Welcome back to our weekly feature highlighting brothers who throw down in the kitchen. Meet Scotley, who has an amazing grits cake recipe to share.
Missed one? Catch up on all the interviews and recipes of our featured chefs in our Men Who Cook Roundup »
Name: Scotley Innis, Jr.
Occupation: Chef
Age: 26
City: Sandy Springs, Georgia
ESSENCE.COM: So how did you end up having mouths watering in Atlanta with your food?
SCOTLEY INNIS, JR.: I was born and raised in Bronx, New York, and I currently live in Atlanta. In the south is where I pursued my love of culinary arts by working as an executive chef in the cajun restaurant Mudcatz Bayou Bar & Grill. I first learned how to cook by watching some of the best Jamaican cooks in the world, my family. I attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts of Atlanta to master the technical aspects and traditional methods of professional cooking. After college I worked at a five star and five diamond hotel in Atlanta, where I continued to grow.
ESSENCE.COM: What’s your favorite part of being a chef?
INNIS: The greatest satisfaction you can obtain as a chef is a compliment from a customer. Please give “my compliments to the chef” or “That was the best meal they ever had” is mind-blowing, and let’s face it, we all need affirmation from time to time. As a chef you always think your food is good but knowing you hit your mark is victorious. Cooking is sexy; with that being said I love cooking for the ladies. It has been my experience that women love a man who knows how to prepare a full course meal.
ESSENCE.COM: You have us pegged. So what is your advice for those stepping up their cooking game?
INNIS: The best cooking tip I can give anyone is fresher is always better. When cooking a meal I use the freshest ingredients: herbs, fish, poultry, etc. Local Farmer’s Markets have wonderful selections. Be sure to cook with love. I love to cook because I love to eat. (Laughs.)
ESSENCE.COM: (Laughs.) And what is your standout recipe?
INNIS: My signature dish is a baked cheese & bacon grit cake with blackened tiger shrimp topped with a béchamel sauce, parmesan cheese and chopped green onions. I have received numerous compliments on this dish and it is becoming all the rage in Dunwoody, Georgia.
Try his signature dish here, Baked Cheese & Bacon Grit Cake, with Blackened Tiger Shrimp »