Chef Biography
Bent Rasmussen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1941. He became an apprentice in a small exclusive restaurant in Copenhagen, while going to culinary school to win his chef’s diploma. After spending two years in the Danish Navy as a chef in the Officer’s Mess on a fort outside Copenhagen, he went to Italy for six months to learn Italian cooking. While in Italy, he was offered a position at the Restaurant Scandia in Los Angeles until 1964, when he joined the culinary team at the Danish Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair.
After the World’s Fair closed, he spent three months doing a promotion for Danish foods in the Virgin Islands. St Croix, twice owned by Denmark, felt like home, and he fell in love with the island. On St. Croix, Chef Rasmussen opened Little Mermaid at the Buccaneer Hotel in 1965, Mahogany Inn in 1967, King Christian Restaurant in 1968, and in 1970, he and his wife Hanne, opened the Top Hat Restaurant in a restored town house, that combined Old World charm with island hospitality. His combination of Continental and Scandinavian cuisines and local dishes were a “must” for over a quarter of a century.
In 1997, the Great Chefs team flew to St Croix from Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, and taped Chef Rasmussen preparing a cucumber soup; a veal oscar and almond sticks for their Great Chefs of the Caribbean series.
Later, in 1998, they returned to tape Chef Rasmussen preparing five more dishes for Weber Grill’s Caribbean Cook Out special. Thirty-seven years later, in 2007 Top Hat Restaurant closed, Chef Bent retired, and Hanne Rasmussen and Chef reopened the restaurant as “Art @ Top Hat”, an upscale art gallery, and the only one on the island.
Recipes
Seviche of Conch Salsa
Print Seviche of Conch Salsa By Great Chefs November 18, 2015 Ingredients Conch – 8 ounces (alt. peeled shrimp) Lime Juice – 1/4 cup (juice of 3 limes) Lemon Juice – 1/4 cup (juice of 1 lemon) Garlic Clove – 1, diced Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons Papaya – 1/4 cup, diced Red Onion […]
Veal Oscar
Serving: 2 Print Veal Oscar By Great Chefs September 20, 2015 This lush dish is the perfect romantic supper. Veal cutlets are topped with fresh asparagus, lobster medallions, and Bearnaise sauce. A classic dish, this Veal Oscar combines three elegant ingredients; it is only appropriate that a shaved truffle slice garnishes the top. Ingredients Garnish […]
Cucumber Soup
Serving: 6 Print Cucumber Soup By Great Chefs September 16, 2015 Cool as the proverbial — well, cucumber — this delicious soup combines the flavors of cucumbers, celery, and leeks with a smooth and flavorful base that contains chicken stock, cream, and sour cream. Dill sprigs and sprinkles of caviar add contrast for the presentation. […]
Chicken and Prosciutto-wrapped Lobster
Serving: 4 Print Chicken and Prosciutto-wrapped Lobster By Great Chefs June 20, 2014 Seviche salsa makes a definitive Caribbean statement in this dish. Chicken breasts and lobster bits are rolled together with thin slices of prosciutto and grilled, making a tasty packet. Like the seviche salsa, the rolled grilled squash could appear as an accompaniment […]
Black Pasta Nest with Lobster Quenelle Eggs in Dill-Lobster Cream
Serving: 4 Print Black Pasta Nest with Lobster Quenelle Eggs in Dill-Lobster Cream By Great Chefs June 20, 2014 Beautiful colors and silky textures mark Chef Bent Rasmussen’s appetizer. Black pasta nests cradle pink lobster quenelles which are coated with Dill-Lobster Cream. Rosy red tomato-cream sauce surrounds the nests. You will find ready-made black pasta […]
Almond Sticks (Kransekage)
Yield: 2 Dozen Sticks Serving: 24 Print Almond Sticks (Kransekage) By Great Chefs June 20, 2014 Chef Rasmussen says this tasty recipe can be made into different forms, like cornucopias, rings, petit fours, and sticks. These almond sticks traditionally appear at anniversaries, birthdays, and weddings in Denmark. Ingredients Almond Paste – 2 pounds, 3 ounces […]
Cucumber Soup
Serving: 6 Print Cucumber Soup By Great Chefs June 20, 2014 Cool as the proverbial — well, cucumber — this delicious soup combines the flavors of cucumbers, celery, and leeks with a smooth and flavorful base that contains chicken stock, cream, and sour cream. Dill sprigs and sprinkles of caviar add contrast for the presentation. […]
Honey-glazed Veal Chops with Jalapeno Pepper Sauce
Serving: 8 Print Honey-glazed Veal Chops with Jalapeno Pepper Sauce By Great Chefs June 20, 2014 Honey-mustard sauce fired with jalapeno pepper puree glazes thick veal chops, perfectly grilled and served with salsa piquante and wilted spinach. The salsa has a bit of scotch bonnet, also known as habanero, pepper — be forewarned, and adjust […]
Restaurant Information
Phone : 340-513-3558
Address : 52 Company St Christiansted, St. Croix 00820 USVI