my go-to knives, they’re a great knick-knacky knife with a heavy handle. But Wusthof is starting to fade, the handles loosen, and they’re not as tightly forged as before.
“I like the SHUN Kershaw Japanese knives, they’re made from carbon stainless steel and hold an edge longer. I also like my Swibo plastic-handled boning knife that fishermen use to gut fish on the boats around here.”
First Tool: “A Wusthof 10-inch knife on my first day of culinary school. It’s all I used for two days until I got to the store.”
Most Unusual Tool: “We use hemostats for deboning fish and dental floss to cut cheese and tie things up. A lot of times, we use tools in other ways aside from their original purpose. I’m like a doctor prescribing off label, and often use tools in ways they’re not intended for.
And I’ve been known to use a tire iron to crack things open and pound flank steak. Once we had a catering job, and the meat mallet was being used for dinner service…
Interesting Fact: I usually have to bring my own knives to my mom and grandmother’s house to cook today. They don’t cook much, and equipment wasn’t a big part of cooking a meal when I was a kid.
Holy Grail Tool: All-Clad pans, three complete sets.
I’d be curious how many knifes he owns. I wonder if he has three or four always near him and the rest available “when needed”?