Florida Grouper

WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE RISOTTO, SAUTÉED KALE AND TROPICAL SALSA

Protein:

2 pieces Florida grouper, 6 oz. ea.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp butter

½ lemon

1 oz white wine

¼ c chicken stock salt & pepper to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Season the grouper with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.

3. Heat a sauté pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is hot, lightly place the grouper in the pan, and cook until golden brown.

4. Gently turn the grouper. Deglaze the pan with white wine and then add the chicken stock.

5. Place the pan with the grouper into the oven. Cook for seven minutes and then return the pan to flame.

6. Remove the grouper from the pan and let rest. Add butter to the pan and stir until melted and remove from heat. Pour over the grouper just before serving.

Grilled Pineapple Risotto:

1 tsp olive oil

½ c risotto

1½ c chicken stock

1 c pineapple juice

Place 1 tsp. of olive oil in a sauce pot, add risotto to the pan, and coat with oil. Cook on low.

Add half of the pineapple juice and chicken stock. Cook until the liquid is dissolved, then add the other half of the liquid. Cook until the risotto is tender and cooked through and the liquid is completely dissolved.

Sautéed Kale:

3 c kale

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped shallots

1 tsp chopped garlic salt & pepper to taste

Heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Place 1 tbsp. of olive oil in pan. When hot, add the kale, garlic, and shallots, and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tropical Salsa:

¼ c diced pineapple

¼ c diced papaya

¼ c diced mango

1 tsp chopped cilantro

1 tsp dark rum

1 tsp chopped red peppers although they tried to keep as many people as they could, no one was traveling, going to hotels, or going out to eat. Everything was at a standstill for several months, and unfortunately, they had to let a lot of their employees go, including me.

In a mixing bowl, add the diced pineapple, mango, papaya, red pepper, cilantro, and rum. Toss together to combine.

Luckily, I had some friends in the business and was able to get some work here and there to make ends meet. I helped open a restaurant where I worked as the sous chef for about two years, and then eventually went into the country club industry.

You worked at two other country clubs, BallenIsles and Ibis (for approximately 15 years), before coming to Wycliffe. What is it about this environment that’s charmed you and continued to draw you in?

A friend had recommended that I try working at a country club (BallenIsles), and the General Manager told me that one of the reasons people love working in that environment is the quality of life it provides. And that’s so true. I didn’t have to work until one or two in the morning, which meant that when my kids were small, I was able to go home and read them a story and put them to bed.

I was able to fulfill my passion while also maintaining a balanced quality of life that included more consistent hours with my family. For the last 20 years, the club industry has allowed me to have exactly that. Don’t get me wrong; we still do 60+ hour weeks, especially during the busy season, but I’m able to leave a bit earlier and have more flexible hours.

How would you define your cooking personality, and what helped to shape it?

I worked under an unbelievable chef, Chef

Jerome, at BallenIsles. Because of that training, I put a lot of French influence in my food. At BallenIsles, it was such a big operation that if Chef Jerome came around to see you and have time for you, it was awesome.

His famous words to me were, “Try it. Try it for us, and we’ll see how it goes.” I’ve made some incredible dishes and some that I’ll never do again.

When we do farm-to-table dinners here, I meet the farmers and seafood purveyors. Building a relationship with the people who produce food is what influences how I cook.

Florida is a mecca for fresh seafood. What’s a quintessential fish, and how do you describe the region’s overall culinary style?

Yellowtail snapper is very popular!

The culture here is diverse, and the area is flooded with culinary talent. You have the Spanish influence, the Creole influence, and if you can incorporate the vibe of Florida into the food, that’s important. We source as much locally as we can because it’s good health-wise as well as for the environment.

We also pull from other industries (like hotels and restaurants) to allow for a diverse range of talent and flavor influence in the food.

When you first began at Wycliffe, the club was in transition. Were you excited to be part of something that was actively moving and changing? And were you able to offer up some of your visions?

The club had a late 90s theme to it and needed to be more modernized. Just the thought of being a part of such an evolution excited me.

The kitchen especially needed refreshment, and a little light brought to it. I helped with the design and got involved with the plans and layouts so I could make sure everything would flow. I was able to get all the bells and whistles I wanted! And I helped create the fantastic team of men and women that I have now who do an incredible job.

Speaking of healthy, Wycliffe’s website says that the dining scene is “recognized as one of America’s healthiest clubs.” How do you incorporate wholesome, nutritious ingredients while also making sure that guests are getting something incredibly delicious? Is there a separate menu, or is this mostly by request?

We often work with ingredients that are fresh and locally-sourced, and the less you add to food, that’s when it’s the healthiest. It’s usually by request, but when I write a menu, I do try to make healthy, tasty food. We have a spa and a fitness center, so everyone here is trying to live an active lifestyle.

When we were at full-service, we had a healthy section on our lunch buffet. We see the members all the time, and they’re our biggest supporters, so if there’s something we can modify or change for them, we try to help them out.

Are they ever shy about their feedback?

I have an open-door policy. Customers are always able to call me, email me, or pop their heads in the kitchen. I also encourage all of my chefs to be seen, so they’ll walk the dining room and greet the guests. They’re part of the experience.

Wycliffe has a few different dining venues. In which kitchen are you most comfortable?

Flavours is our fine dining restaurant that’s allowed our members to experience a variety of flavors. We delicately prepare a robust range of extraordinary dishes for their refined palates, and I’m the most comfortable here because of the level of creativity I get to put into every dish.

I heard that you’d made some interesting accommodations to Wycliffe since the pandemic rocked the restaurant industry. Tell me about how you’ve been able to adapt and address the issue of Covid-19 with the members?

We wanted to make sure we could provide as many of the same services as possible. We started doing to go’s like everyone else for lunch and dinner, but we also turned part of our ballroom into a grocery store (for produce, toilet paper, etc.) where members could go through an app for contactless curbside pickup. Our valets even turned themselves into delivery drivers!

Our pastry chef is also very active with our members, and she wanted to make sure she was still involved and well-seen. She started doing take-and-bake kits with recipe videos. Every two weeks was something different, and people were able to reach out to her with any questions.

We also did theme nights (like seafood platters with cooked and chilled crab claws and lobsters), a happy hour menu where members could order bites and drinks, and even a brunch menu on Sundays. All to go! We wanted to ensure that our members were well taken care of and receiving the same level of service they were accustomed to.

What are some of your favorite special events you’ve created for members? And what’s your process for coming up with menus that are different and exciting each time?

The beauty of working in a country club as opposed to a quintessential restaurant is you are catering to the same audience night after night. Therefore, you must be creative and showcase new offerings for every event. This can’t be done alone. I look to my team for creativity. Whether it be for Halloween or a Ladies’ Card Party, our pastry team is always putting twists on decadent desserts. Our Chef Garde Manger is often found creating unique fruit carvings that are beautiful enough to be used as centerpieces. And our farm-to-table meals feature local ingredients and allow our chefs to showcase their ability to use seasonally-available ingredients.

What inspires you when you’re writing menus? Seasonality? Cookbooks? Food television? Travel?

I have a whole library of cookbooks in my office, and I encourage everyone to grab a book, take it home, and get inspired. The best way, I think, to write a menu is to sit down with my chefs and bounce around ideas. When a menu is finalized, it’s a collaboration of each of our personalities.

Favorite takeout dish to order when you’ve been on your feet all day and had enough of the kitchen?

Something simple and easy. When I leave work and don’t want to do anything, I can pick up the phone, call my favorite wing or sub place, and it’s ready when I get there. Sometimes that’s all you want!

What advice do you have for home cooks who aren’t very comfortable in the kitchen but want to entertain and improve their skills?

Try it! You’re not going to find out what you like until you try it. Use a recipe as a guideline. Cook what you love. Enjoy the process. If you mess up, there’s always takeout!