Jasper White was a chef who helped put New England cuisine on the map as the owner of Jasper’s and Jasper White’s Summer Shack.
- Died: May 11, 2024 (Who else died on May 11?)
- Details of death: Died at a Boston hospital of a ruptured intracranial aneurysm at the age of 69.
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Jasper White’s legacy
White became known for fine dining at Jasper’s and the more casual atmosphere at his Summer Shack, but most important to the acclaimed chef’s culinary legacy was seafood. His signature dish was pan-roasted lobster, in which the lobster is cooked with butter, herbs, and bourbon, both on the stovetop and in a hot oven. The classic plate debuted at Jasper’s but was also available at the Summer Shack.
White opened Jasper’s in Boston in 1983 after studying at the Culinary Institute of America and putting in his time at several Boston hotel dining rooms. He worked to elevate local ingredients as he cooked modern American dishes. White’s oysters were another area favorite, and he helped drive a revival of oyster dishes. By 1991, Jasper’s was noteworthy enough to earn White the inaugural James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in the Northeast.
White closed Jasper’s in 1995 but returned to the Boston food scene in 2000 with Jasper White’s Summer Shack, first in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then with other locations opening later. There, he mimicked the small seaside seafood shacks common in New England, but added his signature flair. One of the four books White published was “The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food.” It offers recipes for Summer Shack favorites like lobster rolls and steamers, along with tips and techniques for working with seafood and preparing the perfect drawn butter in which to dip it.
White also owned the seafood company Summer Shack Fish Department. As a chef and wholesaler focusing on seafood, he was concerned with the health of the ocean off the East coast. At his restaurants, he established the Chefs for the Sea program, in which White asked diners to donate a dollar per meal. The money went directly to the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay programs, which work toward clean water and healthy seafood populations.
White on concerns about overfishing
“I think our energy is better focused on the environmental aspects instead of the complex issues that are related to single species. Look at the Gulf of Mexico. We still don’t even know the damage that’s been done down there. The one thing that we can all get behind as concerned food people is the environment and the continual policing of various harbors and bodies of water. In the end I truly believe if the ocean’s healthy, something’s going to grow in it.” — from a 2011 interview for Eat Drink RI
Tributes to Jasper White
Full obituary: The New York Times
