Chef Finn Walter Honored as a James Beard Award Finalist

Cottonseed Oil Advisory Board member Chef Finn Walter has been named a James Beard award finalist for Best Chef: Texas. The owner and chef of his own fine dining restaurant has spent 20 years living and working in some of the top culinary cities in the world — all to return to his hometown in Lubbock where he opened The Nicollett in the fall of 2020.

Rooted in Regionally Sourced Ingredients

After working in multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, his mission was simple: to create a destination restaurant for his hometown. The Nicollet’s menu pays homage to the region of West Texas by including 80% locally sourced ingredients, including cottonseed oil.

Chef Finn shared, “In year one, about 20% of our ingredients were coming from local farmers and producers, and we’re now up to 80%-plus. Our partnerships with local farmers allow us to showcase a mix of indigenous and locally grown items that have historically been underutilized or not featured in the region. We want to celebrate the High Plains, and those flavors, that terroir, come from here.”

The Nicollet’s multi-course menu focuses on High Plains cuisine and reflects the experiences Walter had during his time in Paris, Austin, Napa Valley and Santa Fe.

Cottonseed Oil in Fine Dining

In addition to his role as chef-owner of The Nicollet, Walter serves on the Cottonseed Oil Advisory Board. With such a strong emphasis on using ingredients local to West Texas, Chef Finn has incorporated cottonseed oil into a variety of dishes. Its neutral taste, versatility and high smoke point make cottonseed oil a must-have ingredient for chefs in commercial kitchens.

Walter said, “cottonseed oil was not on my radar — or really on offer — until I started looking into key ingredients that make the most sense for our region. How do you create your own flavor profiles and idea of terroir? For us, cottonseed oil is used as a central neutral oil throughout the menu, and it provides nice texture and mouthfeel as a dressing and for fried items like our signature Nicolett Fry Bread. Sharing with guests that we are able to source our oil locally — literally from just two miles away — is part of our story and commitment to the region.”

Curious About Adding Cottonseed Oil to Your Kitchen?

Cottonseed oil is a go-to ingredient for foodservice chefs in busy commercial kitchens. Its versatility and flavor neutrality make it useful for a variety of different dishes, from appetizers to desserts. Get inspiration for what you can make in the kitchen with one key ingredient: cottonseed oil.