Watersound Lifestyle Fall/Winter 2022

THE HEART OF WATERSOUND CLUB CUISINE

A humble chef exudes talent and leadership in his ever-evolving culinary career

Written By PAIGE AIGRET

Chef Preetam Pardeshi has been a staple for The St. Joe Company for nearly 10 years, ever since he moved to the area for a position at WaterColor Inn’s Fish Out of Water restaurant in 2013.

Seafood Pasta

Pardeshi has achieved several promotions within The St. Joe Company, quickly moving up in his role at Fish Out of Water to become the chef of cuisine and then the executive sous chef. He later made the move from WaterColor Inn to the Watersound Club team, becoming the executive chef at Beach Club and, more recently, working on the development of the Club’s future Camp Creek Inn restaurants and the adjacent Club amenities where he’ll serve as executive chef upon their openings.

But Pardeshi’s experience reaches further back than his time with St. Joe. He has always felt connected to food and the art of cuisine, even from a young age, growing up around his grandparents who were farmers. Originally from Pune, India, an area known as the “Oxford of the East,” Pardeshi was lucky in the fact that educational opportunities were plentiful, and he was able to take advantage.

Flounder Almondine

The internationally trained chef Preetam Pardeshi plays an essential role as Watersound Club executive chef.

Pardeshi was classically trained in styles including Italian, French and Indian cuisine. But he learned the nuances of Southern-style cuisine at the Grand Hotel Resort in Fairhope, Alabama.

As an internationally trained chef, Pardeshi could have landed anywhere, but the Gulf of Mexico called to him, and it’s still his favorite part of living along the Emerald Coast. Now he calls the area home, having purchased a house in 2018 and settled into his role with the Watersound Club team.

Pardeshi’s day-to-day role is eclectic as he moves between Club amenities, depending on where he is most needed on any given day. But his role will soon evolve again with the opening of the Club’s three new dining venues in the new year: 1936, ANR and Bark N’ Brine. The addition of these dining venues to the Watersound Club portfolio will equally be an addition to Pardeshi’s plate, as he is set to oversee all three. Having already accomplished so much, Pardeshi is ready and excited for what lies ahead.

“I don’t see hurdles, I see challenges,” he said. “From my perspective, unless you have those challenges, you cannot become better. There is no excitement if there is no challenge.”

1936, named after the founding year of The St. Joe Company, will be an all-day casual dining option serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Perfect for a quick bite before tee time, to take a break from the sun or to bring the family for dinner, 1936 will be located at Camp Creek Inn.

Signature Burger, 1936

ANR, named for the historical Apalachicola Northern Railroad of the Forgotten Coast, will offer Members an upscale dining experience with a Southern flair. Pardeshi is looking forward to this elevated dining addition, saying that “ANR will offer an atmosphere of personalized service to our Members. It will be a complete experience.”

Bark N’ Brine will be a familyfriendly poolside dining venue with indoor and outdoor seating, offering smokehouse favorites along with health-conscious options. Nestled between the new Wellness Center and the resort-style pool area, Bark N’ Brine will be perfect for Members stopping by in between dips in the water or a class at the Wellness Center for a fast, yet quality meal.

Pardeshi’s goal, aligning with that of the Watersound Club experience as a whole, is to offer Members a spectrum of dining experiences so that everything they could possibly want is available to them without having to venture off Club property. He doesn’t want Members to go to just any 30A restaurant.

“I want them to come to mine,” Pardeshi said. “Our membership is growing, and my primary focus is to have a variety of options for the Members to enjoy different varieties within the Club.”

For now, Pardeshi spends most of his time at the Watersound Beach Club dining venues, where even on a slow day they serve around 500 people. On a busy day? Upward of 1,500 people. Hardly a one-man show, Pardeshi is grateful for the support of his team members and staff, especially on busy days.

“Without those teams, I’m nobody,” said Pardeshi. “I give all credit for my success to the teams I’ve worked with. They deserve more appreciation and credit for their hard work and efforts. Without them, I cannot do what I do.”

Pardeshi takes pride in supporting employees and helping them advance in their roles, just as he was able to do himself.

Chef’s Featured Favorite Recipe

Blackened Grouper with Wilted Baby Spinach, Parmesan Risotto, Blue Crab and Lemon Beurre Blanc

Yields 4 servings

Parmesan Risotto

† 5 cups of vegetable stock

† 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

† 1 cup onion, diced

† 1½ cups Arborio rice, uncooked

† ¼ teaspoon salt

† 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

† ½ teaspoon white pepper

† 4 ounces parmesan, grated

† 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to the pot and swirl to coat. Add onion and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Arborio rice and salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add ½ cup of warmed stock. Cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in 1½ cups of stock. Cook for four minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add in the remaining stock, ¾ cup at a time, stirring nearly constantly. Wait until each portion is absorbed before adding the next, about 20-25 minutes total. Reserve 1/3 cup of stock for the last addition. Stir in the reserved stock, butter, white pepper and cheese.

Blackened Grouper

† ¼ cup smoked paprika

† 2 tablespoons dried thyme

† 2 teaspoons onion powder

† 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

† 1½ teaspoons garlic powder

† 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

† ½ teaspoon dry mustard

† ½ teaspoon ground red pepper † ½ cup butter, melted † 4 6-ounce grouper fillets † 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together paprika, thyme, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard and red pepper. Pour melted butter in a shallow dish. Dip each fillet in butter, turning to coat. Sprinkle both sides of each fillet with the spice mixture, then pat gently to coat. Add olive oil to the skillet; the oil should smoke. Place fish in the hot skillet, skin side up. Cook, covered, until browned; three to four minutes. Flip the fillets and cook, covered, until the fish flakes easily with a fork, three to four minutes more. Remove from heat.

Wilted Baby Spinach

† 4 teaspoons olive oil

† 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife † 1 pound fresh baby spinach, washed and drained † Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. When hot, add the olive oil and garlic. Saute for three to four minutes, until the garlic is golden on both sides. Add the spinach to the skillet and toss with oil to coat.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir. When the spinach is just wilted, after about two minutes, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Lemon Beurre Blanc with Blue Crab

† 1½ cups good quality dry white wine

† ½ cup fresh lemon juice

† ½ teaspoon lemon zest, minced or very finely grated

† 1 teaspoon shallots, minced † 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

† 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced † 2 tablespoons heavy cream

† 3½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed

† Kosher salt to taste

† ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

† 1 cup jumbo lump blue crab meat

In a heavy, nonreactive saucepan, combine the wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallots, garlic and thyme. Cook over medium to high heat until the liquid in the mixture reduces to 1-2 tablespoons, about four minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until the liquid in the pan reduces to 1-2 tablespoons, about four minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter one cube at a time, whisking constantly, until all the butter is incorporated into the sauce. Each addition of butter should be almost completely melted in before adding more. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes total. Remove the sauce from heat, then whisk in the kosher salt and pepper. Add the crab meat and serve warm.

TO ASSEMBLE

Place the hot parmesan risotto in the center of the plate. Place the wilted baby spinach half on the risotto and half on the plate. Carefully place the blackened grouper on top of the risotto and spinach. Top with beurre blanc sauce with chunks of crab meat, then garnish with fresh chopped flat leaf Italian parsley.