By: Tiffany Dobbyn, Capitol Morning Report
Buffalo meatballs in a chipotle BBQ sauce made from scratch and wild boar Bolognese over rigatoni are some of the unusual tastes Capitol staffers have been offered from Sean Doherty’s culinary repertoire. The chief of staff to Asm. Devon Mathis is becoming known around the Capitol as the hunter who creates dishes featuring wild game he hunts himself. Doherty has been cooking with game for years, the rewards of many successful hunting trips. “If it moves, I hunt it,” Doherty said. His favorite is bear hunting and the meat does not go to waste; he makes bear chili. Doherty credits his father for teaching him how to cook. “He would read a recipe and maybe do it once and he would never do it that way again,” Doherty explained. “I cook the same way.”
The proud Irishman grew up in Memphis with his famous sister, actress Shannen Doherty, before the family settled in California in 1978. He made his way to Sacramento after helping run a successful campaign for then-Sen. Maurice Johannessen. While attending a Sacramento Young Republicans meeting in 1993, he met his wife, Judith Anne (nicknamed Thanne). Doherty says he knew Thanne was “the one” right away and proposed the night they met. They’ve been married for 22 years and have seven children, ranging in age from 13 to 21.
Doherty with his wife & kids in 2013
Every Christmas Eve, Doherty presents his culinary masterpiece – a seven-course wild game feast he prepares for his family. “This is my favorite holiday,” he said. “I get into it.” This year’s menu starts off with two unique appetizers: duck pillows made with duck confit, goat cheese and herbs wrapped in phyllo dough, baked and topped with balsamic vinegar drizzle; and mini crawfish cakes with a Cajun remoulade. That course will be followed by a grilled quail and charred fennel salad along with Doherty’s original cream of pheasant soup. “That’s a family favorite,” he said of the soup. He uses wild pheasant he bagged on his 48-acre property in the Sacramento Delta. Next, Doherty plans to serve pan-seared venison over a risotto made with Wild Horse Cabernet, a nod to lobbying firm Wild Horse Consulting, where he was a partner before joining Mathis at the Capitol in 2015. “With the red risotto and the venison loin thinly sliced over it, it’s just beautiful,” Doherty said. That’s accompanied by a wild boar Bolognese, a pasta dish that Doherty says takes three days to prepare. “I like it to simmer and percolate to have all the flavors blend,” he said. The main course features prosciutto-wrapped boar loin with black truffle and wild mushroom stuffing. To elevate that flavor combination, Doherty serves it with vegetables including daikon radishes, carrots and Brussels sprouts braised in Champagne. “I thought it would be a sweet accompaniment to the heartiness of the boar,” Doherty explained. The finale will be Doherty’s homemade egg nog crème brulee and his wife’s bourbon-soaked fruitcake cookies for dessert.
Even though he takes pride in his cooking, Doherty is most proud of his family that surrounds him at the dinner table. “My pride is just sitting back and looking at the family I’ve been blessed with,” he said. Contact: sean.doherty@asm.ca.gov.