It hardly seems possible, but it has been almost nine years since Clifford Pleau was heading the kitchen at California Grill. He left Disney, of course, to become the executive chef for an as-yet unnamed new concept from Darden Restaurants that turned out to be Seasons 52. I caught up with Pleau by phone in King of Prussia, Penn., where he was overseeing the opening of the 10th Seasons 52. When I reached him, he was, at that very moment, cleaning scallops for the recipe presented here.

“This recipe is perfect for this time of year,” says Pleau. “It’s nice and light and citrusy.” The chef offered some tips for making the recipe. Use extra virgin olive oil and put it in a spray bottle. He says you can find pricy ones at fancy kitchen stores, but “I think the dollar-ninety-nine bottles you can get at a beauty supply store work just fine.”

He also says to be sure to wash the citrus and use the zest, being careful not to get any of the “white stuff” because it would lend an astringent flavor. A skewer fashioned out of lemongrass or a sugar cane will keep the scallops together. For the tabbouleh, Pleau suggests a bit of crumbled feta cheese on top “for a little color and pizzaz.” For a plate garnish, he says to roast lemon slices under a broiler. The heat will give the yellow lemons a nice brown scorch and will loosen up the juices.

Since opening the prototype Seasons 52 on Sand Lake Road in summer of 2003, Darden has moved slowly to open others, but the pace has been quickened. “Now,” says Pleau, who travels about one week each month to oversee the restaurants, “I’m starting to get my stride.”

It was May 15, 1995. Walt Disney World culinears opened California Grill at the top of the Contemporary Resort in the space that had been home to a Broadway-style revue. So it has now been 15 years that California Grill has been at the top of the World, figuratively and literally, on the 15th floor of the hotel. Since that first day, it has been one of the area's best restauants.

It was first under the direction of chef Clifford Pleau and manager George Miliotes, who were both lured away by Darden to start up Seasons 52. Other chefs have included John State (also now with Seasons 52) and Jens Dahlmann (now heading culinary at Epcot). Brian Piasecki is the current chef; Bridget Sherren has been manager the past six years.

Some of the staff, including Yoshie Cabral, sushi chef, have been at the restaurant since day 1.

I'll have more on the restaurant soon, but I wanted to share the recipe for the Grill's special anniversary drink, the Golden Gate. It's a little sweet for my taste, but it sure looks good.

 

This is a wonderfully refreshing drink from Sepia's head bartender Joshua Pearson. Even if you don't like gin, you may love this drink.

French 75

2oz Hendricks Gin

1oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5oz Simple Syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar)
Dash Regan's Orange Bitters (available from www.kegworks.com)

Shake all ingredients in iced cocktail shaker and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Top with a demi-sec sparkling rose. We prefer either Renard-Fache Bugey Cerdon or Terres Dorées FRV 100.

Garnish with a wide orange twist.

BBQ Chicken and Black Bean Pizza

1- light grill and bring to a medium low heat
2- roll fresh pizza dough to desired size and thickness
3- spray grill with non-stick spray such as Pam
4- lightly brush one side of pizza dough with vegetable oil and place on grill, oil side down
5- grill for 5-7 minutes with lid open until bottom of dough is browned and crusty
6- move the partially cooked dough to a cool working area,
7- lightly brush the top with oil flip over so the cooked side is facing up
8- leaving a circle around the outer edge of the dough uncovered, layer the following ingredients on the cooked top of the pizza:   
- 4R BBQ Sauce
- white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4R smoked chicken (warmed slightly)
- Mozzarella cheese
- diced tomatoes
- black beans (washed clean and drained)
- diced sweet Vidalia onion
- fresh cilantro
9- carefully return the pizza to the grill and grill 5-7 minutes on low with lid closed until bottom is crispy and cheese has melted
10- remove pizza from grill and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes
11- top lightly with Parmesan and enjoy!

Smoked Brisket, Asiago and Jalapeno Pizza

1- light grill and bring to a medium low heat
2- roll fresh pizza dough to desired size and thickness
3- spray grill with non-stick spray such as Pam
4- lightly brush one side of pizza dough with vegetable oil and place on grill, oil side down
5- grill for 5-7 minutes with lid open until bottom of dough is browned and crusty
6- move the partially cooked dough to a cool working area,
7- lightly brush the top with oil flip over so the cooked side is facing up
8- leaving a circle around the outer edge of the dough uncovered, layer the following ingredients on the cooked top of the pizza:
- 4R BBQ Sauce
- Cheddar Mexican-Mix shredded cheese     
- thinly sliced 4R Signature Smoked Brisket (warmed slightly)
- caramelized sweet Vidalia onion
- shredded Asiago cheese
- tomato slices, thinly sliced
- diced jalapeno's
- top lightly with Parmesan
9- carefully return the pizza to the grill and grill 5-7 minutes on low with lid closed until bottom is crispy and cheese has melted
10- remove pizza from grill and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes
11- top lightly with Parmesan and enjoy!

Talk of the Town

Lump Crab Crusted Alaskan Halibut with Mirin-Wasabi Glaze and Beurre Blanc

 

 

Wasabi Mirin Glaze

Wasabi Powder- 1 cup

Mirin- to taste

 

Crab Crust

Lump Blue Crab Meat - 1 Cup

Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature – 1 Cup

Panko Breadcrumbs - ¼ Cup

Red Bell Pepper, Small Dice - ½ Medium

White Pepper - To Taste

Kosher Salt - To Taste

Lemon Juice - To Taste

 

Crab Salad

Lump Blue Crab Meat - 1 Cup

Bay Shrimp - ¾ Cup

Tomatoes, Diced - ¼ Cup

Parsley, Chopped- 2 Teaspoons

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 2 Tablespoons

Kosher Salt - To Taste

Ground Black Pepper-  to taste

 

Technique:

1. Place butter in mixing bowl and bring to room temperature.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly.
3. Roll between parchment sheets ¼ in. thick.

 

Execution:

1. Lightly glaze fish with Wasabi-Mirin Glaze.
2. Place crust on fish to perfectly fit filet.
3. Bake in oven at 400 degrees until done.
4. Serve with White Wine Beurre Blanc and garnish with Crab Salad.

 

 

Tobias Braised Short Ribs

Recipe yields 4 - 6

 

Ingredients

 

6 quarts                        Mirepoix

1 cup                        Chopped Garlic

8 each                        Bay Leaves

1 bunch             Thyme

8 each                         Stalks of Rosemary

1 cup                         Whole Peppercorn

2 cups                         Tomato Paste

1 bottle             Cabernet or Other Good Red Wine

Chicken stock to cover

2 cups                         Demi Glaze

 

Method

 

Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Sear in a roasting pan. Remove and add mirepoix. Cook for 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes and add tomato paste. Cook for 2 more minutes and deglaze with wine. Add remaining ingredients and place short ribs back in roasting pan. Cover and move to a 275 degree over for approximately 3 – 4 hours.

 

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Yields 4 – 6 Servings

 

Ingredients

 

2 pounds            Red Potatoes

2 ounces            Roasted Garlic

½ pound            Butter

1 cup                        Whole Milk

1 cup                        Whipping Cream

To taste            Salt and Pepper

2 ounces            Sour Cream

 

Method

 

Combine all ingredients.

 

 

 

Rosen Centre

Exec. Chef Michael Rumplick

Focaccia Crusted Lamb

 

 

Focaccia Crust

 

Ingredients

• 1cup Focaccia bread toasted & ground
• 2 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley, rosemary & sage
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set a side

 

Lamb rack

 

1 each lamb rack trimmed & frenched

¼ cup Dijon mustard

 

Season the lamb rack with salt & coarse ground black pepper. Then sear the lamb with     2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet until nicely browned on both sides. Once browned, brush the lamb with the mustard: then top with the focaccia crust about ¼ inch thick, keeping the curst on the lamb and off the bones.

Place lamb in a 400°oven and roast for about 15 minutes until an internal temp of 135° is reached then remove from the oven and let rest for 10minutes before slicing into chops.

Crab Cakes with Tropical Mango Salsa

Jack’s Place at Rosen Plaza

Executive Chef Michael McMullen

 

Crab Cakes

1 lb. crab meat

4 slices white bread, crust removed

3 1/2 oz. mayonnaise

2 Tbl. chopped parsley

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 whole egg

 

Dice the white bread and mix with the egg and mayonnaise, set aside. Combine all other ingredients except the crab and mix thoroughly. Gently fold together crab, seasonings and bread mixture. Form into 2 oz patties and sauté both sides until golden brown.

 

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pit removed, diced

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small red onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely mince

1- 1 ½ Tbl. Fresh lime juice

 

Combine all ingredients. Serve with crab cakes.

Chocolate Sabayon

Rosen Shingle Creek

Executive Pastry Chef David Ramirez

 

Ingredients

½ cup                  Milk Chocolate (solid, broken in pieces)

1 tsp.                  Gelatin

3 Tbsp.         Marsala Wine

2 Tbsp.         Sugar

3                  Whole Eggs

1  ¼ cup         Whipped Cream

¼ cup                  Water

 

Directions:

 

Bloom gelatin (mix with ¼ cup cold water).

Melt chocolate (microwave or in a double boiler) .

Boil Marsala wine and sugar until the sugar is dissolved into a Marsala sugar syrup.

Start whipping eggs and pour Marsala sugar syrup slowly down the side of the bowl.

Add the melted chocolate.

Melt gelatin (microwave slowly) and add to the mixture.

Cool mixture down (in an ice water bath) and add whipped cream.

 

Pour into serving dishes.  Serves 6-8.